Correspondence
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1 Danika Guilatco
From: Danielle Navarro
Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2023 1:23 PM
To: Allen Vinson; Matt Rinn; Susan Noack; Tim Flaherty; Zac Shess Cc: June Catalano; Juanita Davalos; Geoff Gillette; Janet Coleson Subject: Community of Interest for By-District Elections - Mike Lee From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2023 11:38 AM
To: June Catalano <[email protected]>; Danielle Navarro <[email protected]>; Juanita Davalos <[email protected]>; Geoff Gillette <[email protected]> Subject: Online Form Submittal: Email the City Council
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Name:* Mike Lee
Street
Address:*
Pleasant Valley
City* Pleasant Hill, CA
Phone
Number:
Email:* [email protected]
Subject:* Community of Interest for By-District Elections Question
or
Comment:
Dear City Council, I am writing to include my thoughts on Communities of Interest for the ByDistrict Council elections. Please forward this information to the demographer and confirm that it was sent. I live in the Pleasant Valley area of Pleasant Hill, defined as being East of the East Bay Municipal Utility District Canal. 1. After the Council spent an enormous amount of time rejecting the idea of an Independent Districting Commission to draw district lines and reassuring the public that the Council will not influence the demographer in any way, I am extremely disappointed that on 4/17/23, Mayor Flaherity not only revealed where he lived to the demographer, but he also suggested where the lines should be for a district that he lives in (https://youtu.be/NFVKXtNymTw).
This not only breaks the promise that the Council made not to interfere with the Districting process, but it is unethical and unprofessional. Mayor Flaherity stated that Poet’s Corner where he lives is somehow related to Pleasant Valley and neighborhoods in the East of Pleasant Hill, which is completely incorrect. I would like to request the demographer ignore the undue influence of the Mayor and consider the following comments that truly define my community of interest. 2. Pleasant Valley is clearly separated from Poet’s Corner and there is a clear demarcation with the East Bay Municipal Utility District Canal. Poet’s Corner is west of that canal and Pleasant Valley is east of that canal. Poet’s Corner is a neighborhood with a much higher socioeconomic status, where high income earners like Mayor Flaherity live. Median income in Poet’s Corner per the last census, is 2 $142,000 with residents below the poverty line at 0.8%. Median income in my area of Pleasant Valley where the socioeconomic status is much lower per the last census is $54,000 with residents below the poverty line at 2.2%. Pleasant Valley compares more closely to East Pleasant Hill neighborhoods where median income is $80,000 with residents below the poverty line at 4.5%. 46% of Poet's Corner residents have obtained a Bachelor's Degree while only 26% of Pleasant Valley residents have done so. 3. Racial diversity is also quite different. Per the last census, the racial diversity score (the higher the number, the more diverse it is) for Poet’s Corner was between 21.3 and 47.2, with White’s composing up to 85% of that neighborhood. The racial diversity score for Pleasant Valley was 55.3 with Whites composing 64% of the neighborhood and Hispanics composing 18% of the neighborhood. Pleasant Valley compares more closely to East Pleasant Hill neighborhoods where the racial diversity score was 66.1 with Whites composing 59% of the neighborhood and Hispanics composing 18% of the neighborhood. 4. Housing is very different for the neighborhoods. In particular, housing values are different, although housing in the Bay Area is high in general. Per the last census, median housing values in Poet’s Corner was $849,000 with 76- 96% owner occupied housing units. In Pleasant Valley, median housing values was $742,000 with 37% owner occupied housing units. Pleasant Valley compares more closely to East Pleasant Hill neighborhoods with median housing values at $637,000 with 62% owner occupied housing units.
Please do not combine Pleasant Valley with Poet’s Corner. Doing so will dilute the voice of minorities and strongly urge the demographer to amplify minority voices, not silence them.
Pleasant Valley is unique and different than Poet’s Corner and thus, Pleasant Valley aligns much more closely to neighborhoods in the East of Pleasant Hill. Pleasant Valley is much more diverse with working class residents who have very different needs than the less diverse high income earners of Poet's Corner. We deserve to be in a district that reflects our identity and values. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Mike Lee Pleasant Hill Resident Upload File
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http://www.pleasanthillca.org/Admin/FormHistory.aspx?SID=16842 The following form was submitted via your website: Email the City Council Please note that all emails submitted through this website will be shared with all Councilmembers and certain City staff members. These emails are considered public records under the California Public Records Act (Govt.
Code Section 6250, et seq.):
Name:: Mike Lee
Street Address:: Pleasant Valley
City: Pleasant Hill, CA
Phone Number::
Email:: [email protected]
Subject:: Community of Interest for By-District Elections Question or Comment:: Dear City Council,
I am writing to include my thoughts on Communities of Interest for the By-District Council elections. Please 3 forward this information to the demographer and confirm that it was sent. I live in the Pleasant Valley area of Pleasant Hill, defined as being East of the East Bay Municipal Utility District Canal.
