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These ballot language options are only suggestions. The Council may decide to phrase the ballot question in another manner, subject to the 75 word limit set by State law. Deadlines for Arguments and Impartial Analysis Based on the election calendar circulated by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters, staff recommends that August 15, 2008 be established as the deadline for submitting direct arguments, which are required by State law. In contrast, the Council has the option to decide whether or not to allow rebuttal arguments. The Council's past procedure has been to allow rebuttal arguments. Staff recommends that this procedure be followed for this City-sponsored initiative measure on the November 2008 ballot. As State law specifies that rebuttal arguments are due no later than ten days after the direct arguments, staff recommends that the deadline for rebuttal arguments be set as August 22, 2008. These deadlines are incorporated into the attached resolution. The resolution also directs the City Attorney to prepare an impartial analysis of the initiative measure by August 8, 2008. Ballot Arguments by Council The Elections Code provides that the City Council, any Council member, any registered voter, or any combination of voters, may file a written argument in favor of or against the initiative measure. Arguments may be signed by up to five persons and are distributed with the sample ballot. If more than one argument is received, the Elections Code sets the priority in which arguments are selected for publication, as follows: (i) the Council, or any member(s) of the Council authorized by the Council; (ii) the sponsor of the measure; (iii) association of citizens; and (iv) individual voters. If the Council decides to write an argument in favor of the initiative measure, staff recommends that the Council proceed with one of the following options: Option A: To comply with State open meeting laws (e.g. the Brown Act), select a subcommittee of one or two Council members to draft the argument (which is limited to 300 words). Then, if three or more Council members wish to discuss the language and sign the argument2, such conversation needs to take place at a noticed public hearing. To meet the August 15 deadline, a special meeting would be needed. Option B: Select a subcommittee of two Council members to draft and sign the argument, then delegate to this subcommittee the selection of three other third parties to co-sign the argument (for a maximum of five signers). The z If fewer than five Council members sign the argument, delegate to the subcommittee the selection of third parties to co-sign the argument, for a total of five signatories. Page 4 of 5