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CITY of BRISBANE
Thursday, April 25th, 2024 at 3:00PM ● Hybrid Meeting
Brisbane City Hall, Large Conference Room, 50 Park Place, Brisbane, CA The public may observe/participate in the Subcommittee meetings by using remote public comment options or attending in person. Subcommittee members shall attend in person unless remote participation is permitted by law. The Subcommittee may take action on any item listed in the agenda.
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To address the Subcommittee on any item on or not on the posted agenda, please wait until Public Comments are being accepted.
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Members of the public may observe/participate in the Committee meeting by logging into the Zoom Webinar.
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Email: [email protected]
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If you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact Ingrid Padilla at (415) 508-2113 or [email protected]. Notification in advance of the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.
Charter City & Election Issues
Subcommittee Agenda
1 - 2 -
SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Councilmember Davis, Councilmember Lentz
ROLL CALL
A. Consider any request of a City Councilmember to attend the meeting remotely under the “Emergency Circumstances” of AB 2449
PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSION ITEMS
B. Discuss Brisbane Election Options
PUBLIC COMMENT
ADJOURNMENT
2 File Attachments for Item:
B. Discuss Brisbane Election Options
3 CITY COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE AGENDA REPORT
To: Council Subcommittee regarding Election Issues
Meeting Date: April 25th, 2024
From: Interim City Manager
Subject: Data Information for April 25th meeting
Background
To beter understand the City's demographics, we will review with the subcommittee informa�on from our latest census. We will also provide a couple of slides of informa�on from a demographic study the Brisbane School District did in the last year.
The informa�on will be provided at the mee�ng. We have a few graphics to show that provide some informa�on on city demographics. The informa�on is not conclusive and indeed generates more ques�ons than it answers. To be fair, the ques�on that would be asked in forming district elec�ons has not been a direct subject of either our census or the school district work. Keep in mind that census data by nature lags in �me and that the school district boundaries are not the same as the city.
At the March mee�ng of the City Council, I provided some general informa�on on how much It would cost to hire a demographer. One of the demographers that I met with had a two-part process. That was noted in the staff report. The second demographer provided their complete services in one package. As I have men�oned before, if that is a direc�on the city ul�mate would like to pursue, I would recommend that the subcommittee interview two or more firms.
This will allow for explora�on of the work to be done as well as to understand the various steps involved.
Attachment: CC March 21, 2024 Evalua�ng Various Elec�on Issues Agenda Report 4 B.
1 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: March 21, 2024
From: Clay Holstine, City Manager
Subject: Report back from Council Subcommittee evaluating various Election Issues
COMMUNITY GOAL RESULTS
Community Building
Purpose
The purpose of this agenda item is to get a sense of the City Council so that we can have as much clarity as possible on next steps as well as determine Councilmembers’ ideas and concerns.
Recommendation
City Council review and discuss election issues and seek guidance from the City Attorney.
Background
The City Council appointed a subcommittee of Davis and Lentz to review three election issues. • Term Limits for Councilmembers
• District Elections for City Council races
• Directly elected Mayor.
The Subcommittee met and reviewed these items and discussed next steps. City Council has had a policy that if an issue is taking more than two hours of staff and/consultant resources an estimate of potential staff time and consultant cost be brought back to the Council as Whole for discussion.
At our meeting we discussed the need to do the following:
• Have the City Clerk review term limits in other cities in San Mateo County and compile an analysis. Staff believes this may take up to 10 hours of time as responses from various cities often require follow-up to clarify data and input. Term limits must be approved by the voters.
• District Elections is a complicated issue requiring the use of outside subject matter experts. An inquiry was made by a firm that conducted a study of the Town of Woodside. Step 1 of the process includes developing a Demographic Analysis that would include total population and voting population by counts of race and ethnicity.
Step 2 would be an analysis of feasibility of drawing one or more majority-minority 5 B.
2 districts. This analysis may be complicated by the fact that Brisbane has only one census tract. Data will have to be teased out. This analysis would then provide information as to whether the Council wants to continue to evaluate different District options. Step 1 would cost $6,500. Step 2 would cost approximately $ 12,500.
Additional cost for publicizing and community engagement would be on top of this cost.