1. After the Council spent an enormous amount of time rejecting the idea of an Independent Districting Commission to draw district lines and reassuring the public that the Council will not influence the demographer in any way, I am extremely disappointed that on 4/17/23, Mayor Flaherity not only revealed where he lived to the demographer, but he also suggested where the lines should be for a district that he lives in (https://youtu.be/NFVKXtNymTw). This not only breaks the promise that the Council made not to interfere with the Districting process, but it is unethical and unprofessional. Mayor Flaherity stated that Poet’s Corner where he lives is somehow related to Pleasant Valley and neighborhoods in the East of Pleasant Hill, which is completely incorrect. I would like to request the demographer ignore the undue influence of the Mayor and consider the following comments that truly define my community of interest.
2. Pleasant Valley is clearly separated from Poet’s Corner and there is a clear demarcation with the East Bay Municipal Utility District Canal. Poet’s Corner is west of that canal and Pleasant Valley is east of that canal.
Poet’s Corner is a neighborhood with a much higher socioeconomic status, where high income earners like Mayor Flaherity live. Median income in Poet’s Corner per the last census, is $142,000 with residents below the poverty line at 0.8%. Median income in my area of Pleasant Valley where the socioeconomic status is much lower per the last census is $54,000 with residents below the poverty line at 2.2%. Pleasant Valley compares more closely to East Pleasant Hill neighborhoods where median income is $80,000 with residents below the poverty line at 4.5%. 46% of Poet's Corner residents have obtained a Bachelor's Degree while only 26% of Pleasant Valley residents have done so.
3. Racial diversity is also quite different. Per the last census, the racial diversity score (the higher the number, the more diverse it is) for Poet’s Corner was between 21.3 and 47.2, with White’s composing up to 85% of that neighborhood. The racial diversity score for Pleasant Valley was 55.3 with Whites composing 64% of the neighborhood and Hispanics composing 18% of the neighborhood. Pleasant Valley compares more closely to East Pleasant Hill neighborhoods where the racial diversity score was 66.1 with Whites composing 59% of the neighborhood and Hispanics composing 18% of the neighborhood.
4. Housing is very different for the neighborhoods. In particular, housing values are different, although housing in the Bay Area is high in general. Per the last census, median housing values in Poet’s Corner was $849,000 with 76-96% owner occupied housing units. In Pleasant Valley, median housing values was $742,000 with 37% owner occupied housing units. Pleasant Valley compares more closely to East Pleasant Hill neighborhoods with median housing values at $637,000 with 62% owner occupied housing units.
Please do not combine Pleasant Valley with Poet’s Corner. Doing so will dilute the voice of minorities and strongly urge the demographer to amplify minority voices, not silence them. Pleasant Valley is unique and different than Poet’s Corner and thus, Pleasant Valley aligns much more closely to neighborhoods in the East of Pleasant Hill. Pleasant Valley is much more diverse with working class residents who have very different needs than the less diverse high income earners of Poet's Corner. We deserve to be in a district that reflects our identity and values. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Mike Lee
Pleasant Hill Resident
Upload File Attachment here: No file was uploaded
4 Additional Information:
Form submitted on: 4/19/2023 11:37:44 AM
Submitted from IP Address: 152.131.10.133
Referrer Page: https://www.pleasanthillca.org/582/Contact-City-Council-Staff Form Address: http://www.pleasanthillca.org/Forms.aspx?FID=137 1 Danika Guilatco
From: Danielle Navarro
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2023 8:58 AM
To: Allen Vinson; Matt Rinn; Susan Noack; Tim Flaherty; Zac Shess Cc: June Catalano; Juanita Davalos; Geoff Gillette; Janet Coleson Subject: Districting process - Inappropriate remarks by Mayor Flaherty - Yehudit Lieberman From: Yehudit Lieberman <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2023 10:21 PM
To: City Council <[email protected]>
Subject: Districting process ‐ Inappropriate remarks by Mayor Flaherty CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender.
Dear Mayor Flaherty and council members,
I just saw a video clip of the April 17 City Council meeting, which I was unable to attend. In the clip, Mayor Flaherty spoke on the record about where he lives and what his thoughts are about his neighborhood. This happened in spite of the previous agreement that the demographer would proceed without knowledge of where council members live and without input from council members. I find this breach to be astounding. I and other Pleasant Hill residents expect the districting process to be taken seriously by council members and conducted in the most fair and impartial manner possible.
I hope the mayor will apologize for his inappropriate comments and instruct the demographer to ignore them.
Thank you.
Yehudit Lieberman
2270 Lisa Lane, Pleasant Hill, 94523
--
"Loving yourself is a political act. We are taught not to love ourselves, and from that place we are easily manipulated. I want you to love yourself so much that this love changes the world."
