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<br />II:
<br />
<br />In response to Mrs. Beal's concern about legal implications, City Attorney said
<br />that in order to have ,a meaningful election design planning would have to pro-
<br />ceed to develop maps showing the environmental consequences of a project', so
<br />: funds for planning would be appropriate under the Charter amendment. Inanswer
<br />;to Councilman Murray, City Attorney said meetings i)ad been held with some of the.>
<br />:propone,nts of the Charter amendment and general agreement was reached on what '
<br />~was felt a reasonable interpretation of the amendment. He said copies of opinions
<br />I issued at that time would be made available again to the Council. '.
<br />
<br />, :-.
<br />
<br />F. ___8.egregation of Assessments against property at corner
<br />and Ridgeway Drive for paving and sewer was requested
<br />Road~ 'Finance Department recommended approval.
<br />
<br />Mr. Williams moved seconded by Mr. Hershner to authorize the contracts as. requested. Comm
<br />Motion carried unanimously. ~.__ 4/3/74
<br />.~prove
<br />of Goodpasture Island Road ,
<br />by Roy Parmenter, 115 Brickley;
<br />; Comm
<br />jk/3/74
<br />fiPprove
<br />
<br />Motion
<br />
<br />,M!. Williams moved seconded by Mr. Hershner to approve the segregation.
<br />, carried ~I?an!:l!'o'!:E;l,Y. n '...____
<br />
<br />G. Council Minutes - March 11 and 25~ 1974 as circulated
<br />
<br />Approve
<br />
<br />.'
<br />
<br />H. ~ignment of Ward Boundaries - Copies of ordinance implementing ward boundaries
<br />,change were previously distributed to Council members. Map showing outline of
<br />proposed wards was displayed. The proposed realignment would provide for eight
<br />wards, one council member to be elected from each ward.. Four EWEB members would
<br />continue with one representing two wards and the fifth elected at-large. Election:
<br />"of council members would continue as at present, four every two years for four-
<br />year terms. Election of EWEB members would remain the same as now.
<br />
<br />Mayor Anderson said the proposed realignment was recommended by the committee
<br />(Williams, Murray, Wood) charged with studying the possibility of redistricting
<br />wards to bring about broader representation, neighbOrhood identity, and alleviat-
<br />ing necessity for large campaigns. He noted it as a geographical, legal, and
<br />political problem. Because of the difficUlty in arriving at fair distribution,
<br />i'the committee brought the one proposal which seemed the most suitable in main-
<br />I taining the quality of each ward and precinct identity. ~e recognized the ef-
<br />forts of Bill Sugaya, comprehensive. planning, in assembling technical data and
<br />preparing the proposal presented.
<br />
<br />. ~ ~
<br />
<br />, Councilmen Williams, Murray, and Wood each expressed support for the proposal
<br />,tpresented, noting the difficulties of drawing boundaries to the satisfaction of
<br />'the neighborhoods, Council members, EWEB members, and others. They felt the plan
<br />:. presented was the best possible for reducing the size of wards, thereby giving
<br />I; better representation and less expensive and arduous campaigning as well as
<br />I
<br />:~ benefiting the public.
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />! ~;.
<br />
<br />:'! Don Penfold, Lane County elections director, felt the proposal was good. He
<br />r',
<br />" noted one precinct split. He said it was minor, involving only 50 to 60 voters,
<br />'but that it could be corrected by incorporating that portion of P~ecinct 505
<br />affected into Precinct 551 thereby eliminating a mechanical problem for his de-
<br />partment in preparation of ballots.
<br />
<br />'Cd!lncilman Keller said he was planning to move. His new
<br />Avenue, would not be in the new ward he was to represent.
<br />'if continuity of representation was to be considered.
<br />
<br />address, 1125 East 23r~
<br />He suggested review j
<br />
<br />e
<br />
<br />Councilwoman Beal inquired about the bases for the proposed boundaries. It was
<br />,explained that population by census tract was used to divide the city as evenly
<br />'as possible into eight wards, not in consideration of the number of those voting
<br />:but of those being represented. The 1970 census was used, plus data gathered
<br />:from building construction through 1973 and estimates of a certain amount of
<br />;population according to housing based on occupancy permits, plus annexations.
<br />:It was felt most students at the University were included in the population count.
<br />Mrs. Beal felt the proposed division would create confusion. She noted that
<br />under the new alignment she would represent only two of the precincts she formerlYj
<br />: 'represented, so that she would not be speaking for people with whom she had be-
<br />come well acquainted. Neither did she feel that smaller wards would necessarily I
<br />,;promote better representation. She recognized the merit of lessening campaign ,)1
<br />:expense but thought the philosophical point of view should also be considered.
<br />;Mrs: Beal added that she didn't think the new precincts in her proposed ward '
<br />! would give the "homogeneous feeling" of the old, and it would take time for her I
<br />to decide whether she would want the change.
<br />i
<br />I
<br />'Councilwoman Campbell noted that the only precinct retained in her new ward would I
<br />be the one in which she lived. She regretted losing that constituency, she said,~
<br />because of the rapport developed~ However, if the proposal was considered the'
<br />
<br />\O~
<br />
<br />4/8/74 - 9
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