City of Laguna Hills
City Council
Special Meeting Agenda
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 - 6:00 PM
City Council Chamber
24035 El Toro Road
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Joshua Sweeney
Mayor
Don Caskey
Mayor Pro Tempore
Jared Mathis
Council Member
Erica Pezold
Council Member
Dave Wheeler
Council Member
In Person Public Comments: Any person wishing to address the City Council only on items listed on this Agenda, is asked to complete a pink “Request to Speak” form available on the table at the back of the Chamber and submit the form to the City Clerk. The Request to Speak form assists the Mayor in ensuring that all persons wishing to address the City Council are recognized and ensures accurate identification of meeting participants in the City Council Minutes. Completion of the form is voluntary. It is City policy to limit public testimony to up to three minutes per person, as determined by the Mayor, and a total time limit of thirty minutes for Public Comments.
Submission of Electronic Public Comments: Those wishing to make electronic public comments may submit their comments by email to the City Clerk no later than 2 hours prior to the meeting on Tuesday, October 7, 2025. In the subject line of the email, please state your name and the item number you are commenting on. All comments received by the deadline on the date of the meeting will be provided to the City Council and will be provided for public inspection at the meeting.
During the applicable agenda item, the City Clerk will announce the name of the sender and subject matter of all electronic comments received by the deadline on Tuesday, October 7, 2025. Email comments will NOT be read by the City Clerk during the meeting. Electronic public comments may only be submitted via email and comments via text and social media (Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), etc.) will not be accepted.
For questions or assistance, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (949) 707-2635 or via email.
City Council Special Meeting Agenda
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
2 Call to Order
Resolution No. 96-04-09-1 established rules of decorum for public meetings held by the City of Laguna Hills. Resolution No. 96-04-09-1 is available on the table at the back of the City Council Chamber.
Roll Call of City Council Members
Public Comments
Members of the public may address the City Council only on items listed on this Agenda. Public Comments are limited to three minutes per person, as determined by the Mayor, and a total time limit of thirty minutes.
City Council Public Hearing Item
1 First Public Hearing to Consider Composition of Districts for Commencing the Process to Transition to By-District Elections
Recommendation: That the City Council: 1. Receive and file introduction to districting presentation prepared by the City’s retained expert demographer National Demographics Corporation; and 2. Conduct the First Public Hearing necessary for commencing the process to transition to by-district elections, review and consider input regarding the composition of districts from interested members of the public, and provide further direction to City staff.
Adjournment
The next Regular Meeting of the City Council/Planning Agency will be October 14, 2025, at 6:00p.m., in the City Council Chamber, located at 24035 El Toro Road, Laguna Hills, California.
CERTIFICATION
I, JENNIFER LEE, City Clerk of the City of Laguna Hills, do hereby certify that a copy of the foregoing Agenda was posted at Laguna Hills City Hall, Laguna Hills Community Center, and the Courtyard at La Paz Center by October 6, 2025, at 5:00p.m.
City Council Special Meeting Agenda
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
3 It is the intention of the City of Laguna Hills to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act in all respects. If as an attendee or a participant at this meeting you will need special assistance beyond what is normally provided, the City of Laguna Hills will attempt to accommodate you in every reasonable manner. Please contact the office of the City Clerk at (949) 707-2635. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to assure accessibility to this meeting.
Materials related to an item on this Agenda submitted to the City Council after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection in the City Clerk’s Office at 24035 El Toro Road, Laguna Hills, California, during normal business hours. In addition, such writings or documents will be made available for public review on the City’s website at: https://www.lagunahillsca.gov/supplementalagenda and at the respective public meeting.
Item No. 1
City of Laguna Hills
City Council / Planning Agency
Staff Report
Date: October 7, 2025
To: Mayor and Council Members
From: Greg Simonian, City Attorney
Issue: First Public Hearing to Consider Composition of Districts for Commencing the Process to Transition to By-District Elections
Recommendation: That the City Council: 1. Receive and file introduction to districting presentation prepared by the City’s retained expert demographer National Demographics Corporation; and 2. Conduct the First Public Hearing necessary for commencing the process to transition to by-district elections, review and consider input regarding the composition of districts from interested members of the public, and provide further direction to City staff.
Background:
Since incorporating as a city in 1991, members of the City Council of the City of Laguna Hills have been elected by the at-large method of election rather than by the by-district election system; the at-large method of election is one in which the voters of the entire jurisdiction elect the members to the governing body; the by-district method of election is a method of electing members to the governing body of a political subdivision in which the candidate must reside within an election district that is a divisible part of the political subdivision and is elected only by the voters residing within that election district.