-Rita Shimmin
1 Danika Guilatco
From: Danielle Navarro
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2023 1:07 PM
To: Allen Vinson; Matt Rinn; Susan Noack; Tim Flaherty; Zac Shess Cc: June Catalano; Juanita Davalos; Geoff Gillette; Janet Coleson Subject: concern about influencing the demographer - Susan Hedgpeth From: Susan HEDGPETH <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2023 12:11 PM
To: City Council <[email protected]>
Subject: concern about influencing the demographer
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender.
Dear Mr. Mayor and Councilmembers,
I attended your meeting last Monday night, April 17. I have a concern.
I do not believe it was appropriate for one of you to express your personal opinion about your neighborhood and your communities of interest.
My understanding of the district mapping process is that the Council are supposed to stay out of the conversation so as not to influence the demographer. I believe you were instructed to that effect by the City Attorney in an earlier hearing.
If so, I would expect you to make sure the demographer is clear that you spoke inappropriately and to not take your comments into account. There may be something more serious that's required, but that's a legal question I don't have the answer to.
I'd appreciate a response stating what action you plan to take to remedy this. Thank you.
Susan Hedgpeth
2212 Lisa Lane
1 Danika Guilatco
From: Danielle Navarro
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2023 10:37 AM
To: Allen Vinson; Matt Rinn; Susan Noack; Tim Flaherty; Zac Shess Cc: June Catalano; Juanita Davalos; Geoff Gillette; Janet Coleson Subject: District Elections - Bob Langgley
From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2023 4:46 AM
To: June Catalano <[email protected]>; Danielle Navarro <[email protected]>; Juanita Davalos <[email protected]>; Geoff Gillette <[email protected]> Subject: Online Form Submittal: Email the City Council
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Name:* Bob Langgley
Street
Address:*
Pleasant Hill
City* Pleasant Hill, CA
Phone
Number:
Email:* [email protected]
Subject:* District Elections
Question
or
Comment:
Please send my comments to the HaystaqDNA Districting Demographer and include my comments in the City Council Minutes and Agenda correspondence. I am writing to counter the biased view that the Mayor took on the Districting Agenda item at the 4/17/23 City Council Meeting. To say that the Poet's Corner neighborhood that he lives in which is over 85% White residents who are more typically higher paid white collar workers is somehow the same as neighborhoods to the East of that which is about 20% Hispanic and 7% Asian residents who are typically lower paid working class residents is completely naive to the racial diversity of Pleasant Hill. Drawing District maps that includes the Mayor's preferences would not only dilute the voice of minority residents by splitting minority communities, but would also advantage him as an incumbent. I hope that the Mayor, with the City Attorney's guidance, retracts his statement publicly. Any map that takes his suggestions for District lines that benefits him as an incumbent that prioritizes his political interests over communities of color would be suspect and subject to legal challenges. In addition, HaystaqDNA should maintain its reputation for neutrality and should not kowtow to the Mayor's influence and therefore should reject his suggestions for District lines, or it too will be subject to criticisms of collusion with the City. HaystaqDNA must hold to the legal principles of the CVRA and maintain minority communities together and not show any deference to the Mayor. I hope that the City has learned from its mistakes. Rejecting an Independent Districting Commission has only led 2 to a questionable process. Any electoral ordinance following the completion of map creation must include a provision to have an Independent Districting Commission for every redistricting effort moving forward. Sincerely, Bob Langgley
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http://www.pleasanthillca.org/Admin/FormHistory.aspx?SID=16848 The following form was submitted via your website: Email the City Council Please note that all emails submitted through this website will be shared with all Councilmembers and certain City staff members. These emails are considered public records under the California Public Records Act (Govt.
Code Section 6250, et seq.):
Name:: Bob Langgley
Street Address:: Pleasant Hill
City: Pleasant Hill, CA
Phone Number::
Email:: [email protected]
Subject:: District Elections
Question or Comment:: Please send my comments to the HaystaqDNA Districting Demographer and include my comments in the City Council Minutes and Agenda correspondence.
I am writing to counter the biased view that the Mayor took on the Districting Agenda item at the 4/17/23 City Council Meeting. To say that the Poet's Corner neighborhood that he lives in which is over 85% White residents who are more typically higher paid white collar workers is somehow the same as neighborhoods to the East of that which is about 20% Hispanic and 7% Asian residents who are typically lower paid working class residents is completely naive to the racial diversity of Pleasant Hill. Drawing District maps that includes the Mayor's preferences would not only dilute the voice of minority residents by splitting minority communities, but would also advantage him as an incumbent.
I hope that the Mayor, with the City Attorney's guidance, retracts his statement publicly. Any map that takes his suggestions for District lines that benefits him as an incumbent that prioritizes his political interests over communities of color would be suspect and subject to legal challenges. In addition, HaystaqDNA should maintain its reputation for neutrality and should not kowtow to the Mayor's influence and therefore should reject his suggestions for District lines, or it too will be subject to criticisms of collusion with the City.
HaystaqDNA must hold to the legal principles of the CVRA and maintain minority communities together and not show any deference to the Mayor.
