11/09/2026 BOCC Meeting

The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners’ November 9, 2026 meeting included quarterly department performance updates and several land-use actions. Commissioners unanimously adopted emergency Ordinances 2026-024, 2026-025, and 2026-026 to align county zoning and comprehensive-plan provisions and expand the Sisters Urban Growth Area. They also approved the first reading of Ordinance 2026-020, changing a property’s designation from agricultural to rural residential exception area and its zoning from exclusive farm use to multiple-use agriculture; the vote was 2–1. Deliberations on the Willits LLC application were continued, with staff directed to schedule another evidentiary hearing on November 23 to consider a proposed development restriction and related legal and procedural issues. Commissioners also received a work-session briefing on a proposed 79-acre Madison Mountain Development land-use change, with a public hearing scheduled for November 16.

Department updates covered behavioral-health access and youth services, wildfire preparedness, and solid-waste operations. Health Services reported that 93.2% of routine Oregon Health Plan behavioral-health clients were seen within the one-week target timeframe, while all urgent needs met that timeframe; Natural Resources reported 106 active Firewise USA sites and 19 pending applications; Solid Waste reported landfill compaction of 1,416 pounds per cubic yard against a 1,200-pound target and more than 16,000 tons of recyclable materials collected against a 15,000-ton quarterly target. No county contract awards, RFPs, vendor selections, purchasing approvals, or procurement-related spending actions were identified. The meeting also discussed a separate $30-million-plus investment by the Arnold Irrigation District in canal piping, but no county funding or procurement decision was made on it.