Inclusiveness, Community Engagement & Governmental
Processes Committee
TO: INCLUSIVENESS, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, DATE: JULY 6, 2022
AND GOVERNMENTAL PROCESSES COMMITTEE
FROM: CITY CLERK WARDS: ALL
SUBJECT: REDISTRICTING PLAN UPDATE
ISSUE:
Receive and file the Redistricting Plan update and provide further directing for the implementation of the City’s Redistricting Plan.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the Committee:
Receive and file the Redistricting plan update; and
Provide further direction as the Committee deems appropriate for the implementing of the City’s Redistricting Plan.
BACKGROUND:
On January 11, 2022, City Council met and conferred on the procedural requirements for the Redistricting process and appointed the Inclusiveness, Community Engagement, and Governmental Processes Committee (ICGC) to oversee and advise staff on the Redistricting process and approved the tentative timeline for establishing the ward boundaries.
On May 4, 2022, the ICGC requested staff return with an update regarding the redistricting proposal.
The city released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Demographic Consulting Services on March 18, 2022. Staff received five responses by the bid closing date (April 18, 2022). A committee comprised of departmental stakeholders is in the process of evaluating the responsive bids and working through the procurement process. As of the date of this report, the bid awardee has not been determined.
DISCUSSION:
Upon procuring Demographic Consulting Services, staff intends to finalize the City’s Redistricting Engagement Plan (Plan). The proposed Plan will be a coordinated effort led by Riverside City staff in partnership with local community stakeholders that will consist of three phases of outreach:
The Education Phase will begin in August 2022 and continue throughout all stages with the purpose to familiarize the public with the redistricting process and encourage resident testimony. The messaging in this phase will focus on three main topics:
Basics for Redistricting
Initial identification of Neighborhoods and Communities of Interest (COI) Inform the public about the Redistricting Process
The Motivation Phase will occur between September and October 2022, continuing to familiarize the public with the redistricting process, preparing the public to use the online mapping tool and other forms of map submission, and informing the public on what we learned from the early outreach phase. In addition, this phase includes the workshops occurring in every Ward. The messaging in this phase will focus on three main topics:
Fill-in-Gaps of knowledge of Neighborhoods and Communities of Interest Basics of Redistricting
Inform the Public about the Redistricting Process
Training the Public on Map Submission
Lastly, the Activation Phase will start in November 2022 with the call to action for stakeholders to send map submissions. The messaging in this phase will strategically reintroduce messages from the previous phases for targeted audiences and encourage public feedback on draft maps.
Encourage the public to submit draft maps
Encourage public attendance to map hearings to provide feedback Outreach:
The role of staff will be to partner with Community-Based Organizations, Neighborhood Groups, and Faith-Based Organizations to effectively disseminate information and receive feedback regarding the redistricting project and determine places that have been underrepresented or areas that have been hard to reach.
The City’s redistricting team will leverage current resources and services to promote redistricting messages across the city. The overall outreach will consist of digital and traditional platforms such as:
Bill inserts
Digital billboards
Training Videos
Translated material in Spanish
All workshops, meetings and public hearings will be translated into Spanish and American Sign Language City Newsletters
Public Service Announcements
Postcards
Newspaper Articles and Advertisements
Engagement Budget:
The projected Engagement budget is $46,000. This amount has been split into three components: Outreach, Translations, and Meeting cost. The outreach consists of advertisements, promotional materials, and printing costs. The translations component is for meeting translations and outreach material translations. The meeting component is associated with cost to host and run the meetings and refreshments.
Engagement Budget
Components
Amount
Outreach (Advertisement, Promotional Material, Printing Cost $20,000
Translations (Meeting Translations, Outreach Material Translation) $15,000
Meetings (Innovation & Technology Staff, Room Rental, Refreshments) $11,000
Total
$46,000
The cost for the demographer consulting services is not yet determined.
Redistricting Timeline:
January 2022 – July 2022
City Council appointed ICGC to oversee Redistricting process Staff Administer the RFP process to obtain a demographer Team prepared Redistricting plan and created the website August 2022 – October 2022
Orientation meeting with ICGC
ICGC Conduct at least one public hearing prior to drawing maps Host a series of workshops in every ward
November 2022 – December 2022
ICGC additional workshops and/or public hearing
ICGC approve final map recommendations
January 2023 – March 2023
City Council conducts three public hearings
Map Review period seeking additional public input
Adopt the final map ordinance
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
The City’s Redistricting Plan contributes to the City Council’s Envision 2025 Strategic Plan Priority and Goals:
Community Well-Being – Ensuring safe and inclusive neighborhoods where everyone can thrive with the following goal:
Goal 2.4 Support programs and innovations that enhance community safety, encourage neighborhood engagement, and build public trust: and, High Performing Government – Providing world-class public service that is efficient, accessible, and responsible to all, with the following goals:
Goal 5.2 - Utilize technology, data, and process improvement strategies to increase efficiencies, guide decision making, and ensure services are accessible and distributed equitably throughout all geographic areas of the City.
Goal 5.3 - Enhance communication and collaboration with community members to improve transparency, build public trust, and encourage shared decision-making.
The proposed Redistricting format, public outreach, and marketing strategy align with the Envision 2025 Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – The establishment of a redistricting format and the outreach strategy that includes workshops in every ward to draft new ward boundaries are resident-led participation and public input, creating sound policy, inclusive of community engagement in the decision-making process.
Equity – Community members will utilize interactive tools. Some may participate in a redistricting commission to ensure that newly established ward boundaries comply with federal and state laws that encourage equity for all stakeholders.
Fiscal Responsibility – Riverside is a prudent steward of public funds and ensures responsible management of the City's financial resources while providing quality public services to all. The City Clerk's Office is committed to exploring services provided internally instead of consultants and looking for creative ways to reduce the redistricting program's fiscal impact and outreach efforts.
Innovation –. Riverside's Redistricting Framework includes a marketing strategy that will consist of non-English languages, including American Sign Language. The redistricting website will host interactive tools promoting collaborative public partnerships with redrawing ward boundaries.
Sustainability & Resiliency – Riverside is committed to meeting the present needs without compromising the needs of the future and ensuring the City's capacity to persevere, adapt and grow during fluctuating times alike. Reviewing the ward boundaries every ten years is essential to maintain sustainable and resilient representation for a more sustainable future.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost associated with outreach is approximately $46,000 and the cost related to the demographer consulting services is not yet determined.
Prepared by: Donesia Gause, City Clerk
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachments:
Presentation
Redistricting Report ● Page 2