To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Tiffany Carranza, City Clerk
Prepared By: Caitlin Saldanha, Deputy City Clerk
TITLE:
Title
2021-2022 Redistricting Process - 2nd Public Hearing with Proposed District Boundary Map
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
(1) After receiving a presentation from the City’s consulting demographer regarding the 2021-2022 redistricting process for district-based elections of members of City Council, including presentation of a draft map of district boundaries, invite public input regarding the composition of district boundaries.
(2) Provide direction to City staff regarding the composition of district boundaries.
Body
DISCUSSION:
Background
Each city with district-based elections is required to update (“redistrict”) the district boundaries every ten years, following the receipt of updated population data from each federal decennial census. Since the City of Napa has district-based elections for four Councilmembers, the City is required to redistrict the district boundaries prior to the next election of Councilmembers in 2022. Councilmember Districts 2 and 4 were on the ballot on November 3, 2020, and Councilmember Districts 1 and 3 will be on the ballot on November 8, 2022. Although the City recently established the district boundaries on May 5, 2020 for the November 2020 election, the boundaries are based on the 2010 federal census, which means the City must now update the boundaries through the redistricting process based on the 2020 federal census.
On October 26, 2021, the City Council held its first Public Hearing without maps to receive input from the public regarding district boundaries for Councilmembers. At the October 26, 2021 City Council meeting, City staff provided a presentation outlining the City’s community outreach plan for the redistricting process, and the City’s consulting demographer, Redistricting Partners, provided a presentation on the overall population changes within the City according to the 2020 federal census data, an overview of the legal requirements under the FAIR MAPS Act that must be considered when drawing district boundaries, and showcased the online mapping tool, DistrictR.
On Wednesday, December 1, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. in the evening, City staff held the first Community Workshop at Napa Valley College. This first Community Workshop was intended to allow the City’s demographer to provide information and guidance to members of the public regarding the parameters for drawing district boundary maps and give the public the opportunity to prepare and submit proposed maps for City Council’s consideration. Unfortunately, this initial Community Workshop was only attended by City staff, consultants, and County officials, therefore, the City has not received any proposed district boundary maps from members of the public at this point in time.
This City Council meeting, on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, is the second Public Hearing for the 2021-2022 redistricting process, which is also the first public hearing with a draft district boundary map.
Once the City receives proposed district boundary maps from the public, these draft map submissions will be reviewed by the City’s demographer and posted on the City’s website, as well as entered into the public record. These draft map submissions will include draft maps submitted at the upcoming five Community Workshops in January, electronic submissions from the online mapping tool, DistrictR, and any direct email or paper submissions to the City Clerk’s Office.
Proposed District Boundary Map for Consideration - Draft Plan A
The City’s demographer has considered all of the public input received thus far, including Community of Interest Worksheets completed by the public and public testimony from the first Public Hearing, along with the most recent 2020 census population data. However, as mentioned above, no draft map submissions have been received from the public.
Redistricting Partners has prepared a draft district boundary map for consideration by City Council at the public hearing on December 14, 2021. This draft map (which is identified as Draft Plan A) was posted on the City’s webpage at <https://www.cityofnapa.org/1013/Draft-Maps> on December 6, 2021. Draft Plan A has also been attached to this staff report for reference.
At this early stage in the process, Redistricting Partners has proposed one draft district boundary map that reflects the current district lines adopted on May 5, 2020, which meets the legal requirements under the FAIR MAPS Act (California Elections Code Section 21620 - 21623). During the public hearing on December 14, 2021, City staff and the City’s consulting demographer will provide a presentation, and members of the public will have an opportunity to provide input regarding the draft district boundary map (identified as Draft Plan A) and give feedback to the demographer on how to draw additional draft maps for future consideration during the remainder of the process. The City Council will also have an opportunity to provide direction to the demographer and City staff regarding the boundaries of districts.
