The city of Bend’s Arts, Beautification and Culture Commission, now just over 16 years old, is on hiatus. It was down to a single member, and councilors declined to fill the vacancies.

Not surprisingly, the decision hasn’t been met with universal joy, and that’s understandable. But councilors face more challenges than they have money to deal with effectively. While the arts commission was far from being a big spender, its dormancy will allow councilors to focus more on more critical matters.

The commission’s former members can look back on their accomplishments with pride. It was responsible for creating the Bend Beautification Awards, and it commissioned a four-panel work commemorating the city’s 100th anniversary that is on display at City Hall. On a more practical note, it was the commission that was largely responsible for creating the city’s list of fire- and drought-resistant plants particularly suited to local landscaping projects. And the commission worked to help revise city code to allow murals in the Makers District off of Third Street.

Lack of a permanent arts body doesn’t mean the Bend is giving up on the arts. Instead, says City Recorder Robyn Christie, it reflects a different approach to this and perhaps other citizen groups that operate within the city’s purview. Rather than have a standing arts commission, the council will form groups from time to time to tackle single projects, then disband. We suspect the shift might allow those who don’t have the time or inclination to serve on a permanent commission to get involved in ways they’re reluctant to do now.

The city also will continue to be a participating member of the Arts and Culture Alliance and will continue to fill a city position on the Bend Cultural Tourism Commission.

The change should work to keep the city actively engaged in the community’s arts activities, even without a standing arts commission. At the same time, relying on limited scope panels for arts and, perhaps, in other areas should assure greater focus on essential core services the council believes are important.