Thank you for subscribing to the Inside Deschutes County E-Newsletter! Here's what's making news across the County:

The May 21, 2024 Primary Election is underway, and the Deschutes County Elections Office is sharing some important information with voters.

If you are an active registered voter in the County, you should expect to receive an official primary ballot by mail in early May. Once you vote your ballot, you can return it either by mail or at any of the secure, official drop boxes available throughout Deschutes County.

In Oregon, the two major political parties, Democratic and Republican, have chosen to hold closed primaries. This means that only voters who are affiliated with one of these political parties can vote in that party’s primary.

Here are some important dates you should know for the 2024 Primary Election:

• April 30 – Deadline to register to vote, update your voter registration, or affiliate with a major political party.
• May 1 – Ballots mailed to voters. All ballots include a postage-paid return envelope for you to mail in your voted ballot, or if you prefer, you can drop it off at an official ballot drop box location.
• May 3 – Deschutes County drop boxes open for voted ballots. Visit the Deschutes County Clerk website to find a drop box location near you.
• May 21 – Election Day. Ballots must be received at a drop box by 8 p.m. or postmarked by the United States Postal Service (USPS) by this date and received by the Clerk’s Office by Tuesday, May 28, 2024 to be counted.

You can find more information and the answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the County Clerk/Elections website. 

With Primary Election Day approaching, the Deschutes County Road Department wants to inform political campaigns and their supporters that political signs are no longer allowed to be posted in the right of way of public roads under the jurisdiction of Deschutes County.

Political signs placed within a public road right of way under the jurisdiction of Deschutes County will be removed by the Deschutes County Road Department.

Property owners and political campaigns can determine the approximate location of public road right of way boundaries by using the interactive map on the Deschutes County Dial website.

Campaign signs can still be posted on private properties with landowner permission.

Episodes 25 and 26 of the Inside Deschutes County podcast are live!

As you saw above, the May 21, 2024 Primary Election is upon us. Your last day to register is April 30 and ballots are going out soon. County Clerk Steve Dennison walks us through the ins and outs of this election.

Also, the end of the school year is right around the corner, so it's a great time to talk to Aimee Snyder, the supervisor of Deschutes County's Healthy Schools program. Hear about the innovative partnership with Bend-La Pine Schools, the inspiring success stories and where the program goes from here.



You can listen to both episodes at deschutes.org/podcast or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

With the arrival of spring temperatures, Deschutes County residents are encouraged to clean up their yards and take advantage of the FREE yard debris disposal event, beginning May 3, 2024.

The annual spring FireFree event allows residents to drop-off their yard debris at collection sites around Deschutes County free of charge (dates, times and locations vary). The event is meant to inspire residents to prepare their homes for the threat of wildfire season.

Here are the dates, times and locations for the FireFree spring collection:

Bend: Knott Landfill, 61050 SE 27th St.

May 3 – May 12 (7 days a week)

7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Sunriver: Sunriver Compost Site, 18305 Cottonwood Rd.

May 3 – May 4 (Friday and Saturday)

8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

La Pine: Southwest Transfer Station, 54580 Hwy 97

May 31 – June 8 (Monday–Saturday)

8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Redmond: Negus Transfer Station, 2400 NE Maple Ave.

May 31 – June 8 (Monday–Saturday)

8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sisters: Northwest Transfer Station, 68200 Fryrear Rd.

May 31 – June 8 (Wednesday–Saturday)

8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Click here for a list of what will and won't be accepted.

For more information, call (541) 322-7129 or visit www.firefree.org.

The arrival of spring brings many welcome changes to Central Oregon, such as warmer weather and longer days. It is also the best time to get ready for wildfire smoke season.   

When springtime conditions allow, land managers with Deschutes National Forest, Ochoco National Forest, and Crooked River Grasslands conduct prescribed burns on the forest. While prescribed burns are a key tool to protect the community, they can cause smoke impacts which reduce air quality and are harmful to health.  

Here are some ways to protect your health during prescribed burn and wildfire season: 

• Stay informed about planned burn activity. Bookmark the Central Oregon Fire website. Sign up for text message alerts by texting “COFIRE” to 888-777.   
• Be sure to close windows and doors overnight when burns are taking place.
• Talk with your health care team and make a plan for how to manage your health conditions when it is smoky. 
• Check air quality reports and monitors for real-time information about current and expected air quality.  
• Be willing to change outdoor activities to avoid smoke.  
• Keep indoor air as clean as possible. Consider using an air purifier, or upgrading your HVAC filter. You can make a filter fan at low cost.  
• Consider wearing an N95 mask for extreme smoke or long periods of time outside.  
• Call 211 to find cleaner indoor air spaces.

Learn more about protecting your health from smoke.  

Household hazardous waste collection event

This May and June, the Deschutes County Department of Solid Waste will be hosting three household hazardous waste collection events for the communities of Redmond, Sisters and La Pine. These special, one-day events will give residents the opportunity to drop off their household hazardous waste items FREE of charge.  



