Placentia City Council
AGENDA REPORT
TO: CITY COUNCIL
VIA: CITY ADMINISTRATOR
FROM: DEPUTY CITY ADMINISTRATOR / SUPPORT AND EMERGENCY SERVICES DATE: FEBRUARY 16, 2022
SUBJECT: PUBLIC HEARING NO. 4 TO RECEIVE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY
REGARDING THE REVIEW OF THE CITY COUNCIL ELECTION DISTRICT
BOUNDARIES
FISCAL
IMPACT: Expenses: $16,820.61 To Date for Legal, Publishing, and Translation Services Budgeted: $35,000.00 Legislative — Other Purchased Services (101002-6299) SUMMARY:
Following each federal Census, the City of Placentia is required to review new population data and to rebalance, if necessary, the population of its City Council election districts. Per the California Elections Code, the City Council is required to adopt a new district map or, if appropriate, readopt the existing district map following a series of public hearings. As required by law, the City Council districts must be "substantially equal in population" based upon the results of the 2020 Census. The districts are also required to comply with the United States Constitution, the California Constitution, the California Elections Code, and the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. This public hearing is the fourth of a series of public hearings to receive input from the Placentia community regarding the City Council district boundaries.
Staff and the City's consultant provided information to the City Council and public regarding the process during the first three public hearings. Extensive information regarding the process and considerations are available on the City's website. At the public hearing on February 10, 2022, the City Council took public input and received a presentation from the City's consultant. The consultant's written and oral reports indicated that some of the maps that have been proposed had deficiencies under either state or federal legal principles regarding redistricting, and the City Council elected not to move forward with those maps. The City Council asked for additional information and designated three (3) maps for further consideration. The City intends to hold one (1) additional public hearing after the City Council designates the map for adoption.
The purpose of tonight's hearing is to take additional input from the public about draft City Council district boundary maps that are available on the City's website, and to give input to Staff and the consultant about those maps. This public hearing will be focused on choosing the map that will
1. a.
Feb, 16, 2022
City Council Special Meeting Agenda
February 16, 2022
be designated for adoption. The City's consultant has provided draft maps for discussion based upon input from the previous public hearings. The public is asked to provide input regarding these proposed maps, and the factors that should be considered in the final district maps.
As always, the City Council's deliberations and choice of district boundaries is guided by the U.S. and California Constitutions, the redistricting priorities under California's Fair Maps Act, and other elements of state and federal law. The legal considerations have been explained to the City Council in prior public hearings, and the maps the City's consultant has provided comply with those requirements.
The schedule for the remaining required public hearings is as follows:
Public Hearings Date
Public Hearing No. 1 — Council Meeting
Public Hearing No. 2 — Special Meeting
Public Hearing No. 3 — Special Meeting
Public Hearing No. 4 — Special Meeting
Final Map Designated
Public Hearing No. 5 - Council Meeting
Introduction of Ordinance Adjusting Council District
Map and Final Map Approval - Tentative
Council Meeting
Second Reading and Adoption of Ordinance Adjusting
Council District Map - Tentative
RECOMMENDATION:
Tuesday, October 5, 2021
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Thursday, February 10, 2022
Wednesday, February 16, 2022
It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions:
Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
1. Open and conduct Public Hearing No. 4 to receive Staff and consultant input and public comments regarding the boundaries of potential Council election district maps based upon 2020 U.S. Census data, as required by applicable law; and
2. Receive the staff report, consider all public testimony, ask questions of Staff; and
3. Choose the map that will be designated for adoption; and
4. Close the Public Hearing.
DISCUSSION:
The City of Placentia adopted a district -based voting system in 2016. Following the 2020 Census, the City is required to review new population data and to rebalance the population of its City Council election districts. Per the California Elections Code, the City Council is required to adopt a new district map or, if appropriate, readopt the existing district map following a series of public
City Council Special Meeting Agenda
February 16, 2022
hearings. As required by law, the City Council districts must be "substantially equal in population" based upon the results of the 2020 Census. The districts are also required to comply with the United States Constitution, the California Constitution, California Elections Code, and the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. The districts must now also be in compliance with the Fair Maps Act ("Act"), which was adopted by the California Legislature as AB 849 and took effect January 1, 2020. Under the Act the City Council must, to the extent practicable, draw and adopt City Council district boundaries using the following criteria in the listed order of priority (Elections Code 21621(c)):
1. Comply with the federal requirements of equal population and the Voting Rights Act
2. Geographically contiguous
3. Undivided neighborhoods and "communities of interest"
4. Easily identifiable boundaries
5. Compact (do not bypass one group of people to get to a more distant group of people)
6. Shall not favor or discriminate against a political party The process to redraw the district boundaries is set forth in the California Elections Code. District boundary maps have been drawn by a professional demographer, National Demographics Corporation ("NDC"), in consultation with the City's legal counsel and the City Clerk's Office based upon the 2020 Census data, criteria in the law, and public input. This public hearing is the fourth of several public hearings to receive input from the Placentia community regarding the review of the City Council district boundaries. A total of at least four (4) hearings are required; at least one (1) hearing must be held before a map is proposed, and two (2) public hearings are required after the City Council has proposed a map or maps. This meeting is the first of those hearings, and the second is currently scheduled for March 1, 2022. At that point, assuming the City Council does not designate a different map, the public hearing requirements will have been met. The anticipated date of the public hearing to introduce the ordinance that would adopt the final map is Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
The City has also created a redistricting page on the City's website at httos:// www.olacentia.ora/944/Citv-Council-District-Boundaries . which has been used as a central location for all information related to the redistricting process. This page contains a link to a mapping tool which can assist the community in submitting draft district maps. Map submissions and inquiries about the redistricting process may be sent to citvclerk(cr7.placentia.oro. The City has met all the public outreach requirements of state law.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The fiscal impact to the City will consist of a demographer, special legal counsel, newspaper publishing of public hearing notices for two (2) languages, and translation of public hearing notices and agendas into Spanish. The cost to date has been $16,820.61. The final cost to the City will not be realized until the completion of the process to adjust the district boundaries.
City Council Special Meeting Agenda
February 16, 2022
Prepared by:
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K en O'Leary
Deputy City Clerk
Reviewed and approved:
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Rosa na Ramirez
Deputy City Administrator
Reviewed and approved: Reviewed and ap
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Craig A. Steele
Special Counsel, RWG Law
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City Administrator
Attachments:
1. Draft Map — Public Map 3 (Revised and Renumbered)
2. Draft Map — Public Map 8 (Renumbered)
3. Draft Map — Public Map 9 (Renumbered)
4. 2019 Adjusted Map and Corresponding Demographic Data
5. Notice of Public Hearing No. 4 and Spanish Translation
6. NDC Report on Placentia Redistricting, February 15, 2022