Commissioners to hold public hearing for changes to county outdoor lighting regulations

On Wednesday, Aug. 27, the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) will hold a public hearing to consider proposed amendments to the county’s outdoor lighting regulations. Community members are encouraged to participate.

The BOCC has expressed support for revising the county outdoor lighting ordinance to address public concerns about light pollution. After receiving feedback from two panels convened on the topic, the county’s Community Development team has suggested the following amendments:

• Simplifying the code to support responsible lighting practices
• Updating terminology to better reflect current lighting fixtures
• Utilizing the guiding principles of Dark Sky International, which offer best practices for responsible lighting
• Clarifying types of facilities and lighting fixtures that are exempt

The public hearing will be held during the regularly scheduled BOCC meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 27, at 9 a.m., in the Barnes Sawyer Room of the Deschutes Services Building, at 1300 NW Wall St., Bend.  The public is invited to attend the meeting in person, or virtually. Virtual log-in information and the meeting agenda, including the specific hearing time, can be found at www.deschutes.org/meetings.

You can find more information about the proposed lighting control amendments at this link.

###

Media contact:

Tanya Saltzman, Senior Planner

(541) 388-6528