City of Foster City
Transition from At-Large to By-District
Elections: Adopted Map
Final Report
December 6, 2024
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Executive Summary
The City of Foster City (“City”) followed the FAIR MAPS Act and the California Voting Rights Act criteria to guide the city’s transition from at-large to by-district elections. The City held five public hearings on converting to by-district elections and two community outreach meetings to educate the public on the process and to garner input from residents. The City Council voted to adopt Ordinance No. 685, on December 2, 2024, adopting Map B2 Live Edits (“Adopted Map”).
The Adopted Map meets all criteria required by state and federal laws, with minimal splits of communities of interest.
This report, pursuant to Elections Code section 21130(f), documents the specific criteria used during the districting process and explains the basis on which the City Council made its decisions when communities of interest (COIs) were split. While the City did its best to maintain as many COIs as possible, splits were necessary in order to follow the higher-ranking criteria set forth by the FAIR MAPS Act. All decisions and deliberations were made by the City Councilmembers in public meetings, and other relevant documents can be accessed here:
https://www.fostercity.org/community/page/transition-district-elections.
Adopted Map: B2 Live Edits
The Adopted Map was drawn live during the November 4th public meeting based on FAIR MAPS Act criteria and communities of interest. The City Council’s goal was to maintain communities of interest that included:
•Homeowner Associations
•Elementary Schools
•The Citizen Voting Age Population of the Asian American Community 3 | P a g e
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FAIR MAPS Act Criteria
As required, the City adopted a map that ensures the population is well balanced, uses the appropriate census dataset, complies with the United States Constitution, the California Constitution, and the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 10301 et seq.). The Adopted Map also does not discriminate or favor a political party, incumbent or candidate. The total deviation for the Adopted Map is 4.5%, below the 10% total deviation maximum allowed for municipalities. Additionally, the City and its demographers used the required Statewide Database’s adjusted census data, which reallocated incarcerated residents throughout the state.
Using the FAIR MAPS Act criteria was emphasized since the first day of the districting process, and the demographers presented on these requirements at every public hearing. Furthermore, the demographers provided documentation to the City Council of which publicly drawn maps did and did not fulfill the FAIR MAPS Act criteria.
Below is the ranked list of criteria as required by the FAIR MAPS Act and how the Adopted Map met these criteria.
FAIR MAPS Act Ranked Criteria Adopted Map (Map B2 Live Edits) To the maximum extent practicable, council
election districts shall be geographically
contiguous.
All districts are whole and do not overlap with each
other. Special attention was given to the
lagoon/water channels to ensure the districts were
travel contiguous.
To the maximum extent practicable, and where it
does not conflict with the preceding criteria the
geographic integrity of any local neighborhood
or local community of interest shall be respected
in a manner that minimizes its division.
Neighborhoods had minor splits due to population
balance and maintaining communities of interest
(see split analysis below), and all HOAs were
maintained with the exception of a minor split of
Marina Point, which did not impact the population
of that HOA.
To the maximum extent practicable, and where it
does not conflict with the preceding criteria,
council districts shall be bounded by natural and
artificial barriers, by streets, or by the boundaries
of the city. Council district boundaries should be
easily identifiable and understandable by
residents.
Main thoroughfares, such as Foster City Blvd. and
Park Beach Blvd., were used as boundaries when
population allowed it, and natural boundaries,
such as the waterways, were used as boundaries to
ensure travel contiguity.
To the maximum extent practicable, and where it
does not conflict with the preceding criteria in
this subdivision, election districts shall be drawn
to encourage geographical compactness in a
manner that nearby areas of population are not
bypassed in favor of more distant populations.
The City created compact districts and avoided
constructions that would bypass nearby
population in favor of more distant population.
Most districts are more circular/square in
appearance and any less compact portions are due
to higher ranked criteria, like equal population and
maintaining HOAs.
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Splits: Communities of Interest
Split 1: Neighborhoods
While the City was balancing maintaining the different communities of interest, the City Council was required to ensure districts had balanced populations as well. Neighborhoods did not always align with the HOA boundaries, and the City Council saw advocacy and voting benefits in ensuring that those residents of HOAs were being maintained together in the final map.
For example, using Beach Park Boulevard as a divider, as it does between neighborhoods 8 and 9, would not have allowed balanced districts, and it would have split off a portion of the Shell Cove HOA.
Additionally, the neighborhoods north of the freeway had no population due to being centers of business activity. There was less emphasis on maintaining those areas because people do not live there.
Figure 2 Neighborhoods Figure 1 Homeowner Associations with Final Map prior to re- numbering.
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Neighborhood District(s) Reason for split
1 3 & 5 Slight split due to unusually shaped census block 2 4 No splits
3 1 & 4 Slight split due to population balance
4 1 & 2 Split along main roads to ensure HOAs were maintained and populations were balanced
5 1 No Split
6 1 No Splits
7 2 No Splits
8 2 & 5 Split due to population balance and maintaining the Shell Cove HOA
9 5 No Splits
Town Center 5 No Splits
Pilgrim Triton 3 No Splits
Chess 4 & 5 No population impacted by split
Lincoln 4 No Splits
Vintage Park 4 & 5 Split due to unusually sized census block Split 2: Homeowner Associations
Only one HOA, Marina Point, was physically split in the final map. However, that split did not impact any residents. The split divides a portion of the HOA from a parking lot and tennis courts, while ensuring the residents remain together. This split should not impact the residents ability to advocate or vote for their best interests.
Split 3: Foster City’s Asian Citizen Voting Age Population (CVAP) The Asian American community within the City of Foster City is fairly spread out throughout the City. There were lengthy discussions by the City Council on which map best serves this community of interest, while balancing the needs of other identified communities of interest.
One map, Draft B3, had the highest level of Asian CVAP; however, this map split the elementary school area of Brewer Island Elementary School, and it split multiple HOAs.
Additionally, as discussed by Council Member Jon Froomin at the November 18th public hearing, the final map, the Asian CVAP in Draft B2 Live Edits may not be a majority, but they are a plurality in at least one district.