http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_10383923
DENVER AND THE WEST
Outer-space vote costly
Backer wants May ballot, which could cost city $600,000
By Christopher N. Osher
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 09/05/2008 01:16:04 AM MDT
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The man pu****ng a ballot initiative for creation of a commission in
Denver to study visitors from outer space wants to put his plan before
voters in May, potentially creating a costly $600,000 special
election.
Jeff Peckman, a lanky UFO buff, met with city officials Thursday to
discuss his revamped plan to create the world's first Extraterrestrial
Affairs Commission and revealed then he's now shooting for the spring
election date.
No other ballot issues have surfaced, and there are no other municipal
elections, Assistant City Attorney David Broadwell told Peckman during
the meeting. That means holding a special election to deal with
Peckman's project could cost the city anywhere from $500,000 to
$600,000, Broadwell said.
"As we sit here now on Sept. 4, you're the only game in town,"
Broadwell said during the required "review and comment" session on the
proposal.
If Peckman succeeds in collecting nearly 4,000 signatures within 180
days after certification by the clerk and recorder's office, the city
would have to place the proposal before the voters.
"Well, that's a lot of money," Peckman said. "Being the fiscal
conservative I am, I share that concern. But I have to weigh that
against the benefits of having this commission."
He suggested that the City Council could pass an ordinance
establi****ng such a commission and save the cost of holding an
election.
Peckman said he has revised his plan to make it clear that any costs
associated with running the commission would be paid by grants, gifts
and donations.
He also has pared the number of people who would be on the commission
to seven from the original 11, and he no longer is requiring all of
them to be residents of Denver or some of them to be city officials.
Now, Denver residents would get preference for four of the seats, and
the remaining commission members could come from "anywhere in outer
space."
Peckman said he's not worried about getting enough signatures to place
his proposal before voters.
"Are you kidding?" he said. " 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' is
getting re-released in September."
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