What the city of Bend might do with a natural gas policy is what everyone wants to know.

How would it do it? Limits on new hookups – in one way or another? What would it mean for existing natural gas customers? And what is legal for the city under the law?

Bend’s Environment and Climate Committee didn’t get into those issues last week. But it did talk about how it might develop the policy. Staff presented some alternatives with different timelines before a recommendation might be made to councilors. And among the alternatives one thing that was discussed was how to keep the discussions transparent.

“If you do something that is perceived not as open and transparent you just have to understand how that perception can be to the community on a topic that many people will care about immensely,” City Attorney Mary Winters reminded the committee. “Other communities have done quite big processes.”

We don’t believe there is any danger that city staff or councilors would try to sneak into being a policy without solid effort at transparency and public engagement. But there are levels. The city should aim to be like a window with no streaks.