I hope that the City has learned from its mistakes. Rejecting an Independent Districting Commission has only led to a questionable process. Any electoral ordinance following the completion of map creation must include a 3 provision to have an Independent Districting Commission for every redistricting effort moving forward.
Sincerely,
Bob Langgley
Upload File Attachment here: No file was uploaded
Additional Information:
Form submitted on: 4/24/2023 4:45:55 AM
Submitted from IP Address: 166.216.158.236
Referrer Page: https://www.pleasanthillca.org/582/Contact-City-Council-Staff Form Address: http://www.pleasanthillca.org/Forms.aspx?FID=137 1 Danika Guilatco
From: Danielle Navarro
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2023 10:51 AM
To: Allen Vinson; Matt Rinn; Susan Noack; Tim Flaherty; Zac Shess Cc: June Catalano; Juanita Davalos; Geoff Gillette; Janet Coleson Subject: Concerns about Mayor's Comments During Districting Hearing - Michelle Simone From: Michelle Simone <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2023 2:48 PM
To: City Council <[email protected]>; Janet Coleson <[email protected]> Subject: Concerns about Mayor's Comments During Districting Hearing CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender.
Dear City Attorney and City Councilmembers,
I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the recent comments made by the Mayor during the Pleasant Hill City Council districting hearing held April 17, 2023.
As you may recall, during the first hearing on March 20th, Councilmember Noack clearly stated that councilmembers would not provide input to the demographer about their place of residence or where district lines should be drawn. This commitment was reiterated by the City Attorney, and it was also stated that councilmembers would not direct the demographer or share their place of residence, as they are not involved in the districting process. This assurance was given in response to several residents' request for an independent commission to eliminate bias and incumbency protection when deciding on our new electoral districts.
However, during the recent districting hearing, the Mayor openly shared that he lives in Poet's Corner and expressed his opinions on how the district lines should be drawn for his community. This is highly problematic, as all the Councilmembers, including the Mayor, live in the same area. This raises concerns about bias and favoritism in the districting process, as the demographer was chosen and hired by the City, and the City Council has the final decision on our electoral map. The Mayor's direct comments undermine the little impact residents had in the first place and erode public trust in the fairness and impartiality of the districting process.
Furthermore, I want to highlight that according to the law, relationships to incumbents, political party, and/or candidates are not appropriate communities of interest for districting purposes. Therefore, it is crucial to prevent any potential inappropriate influence or consideration of incumbents' preferences or interests in the districting process. Which I thought was the rationale behind the City Attorney's advice and the City Council's initial position of not sharing their places of residence or providing input on the district lines, which would be a responsible approach.
The Mayor's actions are inconsistent with the City Council's earlier commitment, and it raises concerns about the integrity and fairness of the districting process. The adoption of a map that includes the Mayor's comment could be legally suspect. Lines drawn based on the Mayor's preferences could be vulnerable to legal challenges. 2 I urge the City Council to take immediate action to address this issue and ensure that the districting process is impartial, transparent, and free from any bias or favoritism. It is crucial to maintain public trust and confidence in the integrity of the districting process.
Thank you for your attention to this matter,
Michelle
1 Danika Guilatco
From: Danielle Navarro
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2023 11:57 AM
To: Allen Vinson; Matt Rinn; Susan Noack; Tim Flaherty; Zac Shess Cc: June Catalano; Juanita Davalos; Geoff Gillette; Janet Coleson Subject: Pleasant Hill District Elections - Anne Granlund From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2023 9:09 AM
To: June Catalano <[email protected]>; Danielle Navarro <[email protected]>; Juanita Davalos <[email protected]>; Geoff Gillette <[email protected]> Subject: Online Form Submittal: Email the City Council
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender.
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Name:* Anne Granlund
Street
Address:*
500 St. Mary's Road
City* Lafayette
Phone
Number:
Email:* [email protected]
Subject:* Pleasant Hill District Elections
Question
or
Comment:
DATE: April 24, 2023 Dear City Attorney and City Council Members, The League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley is concerned about comments by Mayor Flaherty at the Pleasant Hill district election hearing on April 17, 2023. At the March 20, 2023 hearing Councilmember Noack stated that council members would not share their place of residence or opinions about where district lines should be drawn. City Attorney Coleson, attorney Jim Priest, and the demographer agreed with that guidance to the City Council. During discussion after the close of public comment at the April 17th hearing, the Mayor shared where he lived and the boundaries of what he sees as his personal community of interest. The law is clear that district lines drawn in consideration of an incumbent is not an appropriate community of interest for drawing district maps. We urge the Mayor and the City Council to make every effort to avoid the appearance of inappropriate influence in the districting process. A transparent and robust process will increase public trust in our democratic elections. In the interest of full transparency, the League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley requests that Pleasant Hill share the public comment and data used by the demographer to draw district maps.
Sincerely, Anne Granlund President, League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley Upload File
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http://www.pleasanthillca.org/Admin/FormHistory.aspx?SID=16849 The following form was submitted via your website: Email the City Council Please note that all emails submitted through this website will be shared with all Councilmembers and certain City staff members. These emails are considered public records under the California Public Records Act (Govt.