Staff oversight of the consultant is anticipated to take upwards of 20 hours for Step 1. • Directly elected Mayor. A directly elected mayor is an option for California General Law cities like Brisbane. Whether to pursue this is a question for the City Council.
Brisbane voters must approve of having the mayor directly elected.
Discussion
City Council review and discuss above information and seek guidance from the City Attorney, specifically on the following questions:
• What is the legal framework and issues related to Term limits. • What is the legal framework and issues related to District Elections. • What is the responsibility and authority of an elected Mayor contrasted with the responsibilities and authority of a Mayor selected by members of the City Council? Does having an elected Mayor alter the responsibilities and authority of the City Manager? It is anticipated that each of these items will take no more than five hours of legal research and analysis, probably less.
After the City Council reviews and discussion there are several potential next steps. The Council could do any of the following:
• Direct staff to move forward with one or more of the three items or request additional information. Additional information could be brought back to the Council as Whole or sent to the Subcommittee.
• Council could set a Workshop to focus on one or more of these issues.
Fiscal Impact
It’s important to note that elections costs are difficult to estimate since no two elections are alike with costs and the number of registered voters vary considerably from election to election. Cost estimates can also vary based on the number of jurisdictions participating in an election. The estimated cost to place 1 ballot on an even-year election is between $19,000 to $27,000.
Clay Holstine _
Clayton Holstine, Interim City Manager
6 B.
Purpose:
The purpose of this report is to provide further informa�on on elec�on issues as it pertains to the Ci�es and Towns of San Mateo County as well as provide case studies on ci�es having similar popula�on size as the City of Brisbane.
Recommenda�on:
Direct staff on next steps regarding the elec�on issues of term limits for councilmembers, by-district elec�ons for City Council races and directly elected Mayor.
Background:
Staff was directed by council at their mee�ng on March 21, 2024 to return to the City Charter/Elec�ons Subcommitee with more informa�on and to con�nue to review 3 elec�on issues:
• Term Limits for Councilmembers
• District Elec�ons for City Council races
• Directly elected Mayor
Discussion:
The City of Brisbane has a popula�on of 4,851. There are 2,966 registered voters in the City of Brisbane. In terms of language selected by the registered voters: 2,882 selected English, 21 selected Spanish, 46 selected Chinese, 1 selected Tagalog and 16 selected other languages.
The City of Brisbane currently holds at-large elec�ons to elect their councilmembers. An at-large elec�on is the selec�on of an officeholder by the voters of an en�re governmental unit rather than by voters of a specific district or subdivision. This type of elec�on allows candidates to be elected or appointed to represent an en�re popula�on or membership rather than a subset. 1 CHARTER CITY AND ELECTION ISSUES
SUBCOMMITTEE AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: APRIL 25, 2024
FROM: Ingrid Padilla, City Clerk
SUBJECT: Election Issues
7 B.
As an alterna�ve choice, under a district-based elec�on system, the City would be divided into equally-populated districts. A candidate for a seat on the City Council must reside within that seat’s district and is elected only by voters residing within that same district. One possible scenario is that the City Council Members (each elected to a four- year term) each represent one district while the Mayor (elected for a two-year term) con�nues to represent the City as a whole, and is elected via at-large elections. Another possible scenario is that all City Council Members (each elected to a four-year term) each represent one district and the Mayor is selected by the Council.
Ci�es and Towns in San Mateo County:
Out of the 20 Ci�es and Towns within San Mateo County, 10 Ci�es and 1 Town hold by-district elec�ons as a method to elect councilmembers. The City of Belmont and the City of San Bruno elect their Mayors (for two-year terms) directly via at-large elec�ons.
As for council term limits, 6 Ci�es in San Mateo County have council term limits.
Case Studies:
The majority of smaller municipali�es hold at-large elec�ons for councilmember elec�ons. There are 2 ci�es, the City of Solvang and the City of Ojai, and 1 town, the Town of Woodside that are similar in popula�on size to Brisbane that have switched to by-district elec�ons as a method to elect councilmembers. The City of Solvang and the City of Ojai also hold at-large elec�ons to elect their Mayors for two-year terms. The City of Solvang and the City of Ojai received demand leters containing allega�ons that their City's atlarge electoral system prevents members of the La�no community from elec�ng their preferred candidate(s) and violates the California Vo�ng Rights Act ("CVRA"). The leter threatened the City of Solvang and the City of Ojai with li�ga�on if their City declines to adopt a district-based electoral system.
