11/16/1987 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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- Mayor Obie asked why the current program funds are at the level they are. Mr. Smith replied the projections are made on existing staff capacities of how e many loans the division can make based on the interest rate charged and loan payback schedules. When funding is reduced to $150,000, the BDF is capitalized as was the original program goal of the council. In response to a question from Mayor Obie, Mr. Smith said the annual cost to administrate a loan program is $149,700. Ms. Ehrman moved, seconded by Mr. Holmer, to approve the Community Development Block Grant Three-Year Plan. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 8:0. VI. APPEAL OF INITIATIVE PETITION BALLOT TITLE Mr. Gleason introduced the item. The petitioners of a charter amendment limiting implementation of certain urban renewal plans do not think the title accurately represents the petition and are appealing to the City Council to change the language in the ballot title. City Attorney John Arnold said the task before the council is to determine if the existing ballot title is a "concise and impartial statement of the subject matter and purpose" of the proposed charter amendment. Mr. Arnold said one of the tasks involved in drafting the ballot title was to distinguish it from a second initiative petition about a similar issue. He said this has resulted in the use of slightly different language in the petitions to avoid voter confusion. e In response to questions from Mr. Rutan, and Ms. Wooten, Mr. Arnold reiterated the petition before the council is a second petition that is unrelated to a previous petition submitted to the council. The second petit ion is not intended to replace the first petition which has not been withdrawn, he said. After the council's appeal of the first initiative petition, the people submitting the petition have filed a law suit with Lane County Circuit Court asking the court to draft a new ballot title, according to Mr. Arnold. Because the appeal before the council is a quasi-judicial matter, Mayor Obie asked if councilors have any ex-parte contacts or conflicts of interest. Hearing none, Mayor Obie asked the appellants to state their case. Dan Stotter, 1343 Mill St. , sa i d the rea son for the appea 1 is based on suggestions from several City Council members and the City Attorney who thought the previ ous measure is unclear. He said the measure before councilors now is better than the first, which was based on a similar proposal in Springfield. He reminded councilors not to consider the merit of the measure but to judge whether voters will receive an accurate restatement of the content in the ballot title. Mr. Stotter reviewed three specific problem areas in the ballot title. The first problem is in the title itself where there is no mention of elector approval. He said this fact is crucial to the measure and belongs in the e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 16, 1987 Page 14 ~,