Deschutes County meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Deschutes County agenda watch: 51.86-acre rezone, solar lease talks, and a Sisters growth boundary hearing

Deschutes County commissioners are scheduled to deliberate Oct. 14 on a request from Dickey Road, LLC to rezone 51.86 acres from Exclusive Farm Use to Multiple Use Agricultural, and to hear a request from Lava Bear Solar to proceed with lease negotiations for county property north of Fort Thompson Lane. Both are listed on the Board of County Commissioners agenda. Agendas for the meetings below have been posted, but minutes have not, so no votes, outcomes or dollar amounts are available for any item.

Land use: rezonings, appeals and a remand record

The Oct. 14 board agenda also lists public hearings on Board Order Nos. 2026-036, 2026-037 and 2026-038, covering three annexations, a contract award for On-Call Architectural and Engineering Services to Steele Associates Architects, LLC, and a subaward agreement with Headwaters BH Redmond for a Children's Subacute Residential Treatment Facility.

At its Oct. 5 meeting, the board was scheduled to decide the record in the BCL LLC Plan Amendment and Zone Change application ahead of a remand hearing, then hold four work sessions: Private Family Burial Grounds text amendments at 1:15 PM, legislative text amendments to the Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan (2011) and Title 18 of the Development Code at 1:30 PM, Title 21 amendments at 2:00 PM, and amendments to the City of Sisters Urban Growth Boundary at 2:10 PM. An executive session on labor negotiations and employee evaluation may also be called.

Two Hearings Officer matters were set. On Oct. 5 at 1:00 PM, the officer was to hear an appeal of a staff decision approving a farm stand in the Exclusive Farm Use Zone and a nonconforming use verification at 9650 NW 27th Street, Terrebonne. On Oct. 8 at 8:00 AM, the officer was to hear Hope City Church's request for a conditional use permit and modification of conditions for school use, with written comments due 4:00 PM Oct. 7.

Federal funding for a children's treatment facility

The Oct. 7 board consent agenda lists a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services funding award for construction of a children's subacute residential treatment facility, along with minutes from June 24, 26, July 6, 8 and 15. Two public hearings were set for that meeting: closeout of the Community Development Block Grant at 9:10 AM and Private Family Burial Grounds text amendments at 9:25 AM. The meeting begins at 9:00 AM at 1300 NW Wall Street in Bend.

Planning Commission: Terrebonne plan and farm store rules

The Planning Commission meets Oct. 8 at 5:30 PM in Bend for Community Engagement Round 2 on the Terrebonne Community Plan Update, presented by Senior Planner Tanya Saltzman, followed by work sessions on Title 22 Development Procedures and Farm Store text amendments, both presented by Principal Planner Nicole Mardell. Written comment goes to [email protected] by 5:00 p.m. on the meeting date.

Advisory boards

The Cannabis Advisory Panel's 19th meeting was set for Oct. 5, with approval of July 20 minutes, Hunter Neubauer as new chair, Carolyn Sufit as Watermaster Committee representative, a farewell to member Liz Lotochinski and an open public position. The Public Health Advisory Board meets by Zoom Oct. 6 to seat new member April Robinson of La Pine Community Health Center, hear a Health Heroes Subcommittee update from Tom Kuhn and a presentation, "Beyond the Clinical Walls," by Elizabeth Johnson of The Peaceful Presence Project. The Fair Board meets Oct. 8 at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo in Redmond for a Director's Report, a review of the 2026 Fair & Rodeo, a Finance Report, resolutions on a charter and mission/vision statements, master planning and County ISF charges.

Coming up

• **Oct. 19 — Board of County Commissioners:** art proposal for the S Century Drive/Huntington Road Roundabout, Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan update, McKenzie Meadow Village, LLC plan amendment and zone change, and a decision on affirming the Hearings Officer decision on the Fagen Flood Plain to MUA10 Zone Change.
• **Oct. 21 — Board of County Commissioners:** deliberations on rezoning 20 acres at 68621 Highway 20 for Willitts, LLC and 64 acres at 68589 Highway 20 for R. Derek Jaros, LLC, both in Sisters; Central Land & Cattle Company solar lease request west of Redmond; second reading of Ordinance No. 2026-022 on Private Family Burial Grounds; contract award for the NW Lower Bridge Way / NW 43rd Intersection Improvement Project.
• **Oct. 22 — Planning Commission:** public hearings on Farm Store and Title 22 Development Procedures text amendments.
• **Oct. 22 — Board of County Commissioners public hearing:** legislative text amendments to the Comprehensive Plan (2011) and Title 18, Title 21 amendments, and City of Sisters Urban Growth Boundary amendments.

