BACKERS TRY TO REVIVE OPEN-SPACE INITIATIVE.

Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Daily News Staff Writer

Less than two weeks after a judge removed the Moorpark Save Open-Space and Agricultural Resources initiative from the Nov. 3 ballot, supporters submitted 3,377 new signatures to the city clerk Monday in a second try for the same election.

On two whirlwind weekends this month, dozens of SOAR supporters canvassed the city, trying to get enough valid signatures of registered voters to qualify for a special election in the future.

But hearing of an effort by the city of Camarillo to force the county registrar of voters to extend the June 24 deadline to put initiatives on the ballot, Moorpark SOAR leaders said they have new hope.

``We believe we have plenty of time to get it on the November ballot,'' said Roseann Mikos, a SOAR leader. ``We've been bending over backward trying to get this citizen measure on the ballot at the same time as the city measure. We've done our part by getting our signatures, getting well more than we needed.''

Now, she said, the City Council should do its part and put it on the ballot again.

``Let's just see how it goes,'' said Moorpark Councilman Chris Evans, the most outspoken opponent of the citizen initiative. ``I'm cautious at best about the SOAR measure. I don't understand how they can possibly get it on the ballot this time.''

The Moorpark city clerk was expected to forward the new signatures for verification to the county this week, and county elections officials said a count would likely take a week or more.

Bruce Bradley, assistant registrar of voters, said SOAR supporters in Moorpark shouldn't get their hopes up about getting on the November ballot.

``We're in the middle of the biggest election we've ever had,'' he said. ``They have to get in line, so to speak.''

The deadline to get a measure on the ballot was June 24. County officials said they have no intention of extending it because they must finalize the sample ballots by Aug. 24 in order to get them to voters well before the election.

State law allows the deadline to be no closer than 88 days before the election, so it can only be pushed back to Aug. 7 if the Camarillo effort is successful.

Several things will have to happen for the initiative to qualify before then. The signatures have to be verified by the county, the Moorpark City Council has to agree to put it on the ballot based on those signatures, and arguments for and against have to be submitted and approved.

Bradley said it would be nearly impossible to get that done on time. ``(An extension) wouldn't work in Moorpark's case because they're just at the starting process. They're not even at square one, because the signatures haven't been certified.''

Last month, the City Council put the SOAR initiative on the ballot based on signatures. The council was aware that it might be removed because of a dispute over the petition language.

All that remains on the Moorpark ballot are three city-sponsored initiatives: Measure F, which regulates open space, and two bond measures to raise money for legal fees and to acquire open space.