"Avoid arbitration. . . . It's been our position from the first meeting we had," said Ralph Haws, chairman of the team representing what will remain of Jordan. "But we have to make preparations."

Haws said the team is pleased with its selection of Stoel Rives, although "hopefully we don't have to use their services much."

The two transition teams have authorized a negotiation team to meet for a second round talks to revise a 13-point plan detailing how Jordan district's assets will be divided in the split.

The groups disagreed on the first version of the plan.

The negotiations team, made up of two members of each transition team, will look at the plan and decide what the two teams can work with and what they can't. It also will determine what may have to go to arbitration.

According to state law, arbitration will be mandatory if the teams do not reach an agreement by August.