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<br />U.S. Department of Justice <br />Page 8 <br />September 20,2002 <br /> on the minutes of the meeting of June 24, 2002, see Exhibit "E". The Re- <br /> Districting Plan produced by the Sub-Committee was the result of the corrections <br /> made to the error in population numbers and the recommendations for minor <br /> changes by members of the City Council. The plan also reflected the guidance of <br /> the Black citizen representative of District 4 as to the avoidance of retrogression <br /> in his district. The map yielded by the Sub-Committee was presented to City <br /> Council in Ordinance No. 2569, Exhibit A. This plan does not unseat any elected <br /> District Councilpersons through the re-districting process and order and <br /> continuity in City government is maintained. This Plan also is almost identical to <br /> the Plan submitted by the City Council Re-Districting Committee. Minutes of <br /> each of the meetings of the City Council Re-Districting Sub-Committee are <br /> attached hereto as Exhibit "0". <br />(24) Due to concerns raised by voters after the May 2001 election, the La Porte City <br /> Council held a workshop meeting in August of 2002 to address this issue of voter <br /> confusion caused by the employment of six polling locations for city elections. At <br /> the direction of the City Council, city officials presented recommendations for <br /> alleviating voter confusion to the Re-Districting Committee. The change in the <br /> number of polling places from six to two was proposed by the Re-Districting <br /> Committee and Re-Districting Sub-Committee in conjunction with the <br /> recommendation for reconfiguration of the six single-member districts. The <br /> changes are embodied with City Ordinance No. 2569, see Exhibit A. <br />(25) As required by Texas Law, public notice was posted of each meeting of the Re- <br /> Districting Committee. A joint public hearing on Re-Districting was held by the <br /> Citizens Re-Districting Committee and the City Council of the City of La Porte on <br /> August 12, 2002. Copy of the Public Notice for this hearing is attached hereto as <br /> Exhibit "P". Copies of newspaper articles discussing the proposed Re-Districting <br /> are attached hereto as Exhibit "Q". <br />(26) Statements, speeches, other public communications, and copies of comments <br /> from the general public, concerning the proposed changes, are included in the <br /> minutes of the public hearing and of the City Council meeting of August 12, <br /> 2002, at which final approval of the Re-Districting Plan was given, said minutes <br /> being attached hereto as Exhibit "R". In addition, citizens have been furnished <br /> the address of the Justice Department, for mailing of citizen comments on this <br /> Submission. <br />(27) The names, addresses, and daytime telephone numbers of minority citizens who <br /> are familiar with the Re-Districting and its impact on minority voting strength are <br /> as follows: <br />