City and student leaders are still assessing the impact of a vote on a resolution letter concerning a petition to shorten City Council terms.

The letter, discussed at Wednesday’s Government of the Student Body meeting, addressed student concerns with the Ames City Council’s handling of the petition for a special election. It was rejected by a 15-14 vote.

The second reading of the resolution was waived at the meeting to open up the resolution for debate.

The resolution, which went through a number of revisions, began as a response to the Council’s reaction to a petition that forced a special election to shorten Council terms. The resolution presented comments from the Council calling the election “a tremendous mistake” and “detrimental to the collective interests of the community.”

It also addressed Mayor Ted Tedesco’s question to the city attorney concerning whether the Council could deny the petition or bill the petitioners for the cost of the election.

Tedesco said he could not comment on the resolution being killed because he had not seen the actual document.

He said he had asked about the cost of the election as part of his duty as mayor to ask questions on behalf of taxpayers.

Tony Borich, GSB College of Design senator, said the debate over the resolution was positive, even though it was voted down.

“The senate couldn’t reach a consensus on what the best way to respond to the City Council was or whether to respond at all,” Borich said.

Before voting down the bill, revisions were made to cut the clause including the Council’s remarks.

Andrew Tugan, ex-officio student representative to the City Council, said he originally wanted to know the motivation behind the letter.

After talking with some of the senators involved in writing the original resolution, he said he did not believe anything malicious was intended.

Andrew Brown, Inter-Fraternity Council senator, said he would have preferred to hold the resolution for next week in order to allow senators more time to research the resolution.

“One of my primary concerns is it was done in a hasty manner,” he said.

Kyle Krause, Frederiksen Court senator, said he also would have liked to see it held until next week. He said he did not want the Senate to do anything that would harm relations between the city and university.

“I do hope that the Ames community can get together and rationally discuss opposing viewpoints and work together to come up with the best solution,” Krause said.

Jacob Larson, off-campus senator, said the resolution was written by a group of five to 10 senators in “the heat of the moment,” following the Feb. 22 City Council meeting.

“We had written it without hearing the City Council’s side,” Larson said.

Councilman Matthew Goodman said he hopes the GSB senators who had the original concern can meet for discussion with the Council.