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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem HAGENDA REPORT 1 q DATE: July 9, 2001 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council THRU: John B. Bahorski, City Manager FROM: Lee Whittenberg, Director of Development Services SUBJECT: City Council Redistricting — Introduction of Ordinance SUMMARY OF REOUEST: Introduce Ordinance No. , ordaining that the existing City Council district boundaries are unchanged based on the 2000 Federal Census (Refer to Attachment 1 for copy of Ordinance). BACKGROUND: Sub- Committee Recommendation On May 29 the City Council established a sub - committee to review the results of the 2000 Federal Census and determine if any boundary changes are necessary to the existing City Council district boundaries. The sub - committee met on June 7 to review the redistricting process and determine further actions. It was the determination of the sub- committee to request an opinion from the City Attorney as to the acceptability of the existing council district boundaries based on the 2000 Census results. The consensus of the sub - committee was that if the existing population differences are acceptable, there is no need to revise the district boundaries. The City Attorney provided an e- mail report, indicating that "Neither the Charter or nor state law requires districts to be equal in population. All that is required is that they are 'nearly equal' in population considering a number offactors" Based on this information from the City Attorney, the Sub - Committee concurred with the following recommendations: ❑ Instruct Staff to prepare a City Council Staff Report for the June 25 City Council meeting indicating the Sub - Committee has met and determined there is no necessity to revise the current City Council district boundaries for the following reasons: Agenda Item C:NY OOCUmeMSU" Redisl6c[ing \City Cowin SMff Report 3.&ce W&26-0 It, 11 City Council Redistricting: Introduction of Ordinance No. City Council SYaffReport July 9, 2001 The current City Council district boundaries are nearly equal in population when considering the following factors: ❑ Topography • Geography • Cohesiveness, contiguity, integrity and compactness of territory, and ❑ Community of interest of the districts. The current City Council districts are more "nearly equal" in population in 2000 than they were in 1990. The current City Council district boundaries comply with provisions of Section 515 of the City Charter and Section 21620 of the Elections Code of the State of California. Overview of 2000 and 1990 District Populations Provided below is a summary by City Council District of that information in bold for 2000 Census information with the current population numbers and difference from the current averages indicated in parenthesis: Council +/- Difference % +/- (Average) Difference District Population (Median) (Median) % (Average) 1 4938 (5158) 99 2.05% 106.6 (108) 2.21% (2.75%) 2 4736 (4911) -103 -2.13% -95.4 ( -109) -1.97% (- 2.17 %) 3 4839 (5078) 0 0.00% 7.6(58) 0.16% (1.16 %) 4 4842 (5024) 3 0.06% 10.6(4) 0.22% (0.07 %) 5 4802 (4927) -37 -0.76% -29.4(-93) -0.61% (- 1.85p /p) Average Median 4831.4 (5,020) 4839 As can be seers, there is very little difference in population utilizing the existing district boundaries, with the current district populations being closer to the average than were the populations at the time of the 1991 redistricting. Overview ofCity Charter and State Elections Code Provisions: Provisions of the City Charter and the California Elections Code relative to Charter City councilmanic district elections and adjustments to district boundaries are provided for the information of the City Council as Attachment 2. City Cawcil Staff Report 3 Recommended Timeline: Date July 9, 2001 July 23, 2001 August 22, 2001 City Council Redistricting: Introduction oj0rdinance No. City Council Staff Report July 9, 2001 Action Introduction of ordinance. Second reading of ordinance. Effective date of ordinance. FISCAL IMPACT: Minimal allocation of staff resources. RECOMMENDATION: Introduce Ordinance No. An Ordinance of the City of Seal Beach Determining The Federal 2000 Census does not Require Redistricting of City Council District Boundaries as Established Pursuant to Ordinance No. 1344. (N JD, ctor of Development Servnces NOTED AND APPROVED: Bahorski, City Manager nents: (2) Attachment 1: Ordinance No. , An Ordinance of the City of Seal Beach Determining The Federal 2000 Census does not Require Redistricting of City Council District Boundaries as Established Pursuant to Ordinance No. 1344 City Council Staff Report 3 3 City Council Redistricting: Introduction ofOrdiwwe No. City Council SYaffReport July 9, 2001 Attachment 2: City Charter and California Elections Code Sections re: Redistricting City Council SuIrRepen 3 City Councd Redistricting: Introduction of 0rdlnance No. City Council Sh Report July 9, 2001 ATTACHMENT 2 CITY CHARTER AND CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS CODE SECTIONS RE: REDISTRICTING Official Charter ofthe City of Seal Beach. Section 515 "Councilmanic Districts. The five members of the City Council shall be elected by districts the boundaries of which shall be as defined by ordinance adopted by the City Council. In 1980 and each 10th year thereafter, the City Council shall appoint a committee to study and report on the advisability of redistricting the City . Upon receipt of any such committee report, and at any other time deemed necessary or desirable in order that the district boundaries be in accordance with constitutional requirement, fair and logical, the City Council may be ordinance change and redefine the boundaries of arty of all of such districts. The boundaries so defined shall be established in such manner that the district shall, as nearly as practicable, constitute natural areas of contiguous and compact territory and provide fair representation on the City Council. Any territory hereafter annexed to or consolidated with the City shall, at the time of annexation or consolidation, be added by ordinance of the City Council to an adjacent district or districts. " CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS CODE SECTION 21620- 21620.1 "21620. If the members of the governing body of a chartered city are nominated or elected "by districts" or "from districts," as defined in Section 34871 of the Government Code, upon the initial establishment thereof, the districts shall be as nearly equal in population as may be according to the latest federal decennial census or, if the city's charter so Ciry Council StaaRgp 3 City Council Redistricting: Introduction ofOrdirtanceNo. City Council Staff Report July 9, 2001 provides, according to the federal mid - decade census or the official census of the city, as provided for pursuant to Chapter 17 (commencing with Section 40200) of Part 2 of Division 3 of Title 4 of the Government Code, as the case may be. After the initial establishment of the districts, the districts shall continue to be as nearly equal in population as may be according to the latest federal decennial census or, if authorized by the charter of the city, according to the federal mid- decade census. The districts shall comply with the applicable provisions of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, Section 1973 of Title 42 of the United States Code, as amended. In establishing the boundaries of the districts, the council may give consideration to the following factors: (1) topography, (2) geography, (3) cohesiveness, contiguity, integrity, and compactness of territory, and (4) community of interest of the districts. 21620.1. The governing body shall hold at least one public hearing on any proposal to adjust the boundaries of a district prior to a public hearing at which the council votes to approve or defeat the proposal." + • s : City C 61 SuffRepm3 10