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BickerstafF <br />Heath Delgado Acosta LLP <br />Initial Assessment. The Firm will analyze whether current City Council districts have <br />become sufficiently unbalanced in population as to require the City to engage in <br />redistricting. The Initial Assessment will consist of a presentation and discussion with the <br />City Council. If the districts are determined to be out of population balance, we will outline <br />the City's obligations and produce a timeline for completing the remainder of the <br />redistricting process. <br />Development and adoption of criteria for redistricting. If the districts are found to be out <br />of balance, the Firm will assist the City Council in identifying and adopting practical and <br />legal criteria to be followed during the redistricting process. In light of Show v. Reno -type <br />cases concerning gerrymandering and the standards that have emerged from them, this <br />is a critical element of a successful redistricting process and important to establishing <br />defensibility of an adopted plan against later litigation. <br />Develop redistricting plans. The Firm will develop redistricting plans for council districts <br />using the Firm's GIS and demographic capabilities. The Firm will work with the City Council <br />to develop plans that take into account, consistent with the applicable legal <br />requirements, the various practical considerations the City determines are relevant. <br />Under our approach, we may first ask individual council members to respond to a <br />questionnaire to help us understand their interests and concerns as we propose <br />adjustments to the population in their respective districts. We anticipate that a number <br />of plans may be developed, each responding to a different set of considerations proposed <br />bythe City Council. Modifications or refinements may be required before a particular plan <br />is determined to be acceptable. <br />Advise the City regarding the merits of plan(s). The Firm will advise the City Council of the <br />relative legal and practical merits of particular plans under consideration. As requested, <br />members of the Firm will attend City Council meetings to discuss and present plan <br />options. The Firm will provide written materials in support or explanation of any plans <br />evaluated by the Firm at the City's request. In addition, we will provide an independent <br />assessment of any plans. This assessment will verify whether and how the plan under <br />consideration satisfies the applicable legal standards and whether the adopted <br />redistricting criteria have been followed. <br />Public input, deliberation, and adoption of final plan. Typically, one or more plans <br />proposed by the City will be presented for public comment. Depending on the City's <br />preferences and cost -savings approach, the Firm will either (a) conduct public <br />presentations of proposed plans and summarize public comments, or (b) direct the City <br />to prepare a recording of the public input meeting for the Firm to review. Depending on <br />the comments received, the City may wish to adopt a final plan directly following the <br />public meeting. <br />7 <br />