Item 3: Ratification of Intergovernmental Relations Committee Actions

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Mr. Lidz stated that the concern regarding the bill lay in the addition of punitive damages. He said this would be almost the only situation in which a court could level punitive damages against a government body. He felt the whistleblower statute was a “tricky thing.” He believed the underlying policy to be very important, but he also believed that one person’s whistleblower was another person’s insubordinate employee. Ms. Bettman moved to adopt a Support stance with an amendment to delete the unlimited punitive damages and delete the mandated award of attorney’s fees. Ms. Wilson thought it would be easier to kill the bill rather than asking that it be amended. Mr. Pryor, noting the clause requiring someone to serve as ombudsman, asked if there was already someone who would act on behalf of the employees. Mr. Lidz replied that there was not anyone who served in that capacity other than the Union representatives. Ms. Taylor provided a second. The motion passed unanimously, 3:0. SB 948 Ms. Bettman related that she had heard concern expressed in the community that there was no planning process for locating services. She averred that there should be a planning process other than just having “some entity shopping around” and determining what its needs were. She liked the bill. Mr. Pryor declared a potential conflict of interest. Ms. Bettman, seconded by Ms. Taylor, moved to take a Priority 3 Support stance on the bill. The motion passed unanimously, 3:0. HB 2595 Mr. Lidz said while he had indicated there should be support for the bill he did not think active support was necessary. Ms. Walston commented that the bill was housekeeping from her reading of the bill. She thought the bill should be monitored given the current existing workload for the Intergovernmental Relations Manager in Salem. Ms. Taylor, seconded by Ms. Bettman, moved to adopt a Priority 3 Support stance on the bill. The motion passed unanimously, 3:0. Ms. Bettman, seconded by Mr. Pryor, moved to approve the positions of the Council Com- mittee on Intergovernmental Relations on the bills that had been reviewed at the meeting held on April 12, 2007, and to approve the staff recommendations on the bills that had not been pulled for review. The motion passed unanimously, 3:0. Mr. Pryor left the meeting at 2:10 p.m. 3. Approval of Minutes MINUTES—Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations April 12, 2007 Page 14