Document text
Councilman: Ashland should help cafe Fine says city must do right by Blue Mountain if it razes building By DANI DODGE ASHLAND -- Councilman David Fine believes the city has a moral obligation to help the owner and employees of the Blue Mountain Cafe if the city takes their building for expansion of the city's downtown fire station. Fine wants the council to make the sentiment official by passing a resolution Tuesday. "We have an obligation to do the right thing, to treat people fairly," Fine said. "I think it's appropriate that the council reassures the community at large that this general sense of obligation we feel will be given effect after the bond passes." He said he doesn't expect that "doing the right thing" will include spending money. The council will discuss the issue at its regular meeting in the Civic Center Council Chambers. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. Earlier this month, the council agreed to put a general obligation bond on the November ballot to finance the expansion and renovation of the fire station at Siskiyou Boulevard and East Main Street. In order to expand, though, the city needs to raze the Blue Mountain building. The owner of the building is willing to discuss a sale with the city, but the restaurant owner only leases the building. The city has no legal obligation to compensate the restaurant owner, city officials say. That is the responsibility of his landlord. In his resolution, Fine wrote: "While it is necessary in the interests of the community as a whole to build a new fire station building ... the Council recognizes the devastating effect this will have upon those who own and work at that business." The resolution goes onto direct the city manager to "take appropriate and reasonable steps to fulfill the moral obligation of City Government to assist the owner and long-term employees of Blue Mountain Cafe." City Attorney Paul Nolte said he reviewed the resolution and concluded it does not legally obligate the city to take any action. "David has made it quite clear we aren't imposing on ourselves any commitment of public funds for this purpose," Nolte said. Fine said the city can help Blue Mountain by looking for places the restaurant can rent and other nonmonetary steps. "Among city staff and council members we have a wealth of contacts and a wealth of creative abilities," Fine said. "This resolution is saying we will extend this to minimize the hardship on a businessman and his employees." He said much of what the city will do depends on the negotiations with the property owner and circumstances in November. "In terms of exactly what we are going to do, I don't know," Fine said. "My crystal-ball-gazing abilities are severely limited." Still, Amanda Robson, a manager at Blue Mountain, said she thought the resolution was a good start. "I think it's a necessity, not an option," she said of the city recognizing a moral obligation. "Without it, it's like dumping a family on the street -- because we are a family." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA