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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN 01.15.2002 CC-Suesday,i i 11 • On Tuesday, January 15, 2002, members of the Georgetown City Council met in Special Session in the Council Chamber, at 101 E. 7`" Street, Georgetown, Texas. The meeting was called to order at 7:01 p.m. by Mayor MaryEllen Kersch. The following Councilmembers were present: Llorente Navarrette, Ken Evans, Jack Noble, Charles "Hoss" Burson, Clark Lyda and Doug Smith Patricia E. Carls of Brown and Carls, L.L.P. and Alan Bojorquez of Bickerstaff, Heath, Smiley, Pollan, Kever & McDaniel, L.L.P. provided legal representation for the Council. 1. Background — Mayor Kersch Kersch opened the public hearing and reviewed the number of public meetings that have been held on redistricting. 2. Legal Review — Bickerstaff Heath Alan Bojorquez of Bickerstaff, Heath and Smiley explained the parameters that caused the need for Georgetown to redistrict due to the growth of population since the last census. He noted that Georgetown is the only entity of which he is aware that selected a committee composed of representatives of the citizens from all districts to determine a plan for redistricting. 3. Public Comments — Three (3) minutes per speaker. Ronald Swain, 103 Diamond Trail, representing the Track, Ridge and Grasshopper Neighborhoods, read a letter that he distributed to the Council, suggesting that additional revisions be made to the redistricting plan to maintain specific locations within District 2. Della Green, 1901 Vine Street, said she would forward her comments to the Department of Justice once the Council has made a decision. She said she strongly objects to any redistricting of District 2 east of IH35 to Austin Avenue from Williams Drive to Leander Road. She said part of the black heritage of District 2 is being moved into District 1. Councilmember Llorente Navarrette thanked the citizens for coming forward to speak and asked to know if there were a legal reason for the presence of a court reporter. Bojorquez responded that the transcript from the court reporter will be sent with the submission to the Department of Justice. Navarrette said there had been quite a bit of citizen comment Minutes of Special Meeting January 15, 2002 Page 1 of 4 Pages at the last meeting, a joint workshop between the Council and the Redistricting Committee, and wondered if there should have been a court reporter present at that meeting. Bojorquez acknowledged that it would have been a good idea. Navarrette pointed out that the Council has only had one meeting about redistricting since Plan 2 was presented. He said he objects to the fact that the legal firm redrew the lines that the Committee had taken a long time to develop. He said he thinks the changes requested by the speakers should be incorporated so that those portions that were to be moved out of District 2 under Plan 2 could be retained in District 2. Kersch asked if any of the members of the Redistricting Committee cared to speak. She confirmed with Attorney Trish Carls that there is an action item on the agenda for this meeting for the Council to determine which plan to take forward. Lyda said the Committee spent multiple hours of meetings to develop the plan and does not feel that any other plan could be drawn. Burson said the City asked Bojorquez to ensure that the plan that is submitted will be approved by the Justice Department. He noted that people have been changed in every district. He said he has received no phone calls from any citizens unhappy with the proposed plan. He pointed out that there were very few citizens who attended the public meetings of the Redistricting Committee. Noble said he thinks the plan that will be approved should be the one that is submitted. Linda Turner, 111 Vivion Lane, member of the Redistricting Committee, said she doesn't want to keep coming to meetings and going over the same information. She said she feels that, given the low amount of black population and the rules from the Justice Department, the best plan has already been developed. Doug Smith said he is interested in submitting the plan that will be approved by the Justice Department, and in the interest of fairness, that this process be expedited in time for the May election so that the current imbalance does not remain in effect. Navarrette questioned the possibility of adjusting the boundary line between Districts 1 and 2 at State Highway 29 (SH29) as being a plan that would be accepted by the Justice Department. Lyda said he recalls that suggested adjustment, but what is being asked by Ms. Green and Mr. Swain would not be accomplished by that adjustment. He recalled that District 1 would still have had a 50% hispanic representation. Bojorquez said that some of the suggested changes would reduce the African-American percentage even further because most of the census Minutes of Special Meeting January 15, 2002 Page 2 of 4 Pages blocks they are suggesting be moved do not contain many African- American citizens. He said although Ms. Green's plan created the exact amount of total population for District 2, it reduced the number of African- American residents in District 2. He reminded Council that although the City of Georgetown began the redistricting process sooner than most entities, the City is one the last entities to finalize their plans. Lyda asked about the timeline in regards to candidates filing for the May General Election, and it was confirmed that the candidates should file according to the proposed district boundaries in the proposed new plan, whether or not approval had been received from the Justice Department by that time. It was determined that the percentages of both blacks and hispanics would be reduced by the plan proposed by Ms. Green. Bojorquez said it was not required that the Council make their decision at this meeting, saying they have the option to develop further plans. When asked by Navarrette, Bojorquez said Plan 1AF was only slightly adjusted by moving some of the census blocks. Lyda confirmed that Council could ask that additional adjustment be brought to the Council Meeting on January 22 for adoption on first reading. He asked Green and Swain if that adjustment would be appreciated. Green said moving the line to Highway 29 would give back some of the heritage to the blacks in District 2. She asked if there had been any scenario considered that would have effected the residence of a councilmember. Navarrette replied that he had attended all of the Committee meetings and that was never considered. Green said she had studied the plans and thought there were opportunities where three of the councilmembers would have been moved out of their districts under certain scenarios. Kersch pointed out that part of the specific charge to the Committee was "not to favor the Councilmembers.I$ Burson confirmed that Green would prefer an at -large system instead of single -member districts. Swain said he would be in favor of the adjustment to change the boundary line to State Highway 29. Kersch asked Bojorquez if the loss of hispanic percentage in District 2 would be worth the maintenance of integrity of the black heritage for District 2. Bojorquez said the main reasons to redistrict are to maintain balance and to prevent retrogression. He said he is almost certain that the adjustment will reduce the percentages of both hispanic and African- American populations in District 2. He said he will ask demographer John Minutes of Special Meeting January 15, 2002 Page 3 of 4 Pages Yeager to prepare a Plan 3 for review regarding adoption by the Council and subsequent submission to the Justice Department. Lyda said he would like to see that plan prepared so it can be considered when Council makes a decision. Kersch said she would like to say that if the plan decreases the capacity to be approved by the Justice Department, it should not be considered. Motion by Noble, second by Lyda to direct John Yeager to draw a plan that extends the District 2 boundary to SH 29, and that Borquez would review that plan prior to the Council Meeting on January 22. Bojorquez said he did not see the need to hold another public hearing, and that the item would come to Council on the January 22 Council Agenda as a regular posted agenda item. Smith commented that he felt this process could go on forever and said as long as this process is delayed, some people would have more representation than others. • •' •a • - • .•i•• • -• • It was determined that the Council would view Plan 3 and make their decision at the Council Meeting on January 22. Kersch read a closing statement at 8:36 p.m. Approved: MaryEllen Kersch, Mayor Minutes of Special Meeting January 15, 2002 Page 4 of 4 Pages Attest: Sandra D. Lee, City