Bend weighs cost, benefits of climate plan

BEND, Ore. – City leaders in central Oregon are considering adopting a plan to tackle climate change, but it’s not clear yet whether the plan’s benefits will outweigh its cost.

The Bulletin reported that the Bend City Council is taking up a resolution Wednesday that would set goals for the community to reduce fossil fuel emissions and call for a cost-benefit analysis of the plan.

Environmental groups asked the city to develop a climate change prevention policy and the City Council responded in May by forming a group to work on the issue. But some residents attending a July meeting questioned the wisdom of hiring someone to oversee the climate plan when Bend has an $80 million backlog in road repairs and is strapped for cash.