CC Minutes - 08/22/01 Work Session

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He overviewed the two charts he had prepared summarizing the appeal issues. Mr. Lidz called attention to revised ballot titles he had prepared, and reviewed the documents. Copies of the revised ballot titles were distributed to council members. Mayor Torrey opened the public hearing on the appeal issues, calling for testimony first on Ballot Measure 20-53, Transportation Improvements in West Eugene. He noted that appellant Eben Foder had been unable to attend the meeting, but his appeal statement was included in the packet. Terry Connelly, Government Affairs Director of the Eugene Chamber of Commerce, spoke on behalf of appellant David Hauser. He called for changes to the ballot title for Measure 20-53 that reflected that the West Eugene Parkway was not among the improvements contemplated. Other approaches contemplated were not improvements, but rather strategies to address traffic. Because of that, the chamber proposed the title Transportation Strategies in West Eugene, not Including the West Eugene Parkway. Regarding the explanation for the ballot measure, Mr. Connelly called for deletion or revision of the fourth sentence to eliminate what the chamber considered misleading information. The sentence called for the City to work with the State on transportation improvements in west Eugene, but the State had already made it clear to the City that it was not interested in working with it on transportation improvements that do not address the needs of the State system. He thought the measure should also include the socio-economic costs of down-zoning property resulting from the cancellation of the parkway. Mr. Connelly also called for text in the measure that made it clear the purpose of the measure was to cancel the West Eugene Parkway. He referred councilors to the alternative text prepared by the chamber. Rob Zako thought voters who supported the parkway might also support alternative transportation improvements, particularly as the parkway was not projected to solve all transportation problems in west Eugene. He did not think support of the measure precluded support of the parkway. Mr. Zako thought the voters would be confused by an either/or choice; it seemed like the two measures were asking the same question in two different ways. He noted his distribution of revised language replacing the last sentence in the explanation of Ballot Measure 20-53 that read "If this measure and Measure 20-54 both pass, both measures shall take effect." That way voters could vote on each measure on its merits. Mr. Zako thought it important that the measures be sufficiently clear so the voters know what they are voting on and the council knew what it had to do with the results. He suggested that the explanation for 20-53 be modeled on the motion the council passed on August 6 approving the bulk of staff recommendations related to the design charette held for west Eugene. He proposed the alternative measure be retitled Develop Comprehensive Transportation and Land Use Plan for West Eugene. He noted the text for the question and explanation proposed by the appellants. Mayor Torrey solicited testimony on the title, explanation, and question for Ballot Measure 20-54. David Monk advocated for a change to the title that recognized that there were certain things that must occur before the parkway could be built, suggesting as a substitute Initiate Amendments Required for Construction of West Eugene Parkway. He enumerated some of the plan amendments that must occur before the parkway could be constructed. MINUTES--Eugene City Council August 22, 2001 Page 3 Work Session