The Town of Woodside ini�ally had “from-district” elec�ons to elect their councilmembers. Woodside historically had 7 districts, and the “from district” meant that the Councilmembers needed to live in that district; however, anyone in Town could vote for that candidate. Votes did not need to come from their specific districts as they do now. The Town on Woodside did not receive a demand letter. It was noted that moving forward with by-district elections will save the Town costs associated with either li�ga�ng a poten�al CVRA lawsuit or setling the issue with prospec�ve plain�ffs that may issue a demand leter. They held 5 public hearings for public engagement.
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Atachments:
Atachment 1: Survey of Ci�es and Town in San Mateo County Atachment 2: Case Studies of City of Solvang (Page 9), City of Ojai (page 53), and Town of Woodside (Page 70) 3 _____________________
Ingrid Padilla, City Clerk
9 B.
Atachment 1: Survey of Ci�es and Towns in San Mateo County City/Town/etc. Municipal
type
Popula�on
(2020
Census)
Charter or
General Law
City
District or At
Large
Rota�on or
Elected Mayor
Term Limits
1. San Mateo City 105,661 Charter District (5) Rota�on
Maximum three
consecu�ve
terms in office
2. Daly City City 104,901 General Law At Large Rota�on
3. Redwood City City 84,292 Charter District (7) Rota�on, Mayor term of 2 years
Maximum four
consecu�ve
terms in office
4. South San Francisco City 66,105 General Law District (5) Rota�on, The
Mayor and Vice
Mayor are selected
by the Council
from its members
in non-elec�on
years. During
elec�on years, the
Mayor and Vice
Mayor are selected
a�er elec�on
4 10
B.
City/Town/etc. Municipal
type
Popula�on
(2020
Census)
Charter or
General Law
City
District or At
Large
Rota�on or
Elected Mayor
Term Limits
results have been
tabulated.
5. San Bruno City 43,908 General Law District (4)
At Large Mayor
elected 2 year
term
(Note- same power
as Councilmember-
- The Mayor chairs
the City Council
mee�ngs, issues
proclama�ons of
recogni�on,
represents the City
in certain
intergovernmental
affairs and is the
ceremonial head of
the City. Although
the Mayor is
expected to
provide poli�cal
leadership on City
No person may
hold the office of
mayor for more
than six terms in
succession or the
office of
councilmember
for more than
three terms in
succession. This
provision does
not prohibit
holding office for
more than
twelve years,
provided that
terms of office
are not
consecu�ve.
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B.
City/Town/etc. Municipal
type
Popula�on
(2020
Census)
Charter or
General Law
City
District or At
Large
Rota�on or
Elected Mayor
Term Limits
issues, the Mayor
has no greater
authority than any
other City Council
member. The
Mayor and City
Council as a
collec�ve body is
the power of
authority. The
Mayor and City
Council members
have no authority
as individuals; they
must act by a
majority to achieve
their objec�ves.)
6. Pacifica City 38,640 General Law District (5) Rota�on Max two (2)
terms of office as
a Pacifica City
Councilmember
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B.
