Item 3F: Ratification of IGR Committee Actions

Home Browse Search

Ms. Wilson remarked that the second bill had not been introduced, but the concept could appear in a Ways and Means bill. She asked for direction from the committee should the concept emerge. Ms. Ortiz, seconded by Mr. Poling, moved to support the concept of raising the Af- fordable House Tax Credit cap. The motion passed unanimously. Ms. Wilson explained that HB 3607 would establish an Oregon Declared Emergency Recovery Fund with General Fund and lottery moneys to provide small, low interest loans in the case of a disaster. She recommended supporting the bill at level 3. Ms. Ortiz, seconded by Mr. Poling, moved to support HB 3607 at level 3. The mo- tion passed unanimously. Ms. Wilson said that SB 1094 would require police officers to affix a "zebra" sticker on the license plate of someone who was stopped and was driving without a license or registration. The sticker would then provide probable cause for any public safety officer to pull that vehicle over. She said the American Civil Liberties Union had concerns with the legislation and the Eugene Police Department and Municipal Court recom- mended opposing at level 1 unless amended. She said police were opposed to the bill at this point because of safety concerns in situations where an officer was alone and the language requiring that an officer "shall" affix a sticker to the license plate. She said the court was concerned that the bill would remove the judge's discretion in sentencing. She expected the bill to be amended to address some of those concerns. Ms. Ortiz, seconded by Ms. Poling, moved to support the staff recommendation to oppose SB 1094 unless amended. The motion passed unanimously. Items from Members and Staff Ms. Wilson said the deadline for introduction of bills during the special session had passed, although she had seen instances where a bill had been "gutted and stuffed," leaving the bill number but completely changing the bill. She would bring those bills back to the committee via email. She did not see the need for another meeting during the session. Ms. Ortiz asked to have copies of the United Front book distributed to council members. She asked if the issue of a "quiet zone" would be added. Ms. Wilson said it was too late to include as part of the United Front effort and the timeline for requesting federal funds would expire in 48 hours. Ms. Ortiz observed that a quiet zone was a community impact issue and the City should be in involved in the effort, either through the United Front or another avenue. Ms. Piercy said funding for a quiet zone could be included in the "sidebar" discussions with congressional delegation representatives that members of the United Front group had when they were in Washington D.C. She said the possibility of funding for a quiet zone could be explored independently during those discussions. Ms. Wilson said the City could also explore grant funding for a quiet zone. She asked for all available information on the project to prepare for discussions of possible funding sources. Ms. Ortiz said she would be in Washington D.C. just after the United Front delegation and could follow-up on any sidebar discussions regarding the quiet zone. MINUTES—Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations February 13, 2008 Page 3