Code Section 6250, et seq.):
Name:: Anne Granlund
Street Address:: 500 St. Mary's Road
City: Lafayette
Phone Number::
Email:: [email protected]
Subject:: Pleasant Hill District Elections
Question or Comment::
DATE: April 24, 2023
Dear City Attorney and City Council Members,
The League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley is concerned about comments by Mayor Flaherty at the Pleasant Hill district election hearing on April 17, 2023. At the March 20, 2023 hearing Councilmember Noack stated that council members would not share their place of residence or opinions about where district lines should be drawn. City Attorney Coleson, attorney Jim Priest, and the demographer agreed with that guidance to the City Council.
During discussion after the close of public comment at the April 17th hearing, the Mayor shared where he lived and the boundaries of what he sees as his personal community of interest. The law is clear that district lines drawn in consideration of an incumbent is not an appropriate community of interest for drawing district maps.
We urge the Mayor and the City Council to make every effort to avoid the appearance of inappropriate influence in the districting process.
A transparent and robust process will increase public trust in our democratic elections. In the interest of full transparency, the League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley requests that Pleasant Hill share the public comment and data used by the demographer to draw district maps.
Sincerely,
3 Anne Granlund
President, League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley
Upload File Attachment here: No file was uploaded
Additional Information:
Form submitted on: 4/24/2023 9:08:47 AM
Submitted from IP Address: 24.7.40.151
Referrer Page: https://www.pleasanthillca.org/582/Contact-City-Council-Staff Form Address: http://www.pleasanthillca.org/Forms.aspx?FID=137 1 Danika Guilatco
From: Danielle Navarro
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2023 9:20 AM
To: Allen Vinson; Matt Rinn; Susan Noack; Tim Flaherty; Zac Shess Cc: June Catalano; Juanita Davalos; Geoff Gillette; Janet Coleson Subject: Community Member More Aligned with Lafayette/Walnut Creek - David Tsai From: David Tsai <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2023 10:14 PM
To: City Council <[email protected]>
Subject: Community Member More Aligned with Lafayette/Walnut Creek CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender.
Dear City Council,
I live at 751 W Boyd Rd, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
And more closely align with Lafayette/Walnut Creek and find myself in those areas as well 90% of my time either shopping or using local businesses. Please consider this when updating the districts. Thank you.
David TSAI
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Michelle Simone <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, Apr 24, 2023 at 8:36 PM
Subject: City Council Put Your Community with Martinez
To:
Dear Pleasant Hill Neighbor,
I'm a volunteer with Pleasant Hill Community Alliance and I am writing to inform you that the City Council has included your community with residents in Northwest Pleasant Hill near Martinez not with Southwest Pleasant Hill near Lafayette and Walnut Creek. The last day to contact Pleasant Hill City Council is Monday, May 1 before 4 pm. This is your chance to let the City know your community more closely identifies with Lafayette/Walnut Creek or Martinez.
We urge you to take action and email [email protected] before May 1 to advocate for your community. Your input is crucial in ensuring that your community stays together and your interests are represented in the district elections process.
View Map Here:
https://www.pleasanthillca.org/1557/District-Based-Election-Process 2 Sincerely,
Michelle
Pleasant Hill Community Alliance
--
David Tsai
Bay Area, California, USA | [email protected]
1 Danika Guilatco
From: Danielle Navarro
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2023 10:49 AM
To: Allen Vinson; Matt Rinn; Susan Noack; Tim Flaherty; Zac Shess Cc: June Catalano; Juanita Davalos; Geoff Gillette; Janet Coleson Subject: District Mapping - Kevin Kennedy
From: Kevin Kennedy <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2023 5:42 AM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: District Mapping
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender.
To The City Council ,
I'm Kevin Kennedy , 20 year resident of Pleasant Hill , I have reviewed & looked at all the draft maps , while I m NOT for district elections , I find the map(s) submitted by public , easier to figure out . Just so you know the area where I live , the Camelback area , District 3 . on the maps , drawn out by mayor & other sources , & District 1 maps , submitted by the public .
As I said in previous letters , I am hoping it doesnt effect how i vote for potential candidates , issues & propositions in the future . Having said this , I have noticed certain members of this community, pointing fingers & or blaming one or two members of the City Council , or all the Council for their words , during previous meetings . I find this unacceptable from our community residence .
I believe its not appropriate of our community members to be directing blame on others .
Moving forward , if you were to choose ANY maps ? I hope you choose the map that was submitted by the public ...
Thank You as always for your hard work towards
serving our amazing commmuity of Pleasant Hill .
Kevin Kennedy,
20 year of Pleasant Hill
1 Danika Guilatco
From: Danielle Navarro
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2023 10:59 AM
To: Allen Vinson; Matt Rinn; Susan Noack; Tim Flaherty; Zac Shess Cc: June Catalano; Juanita Davalos; Geoff Gillette; Janet Coleson Subject: District Maps - Karen Yapp
Attachments: KLY Map 4-25-23.pdf
From: Karen Yapp <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2023 10:17 AM
To: City Council <[email protected]>
Subject: District Maps
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender.