City/Town/etc. Municipal
type
Popula�on
(2020
Census)
Charter or
General Law
City
District or At
Large
Rota�on or
Elected Mayor
Term Limits
7. Foster City City 33,805 General Law At large Rota�on No more than
two terms in
succession
8. Menlo Park City 33,780 General Law District Rota�on
9. Burlingame City 31,386 General Law District Rota�on
10. San Carlos City 30,722 General Law At large Rota�on
11. East Palo Alto City 30,034 General Law At large Rota�on 7 13
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12. Belmont City 28,335 General Law District (4) At Large Mayor to serve 2 year term
13. Millbrae City 23,216 General Law District (5) Rota�on Maximum two
successive fouryear terms
14. Half Moon Bay City 11,795 General Law District (5) Rota�on
15. Hillsborough Town 11,387 General Law At Large
Rota�on,
maximum of two 1
year term
16. Atherton Town 7,188 General Law At Large Rota�on
17. Woodside Town 5,309 General Law District (5) Rota�on
18. Brisbane City 4,851 General Law At Large Rota�on
19. Portola Valley Town 4,456 General Law At Large Rota�on
20. Colma Town 1,507 General Law At Large Rota�on
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Atachment 2
Case Study: City of Solvang
The City of Solvang received a leter via cer�fied mail from atorney Kevin I. Shenkman of Shenkman & Hughes on behalf of his client Southwest Voter Registra�on Educa�on Project. The leter contains unsubstan�ated allega�ons that the City's at-large electoral system prevents members of Solvang's La�no community from elec�ng their preferred candidate(s) and violates the California Vo�ng Rights Act ("CVRA"). The leter threatens the City with li�ga�on if the City declines to adopt a district-based electoral system. The City of Solvang’s City Council started District Vo�ng process in 2020 and in 2022 they transi�oned to District Vo�ng. The City of Solvang worked with NDC: National Demographics Corporation to produce the maps and provide demographic data. They held 5 public hearings and a map hearing for public engagement.
Total Area City or Town Popula�on
Charter or
General Law
District or At
Large
Rota�on or
Elected Mayor
Term Limits
2.4 Square Miles City 6,126 Charter District (4) Elected Mayor (2 year terms) None
District Elections
New: The City Council voted to adopt the Clockwise Revision of the Orange Plan as the map for the new City Council districts, with the sequence of elections as posted on the map.
The City of Solvang, like hundreds of cities and school districts across the state, is making a change in how voters elect its City Council. Beginning in 2022, voters will vote for one City Council Member who lives in their district. This will replace the current 9 15
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3 1
2 4
246
246
Oak St
Second St
Valhalla Dr
Elm Ave
Chalk Hill Rd
Fredensborg Canyon Rd
Maple Ave
Laurel Ave
Hil side Dr
Alamo
Pintado
R
Vibor d
g Rd
Skyt
Mesa
Dr
3rd St
Aarhus Dr 5th St
First
St
Alisal
Rd
Copenhagen Dr
At
erdag
Rd
Elsinore
Dr
Creekside Dr
Rancho Alisal Dr
Fjord Dr
National Demographics Corp., Mar. 21, 2022
City of Solvang
2021/22 Transition to
By-District Elections
Orange
Plan
Clockwise Revision
Total Population Deviation: 6.9%
District 3 Latino CVAP: 54%
Proposed Election Sequence:
2022: Districts 3 & 4
2024: Districts 1 & 2
©2021 CALIPER
15 16
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Category Field 1 2 3 4 Total
Total Population 1,606 1,558 1,492 1,479 6,135
Population Deviation 72 24 -42 -55 127
Pct. Deviation 4.69% 1.56% -2.74% -3.59% 8.28%
Hispanic/Latino 26% 14% 55% 26% 30%
NH White 67% 78% 39% 68% 63%
NH Black 1% 2% 0% 1% 1%
NH Asian/Pac.Isl. 6% 5% 4% 3% 4%
NH Native Amer. 0% 1% 1% 1% 1%
Total 1,000 1,233 1,031 1,320 4,584
Hisp 16% 9% 56% 16% 23%
NH White 79% 88% 40% 80% 73%
NH Black 1% 1% 0% 0% 1%
Asian/Pac.Isl. 5% 2% 4% 4% 3%
Native Amer. 1% 0% 0% 3% 1%
