RULES AGENDA: 1/26/2022
ITEM: G.2
Memorandum
TO: RULES AND OPEN
GOVERNMENT
COMMITTEE
FROM: Mayor Sam Liccardo
Councilmember Sergio Jimenez
Councilmember David Cohen
Councilmember Pam Foley
Councilmember Matt Mahan
SUBJECT: COMMUNICATING
DISTRICT CHANGES
TO RESIDENTS
DATE: January 20, 2022
APPROVED: DATE: 1-20-2022
RECOMMENDATION
1. Direct the City Manager to identify the cost of communicating to San Jose residents affected by boundary line changes through the redistricting process and return with a recommendation for Council consideration in the FY 21-22 mid-year budget hearing.
2. Direct the City Clerk--if Council allocates funding for this purpose in February--to work with the City Manager’s Office of Communications to disseminate information in an easily understandable manner to residents in the multiple languages spoken in the respective neighborhoods affected by redistricting.
BACKGROUND
Regulations promulgated by the FPPC limit what information elected officials can send to constituents, and the number of constituents which may receive a “mass mailing” from elected officials. Accordingly, City Councilmembers cannot communicate recent district boundary changes to affected residents. The City Manager has indicated the need to dedicate funds to this effort and is instructed to return to Council with a cost assessment for a communications plan that the City Clerk’s office will lead with support from the Office of Communications.
The signers of this memorandum have not had, and will not have, any private conversation with any other member of the City Council, or that member’s staff, concerning any action discussed in the memorandum, and that each signer’s staff members have not had, and have been instructed not to have, any such conversation with any other member of the City Council or that member's staff.