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=- BALLOT TITLE AN INITIATIVE MEASURE PROHIBITING THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE FROM USING EMINENT DOMAIN TO ACQUIRE PRIVATE PROPERTY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PURPOSES WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE PROPERTY OWNER AND RESTRICTING THE CITY'S TRANSFER OF PROPERTY ACQUIRED BY EMINENT DOMAIN TO PRIVATE PARTIES BALLOT SUMMARY This initiative measure would amend the Riverside City Charter to prohibit the City qf Riverside and any of its subdivisions from using eminent domain to acquire private property for economic development purposes without the consent of the property owner. "Economic development" is defined in the measure as any activity to increase tax revenue, tax base, employment, or general economic health unless the activity results in the transfer of the land to: (1) public ownership for a use such as a road, hospital, or military base, or (2) a private entity that is a common carrier, such as a railroad, or a utility, or (3) a private entity when a harmful use of the land will be removed. The measure provides the following examples of "harmful use": removal of public nuisances, removal of structures beyond repair, removal of structures unfit for human habitation or use, and acquisition of abandoned property. The initiative measure would also prohibit the City from dedicating, selling, leasing, or otherwise transferring private property acquired through eminent domain without the consent of the property owner to a private person, partnership, corporation, or any other entity for a period of 15 years after the acquisition of the property by the City. The measure creates an exception to this prohibition for the following transactions: (1) transfers to private entities that are pUblic utilities or common carriers, and (2) transfers to private entities that occupy an incidental area in a public project, such as a retail establishment on the ground floor of a public building. The measure defines "incidental area" to mean an area that does not exceed 10% of the total square footage of the property. The initiative measure would also prohibit the City and any of its departments from undertaking a contractual obligation to use its powers of eminent domain. CERTIFICATION This ballot title and summary are hereby submitted to the elections official in conformance with Section 9203 of the Elections Code of the State of California. I Dated: June ~, 2006. /t'/ I