05/18/1988 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e Ms. Wooten said she did not want Willamette Street opened. She believed the community does not want the street opened. By going to the voters and in- cluding language in the ballot explanation that indicates the council intends to abide by the vote closes the council's options to open the street forever. Ms. Wooten says that circumstances change and she had intended by her motion to protect the council's flexibility. e Mr. Gleason clarified that the word IIthroughll was still included in the ballot explanation. Mr. Gleason asked the council members for clarification regarding access to the parking structure off Willamette Street by developers if the question was rejected. The council indicated that the question would be decided when it came up. Ms. Schue said that the two questions were not the same as one regarded through traffic and the other regarded access to a parking structure. She said the word "throughll was important, and the coun- cil did not want to close its options too tightly. The example Mr. Gleason referred to was an excellent one. She said the council needed to be clear. Mr. Holmer said no legislative body can bind its successors and circumstances change, calling for modification. Ms. Schue said the council needs to be able to explain to voters what the ballot question means, and there seems to be a difference of opinion on the council. Ms. Ehrman said that the language change from IIthroughll to "limited" refers to any traffic. If the vote is no, Ms. Ehrman would assume that there would be no traffic whatsoever on Willamette Street between 8th and 10th avenues. Mr. Sercombe said the coun- cil should be consistent between the title, the question, and the explana- t ion. If the council intends to stri ke the word IIthrough" to i ndi cate that closure would be to any limited traffic, the effect of the question is to put before the voters the issue of through traffic alone. Ms. Schue said she wants to ask the voters if they want through traffic, with the understanding that there can be some limited traffic in certain situa- tions. She did not know why they could not figure out a way to do so. Ms. Ehrman moved, seconded by Ms. Schue, to reconsider the inclusion of the word IIthroughll in the ballot title and ques- tion. The motion passed, 7:0. Mr. Holmer moved, seconded by Mr. Rutan, to amend the ballot title to read "reconstruction allowing limited through traf- fic." Ms. Ehrman asked if councilors interpreted a IInoll vote on such language to mean there is still the possibility to have limited, but not through, traf- fic. If so, she did not think that was keeping faith with the voters and would cause confusion. Ms. Schue asked if Ms. Ehrman was uncomfortable with limited access traffic such as they were discussing. Ms. Ehrman said she would be if the public voted against the question. Ms. Schue said the coun- cil needs to get across to the public what it is after and it was clear to her that it has not done so. Ms. Wooten said it would be difficult to commu- nicate so many possible options to the public. Ms. Schue said when she uses the word "through,1I she refers to opening the street. Ms. Bascom supported giving the voters a design and dollar figures for opening Willamette Street. ,e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 18, 1988 Page 6