Opinion ID: 1181844
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Statement of Controversy

Text: We have before us for interpretation Ch. XIV of the City Charter, containing Sections 14-101 to 14-107, both inclusive (added by vote of the people May 21, 1954) as amended by vote of the people May 18, 1956, `by adding thereto two sections to be numbered 14-108 and 14-109.' Ch. XIV creates an Exposition-Recreation Commission, Art. 1, Sec. 14-101 as a `department of the City of Portland'. Sec. 14-102 makes provision for members and service. Sec. 14-103 Powers and Duties, details at length the power and authority of the ER Commission. (The recital of the powers and authority is so detailed and extensive and so well known to all of us that repetition here would serve no purpose.) [] Sec. 14-104 provides for the issuance and sale of bonds to be general obligations of the City the proceeds of which shall be expended as therein indicated `the balance to be placed in a special fund to be known as the E-R Fund and said fund shall be expended on the order of the ER Commission for the purposes set forth in this chapter including   ' Sec. 14-105 relates to the financial affairs of the Commission. Sec. 14-106 to the use of city facilities and 14-107 to certain exemptions of employees from civil service requirements. Prior to May, 1956 bonds in the amount of $8,000,000 were sold and the proceeds placed in the special fund, supra. Section 14.108 reads  `The powers and authority granted the Exposition Recreation Commission by section 14.103 shall be exercised only with respect to acquisition of real property, construction, erection, maintenance and repair of buildings and facilities located easterly of the main channel of the Willamette River.' (Emphasis added.) Sec. 14.109 reads  `USE OF CITY OWNED PROPERTY. In the event that any city property east of the main channel of the Willamette River be selected as a site for an Exposition-Recreation center, the Council shall make such property available to the Exposition-Recreation Commission for the purposes of this act, without charge.' (Emphasis added)  Defendants contend Sec. 14.108 amounts to a `repeal by implication of all other powers previously delegated to said Commission by Sec. 14.103 and that Sec. 14.109 does not reinstate the power of site selection.' That the only powers remaining with the ER Commission are limited to `acquisition of real property, construction, erection, maintenance and repair of buildings,' provided an east side site is selected and that the power of selection is vested in the City Council. That the voters intended a limitation on the power of the ER Commission.  Plaintiff contends `   the intent of the electorate was to limit only the location of buildings and facilities for the ER Commission and not to limit the powers and authority of the Commission.' Both sides agree the situation presents ambiguities (this in the Statement of Controversy and in the briefs) and the panel concurs. Plaintiff asserts the workability of the entire legislation as originally written and as amended or as `added to' if the construction sought by plaintiff is given; defendants concede (in argument) present unworkability if their ideas of interpretation are followed but suggest the Court might further implement and clarify. Following is Paragraph V from the Statement of Controversy. `Following the May election aforesaid, the Exposition-Recreation Commission on behalf of the City prepared a fiscal budget for the fiscal year 1956-1957 which was presented to the City Council as Budget Committee and by the said Budget Committee to the Tax Supervising Conservation Commission; said budget proposal included estimates of expenditures for assistants and cost of site acquisition and for construction of an exposition-recreation center and services connected therewith; the defendants, pursuant to ORS 294.650 [] , ordered all estimates of expenditures to be stricken from the said proposed budget except for clerical assistants as administrative expense pending Court determination of the authority and power of the Exposition-Recreation Commission; that in accordance with said order the Exposition-Recreation Commission prepared and the City Council as Budget Committee submitted to the defendants a revised budget containing only office expenses with $5000 of the funds of the Commission marked as Emergency and Unforeseen Expenditures and the balance of said funds left unappropriated; said revised budget was approved and is the present budget of the City for the Exposition-Recreation Commission'.