Item 2C: Ratif. of IGR Actions - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

The motion passed, 2:1; Mr. Pap5 voting no. HB 2964 Ms. Taylor, seconded by Ms. Bettman, moved to change the status of the bill to Support. Ms. Bettman indicated she tended to support bills that increased funding for education. Staff acknowledged conflicting legislative policies in the case of the bill. Ms. Cutsogeorge clarified that the bill would impact the City's current urban renewal districts. Mr. Pap5 asked if the funds would only be available for school buildings. Ms. Boyle said yes. Ms. Brooks recalled that Senator Brown had suggested there may be constitutional issues in carving out a single exempt tax district. Responding to a question from Mr. Pap5, Ms. Cutsogeorge said that schools can seek bonding outside the property tax cap, but the types of projects were limited. She believed the funding that would be available would be more flexible than general obligation revenues. Ms. Bettman pointed out that general obligation bonds competed with each and for operating funds. The motion passed, 2:1; Mr. Pap5 voting no. HB 3019 Ms. Bettman questioned how "facilities" was defined in the bill, which would add railroad facilities to the list of infrastructure a city may own, operate, and maintain. Mr. Jones said that Mike Sullivan of Planning and Development Department believed the bill was aimed at cities like Prineville, which owned short-haul railroads and may want additional authority for switching areas and structures related to their operation. Ms. Bettman suggested the City might want to buy track and the associated right-of-way at some time or operate a downtown trolley. Mr. Jones was unsure the bill would apply to a trolley system, suggesting the answer depended on a legal definition. Ms. Bettman, seconded by Ms. Taylor, moved to change the status of the bill to Priority 3, support. The motion passed unanimously. HB 3090 Ms. Walston believed the bill, which created new provisions for elections, was written to address the potential of a situation such as that of 2000 Florida presidential vote. Because the bill did not directly affect City of Eugene operations, City Recorder Mary Feldman had recommended the bill be monitored. Ms. Brooks noted that a hearing had been held, and the bill had encountered considerable opposition from elections workers because of the extra administrative burden it would place on counties. She acknowledged the privacy concerns expressed by advocates. Ms. Bettman questioned what regulations currently existed in regard to the opening of secrecy envelopes. Mr. Lidz said currently, the law allowed a county clerk to open ballots in preparation for counting on MINUTES--Council Committee on INtergovernmental Relations April 7, 2005 Page 8