In 2002, the State Legislature enacted the California Voting Rights Act (“CVRA”), modifying burden of proof requirements contained in the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 to make it much easier for plaintiffs to challenge the at-large system of elections for cities. The CVRA prohibits a public agency from using at-large elections if it impairs the ability of a protected class, as defined, to elect candidates of its choice or otherwise influence the outcome of an election. The CVRA includes the imposition of districtPage 4 of 23 Item No. 1
based elections by a court as a remedy to violations of the Act, and requires the public agency to pay all legal and court fees should the plaintiff prevail in court.
In a letter received by the City Clerk on June 20, 2023, Michelle R. Jackson, an attorney representing an undisclosed registered voter and resident of the City of Laguna Hills, alleged that the City’s at-large elections system violates the CVRA because it results in “racially polarized voting” that dilutes the impact of Latino voters. The 2023 letter demanded that the City voluntarily change its at-large system for electing City Council members to a district-based system to avoid litigation. The initial demand letter failed to identify the name of the Prospective Plaintiff and contained no direct evidence of any racially polarized voting prepared by a qualified demographer. Despite repeated requests, attorney Michelle Jackson refused to identify the name of the Prospective Plaintiff.
On August 28, 2025, the City Clerk received a follow-up letter from attorney Michelle R.
Jackson, dated August 25, 2025, wherein Ms. Jackson referenced her initial June 20, 2023 letter and renewed her demand that the City voluntarily change from the current at-large election system to by-district elections. In her August 25, 2025 renewed demand letter, attorney Michelle Jackson identified for the first time the Prospective Plaintiff as being the “Voter Equality Association” and “Arthur Sanchez,” a registered voter in the City, and provided the City with some additional information regarding her assertion that the City’s at-large election system violates the California Voting Rights Act; however, once again failing to provide any direct evidence of racially polarized voting prepared by a qualified demographer. In her August 25, 2025 renewed demand letter, Ms. Jackson once again demanded that the City voluntary change to by-district elections and threatened litigation should the City fail to voluntarily change to bydistrict elections.
In response to Ms. Jackson’s renewed CVRA claim, and after identifying the name of the Prospective Plaintiff, the City Council adopted a Resolution of Intent to Transition to ByDistrict Elections at its September 23, 2025 regular meeting, in advance of the October 15, 2025 deadline imposed by Ms. Jackson.
Discussion:
Before adopting district-based elections, the City must prepare a draft map or maps for public review and consideration; however, pursuant to State law, before drawing any maps, the City must first hold at least two public hearings over a period of no more than 30 days for the purpose of allowing interested members of the public the opportunity to provide input regarding the districts’ boundaries and composition.
Item No. 1
Tonight’s public hearing is the first of two “pre-map” public hearings, with the second scheduled for October 14, 2025.
The map drawing process by the City begins after these initial two public hearings. The City Council will then define the criteria used to create one or more proposed district maps and present the draft map or maps for public review and comment at two subsequent public hearings. Members of the public may also submit maps for review and consideration. All proposed maps will be made available to the public at least seven days prior to each of these two additional public hearings. The final third and fourth public hearings must be held within 45 days of each other. During the third and fourth public hearings, the City Council will also determine the “sequencing” of the elections.
This means that the Council will decide which districts will be up for election at which general municipal election, so that they will be staggered between 2026 and 2028.
Districting information will be featured on the City’s website at the following official City web address: https://www.lagunahillsca.gov/districting. In addition, the City’s website will be populated with information about how the public can participate and also provide answers to frequently asked districting questions.
The next public hearing for the Council to receive and consider input from the public concerning the composition of voting districts is scheduled for October 14, 2025. The public is also encouraged to provide input via email to [email protected].
Conclusion:
The creation and approval of voting district maps is intended to be a transparent, interactive public process. Voting district maps must be prepared in compliance with certain State and Federal requirements; therefore, the use of qualified expert demographer is required. Of import is Elections Code Section 10010(b), which provides that, in determining the sequence of the district elections, the city council shall give special consideration to the purposes of the CVRA and it shall take into consideration the preferences expressed by members of the districts. The districting process must also include consideration of the following criteria when drawing district maps:
1) geographically contiguous; 2) undivided neighborhoods and “communities of interest”; 3) easily identifiable boundaries/ natural geographic boundaries; 4) compactness; and 5) all voting districts be as nearly equal in population as possible.
Finally, federal caselaw prohibits drawing districts with race as a predominate factor.