Total 1,124 1,032 774 1,088 4,018
Latino est. 14% 8% 37% 11% 16%
Spanish-Surnamed 13% 8% 34% 11% 15%
Asian-Surnamed 1% 2% 2% 1% 1%
Filipino-Surnamed 0% 1% 0% 0% 0%
NH White est. 86% 89% 66% 88% 84%
NH Black 0% 1% 0% 0% 0%
Total 1,028 949 653 1,000 3,630
Latino est. 12% 7% 33% 10% 14%
Spanish-Surnamed 11% 7% 31% 10% 13%
Asian-Surnamed 1% 2% 2% 1% 1%
Filipino-Surnamed 0% 1% 0% 0% 0%
NH White est. 86% 89% 66% 88% 84%
NH Black 0% 1% 0% 0% 0%
Total 820 773 425 794 2,812
Latino est. 11% 7% 23% 7% 11%
Spanish-Surnamed 10% 7% 22% 7% 10%
Asian-Surnamed 1% 1% 3% 0% 1%
Filipino-Surnamed 0% 1% 1% 0% 0%
NH White est. 87% 90% 73% 91% 87%
NH Black est. 0% 1% 0% 0% 0%
age0-19 23% 16% 21% 25% 21%
age20-60 49% 51% 60% 45% 51%
age60plus 28% 33% 19% 30% 28%
immigrants 17% 18% 16% 15% 16%
naturalized 58% 58% 58% 58% 58%
english 64% 79% 58% 85% 72%
spanish 31% 16% 34% 11% 23%
asian-lang 1% 2% 2% 1% 1%
other lang 4% 3% 6% 4% 4%
Language Fluency Speaks Eng. "Less than
Very Well" 21% 8% 18% 8% 14%
hs-grad 42% 50% 51% 39% 45%
bachelor 21% 30% 19% 31% 26%
graduatedegree 14% 8% 11% 13% 12%
Child in Household child-under18 26% 19% 28% 27% 25%
Pct of Pop. Age 16+ employed 73% 65% 79% 58% 68%
income 0-25k 17% 10% 14% 11% 13%
income 25-50k 13% 17% 17% 11% 14%
income 50-75k 23% 14% 21% 21% 20%
income 75-200k 30% 47% 38% 43% 40%
income 200k-plus 16% 13% 9% 14% 13%
single family 72% 92% 67% 89% 80%
multi-family 28% 8% 33% 11% 20%
rented 42% 45% 49% 29% 41%
owned 58% 55% 51% 71% 59%
Housing Stats
Voter Registration
(Nov 2020)
Voter Turnout
(Nov 2020)
Total population data from California's adjusted 2020 Census data. Citizen Voting Age Population, Age, Immigration, and other demographics from the 2015-2019 American Community Survey and Special Tabulation 5-year data. Turnout and Registration data from California Statewide Database ("Latino" figures calculated by NDC using Census Bureau's Latino undercount by surname estimate).
Voter Turnout
(Nov 2018)
Household Income
Education (among those
age 25+)
Immigration
Age
Language spoken at
home
City of Solvang - Orange Plan
2020 Census
Total Pop.
Citizen Voting Age Pop
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system of at-large citywide elections in which voters have the ability to vote for all City Council Members. However, the Mayor will continue to be elected at-large.
Calendar of Workshops and Public Hearings
Date & Time Loca�on Mee�ng Type Links to Documents & Recordings August 9, 2021 at
6:45pm City Hall/Virtual
Public Hearing 1
Held prior to release of
dra� maps.
Receive input on
composi�on of districts.
Agenda
Video (Time Stamp: 0 hr, 44 min)
August 23, 2021 at
9:00pm City Hall/Virtual
Public Hearing 2
Held prior to release of
dra� maps.
Receive input on
composi�on of districts.
Agenda
Video (Time Stamp: 3 hr, 12 min)
September 13, 2021
at 8:00pm City Hall/Virtual
Public Hearing 3
Held prior to release of
dra� maps.
Agenda
Video (Time Stamp: 1 hr, 52 min)
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Date & Time Loca�on Mee�ng Type Links to Documents & Recordings Receive input on
composi�on of districts.
California Data Release
Early October 2021
California Statewide
Database releases
California’s official
‘prisoner-adjusted’ 2020
popula�on data.
Release Draft Maps
February 7, 2022
Must be posted 7 days
prior to Public Hearing 4.
March 7, 2022 at
5:00 pm City Hall/Virtual
Public Hearing 4
Discuss and revise the
dra� maps and discuss
elec�on sequence.
Agenda
Video (Time Stamp: 0 hr, 2 min)
March 28, 2022 at
7:00 pm City Hall/Virtual
Public Hearing 5
Discuss dra� maps and
elec�on sequence. Select
Agenda
Video (Time Stamp: 1 hr, 40 min)
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Date & Time Loca�on Mee�ng Type Links to Documents & Recordings map and introduce
ordinance.
April 11, 2022 at
7:00 pm City Hall/Virtual
Map Adop�on Hearing
Final map adop�on and
second reading of
ordinance.
