COUNCIL POSTPONES DECISION ON INITIATIVES

Three controversial initiative propositions -- decriminalizing
prostitution, authorizing medical marijuana, and creating a new
commission to protect public trees -- were put on hold for a week
while the city council formulates a response.

All three have enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot,
so the council must decide to adopt them outright or place them before
the voters.

The decision on the trees initiative was postponed because its author,
environmentalist Elliot Cohen, took issue with some of City Attorney
Manuela Albuquerque's ballot language describing the measure, and the
council decided to give them another week to work out their
differences.

But the prostitution and marijuana initiatives were postponed for a
different reason: To give the council time to mobilize opposition.

At first, they reluctantly voted to place them on the ballot.

"Let's make this clear, this is not a vote to endorse," said Mayor Tom
Bates. "We're putting them on the ballot because we have to."

One by one, council members took potshots at the initiatives. Gordon
Wozniak called the marijuana measure "an abuse of our zoning
discretion," adding, "The burden will fall on selected areas, and I
don't think that's fair."

Linda Maio ripped the prostitution initiative, echoing Police Chief
Roy Meisner's fears that it would result in an influx of hookers into
the city.

But after voting to put the measures on the ballot, they were informed
by the city attorney that they have the authority to file ballot
statements in opposition -- either individually or as a group. They
also get to choose the title of each ballot initiative.

"Really?" said Bates. "In that case, let's rescind the vote we just
took."

Which they did. Bates then appointed a subcommittee comprised of
Wozniak, Maio, Dona Spring, and himself to report back next week with
titling recommendations, at which point all three initiatives will be
formally placed on the November ballot.

In other actions, the council:

* Gave the green light to La Farine bakery on Solano Avenue to set up
two sidewalk tables for food service, ending a marathon, eight-month
permit appeals process that pitted neighbor against neighbor and
raised issues of majority rule vs. minority rights.

* Reluctantly approved another $450,000 for the still unfinished
Jubilee Senior Homes project on San Pablo Avenue, despite the 100
percent cost overruns so far.

"If we had known beforehand it would cost this much, we probably
wouldn't have gone in, in the first place," said housing director
Steve Barton. "But at this point, we've put in a lot of money that
they've already spent, and we'd lose it all if we didn't see it through."

* Formally approved four tax measures for the November ballot: three
property tax hikes -- to help fund emergency medical services, the
library, and youth services and safety programs -- plus a raise in the
utility users' tax, to raise money for the General Fund.

* Increased administrative fees for fingerprinting nonresidents and
writing good conduct letters, but postponed until September a decision
on whether to increase fees for towed vehicles.

* Authorized 16 preferential parking spaces for parking enforcement
officers' own cars.