Inclusiveness, Community Engagement, and Governmental Processes Committee TO: INCLUSIVENESS, COMMUNITY DATE: SEPTEMBER 7, 2022
ENGAGEMENT, AND GOVERNMENTAL
PROCESSESS COMMITTEE
FROM: CITY CLERK WARDS: ALL
SUBJECT: RESHAPE RIVERSIDE REDISTRICTING UPDATE
ISSUE:
Receive an update on the Reshape Riverside Redistricting Plan.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the Inclusiveness, Community Engagement, and Governmental Processes Committee:
Receive and file an update on the Reshape Riverside Redistricting Plan; and Provide further direction as the Committee deems appropriate during the implementation of the City’s Reshape Riverside Redistricting Plan.
BACKGROUND:
Riverside City Charter Section 402 requires City Council, by ordinance, to divide the city boundaries into seven wards, review the boundaries of those wards every ten years, and adjust, by ordinance, those boundaries to provide for a substantially equal number of residents in each ward. The city must adopt its ward boundaries no later than August 2023.
On January 11, 2022, after consideration of the various redistricting approaches, the City Council determined that the Inclusiveness, Community Engagement, and Governmental Processes Committee (ICGC) oversee and advise staff on the Redistricting process and approved the tentative timeline for the City's Reshape Riverside Redistricting plan.
On August 3, 2022, the ICGC hosted its first public hearing. During the hearing, the Committee received public testimony and directed staff to add two in-person Saturday meetings to the outreach plan.
DISCUSSION:
Thus far, four of the eighteen community workshops have taken place in Wards 1, 2, 4, and 5, with the remaining workshops occurring between September and October 2022, in alignment with the Reshape Riverside outreach plan.
During the presentation to the Committee, staff will provide information on the following:
Summary of takeaways from the outreach meetings that have taken place thus far.
Reshape Riverside website and how it serves as the comprehensive repository for all things related to redistricting.
Communities of Interest that have already been identified.
A demonstration of the DistrictR tool that enables members of the public to submit community of interest and ward boundary draft maps for consideration.
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:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
Prepared by: Donesia Gause, City Clerk
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachments:
Advisory Committee on Redistricting presentation
Reshape Riverside Redistricting Update ● Page 2