Document text
http:// --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Local Issues Obituaries Weather Archive Revels Etcetera Backpage Hot Topics Most Viewed Forum Photo Galleries Video Readers Polls O-Zone Online Games Movie Preview Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad Featured Galleries: March 8, 2007 Mt. Ashland, Council pick mediation teams By Robert Plain Ashland Daily Tidings Both sides have appointed their team members and tentatively agreed on a referee. Now, the Ashland City Council and the Mt. Ashland Association hope to sit down together and, outside of the scrutiny of the public eye, mediate their differences concerning the Mt. Ashland Ski Area expansion project. The council held an executive session on Wednesday afternoon to discuss its mediation strategy and appoint a team to represent the city in the non-binding session of dispute resolution. Mayor John Morrison, Councilors Kate Jackson and Cate Hartzell, City Administrator Martha Bennett and consulting attorney Jens Schmidt, a Eugene-based litigation specialist will represent Ashland. The city holds the special-use permit for the non-profit ski area. As plans for expansion progressed, the city intervene and demanded that the U.S. Forest Service deal directly with it, instead of MAA, a move that caused MAA to threaten the city with a lawsuit. Just selecting the team proved to be a difficult process for a city council divided on many political issues including expansion. When the council came out of executive session, Councilor David Chapman walked out of the meeting before voting on the team. He said he did so because, "I wanted [the vote] to be unanimous. I thought the lawyer, Martha and the mayor would have been the right team. I didn't have anything against Cate being on the team," he added. Chapman said he would have been on the team if asked, but added that he was not lobbying for the position. Bennett said selecting the team took longer than developing the strategy for mediation. "The issue is there needs to be an extremely high level of trust in the mediation team," she said. Councilor Eric Navickas said, "The political position of the council is solid but internal personal conflicts made it difficult to come to a conclusion." Councilors considered Public Works Director Paula Brown for the mediation team before Wednesday's executive session, according to Bennett, but the council did not appoint her to the team. "The council felt it was more a policy decision than a substantive decision," Bennett said. "We can utilize her expertise without her being on the team." Mt. Ashland will be represented in the mediation by MAA President Bill Little, Kim Clark, who manages the mountain and Doug McGeary, a member of the MAA board of directors and an attorney who works for Jackson County, Little said. "We hope to resolve our differences of opinion so we can move forward and be good neighbors again," Little said. Bennett said the city deadline's to complete the mediation is prior to June 1, the date Mt. Ashland plans to begin the expansion project. "Mt. Ashland said yesterday they want it to happen by Monday (March 12) but that is not going to happen," she said. She anticipates that it will take at least "two or three sessions." She added, "I don't think it will be a one or two day thing." Little said his original discussions with the city were that it would happen by March 12. "We would like it to happen as soon as possible," he said. The city's strategy for mediation was not discussed in open session. After the meeting, Bennett said the council tentatively agreed to use Mary Deits, a retired justice from the Oregon Court of Appeals, for the mediation. She said MAA had already approved her as one of three finalists. Ed Peterson, a retired Oregon Supreme Court justice, and Susan Leeson were passed over to mediate. Leeson has personal relationships with two parties in the mediation. She was Bennett's advisor at Willamette University and presided over her wedding. Sarah Crooks, MAA lawyer, once clerked for Leeson, according to Bennett. Mediation is when two parties meet with a neutral referee to hammer out differences. Sometimes it happens with both parties together, and other times the mediator visits with both team individually. The city council, or the MAA would not be bound by the terms of the mediation until either party votes to adopt the terms as their policy. Mediation is confidential under Oregon, and is always non-binding. "The upside to this is people can say whatever they want without worry of producing evidence for a court case," Bennett said. "There is no right and wrong in mediation. Only problem solving." Staff writer Robert Plain can be reached at 482-3456 x. 226 or [email protected] . Current Comments: Once Mme Hartzell gets going, it could take years. At least Chapman had the cojones to walk, though a "no" vote would have been better. nofreelunch - ashland, OR - March 8th, 5:40 PM This is disturbing, but not surprising. Cate could easily drag this on until 2009. This is not trust Martha, but a slap in the face to an honest attempt by MAA to mediate. I would have preferred Navickas because he's at least open about his beliefs and therefore honest with his constituents. justsaynoericncate - ashland - March 8th, 10:25 PM Leave a Comment: Advertisement: Advertisement: Paid Advertising: Debt Help Inkjet Printers Payday Loans Free Ringtones Debt Consolidation Security Systems Debt Relief New Hampshire Primary Advertisement: Copyright © 2007 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved. Del.icio.us