CC Minutes - 10/12/98 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Mayor Torrey announced that the council would engage in an work session regarding a ballot measure, which had been postponed from the 5:30 p.m. Dinner Work Session earlier. He stated that staff was prohibited from participating in the discussion by State law. Ms. Taylor requested that consideration be given to a resolution she had prepared regarding Ballot Measure 65. She read the resolution, as follows: The City Council of Eugene finds that: Ballot Measure 65 is a threat to State land use planning. That it allows anyone who can gather approximately 24,000 signatures (two percent of voter turnout in the previous election for governor) to force the Legislature to review any administrative rules listed in the petition. That, if the Legislature fails to act, the administrative rules are automatically eliminated. Thus one committee chair could eliminate a rule by refusing to schedule a hearing. That, under this measure, all of our 18 statewide land use planning goals could be easily abolished by a minority of voters and legislators. That we know through our Growth Management Study that Eugene citizens support land use planning. Now, therefore, Be it Resolved by the City Council of the City of Eugene, a Municipal Corporation of the State of Oregon, as follows: We oppose Ballot Measure 65. Ms. Taylor moved, seconded by Mr. Tollenaar, that the resolution stating opposition to Ballot Measure 65 proposed by Ms. Taylor be adopted. Mr. Fart stated that he would likely abstain from voting on the motion. He said he opposed Ballot Measure 65, but for reasons which were different than those stated in the resolution. Ms. Nathanson said she was concerned about the process followed to bring the resolution before the council. She suggested that taking a position on Ballot Measure 65 could imply that other measures on the November 1998 General Election ballot were not of concern to the council. She pointed out that the council normally adopted positions on ballot measures after deliberation on a recommendation by the Intergovernmental Relations Committee. Ms. Nathanson said that the League of Oregon Cities had developed a position in opposition to Ballot Measure 65 and that Eugene normally relied on it to lobby for its interests. Ms. Nathanson said she was unsure of how she should vote on the motion because to support it suggested that the council should also take positions on other ballot measures. MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 12, 1998 Page 10 7:30 p.m.