05/12/1975 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Public hearing was closed, there being no further testimony. Assistant Manager displayed maps with overlays showing the overlapping boundaries and sald notices were mailed to residents on both sides of Agate Street. In re- spons~ to Councilman Murray, he said that persons qualified to vote in the Oak Hills group were on the mailing list and had received notices of that group's meetings, that the notice was adequate, and that its charter included provision for amendment. . Mr. Murray moved second by Mr. Keller to deny the charter for the Southeast Firs Association. Councilman Murray said his motion was not with the intent of discouraging creation of this particular group, but more to protect the integrity of the neighborhood association policy. He said the Oak Hills group had been chartered and its boundaries accepted by the city as san appropriate size for planning. Also, there were adequate existing procedures by which a change in boundaries could be accomplished by those people wishing it rather than by the Council. Further, he said, he didn't think boundaries of a neighborhood group should be split over controversy on a single issue, that different points of view were to be expected within various groups. Councilwoman Shirey wasn't in favor of approving this charter because she felt existing charters accepted by the Council had to be protected. She thought the Agate Street improvement controversy may not have occurred had the street not been the boundary line for the Oak Hils organizatiqn and she would have like the two groups to work out a boundary that would not qverlap so that the Southeast Firs group could also be accepted. Councilman Haws wondered why the Southeast Firs group couldn't go ahead and operate effectlvely with the people in that neighborhood and the city even without its tIJ. charter having been accepted. He thought it might be better to have the groups operating separately rather than having one large group always confronted with petty differences. Assistant Manager felt there was a stronger commitment where a charter was accepted and an organization recognized by the city. He said staff had tried to work with the Southeast Firs group informally, recognizing that it would take some time for those people to organize and prepare their charter for Council consideration. He added that there were some neighborhood organizations looking at consolidation but that he didn't think the Southeast Firs group was particularly interested in discussing that at this time. Councilman Keller was disturbed that people living in the same neighborhood were not compatible unless there was some special interest pulling them together. He noted the unanimous ballot in the group wanting nothing to do with the Oak Hills organization. But he felt the two groups should sit down and reach some kind of settlement rather that continuing to pull apart. Vote was taken on the motion to deny the Southeast Firs charter. Motion carried - Council membe~Murray, Beal, Haws, Shirey, and Mayor Anderson voting aye; Council members Keller, Williams, Bradley, and Hamel voting no. Mayor Anderson in breaking the tie said the neighborhood associations should re- member that differences within the groups cannot be settled by the Council, the groups should bring about their own solutions. He thought the best course of action would be for the people interested to settle the differences through es-, ....,. tablished procedures after the present differences.had subsided. Timing in this ,.., charter request, he said, had been unfortunate and if the present differences can- not be resolved perhaps another request in a year or two would be appropriate. 5/12/75 - 2 2~