HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN 01.03.2002 CC-SMINUTES OF THE JOINT WORKSHOP OF THE
GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF GEORGETOWN, TEXAS
AND THE REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE OF THE
CITY OF GEORGETOWN, TEXAS
MYaU:7: 1 s, _ ► _ E' i i'
Mayor MaryEllen Kersch called the meeting to order at 6:33 p.m.
Council present: Mayor MaryEllen Kersch and Councilmembers Llorente Navarrette, Clark Lyda,
Doug Smith, Jack Noble, Charles "Huss" Burson, and Ken Evans
Redistricting Committee members present: Linda Turner, Jack Kirby and Councilmembers
Navarrette, Lyda, Noble, and Burson.
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.
AGENDA
1. Review and discussion of the City's proposed redistricting plan with the
demographer, John Yeager of A.I.M.S., and the City's legal counsel, Alan
Bojorquez of Bickerstaff, Heath and Smiley
Yeager gave a brief overview of the procedures used by the Redistricting
Committee to develop a proposed plan to be submitted to the Justice Department.
Bojorquez explained the purpose in making the slight changes to the plan as
proposed by the Committee, saying the effort was made to get the percentages as
high as possible for the hispanic population, as the representative majority
minority.
There was discussion among the Council members and the Committee members.
2. Citizen questions/comments (limited to 3 minutes per person)
Della Green, 1901 Vine St., told Council that she believes the revised plan
"retrogresses" the African-American population.
Green gave her suggestions for boundary changes and Yeager demonstrated the
boundary changes according to those suggestions.
Minutes of the Joint Workshop
Between the Council and the Redistricting Committee
January 3, 2002
Page 1 of 2 Pages
There was discussion that adjustment would not be possible in order to keep the
districts contiguous and maintain a majority minority of hispanics in District 1.
Ronald Swain, President of the TRG Association, asked why the goal was to
make both districts 1 and 2 majority hispanic.
Bojorquez said the problem was that District 2 was 50% under populated. He said
the decrease in hispanics in District 2 was greater than the decrease in African-
Americans in District 2.
Swain asked further questions of the Council and the Committee. There was
continued discussion.
Yeager demonstrated the census blocks south of Williams Drive.
Carolyn Liverman and Paulette Taylor, from the audience, expressed their
opinions of the results of the Committee's work in developing the proposed plan,
saying they are frustrated with the changes in the District 2 boundaries.
Swain said he feels that taking the Library, Willie Hall Center, and two churches
out of District 2 was a violation of keeping areas of interest together in District 2.
Bojorquez said the issue of retrogression must be addressed first before areas of
interest.
Green asked about retrogression. Bojorquez explained the Department of Justice
standards and Yeager demonstrated the populations of the census blocks, saying
the African-American population is scattered throughout the City rather than
remaining as a "pocket" in the downtown area.
Bojorquez assured everyone that attempts were made to maintain or enhance both
the hispanic and African-Ainerican representation.
The Joint Workshop was adjourned at 9:03 p.m.
Approved:
Mayor MaryEllen Kersch
Minutes of the Joint Workshop
Between the Council and the Redistricting Committee
January 3, 2002
Page 2 of 2 Pages
Attest:
Uity Necretary Nandra Lee