Item 3: Ratification of Intergovernmental Relations Committee Actions

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comfortable monitoring the bill until there was more clarity about which bill the City should support. Ms. Bettman reiterated her concerns about the costs of pollution and the fact that such a bill came forward during each legislative session but the City failed to support it because of cost. Mayor Piercy asked that the bill be brought back to the committee with more information. Ms. Wilson agreed to do so. Ms. Bettman wanted the information that staff returned with to include the costs of pollution-caused cancer and the loss of aquatic life. Ms. Bettman, seconded by Mr. Pryor, moved to change the status of the bill to Monitor, Priority 2, and for staff to return to the committee with more information. The motion passed unanimously, 3:0. SB 542 Ms. Bettman and Mayor Piercy expressed support for the bill, which would require a city or county to prepare and review economic impact data before approving or disapproving an application to construct a retail building larger than 100,000 gross square feet. Mr. Nystrom said the bill was not clear as to its intent; if it was intended to affect decision-making, it needed to do more. Currently, it only called for the preparation of information to be read and commented upon by the public. Mr. Nystrom thought the bill was directed at smaller communities because it seemed to assume a one-step process in the decision-making tree. In Eugene such centers could occur through three types of land use processes, and it was difficult to determine where the bill fit in that process. He said the City did not need State law to make regulations related to large retail centers as it had that ability now. He added that the bill had made no progress to this point and had not had a hearing. Ms. Bettman supported the bill because it would ensure for the provision of economic data that the City did not have now. Mayor Piercy noted the bill was specific to superstore retailers. Mr. Nystrom said that staff’s concern was about how the analysis would be used in practice as there was no vehicle for its use in decision-making. Ms. Bettman, seconded by Mayor Piercy, moved to change the status of the bill to Priority 3, Support. The motion passed unanimously, 3:0. SB 706 Ms. Osborn suggested the committee might want to support the bill with amendments related to manufactur- ing responsibility for unredeemable deposits. Ms. Bettman, seconded by Mr. Pryor, moved to change the status of the bill to Support with amendments. The motion passed unanimously, 3:0. SB 761 Ms. Bettman, seconded by Mayor Piercy, moved to change the status of the bill to Priority 1. The motion passed unanimously, 3:0. HB 2730 MINUTES—Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations March 22, 2007 Page 6