Dear City Council, City Manager, and City Attorney
The proposed 5‐district map, from the demographer, is not acceptable. Districts 1 and 2 are not compact.
District 1, where I live, is HUGE. In my 39 years living here, I do not believe I have ever entered that NW corner of District 1. District 2 snakes around in an unusual configuration. Poet's Corner is split into 2 districts. So is Gregory Gardens. Clearly the demographer did not take any time to understand our city.
Although the City Council rejected the idea of an independent commission, because they publicly assured us that they would not interact with the demographer, somehow the demographer must have learned their addresses. This configuration could not have been developed for any other reason.
I have attached a shot of my proposed map. It has 5 COMPACT districts. It has one minority majority district. It does not split up Poet's Corner or Gregory Gardens. And there is less than 10% deviation in population. https://districtr.org/plan/182430
We should have been provided a mapping tool where we could view the proposed maps in detail. It is very difficult to see streets on the PDF version of the map. We need to be able to see the fine detail.
We also need an interactive meeting where we can discuss these maps. We should not be restricted to 3 minutes of public comment at a city council meeting. This needs to be a facilitated open discussion. Hopefully the May 6th meeting will be that type of a meeting.
Thank you,
Karen Yapp
1 Danika Guilatco
From: Danielle Navarro
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2023 4:10 PM
To: Allen Vinson; Matt Rinn; Susan Noack; Tim Flaherty; Zac Shess Cc: June Catalano; Juanita Davalos; Geoff Gillette; Janet Coleson Subject: Comments on proposed City Council Districts - Mike Lee From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2023 4:00 PM
To: June Catalano <[email protected]>; Danielle Navarro <[email protected]>; Juanita Davalos <[email protected]>; Geoff Gillette <[email protected]> Subject: Online Form Submittal: Email the City Council
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender.
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Please note that all emails submitted through this website will be shared with all Councilmembers and certain City staff members. These emails are considered public records under the California Public Records Act (Govt. Code Section 6250, et seq.)
Name:* Mike Lee
Street
Address:*
Pleasant Valley
City* Pleasant Hill, CA
Phone
Number:
Email:* [email protected]
Subject:* Comments on proposed City Council Districts
Question
or
Comment:
Please send these comments to the City Council and the demographer HaystaqDNA and include in public comments and correspondence. I was able to review the 5 district proposed map by HaystaqDNA and the City. I am disappointed that many of the public comments over the last several months were not incorporated into the proposed district map. What was the point of having pre-map public comments if public comment was not actually incorporated into the proposed map.
In fact, it appears that most of the comments from minority residents seem to be excluded in the proposed map, whereas singular comments from majority White residents seem to be better incorporated. The proposed map is nowhere close to what was proposed by minority groups to keep their communities of interest intact. Instead, HaystaqDNA appears to have packed minority groups into a contorted and oddly shaped District 3. District 1 appears to have an Eastern peninsula that punches through and divides District 3 into two lobes (one in the North and one in the South) with neighborhoods that have little connection to each other. How is the Northern neighborhood of Camelback similar to the neighborhood of Ellinwood? There was a public proposal to have an Eastern district that allows minorities to have another almost majority-minority district, but instead, those neighborhoods are divided into 3 districts, thus diluting the minority vote. More frustrating is splitting minority groups along the well known Monument corridor, which was the basis of many criticisms in the nearby City of Concord which had initially divided 2 minorities along Monument, but were later rejoined during redistricting. Why couldn’t Pleasant Hill keep the neighborhood of Sherman Acres with Fair Oaks to keep minority communities along Monument intact? Because of I-680, Sherman Acres is not contiguous with other parts of the proposed District 5. You actually have to drive out of the neighborhood of Sherman Acres, around I-680, up Contra Costa Blvd to get back into District 5. Is the demographer intentionally trying to break up minority groups? And for District 2, why is there a little Northern border bump with district borders that goes through essentially a parking lot and divides a condo complex in two? And how are single family high income housing from the West side neighborhood of Diablo View similar to cohousing units with lower income areas from the East side neighborhood of Fair Oaks? Drawing these types of district lines that takes from heavy White populations and combines them with minority neighborhoods clearly dilutes the minority vote. These Eastern minority neighborhoods could easily be combined into an East district, but instead, the minority neighborhoods are being split up. Was that intentional? And for the dividing line between the proposed District 2 and District 4, why was the line drawn to divide the Poet’s Corner neighborhood in half where 3 incumbents live? That line somehow coincidentally cuts right through several incumbent’s homes so that some are on side of the line and others are on the other side. Difficult to do if one was blinded to where incumbents reside. But by drawing the District line right at that spot, it potentially allows multiple incumbents to keep their seats. Was there communication between the Council and demographer to get that district line so precise? There wasn’t a single public comment about Poet’s Corner being divided and yet the demographer found the one line to not only divide Poet’s Corner, but do so in a way that preserves incumbency.