Agenda
Video (Time Stamp: 0 hr, 39 min)
© Copyright - 2024 | City of Solvang. All Rights Reserved. | Contact FAQ: What criteria will our City Council use when drawing district lines?
1. Federal Laws
o Equal Popula�on (based on total popula�on of residents as determined by the most recent Federal decennial Census and adjusted by the State to reassign incarcerated persons to the last known place of residence) o Federal Vo�ng Rights Act
o No Racial Gerrymandering
2. California Criteria for Ci�es (to the extent prac�cable and in the following order of priority) o Geographically con�guous (areas that meet only at the points of adjoining corners are not con�guous. Areas that are separated by water and not connected by a bridge, tunnel, or ferry service are not con�guous. o Undivided neighborhoods and “communi�es of interest” (Socio-economic geographic areas that should be kept together for purposes of its effec�ve and fair representa�on) 12 20
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o Easily iden�fiable boundaries
o Compact (Do not bypass one group of people to get to a more distant group of people) o Prohibited: “Shall not favor or discriminate against a poli�cal party.”
3. Other Tradi�onal Distric�ng Principles
o Respect voters’ choices / con�nuity in office
o Future popula�on growth
FAQ: What are Communities of Interest?
A community of interest is a “contiguous population that shares common social and economic interests that should be included within a single district for purposes of its effective and fair representation.” Below are useful excerpts from the Local Government Redistricting Toolkit by Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus (2020).
Communities of interest are the overlapping sets of neighborhoods, networks, and groups that share interests, views, cultures, histories, languages, and values and whose boundaries can be identified on a map.
The following elements help define communities of interest:
• shared interests in schools, housing, community safety, transit, health condi�ons, land use, environmental condi�ons, and/or other issues;
• common social and civic networks, including churches, mosques, temples, homeowner associa�ons, and community centers, and shared use of community spaces, like parks and shopping centers; • racial and ethnic composi�ons, cultural iden��es, and households that predominantly speak a language other than English; • similar socio-economic status, including but not limited to income, home-ownership, and educa�on levels; • shared poli�cal boundary lines from other jurisdic�ons, such as school districts, community college districts, and water districts.
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Resources
New releases and other districting-related materials will be added here as they become available.
Online publications and guides to districting/redistricting:
• From MALDEF, the NAACP and the Asian Jus�ce Center
• From the Asian Americans Advancing Jus�ce
• From the Brennan Center
• From the League of Women Voters
• From the California Independent Redistric�ng Commission FAQs 14 22
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Case Study: City of Ojai
The City of Ojai received a leter via cer�fied mail from atorney Kevin I. Shenkman of Shenkman & Hughes on behalf of his client Southwest Voter Registra�on Educa�on Project. The leter contains unsubstan�ated allega�ons that the City's at-large 1 electoral system prevents members of Ojai's La�no community from elec�ng their preferred candidate(s) and violates the California Vo�ng Rights Act ("CVRA"). The leter threatens the City with li�ga�on if the City declines to adopt a district-based electoral system. They held 4 public hearings.
Total Area City or
Town Popula�on
Charter or
General Law
District or At
Large
Rota�on or
Elected Mayor
Term Limits
10 miles (16 km) long by 3 miles (5
km) wide City 7,610 General Law District (4)
At Large
Elected Mayor
( 2 year term)
None
53 59
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Case Study Town of Woodside
The Town of Woodside had “from-district” elec�ons to elect their councilmembers. Woodside historically had 7 districts, and the “from district” meant that they needed to live in that district; however, anyone in Town could vote for that candidate. Votes did not need to come from their specific districts as they do now. The Town on Woodside did not receive a demand letter. It was noted that moving forward with by-district elections will save the Town costs associated with either li�ga�ng a poten�al CVRA lawsuit or setling the issue with prospec�ve plain�ffs that may issue a demand leter. They held 5 public hearings for public engagement.
