This article was published on: 12/18/18 12:00 AM
Says it wants a fish ladder to be considered
BEND, Ore. – Dredging Mirror Pond was again at the center of Tuesday night’s Parks and Recreation District Board meeting in Bend.
The board agreed to chip in $300,000 to dredge Mirror Pond Tuesday night. The contribution matches $300,000 pledges from both the city of Bend and Pacific Power.
That still leaves about $5.1 million needed to pay for the project, and the money may come from a franchise fee increase that would be paid by Pacific Power customers.
However, the park board agreed to pay their share on the condition the city and Pacific Power consider adding a fish ladder to the utility’s dam that forms Mirror Pond.
Julie Brown,
“It’s predicated on the involvement of other parties, including the city of Bend and Mirror Pond Solutions,” Brown said. “But we really thought it was important to, from the board members’ standpoint, to reiterate and take a step forward on the community vision that was adopted in 2015.”
Those involved say if everything goes well, dredging could start late next summer.
The board also discussed the expansion of the south end of the Deschutes River Trail.
Parks and Rec
So the proposal has generated mixed opinions, which is why the park board hired a consultant to look at the impacts such a project might have.
The consultant focused on
They also spoke with community members to get their thoughts on the project.
Through that process, the park district believes it was able to get a good understanding of the people who may not entirely agree with the project.
No decision was made Tuesday night on whether they will again attempt to move forward with the project.
The park board will now weigh how it wants to proceed and how they want to involve the community in the process.