Paul Savas suggests two measures to address concerns

Clackamas County began working on backup plans so police can continue to cover rail lines if a citizen-initiated measure passes in September to force votes on rail spending decisions.

“There’s a strong likelihood that the measure passes,” Commissioner Paul Savas said at a commission work session on Thursday. He added that the sooner the Board of County Commissioners acts to clarify associated public-safety issues, the better, “so there will be no interruption of emergency services.”

County Counsel Stephen Madkour said that anything from rail maintenance to a call for officers on a light-rail line could be affected by the measure. But commissioners declined to place a measure on an upcoming ballot to ensure police coverage on rail lines.

Commissioner Jamie Damon expressed concern that if the measure passes in September it would spiral into the need for more ballot measures beyond the measure authorizing public-safety efforts on light rail. She said she learned from referring an alternative urban-renewal vote “that somehow got turned around” to suggest that the commission was trying to undermine the citizen-initiated urban-renewal measure last November.

“I don’t want to continue to raise that expectation,” Damon said.

Another option available to the commission would be to declare an emergency stipulating that public-safety officers would be able to continue to respond to rail lines. Attorneys for the county promised to use the county’s police power, if necessary, so that rail areas wouldn’t go without public-safety coverage.

“Those are things that are going to trump any kind of underlying ordinance,” Madkour said, adding that the county would have at least 10 days to act before the measure’s results were certified.

Savas also proposed a ballot measure asking voters to support or oppose Clackamas County’s $25 million commitment to TriMet for the light-rail project being constructed through Milwaukie. This proposal also didn’t gain any traction with other commissioners.

Damon and County Chairwoman Charlotte Lehan discussed ways give citizens a say in future rail projects, which Lehan thinks will next be Amtrak’s high-speed rail proposal.