And for the proposed District 5 which encompasses a part of Gregory Gardens, which is home to a vibrant immigrant community, parts of Gregory Gardens gets unfortunately split into District 4 which dilutes the minority vote, or unfortunately split into District 3 which packs the minority vote.
Should Gregory Gardens, which is a well defined neighborhood, be split into 3 districts? Should these immigrant communities be split into 3 districts? Why are minority groups being either split up or packed? District 1 seems to be this sprawling district which has a huge North-South footprint and essentially touches both the West and East borders of Pleasant Hill. It is unclear how neighborhoods in the West of this District which border farms and have large open space preserves is somehow similar to neighborhoods in the East which borders the biggest indoor mall for the region, large strip malls and the busiest road in the area with Contra Costa Blvd. These are really two different communities of interest with vastly different needs and they are in the exact same district. Additionally, there is little connection with neighborhoods South of Grayson with neighborhoods further North. Those Grayson neighborhoods are more closely connected with areas in the South, closer to neighborhoods of Hillsdale and Diablo View. There is also not a direct pathway from the North of this proposed district to the South. One has to actually drive outside the district to get from North to South because it is not contiguous. This proposal by the demographer and City fails on many levels. There are many continuity issues as one cannot actually travel directly through a district to get to all parts of a district, minority communities of interest were not respected and were either split up or packed, the districts are not compact with some that are quite sprawling, the district boundaries are difficult to understand with these peninsulas and separated neighborhoods, and some of the district lines seem to directly benefit incumbents since the lines drawn allows them not to compete with one another and retain their seats. For all these reasons, the City must clearly reject this proposal and accept the alternative 5 district map from the community that does take into account all these factors. Please confirm that this comment was forwarded. Sincerely, Mike Lee
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http://www.pleasanthillca.org/Admin/FormHistory.aspx?SID=16857 The following form was submitted via your website: Email the City Council Please note that all emails submitted through this website will be shared with all Councilmembers and certain 3 City staff members. These emails are considered public records under the California Public Records Act (Govt.
Code Section 6250, et seq.):
Name:: Mike Lee
Street Address:: Pleasant Valley
City: Pleasant Hill, CA
Phone Number::
Email:: [email protected]
Subject:: Comments on proposed City Council Districts
Question or Comment:: Please send these comments to the City Council and the demographer HaystaqDNA and include in public comments and correspondence.
I was able to review the 5 district proposed map by HaystaqDNA and the City. I am disappointed that many of the public comments over the last several months were not incorporated into the proposed district map. What was the point of having pre-map public comments if public comment was not actually incorporated into the proposed map. In fact, it appears that most of the comments from minority residents seem to be excluded in the proposed map, whereas singular comments from majority White residents seem to be better incorporated. The proposed map is nowhere close to what was proposed by minority groups to keep their communities of interest intact.
Instead, HaystaqDNA appears to have packed minority groups into a contorted and oddly shaped District 3.
District 1 appears to have an Eastern peninsula that punches through and divides District 3 into two lobes (one in the North and one in the South) with neighborhoods that have little connection to each other. How is the Northern neighborhood of Camelback similar to the neighborhood of Ellinwood? There was a public proposal to have an Eastern district that allows minorities to have another almost majorityminority district, but instead, those neighborhoods are divided into 3 districts, thus diluting the minority vote.
More frustrating is splitting minority groups along the well known Monument corridor, which was the basis of many criticisms in the nearby City of Concord which had initially divided minorities along Monument, but were later rejoined during redistricting. Why couldn’t Pleasant Hill keep the neighborhood of Sherman Acres with Fair Oaks to keep minority communities along Monument intact? Because of I-680, Sherman Acres is not contiguous with other parts of the proposed District 5. You actually have to drive out of the neighborhood of Sherman Acres, around I-680, up Contra Costa Blvd to get back into District 5. Is the demographer intentionally trying to break up minority groups?
And for District 2, why is there a little Northern border bump with district borders that goes through essentially a parking lot and divides a condo complex in two? And how are single family high income housing from the West side neighborhood of Diablo View similar to cohousing units with lower income areas from the East side neighborhood of Fair Oaks? Drawing these types of district lines that takes from heavy White populations and combines them with minority neighborhoods clearly dilutes the minority vote. These Eastern minority neighborhoods could easily be combined into an East district, but instead, the minority neighborhoods are being split up. Was that intentional?
And for the dividing line between the proposed District 2 and District 4, why was the line drawn to divide the Poet’s Corner neighborhood in half where 3 incumbents live? That line somehow coincidentally cuts right 4 through several incumbent’s homes so that some are on side of the line and others are on the other side.