Deschutes County agendas: five-member board ordinance, 51.86-acre rezone, four land-use hearings

Deschutes County held more than a dozen public meetings in the past two weeks, but as of Oct. 13 no minutes had been published for any of them. Everything below comes from meeting agendas, so it describes what was scheduled, proposed or up for discussion — not what was decided. No dollar amounts appear in the agendas reviewed.

Board of Commissioners

The most far-reaching item on the county's agendas was a second reading and adoption of Ordinance 2026-011, listed for the Board of County Commissioners meeting on Sept. 30. The ordinance would amend County Code Chapter 2.04 to reflect a five-member Board of Commissioners.

The same agenda listed a consent agenda of routine approvals, including an intergovernmental agreement with Bend-La Pine Schools to continue the Healthy Schools Program Collaboration, and a notice of intent to award a contract to 2KG Contractors, Inc. for the Behavioral Health South County Remodel Project. Appointments listed included Charles W. Samuelson to the Forest View Special Road District Board, the reappointment of Detective Anthony Ramos and the appointment of Carolyn Sufit to the Cannabis Advisory Panel. Executive sessions on real property negotiation and employment were also listed.

Land use

On Oct. 5 the board was scheduled to decide the record in the BCL LLC Plan Amendment and Zone Change application ahead of a remand hearing, then hold four work sessions: private family burial grounds text amendments; legislative text amendments to the Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan (2011) and Title 18 of the Development Code; legislative text amendments to Title 21; and amendments to the City of Sisters Urban Growth Boundary.

On Oct. 7, two public hearings were scheduled: a closeout for the Community Development Block Grant and the private family burial grounds text amendments. That consent agenda listed a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services funding award for construction of a children's subacute residential treatment facility.

The county Hearings Officer had four land-use matters on the calendar: a declaratory ruling request from Wildhorse Meadows, LLC on the no-net-loss standard for property at 16900 Aspen Lakes Dr, Sisters; a continued hearing on a conditional use permit and site plan review for a dog training facility in a new building in the Exclusive Farm Use zone, continued from June 11; an appeal of a staff decision approving a farm stand in the EFU zone and a nonconforming use verification at 9650 NW 27th Street, Terrebonne; and a conditional use permit and modification of conditions for school use at Hope City Church.

Committees and advisory boards

• **Wolf Committee, Sept. 29:** charter edits on attendance policy, an update on remaining grant funds, a USDA report on Carcass Removal Program staffing and resources, and introduction of new member Kelly Anez.
• **Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Oct. 1:** GIS pathway map, Alta La Pine Safe Routes to School update, a Sunriver short/long-term funding model, Lava Butte–La Pine trail planning, and a TSAP update.
• **Cannabis Advisory Panel, Oct. 5:** its 19th meeting, approval of July 20 minutes, new chair Hunter Neubauer, Carolyn Sufit as Watermaster Committee representative, a farewell to Liz Lotochinski, and an open public position.
• **Public Health Advisory Board, Oct. 6:** September minutes, new member April Robinson of La Pine Community Health Center, a Health Heroes Subcommittee update, and a presentation titled "Beyond the Clinical Walls."
• **Planning Commission, Oct. 8:** Terrebonne Community Plan Update engagement round 2, Title 22 Development Procedures text amendments, and Farm Store text amendments.
• **Fair Board, Oct. 8:** director's report, 2026 Fair & Rodeo review, finance report, resolutions on a charter and mission/vision statements, master planning, and County ISF charges.
• **Joint BOCC and Fair Board, Sept. 30:** FY 25/26 organizational review, DCFE finance reports, a 2026 Fair and Rodeo recap, and a master planning project update.

Coming up

One meeting is listed for the next two weeks. The Board of County Commissioners meets Oct. 14 and is scheduled to deliberate a request from Dickey Road, LLC to rezone 51.86 acres from Exclusive Farm Use to Multiple Use Agricultural, and to hear a request from Lava Bear Solar to proceed with lease negotiations for county-owned property north of Fort Thompson Lane. Public hearings are listed for Board Order Nos. 2026-036, 2026-037 and 2026-038 on three annexations. The agenda also lists a contract award for on-call architectural and engineering services to Steele Associates Architects, LLC, and a subaward agreement with Headwaters BH Redmond for a children's subacute residential treatment facility.