Total Area City or Town Popula�on
Charter or
General Law
District or At
Large
Rota�on or
Elected Mayor
Term Limits
11.73 square miles Town 5,309 General Law District (5) Rota�on None 70 76
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71 77
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72 78
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73 79
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74 80
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75 81
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Public 101 Revised
District 1
Total Pop 1,047
Deviation from ideal -16
% Deviation -1.51%
% Hisp 6.1%
% NH White 82%
% NH Black 1%
% Asian-American 9%
Total 756
% Hisp 4%
% NH White 90%
% NH Black 0%
% Asian/Pac.Isl. 6%
Total 857
% Latino est. 4%
% Spanish-Surnamed 4%
% Asian-Surnamed 4%
% Filipino-Surnamed 0%
% NH White est. 91%
% NH Black 0%
Total 774
% Latino est. 4%
% Spanish-Surnamed 4%
% Asian-Surnamed 4%
% Filipino-Surnamed 0%
% NH White est. 91%
% NH Black 0%
Total 642
% Latino est. 4%
% Spanish-Surnamed 4%
% Asian-Surnamed 4%
% Filipino-Surnamed 0%
% NH White est. 92%
% NH Black est. 0%
ACS Pop. Est. Total 1,148
age0-19 33%
age20-60 47%
age60plus 21%
immigrants 18%
naturalized 78%
english 85%
spanish 7%
asian-lang 4%
other lang 5%
Language Fluency Speaks Eng. "Less than Very Well" 0%
hs-grad 20%
bachelor 32%
graduatedegree 41%
Child in Household child-under18 47%
Pct of Pop. Age 16+ employed 53%
income 0-25k 10%
income 25-50k 6%
income 50-75k 7%
income 75-200k 25%
income 200k-plus 52%
single family 100%
multi-family 0%
rented 13%
owned 87%
Total population data from the 2020 Decennial Census.
Surname-based Voter Registration and Turnout data from the California Statewide Database.
Latino voter registration and turnout data are Spanish-surname counts adjusted using Census Population Department undercount estimates. NH White and NH Black registration and turnout counts estimated by NDC. Citizen Voting Age Pop., Age, Immigration, and other demographics from the 2015-2019 American Community Survey and Special Tabulation 5-year data.
2 1,085
22 2.07%
7%
79%
1%
9%
705
7%
85%
0%
8%
828
3%
3%
4%
0%
93%
0%
713
3%
3%
4%
0%
93%
0%
663
2%
2%
4%
0%
93%
0%
1,018
25%
41%
34%
18%
67%
83%
4%
4%
9%
5%
14%
31%
45%
29%
58%
5%
5%
3%
27%
61%
96%
4%
12%
88%
3 1,031
-32
-3.01%
6%
78%
1%
10%
822
3%
85%
3%
9%
881
5%
5%
6%
1%
86%
2%
773
4%
4%
6%
1%
86%
2%
589
4%
4%
4%
0%
88%
3%
1,073
24%
42%
34%
17%
69%
84%
4%
3%
10%
3%
16%
35%
41%
29%
54%
7%
6%
4%
25%
57%
98%
2%
14%
86%
4 1,074
11 1.03%
5%
73%
1%
18%
898
4%
78%
3%
15%
910
2%
2%
7%
0%
89%
1%
803
2%
2%
8%
0%
88%
1%
665
2%
2%
5%
0%
91%
1%
1,142
22%
38%
40%
18%
79%
83%
4%
3%
10%
5%
16%
31%
47%
25%
56%
3%
7%
3%
17%
71%
100%
0%
1%
99%
5 1,076
13 1.22%
13%
72%
1%
10%
849
10%
85%
0%
6%
798
4%
4%
6%
0%
88%
0%
692
3%
3%
7%
0%
88%
0%
625
3%
3%
4%
0%
91%
0%
1,177
22%
54%
24%
15%
62%
84%
7%
4%
6%
5%
12%
32%
48%
36%
72%
6%
10%
5%
21%
58%
100%
0%
17%
83%
Total
5,313
54 5.08%
8%
77%
1%
11%
4,030
6%
84%
1%
9%
4,274
3%
3%
6%
0%
89%
1%
3,755
3%
3%
6%
0%
89%
1%
3,184
3%
3%
4%
0%
91%
1%
5,559
25%
45%
30%
17%
71%
84%
5%
3%
8%
4%
16%
32%
45%
33%
59%
6%
7%
4%
23%
60%
99%
1%
11%
89%
03/16/2022 13:29 Page 1 of 1
Total Pop
Citizen Voting Age Pop
Voter Registration
(Nov 2020)
Voter Turnout
(Nov 2020)
Voter Turnout
(Nov 2018)
Age
Immigration
Language spoken at home
Education
(among those age 25+)
Household Income
Housing Stats
76 82
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Item A Page 1
TOWN OF WOODSIDE
Report to Town Council Agenda Item A
From: Kevin Bryant, Town Manager November 16, 2021
SUBJECT: REDISTICTING: RECEIVE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY REGARDING THE TRANSITION FROM A " FROM - DISTRICT" TO A " BY - DISTRICT"
TOWN COUNCIL ELECTION SYSTEM
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Town Council consider the districting process and permissible criteria to be considered to create district boundaries and conduct a public hearing to receive input on district boundaries.
