Save Vancouver Streets has taken town of Vancouver to courtroom for declaring its initiative to require voter approval to take away metropolis site visitors lanes legally invalid.
On Thursday, the grassroots group filed a criticism in Clark County Superior Court docket towards the Vancouver Metropolis Council, Vancouver metropolis authorities and Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey to get the initiative on the poll.
“If the signatures are proper and the county certifies it, then voters should have a say. It is not a good precedent for the city to be the sole arbiter of what they feel is a valid petition or not,” Save Vancouver Streets member Justin Wooden stated.
The town of Vancouver has not acquired a replica of the criticism, metropolis spokeswoman Laura Shepard stated. However the metropolis legal professional notified Save Vancouver Streets of the initiative’s unlawful elements in April.
Kimsey stated he doesn’t touch upon pending litigation.
Save Vancouver Streets took up the initiative, which acquired about 6,500 signatures, in response to public outcry over main adjustments proposed for metropolis streets, together with eradicating lanes on Southeast McGillivray Boulevard, Southeast thirty fourth Road, Northeast 112th Avenue and different thoroughfares.
The initiatives fall below town’s full streets program, which was adopted in 2017 and goals to create a transportation community that’s out there to anybody no matter how they commute.
Residents have stated they felt unnoticed of the planning course of and didn’t have a say on whether or not town eliminated lanes. Metropolis officers say they’ve hosted open homes, performed on-line surveys, and engaged with companies and residents close to the initiatives.
On Jan. 6, the Vancouver Metropolis Council held one in every of its most attended conferences, with greater than 100 folks each for and towards the initiative packing into council chambers. Earlier that week, metropolis employees sounded alarm bells concerning the initiative’s potential penalties, together with permitting roads to fall additional into disrepair and holding town again from reaching its local weather objectives.
Jonathan Younger, metropolis legal professional on the time, stated the initiative violates state legislation by overstepping town council’s authority and interfering with town’s administrative operate.
Save Vancouver Streets’ lawsuit accuses town of usurping the method for dealing with petitions, which is written into town constitution, and asks the courtroom to pressure town to “follow its own charter” or order the county auditor to put the initiative on the poll within the subsequent election.
The group’s legal professional, Jackson Maynard, argues the constitution doesn’t give town the fitting to find out the validity of an initiative. The town solely had three choices: passing the initiative, passing another measure so it might proceed to the poll or rejecting the initiative, during which case it might additionally proceed to the poll.
“Regardless of how people feel about the complete streets initiative and the work the city is doing, all residents should want to respect the right of citizens of the city to follow the city charter and submit an initiative,” Wooden stated.