Agenda Item: 9
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
CONSENT CALENDAR
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: June 13, 2023
SUBJECT: SECOND READING OF AN ORDINANCE ADDING SECTION
2.04.005 TO THE SANTA CLARITA MUNICIPAL CODE
ESTABLISHING BY-DISTRICT ELECTIONS, DEFINING DISTRICT
BOUNDARIES, AND SCHEDULING ELECTIONS WITHIN THE
DISTRICTS AND DETERMINING THE ORDINANCE IS EXEMPT
FROM CEQA
DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office
PRESENTER: Joseph Montes
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council waive reading of the text and consent to read by title only, as listed on the agenda, determine the ordinance is exempt form CEQA, and adopt an ordinance entitled: “AN
ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA, ADDING SECTION 2.04.005 TO THE SANTA CLARITA MUNICIPAL
CODE ESTABLISHING BY-DISTRICT ELECTIONS, DEFINING DISTRICT BOUNDARIES, AND SCHEDULING ELECTIONS WITHIN THE DISTRICTS.”
BACKGROUND
In April of 2022 the City of Santa Clarita (City) entered into a settlement agreement, which was ultimately approved by the court as a consent decree (Consent Decree), resolving litigation filed by Michael Cruz, Sebastian Cazares, and Neighborhood Elections Now (Plaintiffs) alleging that the City’s at-large election of City Councilmembers violated the California Voting Rights Act.
Pursuant to the terms of the Consent Decree, the City retained a demographer and developed a proposed joint map (Joint Draft Map) in conjunction with Plaintiffs that was presented to the public at a Public Hearing on March 1, 2023.
After the March 1, 2023, Public Hearing, members of the public were given the opportunity to provide their own proposed maps, and nine maps were submitted (maps 101 through 109 on the City’s District Elections webpage: https://www.santa-clarita.com/city-hall/district-elections).
These were reviewed at another Public Hearing on April 13, 2023. At that meeting, after public testimony, City Council gave direction to the City’s demographer to generate a map that
included revisions to the Joint Draft Map proposed by the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce, as well as some minor boundary adjustments suggested by the City demographer.
The revised map from the City demographer (Map 110) was made available to the public on April 24, 2023, along with two additional public maps (Maps 111 and 112).
On May 1, 2023, the City Council continued to hear testimony concerning proposed maps. After further discussion, the City Council gave direction to the City’s demographer to generate an updated map(s) that would unify the Shangri-La HOA into one district and make further adjustments as appropriate to re-balance the population among the Districts as a result, including, but not limited to, potentially moving the Happy Valley neighborhood into one district.
On May 23, the City demographer posted map 113 on the City’s Districting website. A memo was also posted explaining the changes made.
On May 30, City Council selected the District Map (Map 113), selected the two district seats up for election in 2024 (Districts 1 and 3), and introduced an ordinance for a first reading.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other action as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
No fiscal impact.
ATTACHMENTS
District Election Ordinance