Items that will be accepted at the collection events include:

• Oil and latex paints and stains
• Thinners, solvents, fuels
• Oil soaked rags and absorbents
• Pool and spa chemicals
• Garden products (herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, etc.)
• Vehicle fluids (coolants, lubricants, fuels, brake fluid, transmission fluid, etc.)
• Propane tanks and camp stove cylinders
• Aerosols (paints, garden sprays, cleaners, etc.)
• Mercury and Mercury-containing items (thermometers, thermostats, etc.)
• Fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent bulbs
• Rechargeable batteries
• Household cleaners

Items that will not be accepted include:

• Business-generated hazardous waste
• Medical waste
• Explosives, fireworks, ammunition
• Compressed gas cylinders (propane tanks and cylinders are accepted)
• Barrels

Collection event location, date and hours of operation for each community is listed below.

Redmond – Negus Transfer Station

2400 NE Maple Ave

Saturday, May 18

9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Sisters - Sisters Recycling Center

328 W. Sisters Park Drive

Saturday, June 1

9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

La Pine - La Pine High School (front parking lot)

51633 Coach Road

Saturday, June 22

9 a.m. -1 p.m.

*Household hazardous waste is also accepted free of charge two weekends each month at the Knott Landfill Hazardous Waste Facility in southeast Bend. Residents should check the Solid Waste calendar for dates and hours of operation.

For more information, please call the Department of Solid Waste at (541) 317-3163.

Deschutes 2040 update

Following a 24-month development process, the Deschutes County Planning Commission has recommended approval of the revised draft Deschutes 2040 Plan. 

The Comprehensive Plan is the County’s map for the future and provides the goals, policies, and actions that are intended to guide the day-to-day decisions of elected officials and staff. The Plan is now in the second portion of the hearing phase before the Board of County Commissioners.

Community members are invited to review the revised draft plan, which includes Planning Commission recommendations, and to provide additional input on this document.

The next public hearing is Tuesday, April 30 at 3 p.m. at Sisters City Hall located at 520 E Cascade Ave.

For more information and how to attend virtually, you can go to deschutes.org/2040.

Cascade Lakes Highway update

Deschutes County Road Department crews are making great progress in their efforts to clear snow from Cascade Lakes Highway and Paulina Lake Road.

These photos were taken April 16. The Road Department aims to open both roads by Memorial Day each year.

For updates, you can visit deschutes.org/road.

The Deschutes County Public Health Immunization Program has expanded its immunization services at the new North County Campus. The campus is located at 236 NW Kingwood Ave. in Redmond.

County Health Services offer Safety Net Immunizations to individuals and families who have difficulty accessing immunization services. Immunization clinics are available to those from newborn to adult (children under 14 years must be accompanied by an adult or guardian).

County Health Services will host immunization clinics at the North County Campus in Redmond as follows:

Safety Net Clinic

Wednesdays by appointment

10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Open to all ages

Flu and COVID Vaccine Clinic

Wednesdays by appointment

1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Open to 6 months and older

To make an appointment, please call Deschutes County Health Services at (541) 322-7499. Please bring a current shot record and health insurance information (if applicable). County Health Services staff will not deny service due to the inability to pay.

For more information and details on Bend immunization services, click here.

On Wednesday April 10, the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners voted to accept grant funds from the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) for the county Wolf Depredation and Financial Compensation program.

The grant funds, totaling $32,620.75, will be used to reimburse a rancher who experienced a confirmed depredation and loss of missing livestock. The funds will also go towards the implementation of livestock management techniques and other preventative measures that discourage wolf depredation of livestock.

ODA offers the grant once a year to counties that have an established committee to oversee wolf depredation compensation and assistance for preventative measures. The Deschutes Board of County Commissioners established a Wolf Depredation and Financial Compensation Committee in May of 2023. The committee has been meeting regularly since June.

Deschutes County and Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council Skills Lab are sharing the joy, wonder and life lessons that gardening brings with youth residing at the Juvenile Detention Center.

The Deschutes Peace Garden is a new classroom-garden that was partially funded by grants. We invite you to watch the video for details about this project.

We want to thank our many partners for their support, including:

Wilco

fairlife

Greater Bend Rotary

The Environmental Center

Oregon Department of Education

Earlier this month was National Telecommunicators week. And while the week may be over, we want to thank our 9-1-1 dispatchers and call-takers who dedicate their lives to answering the community's calls for help.

Deschutes County 9-1-1 Telecommunicators are highly skilled and dedicated to serving our community. These unseen heroes are the first to respond when lives are on the line.

THANK YOU to all of our telecommunicators!

We also want to honor and celebrate the incredible contributions of our Environmental Health and Wastewater Specialists.

April 15 was proclaimed as Environmental Health Specialist and Wastewater Specialist Day by Governor TIna Kotek.

Whether it's conducting inspections to ensure food safety, monitoring air and water quality, or responding to and educating on environmental hazards, our Environmental Health Specialists work tirelessly behind the scenes to protect public health.

To honor and celebrate their incredible contributions, please take a moment to watch the above video.

We're hiring!

We know where you choose to live, work and play matters. Deschutes County is one of the largest employers in Central Oregon and the largest municipal government in the region. Our dedicated and passionate workforce of more than 1,200 employees provide County services in a number of departments, divisions, and offices. 

Located in the heart of Central Oregon, between the towering Cascade Mountain Range to the west and the high desert plateau to the east, Deschutes County is the outdoor recreation capital of Oregon. We enjoy a renowned quality of life, with big-city opportunities and small-town neighborhoods.

We hope you’ll consider joining our talented team!

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