signature gathering

A CITIZEN INITIATIVE was filed today (April 8) to try to force a vote on EWEB’s $85.5 million bond sale. If enough signatures are gathered, the measure will be on the Sept. 16 special election ballot. The window for gathering signatures is already half over. The group needs to gather 4,208 valid signatures by April 28, which a daunting task.

Another challenge is that the public does not appear to be particularly excited about the financing of EWEB’s new facilities at its Roosevelt site. People are more interested in what happens with the EWEB property along the river that will be sold to help pay for the new facilities. EWEB will keep it’s current headquarters building, but a large tract of land between EWEB and the Riverfront Research Park will become available for development.

Lance Robertson, spokesman for EWEB, says if the measure is approved, it could delay construction of the new facilities by a year, costing an extra $4 million to $6 million. The construction bonds are scheduled to be sold in 2009, 2010 and 2011.