09/14/1992 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e Kevin Hornbuckle, 1417-1/2 Olive Street, introduced himself as a Ward 3 candidate for the City Council. He asked that the council either table action or defeat the proposed ordinance, saying that there has not been enough time allowed to review the proposed changes. He said that significant changes are proposed, but understood that the council directed staff to remove substantive changes at an August work session on the proposed ordinance. He felt that the proposed ordinance would make it essentially impossible for citizens to place a referendum on the ballot and would also deny them the opportunity to legis- late non-legislative matters. He said he did not think the City should be able to place an initiative or referendum on a special mail-in ballot. Tom Lester, 92 West 15th Avenue, felt that the proposed changes in the signature sampling procedures needed clarification. He echoed support expressed for allowing a margin of error in the signature sampling procedures. He felt there was an incongruity in the language contained in the title and subsections under Section 2.976. Ken Tollenaar, 1522 Russet Drive, introduced himself as the Chair of the City Club Committee and former member of the CIC when it reviewed the ordinance in 1991. He asked that the council adopt the proposed ordinance as presented. Referring to concerns expressed about CAO review, he stated that there is a genuine problem with poorly drafted initiatives, citing Ballot Measure 5 and the Nuclear Free Zone initiative. He said that CAO review was technical in nature and objected to earlier comments expressed that question the integrity of the CAO. He said the proposed ordinance was virtually the same as what the CIC reviewed in 1991. Referring to concerns expressed earlier about the e emergency clause attachment, he said that citizens have recourse if legisla- tive bodies abuse their power with the emergency clause. In conclusion, he urged the council to adopt the ordinance. Robert Freeman, 690 West 31st Avenue, asked the council to table action on the proposed ordinance to allow more time to review the proposed changes. He felt that having the CAO review initiatives would be, in effect, like having the CAO review legislation that the City Council has already rejected. Ruth Duemler, 1745 Fircrest Drive, said she moved to Eugene a short while ago because she felt that democracy could take place here. She described her experience with the initiative process and emphasized that making the process easier for citizens was very important. Randy Prince, PO Box 927, said he was proud to be born in the state in which the referendum process was first created. Speaking from his experience with the initiative processes at both the state and municipal level, he said that Eugene's process was much more difficult. He supported lowering signature requirements for city-initiated measures. Rick Gold, 176 North Grand Avenue, said there was no emergency to adopt changes in Eugene's initiative/referendum process because current State law governs the process. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 14, 1992 Page 5 7:30 p.m.