Staff is requesting the City Council to provide direction on the draft district boundary map in order for the City’s consulting demographer to create additional draft district boundary maps for consideration at upcoming Public Hearings and make any adjustments before adopting an ordinance establishing a final map to be used for the 2022 General Municipal Election. The introduction of the ordinance is scheduled to take place during the fourth public hearing on February 8, 2022, and the final reading of the ordinance is scheduled to take place during the fifth public hearing on March 8, 2022. These dates were carefully selected to ensure that the City completes the redistricting process before the official deadline, and a new district boundary map is adopted by the City Council no later than April 17, 2022.
The City Council has discretion to select a district boundary map that complies with the legal criteria and order of priority established by California Elections Code Section 21621, as identified below:
• Substantially equal population of residents in each district (10% or less of overall deviation - see discussion in “Demographer and Census Data” section, below) based on census data.
• Compliance with the Constitutions of the United States and California, and with the Federal Voting Rights Act (“FVRA”). These criteria are satisfied by developing districts that have substantially equal populations, are not designed with discriminatory intent, do not result in discriminatory effects, and are not designed with race as the predominant consideration.
• Geographically contiguous, to the extent practicable. A district is not contiguous if it includes areas that: (a) meet only at the point of adjoining corners, or (b) are separated by water and not connected by a bridge.
• Geographic integrity of any local neighborhood or local community of interest shall be respected in a manner that minimizes its division, to the extent practicable. A “community of interest” is a population that shares common social or economic interests that should be included within a single district for purposes of its effective and fair representation.
• Boundaries should be easily identifiable and understandable by residents. To the extent practicable, districts shall be bounded by natural and artificial barriers, by streets, or by the boundaries of the City.
• Districts shall be geographically compact in a manner that nearby areas of population are not bypassed in favor of more distant populations, to the extent practicable.
Additionally, as a point of emphasis, district boundaries must not be adopted for the purpose of favoring or discriminating against a political party.
Remainder of Community Outreach Schedule and Redistricting Process
City staff has already conducted several educational kick-off events to increase public interest in the redistricting process, such as Farmers Market Pop-Up Events and a joint virtual workshop hosted by Napa County in collaboration with other governmental agencies participating in the same process. City Council also held its first public hearing on October 26, 2021, and City staff led the first Community Workshop on December 1, 2021. The City will continue to encourage public participation through the robust community outreach plan summarized in this report, and take advantage of opportunities to spread the word at local gatherings and events. The remainder of the community outreach schedule and redistricting process is as follows:
COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS:
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***NEWLY ADDED VIRTUAL OPTION!*** Thursday, January 6, 2022 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. via Zoom |
Virtual Community Workshop where Demographer will provide a live demonstration on how to navigate the online mapping tool, DistrictR, and solicit input from the public regarding proposed district boundaries. Following the virtual presentation and demonstration of DistrictR, members of the public are invited to draw their own maps using the online mapping tool, and ask the Demographer any questions. |
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Saturday, January 15, 2022 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Harvest Middle School - Library 2449 Old Sonoma Road Saturday, January 15, 2022 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Las Flores Community Center - Gym 4300 Linda Vista Avenue |
Community Workshops where Demographer will provide a brief presentation to the public and solicit input from the public regarding proposed district boundaries. Following the presentation, members of the public are invited to draw their own maps during hands-on exercises and provide feedback. Presentations on the process begins at 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Drop by any time between 10:00 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.- 3:00 p.m. for hands-on exercises to draw maps |
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Sunday, January 30, 2022 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Irene M. Snow Elementary School - Library 1130 Foster Road Sunday, January 30, 2022 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. St. John the Baptist Catholic Church - Parish Hall 924 Napa Street |
Community Workshops where Demographer will provide a brief presentation to the public and solicit input from the public regarding proposed district boundaries. Following the presentation, members of the public are invited to draw their own maps during hands-on exercises and provide feedback. Presentations on the process begins at 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Drop by any time between 10:00 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.- 3:00 p.m. for hands-on exercises to draw maps |
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
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Tuesday, January 25, 2022 6:30 p.m. City Hall - Council Chamber 955 School Street |
3rd Public Hearing with maps of proposed district boundaries produced by the demographer and published seven days in advance, and with a summary of comments received during the Community Workshop, for consideration and feedback by the public and Council. |
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Tuesday, February 8, 2022 6:30 p.m. City Hall - Council Chamber 955 School Street |
4th Public Hearing with revised map(s) of proposed district boundaries produced by the demographer and published seven days in advance; consideration of public input regarding the revised map(s), and introduction an ordinance establishing new district boundaries for Councilmembers. |
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Tuesday, March 8, 2022 6:30 p.m. City Hall - Council Chamber 955 School Street |
5th Public Hearing to adopt an ordinance with a final map establishing new district boundaries for Councilmembers before the April 17, 2022 deadline. |
As shown above, City staff has secured a different location site for each Community Workshop in order to attract a wide range of participants from across the City. The locations were selected based on feedback received from the public and suggestions from community partners on dates and times. It is also important to note that City staff will hold more than the legally required amount of Community Workshops because City staff believes an increased number of Community Workshops will facilitate better engagement and a higher level of participation.