BACKGROUND
On March 23, 2021, the Town Council adopted Resolution 2021- 7398 initiating the process to transition from a " from -district" election system to " by -district" election system. Since the California Voting Rights Act ( CVRA) was enacted in 2002, several cities and special districts throughout the State have received demand letters, requiring that those cities/ special districts move to " by -district" elections to avoid a lawsuit alleging a violation of the CVRA. Under a " by -district" election system, residents from each district only vote for candidates vying for their district' s seat, rather than for candidates from each district.
The Town did not receive a letter threatening a CVRA lawsuit. The Council did determine that voluntarily transitioning to " by - district" elections would save the costs associated with either litigating a potential CVRA lawsuit or settling the issue with prospective plaintiffs that may issue a demand letter in the future. In unanimously approving the Request for Proposals for demographers to assist with the transition to " by -district" elections, the Council also identified exploring the question of whether seven or five Council members best serves the Town.
DISCUSSION
The first step in the transition process is to hold two public hearings to invite public input regarding the composition of the Town' s new voting districts before any maps are drawn. After these two public hearings are complete, the Town Council must hold at least two additional public hearings on the draft map( s) of the districts themselves. The maps must be publicly available for at least seven days before the public hearing, and if a change is made to the map( s) after the first public hearing, the revised map( s) must be available at least seven days before the districts are adopted by ordinance.
Town Council Meeting
77 November 16, 2021
83 B.
Item A Page 2
The purpose of the first two public hearings is to inform the public about the districting process and to hear from the community on what factors should be taken into consideration while creating district boundaries. The public is requested to provide input regarding communities of interest and other local factors that should be considered while drafting district maps. A " community of interest" is a neighborhood or group that would benefit from being in the same district because of shared interests, views, or characteristics. Possible community features include, but are not limited to:
School attendance areas;
Natural dividing lines such as major roads, hills, or
highways;
Areas around parks and other neighborhood landmarks;
Common issues, neighborhood activities, or
legislative/ election concerns; and
Shared demographic characteristics, such as:
o Similar levels of income, education, or linguistic
insolation;
o Languages spoken at home; and
o Housing types.
In creating the district boundaries, the Town must ensure compliance with the following state and federally -mandated criteria:
Federal Laws:
1. Each council district shall contain a nearly equal population as required by law; and
2. Each council district shall be drawn in a manner that complies with the Federal Voting Rights Act. No council district shall be drawn with race as the predominate factor in violation of the principles established by the United States Supreme Court in Shaw v. Reno, 509 U. S. 630 ( 1993), and its progeny.
California Criteria for Cities:
1. Geographically contiguous
2. Undivided neighborhoods and " communities of interest" ( socioeconomic geographic areas that should be kept together)
3. Easily identifiable boundaries
4. Compact ( Do not bypass one group of people to get to a more distant group of people)
Other Traditional Districting Principles:
1. Respect voters' choices/ continuity in office
2. Future population growth
Town Council Meeting
78 November 16, 2021
84 B.
Item A Page 3
NEXT STEPS
At a meeting on December 9, 2021, a second Public Hearing will be held to seek additional public input. Following that hearing, draft district maps and proposed election sequencing will be posted to the Town' s redistricting website and be available at Town Hall.
The draft maps will be posted at least seven days prior to Public Hearings # 3 and # 4, which will take place between January and March.
CONCLUSION
Transition from a " from -district" election system to a " by - district" election system will ensure that the Town is compliant with the California Voting Rights Act.
Town Council Meeting
79 November 16, 2021
85 B.