ITEM:		ACTION ITEM
14.	CONSIDER RECOMMENDING FORMATION OF A REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE FOR THE REALIGNMENT OF DISTRICT VOTER DIVISIONS
Meeting Date:			October 18, 2021	Budgeted:	N/A
From:			David J. Stoldt,	Program/
			General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:			David J. Stoldt	Cost Estimate:
General Counsel Review: N/A
Committee Recommendation: N/A
CEQA Compliance: This action does not constitute a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15378.

SUMMARY: The District’s redistricting demographer Lapkoff & Gobalet Demographic Research, has determined that the boundaries of the District’s current election divisions will need adjusting.  The 2020 Census counts show that more than a technical adjustment is needed to balance the Districts’ total populations.  Divisions 1 and 3 are too populous and division 4’s population is too small.  Divisions 2 and 5 are a bit underpopulated, but within acceptable limits.  The District will need to redo the plan, and divisions 2 and 5 boundaries might need to be changed as the other three districts are adjusted.

This is not surprising given that the election districts haven’t been adjusted since 2002.

The District outer boundaries split many census blocks, and the consultant must first work to determine how much population is within the District.  They have worked enough on the outer boundaries to know that the District will need a full redistricting process.  Since special districts have the most time to redistrict, the consultants suggest to start the process in January. 

The District should engage the public through forming a panel or commission.  It will take several weeks to seek appointees and form it. The consultant has suggested a first meeting of the commission should be in January.  Typically, three meetings are enough, perhaps two weeks apart is good.

RECOMMENDATION: The General Manager recommends the Board authorize the District to advertise the Commission in local publications two consecutive weeks, accept statements of interest from prospective participants for three weeks after appearance of the second advertisement, each Director appoint a participant from their division, and the mayoral and county representatives appoint one each from their city or supervisorial district, and the Board as a whole agree on two additional “at-large” participants at the December Board meeting.

EXHIBITS

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