Additionally, City staff has now added a sixth Community Workshop due to Council’s direction at the last public hearing on October 26, 2021 to offer a virtual option for community members to participate remotely in a Community Workshop. The virtual Community Workshop will take place from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 6, 2022 and attendees will have the ability to participate remotely via Zoom.
Next Steps
After completion of the second public hearing on December 14, 2021, City staff will continue their ongoing community outreach efforts and heavily promote the City’s online mapping tool for the public to draw their own maps. City staff will be hosting multiple Community Workshops on Thursday, January 6, 2022 (virtual option via Zoom), Saturday, January 15, 2022 and Sunday, January 30, 2022 in order to encourage public participation. An instructional video from Redistricting Partners showing the public how to use the online mapping tool, DistrictR, has been posted on the City’s website in both English and Spanish, and this video will continue to be shared widely on the City’s social media platforms, as well as highlighted in ongoing bilingual Press Releases. The demographer will also provide live demonstrations on how to use the online mapping tool during the upcoming Community Workshops and City staff will facilitate hands-on exercises for the public to draw their own maps at these workshops.
Following the three Community Workshops held on January 6, 2022 and January 15, 2022 (morning and afternoon sessions on the same date), Redistricting Partners will propose draft versions of district boundary maps for both the public and Council to review and provide input on at the third public hearing on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. The City will publish draft maps of proposed district boundaries produced by our demographer for consideration by the public and City Council at least seven days in advance of each public hearing. The draft maps will be published on the City’s Draft Maps webpage which is available on the City’s website using this link: <https://www.cityofnapa.org/1013/Draft-Maps>.
After another series of morning and afternoon Community Workshops held on Sunday, January 30, 2022, Redistricting Partners will once again propose draft versions of district boundary maps for both the public and Council to review and provide input at the next public hearing on Tuesday, February 8, 2022. Following the first reading of an ordinance at the fourth public hearing on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, the City Council will be asked to adopt a final map at the fifth public hearing on March 8, 2022. This final map will establish new district boundaries for Councilmembers, which will go into effect for the November 8, 2022 General Municipal Election.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
For the 2021-2022 redistricting process, funding has already been appropriately budgeted within both the City Clerk’s Office and City Attorney’s Office for consulting services from community outreach advisors, a demographic firm, and legal counsel. Staff estimates that these currently budgeted funds will be sufficient to cover costs associated with adding a sixth Community Workshop (virtual option), which is estimated to be an additional $1,600 for consulting services, including a presentation by Redistricting Partners and remote meeting logistics performed by Tripepi Smith.
CEQA:
The City Clerk has determined that the recommended action described in this agenda report is not subject to CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c).
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Draft Plan A Map
ATCH 2 - Completed Community of Interest Worksheets (Total of 3)
NOTIFICATION:
A public hearing notice was published in the Napa Valley Register on Friday, December 3, 2021.