05/20/2026 - Board of Commissioners Wednesday Meeting

The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners held a meeting on May 20, 2026, where key procurement and land use topics were discussed. The board approved a memorandum of understanding with Lava Bear Solar LLC to conduct community outreach for a potential solar project on county-owned land near Bend, including a one-year exclusivity period for the developer. Commissioners emphasized the importance of broad community engagement and transparency in the outreach process. Additionally, the board approved a $600,000 contract with Computenet for digital server storage to support the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office digital forensics lab, noting the urgency due to volatile chip market prices and the need to upgrade from aging hardware. The meeting also included a procedural discussion on a quasi-judicial zone change request for a portion of property from surface mine to rural industrial, with staff recommending adoption of the hearings officer's decision absent any appeals. No appeals had been filed as of the meeting date, and the board indicated support for moving forward without initiating review.