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Home My WebLink About07-17-2001 La Porte Redistricting Committee Regular Meeting City of La Porte Redistricting Committee Meeting Minutes July 17, 2001 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Robert T. Herrera at 6:35 p.m. Members of the Redistricting Committee Present: Kirby Linscomb, Sydney Grant, Betty Stoumbaugh, Ed Matuszak, Betty Waters, Bernard Legrand, Jesse Wilson, Bob Capen and Claudia Zapata. Members of the Redistricting Committee Absent: Dina Martinez Others Present: Mayor Malone, John Armstrong, Martha Gillett, Robert T. Herrera, Knox Askins, Gwen Godwin, Masood Malik, Alton Porter, Chuck Engelken, Jerry Clarke and Clark Askins. 2. INTRODUCTIONS All members and others present introduced themselves. 3. OPENING REMARKS Robert T. Herrera, City Manager, Sydney Grant, Redistricting Chairperson and Betty Waters, Redistricting Committee Member Robert T. Herrera - Mr. Herrera provided the committee with an overview of their responsibilities and staff members assigned to support the committee. Sydney Grant, Chairman - Mr. Grant suggested the committee meet next week to set up procedures, meeting dates and a plan of action. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 24 at 6:30 p.m. • • Page 2 Betty Waters - Ms. Waters informed the group she had been involved in three redistricting processes. She informed the group their main goal is to deliver first, second and third options to provide a map having six equal districts, as soon as possible. She further emphasized the goal is to have equal representation within the six council districts. In addition, she recommended we include citizens in the process and welcome public input in a similar fashion as public input is received at City Council meetings. 4. OVERVIEW BY GWEN GODWIN -CENSUS BUREAU Gwen Godwin -Census Bureau provided the committee with an overview of the census process and Census Committee's roles. Gwen provided them with handouts on Census 2000 and explained how numbers were obtained. She informed the committee the Census Bureau has additional information on a website. In 2010, the Census Bureau will no longer use the long form. Over the next ten years, the Census Bureau will be conducting surveys to obtain some of the information that was included in the long form. 5. OVERVIEW BY MASOOD MALIK -PLANNING DEPARTMENT Mr. Malik informed the committee the Planning Department would assist the committee by supplying maps throughout the process. 6. REMARKS AND OVERVIEW BY KNOX ASKINS, CITY ATTORNEY Mr. Askins provided the committee with a history of the city and how it established current council districts. He further explained the current tasks of the Redistricting Committee, and provided a history of the laws relating to minority districts that were followed in the last redistricting. He stated the city formed this committee ensuring is diversified by race and gender. • • Page 3 Tasks of Committee: - Draw new district lines equal in population. - Determine and set rules and procedures for committee meetings following Open Meetings Laws. - Hold public hearings. - Make recommendations to City Council. - Follow Charter, State and Federal laws and make decisions and recommendations in a fair manner. Tasks of Staff: - Staff will assist and support the committee throughout the process. - City Attorney's Office will prepare a briefing to be sent to the Justice Department. They have 60 days to respond, but can seek additional information and that stops the clock. - City Secretary's Office will be primary staff member to work with the committee. She will also publish and post meeting notices in accordance with the Open Meetings Laws. Timeframe: - The process will take at least a year based on previous experience. It is possible we could make changes in time for the May election, but doubtful. Assistant City Attorney John Armstrong provided the committee with an overview of federal law. He informed the committee the Census numbers provided from the Census Bureau are what we must use. He also made the following points: - Open Meetings Law -committee should not talk outside of meetings with each other. Don't conduct polls and send e-mails to each other. All business must be conducted in public. • • • Page 4 - He is preparing a resolution for City Council to adopt, which provides the committee with guidelines. - Committee will need public hearing and City Council must have public hearing. - Brief will need to be pre-cleared through Justice Department. - Draw districts to contain similar total population size. The maximum deviation from the smallest district should not exceed 10%, (+) or (-) 5%. (ONE PERSON ONE VOTE PRINCIPAL) More people will need to be brought into District 4. Must be as least retrogressive as possible. Will not be racially competing characteristics. - Draw districts that contain contiguous and compact geographic areas. (CONTINGUITY FACTOR) - Use easily identifiable geographic features and boundaries. - Maintain communities of interest and minimize splitting neighborhoods. - Follow county voting precincts if feasible. This is usually not possible with a city our size. - Consider residential location of current governing members in their districts. - Evaluate minority-voting strength in terms of voting age population. Avoid retrogression of racial minorities and language minorities as defined in the Voting Rights Act. - Travel to public meetings and utilize out reach efforts. 7. CONSIDER ESTABLISHING REGULAR MEETING DATES FOR COMMITTEE Sydney Grant advised the committee he would like to see the following items addressed in the first meeting: - Organize meetings and determine rules and procedures. - Set meeting dates and times. 8. COMMITTEE COMMENTS -CLOSING REMARKS No remarks • Page 5 9. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the Redistricting Committee Meeting was duly adjourned at 8:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, ....~ fi~G1`~t, Chairman Martha A. Gillett, TRMC City Secretary •