Item No. 1
Attachments:
1. Introduction to Districting, Prepared by National Demographics Corporation
City of Laguna Hills
Introduction to Districting
Dr. Justin Levitt, Vice-President
National Demographics Corporation October 7, 2025
2 Election Systems
1. “At Large”
2. “From District” or “Residence” Districts
3. “By District”
The California Voting Rights Act
was written to specifically
encourage by-district elections.
October 7, 2025
3 California Voting Rights Act (CVRA)
Under the Federal Voting Rights Act (passed in 1965), a jurisdiction must fail 4 factual tests before it is in violation of the law. The California VRA makes it significantly easier for plaintiffs to force jurisdictions into “by-district” election systems by eliminating two of the US Supreme Court Gingles tests:
Can the protected class constitute the majority of a district? Does the protected class vote as a bloc?
Do the voters who are not in the protected class vote in a bloc to defeat the preferred candidates of the protected class?
Do the “totality of circumstances” indicate race is a factor in elections? Liability is now established by just the presence of racially polarized voting and dilution of the protected class’s ability to elect or influence the outcome of elections.
October 7, 2025
4 CVRA Impact
Key settlements:
Palmdale: $4.7 million
Santa Clara: $3.8 million
Modesto: $3 million
Highland: $1.3 million
Anaheim: $1.1 million
Whittier: $1 million
Santa Barbara: $600,000
Tulare Hospital: $500,000
Camarillo: $233,000
Compton Unified: $200,000
Madera Unified: about $170,000
Hanford Joint Union Schools:
$118,000
Merced City: $42,000
An estimated $20 million in total
settlements and court awards so far.
Switched (or in the process of switching) as a result of CVRA:
At least 328 school districts
46 Community College Districts
200+ cities
1 County Board of Supervisors
75 water and other special districts.
Palmdale, Santa Clara and Santa Monica fought “on
the merits.” All lost.
Santa Monica: CA Supreme Court sent case back
down. Now back in Superior Court.
Palmdale spent about $1.8 million, Santa Clara
$1.37 million, and Santa Monica over $7 million,
just on their defense.
Santa Monica plaintiffs requested $22 million
So far, no jurisdiction has won a case.
October 7, 2025
5 Districting Process 1
Step Description
Held prior to release of draft maps.
Education and to solicit input on the composition of districts.
Two Initial Hearings
October 7 & 14, 2025
Community Workshop Education and to solicit input on the composition of districts.
October 15, 2025
Maps must be in by 5 pm
Last day to receive maps for processing for the October 28th Public Hearing
First Deadline for Community
Maps
October 17, 2025
Maps must be posted at least 7 days prior to 3rd Release draft maps hearing.
October 21, 2025
First of two meetings to discuss and revise the draft maps and to discuss the election sequence.
Third hearing on the draft maps
October 28, 2025
Date To Be Announced
Community opportunity to discuss draft maps
Community Workshop
Early November 2025
October 7, 2025
6 Districting Process 2
Step Description
Maps must be in by 5 pm
Last day to receive maps for processing for the November 18th Public Hearing
Second Deadline for Community
Maps
November 7, 2025
Maps must be posted at least 7 days prior to 4th Release revised maps hearing.
November 11, 2025
Second of two meetings to discuss and revise the draft maps and to discuss the election sequence.
Fourth hearing on the draft maps
November 18, 2025
Final map and sequence must be posted at least 7 days prior to adoption.
Map Adoption
December 9, 2025
First election First elections in new districts in 2026 & 2028 November 3, 2026
October 7, 2025
7 Equal Population
Federal Voting Rights Act
No Racial Gerrymandering
“Shall not adopt election district
boundaries for the purpose of
favoring or discriminating against
an incumbent, political candidate,
or political party.”
1. Federal Laws 2. California Criteria
In prioritized order:
1. Geographically contiguous
2. Avoid division of
neighborhoods and
“communities of interest”
(Socio-economic geographic areas
that should be kept together)
3. Avoid division of Cities and
Census Designated Places
4. Easily identifiable
boundaries
5. Compact
(Do not bypass one group of
people to get to a more distant
group of people)
2. California Prohibition
Districting Rules and Goals
Future population growth
3. Other Traditional
Redistricting Principles
October 7, 2025
8 Key Demographics
“Citizen Voting Age
Population” data from the
Census Bureau’s American
Community Survey is
considered the best available
data on “eligible voters.”
Category Field Total
2020 Census Total Population 31,399
Hispanic/Latino 24%
NH White 54%
NH Black 2%
NH Asian/Pac.Isl. 19%
NH Native Amer. 1%
Total 22,690
Hisp 17%
NH White 62%
NH Black 2%
Asian/Pac.Isl. 17%
Native Amer. 1%
Total Pop.