Difficult to do if one was blinded to where incumbents reside. But by drawing the District line right at that spot, it potentially allows multiple incumbents to keep their seats. Was there communication between the Council and demographer to get that district line so precise? There wasn’t a single public comment about Poet’s Corner being divided and yet the demographer found the one line to not only divide Poet’s Corner, but do so in a way that preserves incumbency.
And for the proposed District 5 which encompasses a part of Gregory Gardens, which is home to a vibrant immigrant community, parts of Gregory Gardens gets unfortunately split into District 4 which dilutes the minority vote, or unfortunately split into District 3 which packs the minority vote. Should Gregory Gardens, which is a well defined neighborhood, be split into 3 districts? Should these immigrant communities be split into 3 districts? Why are minority groups being either split up or packed? District 1 seems to be this sprawling district which has a huge North-South footprint and essentially touches both the West and East borders of Pleasant Hill. It is unclear how neighborhoods in the West of this District which border farms and have large open space preserves is somehow similar to neighborhoods in the East which borders the biggest indoor mall for the region, large strip malls and the busiest road in the area with Contra Costa Blvd. These are really two different communities of interest with vastly different needs and they are in the exact same district. Additionally, there is little connection with neighborhoods South of Grayson with neighborhoods further North. Those Grayson neighborhoods are more closely connected with areas in the South, closer to neighborhoods of Hillsdale and Diablo View. There is also not a direct pathway from the North of this proposed district to the South. One has to actually drive outside the district to get from North to South because it is not contiguous.
This proposal by the demographer and City fails on many levels. There are many continuity issues as one cannot actually travel directly through a district to get to all parts of a district, minority communities of interest were not respected and were either split up or packed, the districts are not compact with some that are quite sprawling, the district boundaries are difficult to understand with these peninsulas and separated neighborhoods, and some of the district lines seem to directly benefit incumbents since the lines drawn allows them not to compete with one another and retain their seats. For all these reasons, the City must clearly reject this proposal and accept the alternative 5 district map from the community that does take into account all these factors.
Please confirm that this comment was forwarded.
Sincerely,
Mike Lee
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Additional Information:
Form submitted on: 4/25/2023 3:59:33 PM
Submitted from IP Address: 107.77.211.77
Referrer Page: https://www.pleasanthillca.org/582/Contact-City-Council-Staff Form Address: http://www.pleasanthillca.org/Forms.aspx?FID=137 1 Danika Guilatco
From: Danielle Navarro
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2023 4:52 PM
To: Allen Vinson; Matt Rinn; Susan Noack; Tim Flaherty; Zac Shess Cc: June Catalano; Juanita Davalos; Geoff Gillette; Janet Coleson Subject: City Council District Map Submission - Marshall Lewis Attachments: P Hill Districts.png
From: Marshall Lewis <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2023 4:46 PM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: City Council District Map Submission
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender.
Hello,
I'm not sure what the exact process is, but please consider the attached map for the city council districting process. The map can also be viewed on Districtr with the following link:
https://districtr.org/plan/181317
I believe that this map is preferable to the maps that will be presented at the upcoming public hearing because it has lower population variance, more compact districts, district boundaries that closely adhere to geographic boundaries, and more cohesive communities of interest. In particular, it keeps Poet's Corner, the area east of Contra Costa Boulevard, and the area around DVC together in their own districts, and also has most of Gregory Gardens in a single district. It also gives better representation to minority communities, with two districts that are roughly 50% minority communities compared to only one such district in the maps prepared by the demographer.
Because this map adheres so closely to geographic boundaries, it's also much easier for people to tell at a glance which district they're in. District 1 is the area around DVC, north of Taylor and east of Morello. District 2 is the hills west of Morello, Taylor, and Pleasant Hill Road. District 3 is Gregory Gardens, in between Taylor, Pleasant Hill Road, Boyd, and downtown/Contra Costa. District 4 is downtown and everything east of Contra Costa. District 5 is Poet's Corner, encompassing everything between Pleasant Hill Road, Boyd, and Contra Costa. The districts in the demographer's maps defy easy description and would require voters to consult a map rather than their basic knowledge of where they live.
I hope that the city will consider this map at some of the upcoming hearings.
Thanks,
Marshall Lewis
1 Danika Guilatco
From: Danielle Navarro
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2023 9:01 AM
To: Allen Vinson; Matt Rinn; Susan Noack; Tim Flaherty; Zac Shess Cc: June Catalano; Juanita Davalos; Geoff Gillette; Janet Coleson Subject: Please follow the community's requests for a fair 5-district map - Alfred Twu From: Alfred Twu <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2023 11:11 PM
To: City Council <[email protected]>
Subject: Please follow the community's requests for a fair 5‐district map CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender.
Pleasant Hill City Council:
Please use a 5-district map that follows the map drawing rules of:
- Contiguity
- Integrity of Communities of Interest and Neighborhoods - Compactness
- Natural and non-natural boundaries such as freeways
Incumbency should not be prioritized - the whole point of district elections is so that 1 neighborhood = 1 councilmember
Thanks
Alfred