Item 3E: Ratification of IGR Actions

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House Bill 2052 Mr. Lidz joined the committee to answer questions about the bill. Ms. Wilson noted that the bill was a legislative priority for the League of Oregon Cities (LOC) and would require the State to notify a commu- nity about its plans to site a facility to serve sex offenders in that community. Mr. Lidz said the bill provided for notice to the local district attorney, mental health director, and either the police chief or sheriff, depending on the jurisdiction involved. Ms. Ortiz asked if the bill applied to organizations other than the State. Mr. Lidz said the bill did not apply to a private organization attempting to open such a facility. It applied only to State agencies. He clarified, in response to a question from Ms. Taylor, that he had no rationale to either support or oppose the bill. Ms. Taylor suggested the City monitor the bill. Mr. Poling saw no reason to take a position on the bill. Mr. Poling and Ms. Ortiz preferred to remain neutral about the bill. Ms. Taylor preferred to monitor the bill. Ms. Wilson indicated she would forward the bill to the council with the split committee recommendation. HB 2184 Ms. Wilson indicated the bill was a follow-up to the Bottle Bill Task Force recommendations. Mr. Nelson indicated he did not know if the bill meant grocery stores would no longer accept bottles. Ms. Taylor feared that the bill would result in fewer bottles being turned in. She wanted to know where the redemption centers would be located as everyone goes to the grocery store but the centers might not be so convenient. Mr. Nelson indicated that the State analysis indicated there would be an increase in the tonnage redeemed. The bill would provide an incentive to consumers without burdening small business. He suggested the potential large grocery stores might still be obliged to accept returnable bottles Ms. Ortiz supported the bill, noting that in an economic downturn, people did not care where they had to return bottles. She had sympathy for the point of view of grocers as it regarded the mix of fresh food and used bottles. Mr. Poling also supported the bill. He supported centralized redemption centers because not all stores accepted all returnable bottles. Ms. Taylor pointed out that the special trips required to reach a redemption center would add to air pollution and people might just choose to throw them away. She wanted to know if the centers would be conveniently located. Ms. Wilson noted that Mayor Piercy supported placing a higher priority on the bill. Ms. Ortiz, seconded by Mr. Poling, moved to change the City’s position on the bill to Prior- ity 1, Support. The motion did not pass, 2:1; Ms. Taylor voting no. HB 2385 Ms. Taylor wanted to support the bill, which would penalize someone for smoking in a car with a minor child. She thought that such exposure was more likely to be harmful than a home or place of business. Mr. Cushman said the bill made sense from a public health standpoint, but he did not think it was practical to expect such a bill to be actively enforced. MINUTES—Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations January 28, 2009 Page 2