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Ms. Swanson Gribskov stated that she was inclined to not support the motion because she did not want to set a precedent for considering council positions on ballot measures without a recommendation from the Intergovernmental Relations Committee. She said she would have appreciated having received copies of the ballot measure and arguments in support and opposition to it before being asked to vote on a resolution about it. Mr. Tollenaar said that he would support the motion on the basis of his previous experience which showed the potential dangers of Ballot Measure 65. He said he was concerned that the Intergovernmental Relations Committee had not considered the resolution proposed by Ms. Taylor, but that he recognized the council needed to act expeditiously. He noted that, as registered voters, councilors had received the text of Ballot Measure 65 and official supporting and opposing arguments in volume one of the State Voter's Pamphlet. Mr. Meisner said that he would also support the motion, but that he had additional reasons for doing so than were included in the resolution presented by Ms. Taylor. Mr. Meisner said that he appreciated the concern about process for consideration of issues related to taking positions on ballot measures, but that the motion and resolution had been presented and he did not want it to be recorded that the Eugene City Council refused to state its opposition to Ballot Measure 65. In response to Mr. Fart's statement that he would abstain from voting, Mr. Johnson stated that City Council Ground Rules adopted December 10, 1997, stipulated that council members may not abstain from voting unless a conflict of interest applies. Mr. Lee stated that he would support the motion out of courtesy to Ms. Taylor. He said that he agreed with the comments of councilors regarding the importance of using established procedures to bring resolutions about ballot measures to the council. He suggested that collaboration regarding the resolution could have resulted in better assurance of media coverage of council action. Mr. Laue said that he did not believe that the current motion was the first, nor would it be the last time the City Council had been asked to take a position on a ballot measure without a recommendation from the Intergovernmental Relations Committee. He said taking positions on political issues was a responsibility of the council. Mayor Torrey stated that, if the council's vote on the motion was tied, he would vote in favor of it. He said that he agreed with the concerns expressed about the process followed to present the resolution and said that he believed care should be taken about such matters. He suggested that it would be appropriate for requests for consideration of similar matters be made through the Consent Calendar which would allow any councilor with a concern to ask for it to be removed and considered with a recommendation from the Intergovernmental Relations Committee. Ms. Swanson Gribskov stated that, based on the deliberations of councilors, she had changed her mind and would vote to support the motion. Mr. Johnson stated that, if the motion was adopted, the Council Resolution it approved would be Number 4578. Mr. Fart stated that he would not abstain, but would vote in favor of the motion, but that he did so with a concern about the process followed to bring the issue before the council. MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 12, 1998 Page 11 7:30 p.m.