SAN DIEGO -- Under action taken by the City Council Tuesday, a task force will be convened to delve into San Diego's relationship with the Chargers and how to keep it alive without incurring public wrath.

SOUND OFF Are The Chargers Important To San Diego?

At issue is the football team's desire for a new stadium and a clause in its contract that allows the franchise to move to another city under certain circumstances that could be triggered at the end of the year.

The City Council unanimously adopted Mayor Dick Murphy's proposal to create the 15-member Citizens' Task Force on Chargers Issues. Members will be appointed by Murphy and confirmed by the City Council. The body will be asked to meet in public and make recommendations to the council.

The Chargers were being courted by a Los Angeles group that wanted to build a stadium and attract a National Football League team there. The Anschutz Entertainment Group has now dropped the stadium proposal.

That gives the city a little breathing room, Murphy said.

"I think most of us are pleased that AEG has withdrawn its plans, at least for now, to attempt to lure an NFL team to Los Angeles," Murphy said.

"So that gives us a little more time to evaluate what we think the future of the Chargers (is) in San Diego, without some specter of potential relocation out there," he added.

The mayor and council should be ready to approve task force members in July. Murphy said he wants the task force's report by Feb. 15.

Among its tasks: determine if the Chargers are important assets for the "life and economy of San Diego"; and determine what can be done to keep the team here "in a fiscally responsible way that the public will support."

Councilwoman Donna Frye said she wants this question answered with hard dollar figures: "What have the Chargers done for the city of San Diego?"

The Chargers' contract, under which the city invested about $78 million in Qualcomm Stadium improvements, commits the team to the publicly owned facility until 2020. But there is a clause that could allow negotiations with another city if the team exceeds certain NFL salary restrictions.

The council voted to refer these issues to the city attorney: whether the Chargers have violated lease provisions that require them to make their best efforts to market tickets, and what exactly would trigger the clause to shop the team to other cities, and how it would be proved.

The ticket sales question is important because of the city's guarantee of ticket sales of 60,000 per game. The controversial clause has cost the city $25.3 million since 1997.

Murphy has repeatedly said he thinks San Diegans would be disappointed if the Chargers left, but doesn't think there is support to use public funds for a new stadium.

Murphy said he supports a public vote for any task force recommendations involving "any significant amount of city resources." The council won't be bound by the task force's recommendations.

Attorney Mike Aguirre, a frequent critic of the city's dealings with the team, said the question of whether public money should be spent was answered under the current deal.

"We are paying public money for the Chargers," he said, referring to the deal under which the city sold bonds to expand the stadium. "We're paying $5.7 million (a year) until 2027."

Councilman Byron Wear said the task force should look at county or regional participation in any suggestions of public money.