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Shortly after being sworn in, San Ramon's new Citty Attorney Sheryl Shaffner was called upon Tuesday night to give the staff report on the item to reconsider including rebuttal arguments in the ballot measure on the 2030 General Plan.

Shaffner explained that the pamphlet with the ballot statement includes arguments for and against a measure, as well as an impartial analysis of the measure. Rebuttals of up to 250 words can be added to reply to the for-and-against arguments, but are not required.

Several speakers spoke in favor of returning the option for rebuttals to the measure.

Jim Blickenstaff said, "Rebuttals really round out the argument."

Blickenstaff, who usually represents the Mount Diablo Sierra Club, said it was an essential component to provide voters with more information.

Troy Bristol of Save Mount Diablo thanked Mayor Abram Wilson for revisiting this item.

"It's important for voters to have all of the information to make an informed decision," Bristol said.

Dorothy Burt from Tassajara Valley also said she was glad the council brought rebuttals back "or many would legitimately ask, what are you hiding?"

However when the council discussed the item, rebuttals seemed to be the form of argument they presented rather than the subject they discussed.

Councilman Dave Hudson rebutted a newspaper article with the headline, "Development Plan Passed."

"There is no development plan," Hudson said. "It is a General Plan update."

Hudson pointed out that the population figures in the new General Plan are reduced by 4,000 from the 2020 General Plan.

"We are trying to do what you told us to do eight years ago," Hudson said.

Hudson held up a voter pamphlet from the original 2002 measure for the General Plan 2020 to show that it did not have any rebuttals. However, the 2002 General Plan measure did not have any opposition; so there was nothing to rebut.

Councilman Scott Perkins said, "Every speaker wants the same thing, open space. The question is who do you trust?"

Perkins, who is one of the 600 San Ramon members of Save Mount Diablo referred to by Seth Adams at the last meeting, said he doesn't trust the county.

"We were burned 20 years ago," Perkins said, referring to the county's 40 percent increase of housing in Dougherty Valley. "I can't trust the county that burned us."

Councilman Jim Livingstone brought the discussion back to the subject of the item.

"We didn't need a rebuttal before and I see no reason to change it," he said.

Vice-Mayor Carol Rowley was absent.

Wilson said his reason for bringing this issue back is because knowledge has power.

"We are carrying out the mandate of the residents," he said. "If we put it on the ballot, residents will be able to evaluate it."

Wilson made a motion to add rebuttals back into the ballot pamphlet, but no one seconded it so it died for lack of a second. The ballot pamphlet will contain the for-and-against arguments but no rebuttals.

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