Citizen Voting Age
Pop
October 7, 2025
Each of the five
Districts will contain
about 6,280 people.
9 Demographic
Summary
Category Field Total Category Field Total
2020 Census Total Population 31,399 age0-19 21%
Hispanic/Latino 24% age20-60 51%
NH White 54% age60plus 28%
NH Black 2% immigrants 26%
NH Asian/Pac.Isl. 19% naturalized 69%
NH Native Amer. 1% english 66%
Total 22,690 spanish 14%
Hisp 17% asian-lang 10%
NH White 62% other lang 10%
NH Black 2% Language Fluency Speaks Eng. "Less
than Very Well" 13%
Asian/Pac.Isl. 17% hs-grad 41%
Native Amer. 1% bachelor 35%
Total 20,473 graduatedegree 18%
Latino est. 15% Child in Household child-under18 28%
Spanish-Surnamed 13% Pct of Pop. Age 16+ employed 62%
Asian-Surnamed 9% income 0-25k 10%
Filipino-Surnamed 2% income 25-50k 8%
NH White est. 73% income 50-75k 10%
NH Black 2% income 75-200k 46%
Total 12,256 income 200k-plus 25%
Latino est. 11% single family 72%
Spanish-Surnamed 10% multi-family 28%
Asian-Surnamed 7% rented 31%
Filipino-Surnamed 1% owned 69%
NH White est. 77%
NH Black 3%
Total 16,015
Latino est. 13%
Spanish-Surnamed 12%
Asian-Surnamed 9%
Filipino-Surnamed 2%
NH White est. 75%
NH Black est. 2%
Voter Turnout
(Nov 2024)
Age
Total Pop. Immigration
Language spoken at
home
Citizen Voting Age
Pop
Education (among
those age 25+)
Voter Registration
(Nov 2024)
Household Income
Voter Turnout
(Nov 2022)
Housing Stats
Total population data from California's adjusted 2020
Census data. Citizen Voting Age Population, Age,
Immigration, and other demographics from the 2019-
2023 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.
October 7, 2025
Each of the five
Districts will contain
about 6,280 people.
Additional demographic
information from the
American Community
Survey and Statewide
Database can be used to
understand communities
10 Latinos are concentrated in
the Laguna Hills Mobile
Estates and Aliso Meadows.
Asians are slightly
concentrated along Alicia
Parkway.
Latino CVAP Asian CVAP
October 7, 2025
11 Defining Neighborhoods
1st Question: How do you describe or name the area where you live? 2nd Question: What are its geographic boundaries?
What other neighborhoods are there?
Examples of physical features defining a neighborhood boundary:
Natural neighborhood dividing lines, such as highway or major roads, rivers, canals and/or hills
Areas around parks or schools
Other neighborhood landmarks
October 7, 2025
12 Defining Communities of Interest
California Elections Code Section 21130(c)(2):
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.
The shared interests may include (but are not limited to):
Shared public policy concerns such as education, public safety, public health, environment, housing, transportation, and access to social services. cultural districts;
Shared socioeconomic characteristics;
Similar voter registration rates and participation rates; and /or Shared histories.
Definitions of Communities of Interest may not include relationships with political parties, incumbents, or political candidates.
October 7, 2025
13 Census Block Problems
Census Block lines (shown in pink) do
not turn out well where there are
hillsides, cul-de-sacs or multiple
developments not clearly bounded by
streets.
Census Block lines in Laguna Hills cut
through neighborhoods and combine
neighborhood pieces almost randomly.
NDC has carefully divided the Census
Blocks and assigned their population
shares to the underlying neighborhoods.
The base layer of geography for maps
will be based on local neighborhood
boundaries within Census Blocks.
October 7, 2025
14 Public Mapping and Map Review Tools
Different tools for different purposes
Different tools for different levels of technical skill and interest Simple “review draft maps” tool
Paper-based “Draw a draft map” tool
October 7, 2025
15 Your Turn:
1. What area do you consider your neighborhood?
2. What are your “communities of interest”?
For each answer, please provide:
Geographic boundaries
The history or defining shared characteristic of the area In the absence of public testimony, planning records and other similar documents may provide definition.
1. Any other questions about the process, criteria, maps, tools or any other part of this process?
October 7, 2025
16 Share Your Thoughts
Website
https://maplh.org/
Email
[email protected]
Phone
(949) 707-2630
October 7, 2025