Land Use Chair Responsibilities
Outlined below are the minimum responsibilities for the typical Land Use Chair
1. Serve as the Land Use contact person for NA’s members, Developers /Applicants, and City of Bend for applications.
a. Ensure the Land Use Chair eMail address is accurate on the city website and on the NA website.
b. Monitor the NA land use chair email account for emailed notices
c. Collect all notices sent by regular and/or certified mail (USPS)
d. Typical correspondence includes:
2. Neighborhood meetings
a. Please refer to the “Guide to Public Meetings with Neighborhoods for Applicants/Developers” for helpful resources and checklists.
b. Coordinate with the applicant the meeting date, time and location
○ not on a holiday (or the day preceding or following a holiday)
○ held in a room with sufficient seating and/or via an online platform
○ if a physical meeting, held in a location situated within the NA if possible
(see “Suggested Meeting Locations by Neighborhood Association”)
c. Email neighborhood meeting notice to members and post on social media platforms such as NextDoor and Facebook.
d. Role at meeting:
neighbors following your meeting.
3. Distribute City of Bend public notices - note public comment period
a. Notify Board of notice
b. Notify members (Each NA decides how and when to send notices to members. Generally, Neighborhood Meetings, Type III and Type IV always get sent out. Type I notices generally are not sent/posted. Type II are sent out on a case-by-case basis).
c. Post on social media sites such as NextDoor and Facebook.
4. Present a Land Use Report at Board meetings (verbal and/or written)
5. Keep records on each application and records of key issues - i.e. keep a notebook “NA Land Use Application Record Keeping”
a. Land Use Notifications Tracking Sheet
b. Tracking List of Key Issues (i.e. potential needed code adjustments, noted concerns)
c. Active Applications (generally 12 months is safe)
d. Correspondence
6. Participate in Public Comment Period
a. Provide Board comment letter from NA if authorized by Board
b. Attend public hearing (Type III/IV applications)
c. Be available to assist/mentor NA members with their own letters (Sample Comment letter here.)
d. Explain “standing” or “party of record” - Standing, or becoming a party of record is necessary for anyone who thinks they may want to appeal the decision on a project. This means you need to become part of the Public Record, which means providing written or verbal testimony during the official comment period. See BDC 4.1.845.
7. Distribute Land Use Decision Rendered
a. Notify Board and members of land use decision
b. Don’t forget to document any issues so you can raise these with the Land Use Chair Networking Group.
a. Ensure the Land Use Chair eMail address is accurate on the city website and on the NA website.
b. Monitor the NA land use chair email account for emailed notices
c. Collect all notices sent by regular and/or certified mail (USPS)
d. Typical correspondence includes:
- Notice from Developer for Neighborhood Meeting
- Notice of Application from City of Bend
- Notice of Public Hearing from City of Bend
- Notice of Decision from City of Bend
2. Neighborhood meetings
a. Please refer to the “Guide to Public Meetings with Neighborhoods for Applicants/Developers” for helpful resources and checklists.
b. Coordinate with the applicant the meeting date, time and location
- Meeting shall be a regular or special neighborhood association meeting or a public meeting.
- Meeting shall be held no less than 15 days or no more than 45 days after the applicant contacts the land use chair.
- Meeting shall be held:
○ not on a holiday (or the day preceding or following a holiday)
○ held in a room with sufficient seating and/or via an online platform
○ if a physical meeting, held in a location situated within the NA if possible
(see “Suggested Meeting Locations by Neighborhood Association”)
c. Email neighborhood meeting notice to members and post on social media platforms such as NextDoor and Facebook.
d. Role at meeting:
- Validate the meeting presentation complies with requirements
- Consider giving a “Welcome to a Neighborhood Public Meeting”
- Draft notes around the comments to ensure they are summarized on the “Neighborhood Public Meeting Verification
neighbors following your meeting.
- Sign “Neighborhood Public Meeting Verification Form” if accurate and complete (Note: this previously was two forms, we have combined into one. The Applicant/Developer initiates this form and sends to you.)
- Ensure “Neighborhood Public Meeting List of Attendees” (page 11 of the Guide to Public Meetings with Neighborhoods for Applicants/Developers) is compiled.
- Manage expectations around comments, i.e. keep the meeting constructive. See “Helpful Tips for Commenting on Land Use Applications".
3. Distribute City of Bend public notices - note public comment period
a. Notify Board of notice
b. Notify members (Each NA decides how and when to send notices to members. Generally, Neighborhood Meetings, Type III and Type IV always get sent out. Type I notices generally are not sent/posted. Type II are sent out on a case-by-case basis).
c. Post on social media sites such as NextDoor and Facebook.
4. Present a Land Use Report at Board meetings (verbal and/or written)
5. Keep records on each application and records of key issues - i.e. keep a notebook “NA Land Use Application Record Keeping”
a. Land Use Notifications Tracking Sheet
b. Tracking List of Key Issues (i.e. potential needed code adjustments, noted concerns)
c. Active Applications (generally 12 months is safe)
d. Correspondence
6. Participate in Public Comment Period
a. Provide Board comment letter from NA if authorized by Board
b. Attend public hearing (Type III/IV applications)
c. Be available to assist/mentor NA members with their own letters (Sample Comment letter here.)
d. Explain “standing” or “party of record” - Standing, or becoming a party of record is necessary for anyone who thinks they may want to appeal the decision on a project. This means you need to become part of the Public Record, which means providing written or verbal testimony during the official comment period. See BDC 4.1.845.
7. Distribute Land Use Decision Rendered
a. Notify Board and members of land use decision
b. Don’t forget to document any issues so you can raise these with the Land Use Chair Networking Group.
