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Home My WebLink AboutRES 102621-H - Criteria for ProposalsRESOLUTION NO. ) 0 2G 2J - R RESOLUTION ADOPTING CRITERIA FOR USE IN 2021 REDISTRICTING PROCESS AND ESTABLISHING GUIDELINES FOR PERSONS SUBMITTING SPECIFIC REDISTRICTING PROPOSALS AND PROVIDING COMMENTS. WHEREAS, this City Council has certain responsibilities for redistricting under federal and state law including but not limited to Amendments 14 and 15 to the United States Constitution, U.S.C.A.; section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, 52 U.S.C.A. § 10301; City Charter Section 2.01, and Tex. Gov't Code Ann. §§ 2058.001 and 2058.002; and, WHEREAS, a review of the 2020 census data reveals that a population imbalance exists among the City's councilmember districts requiring redistricting of those districts; and, WHEREAS, it is the intent of the City to comply with the Voting Rights Act and with all other relevant law, including Shaw v. Reno jurisprudence; and, WHEREAS, a set of established redistricting criteria will serve as a framework to guide the City in the formulation and consideration of districting plans; and, WHEREAS, redistricting criteria will provide the City a means by which to evaluate proposed plans; and, WHEREAS, redistricting criteria will assist the City in its efforts to comply with all applicable federal and state laws; and, WHEREAS, it is necessary to provide for the orderly consideration and evaluation of redistricting plans which may come before the Council; and, WHEREAS, these guidelines relate to persons who have specific redistricting plans they wish the Council to consider; and, WHEREAS, the Council also welcomes any comments relevant to the redistricting process; and, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GEORGETOWN, TEXAS: Section 1. The meeting at which this Resolution was approved was in all things conducted in compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 551. Resolution No. 1026 Zl - N Page 1 of 4 Redistricting Criteria Adoption and Guidelines for Submitting Proposals and Comments Date: ooqc!,V-) ( 26, } 7-o Section 2. The facts and recitations contained in the preamble of this Resolution are hereby found and declared to be true and correct and are incorporated by reference herein and expressly made a part hereof, as if copied verbatim. Section 3. That the City, in its adoption of a redistricting plan for councilmember districts, will adhere to the following criteria to the greatest extent possible when establishing new councilmember district boundaries: Section 4. To the extent practicable: Easily identifiable geographic boundaries should be followed. 2. Communities of interest should be maintained in a single district, and attempts should be made to avoid splitting neighborhoods. 3. Councilmember districts should be composed of whole voting precincts. Where this is not possible or practicable, districts should be drawn considering county election precincts. Avoid splitting census blocks unless necessary. 4. Although it is recognized that existing districts will have to be altered to reflect new population distribution in the City, any new districting plan should be based on existing districts to the extent practicable. 5. Districts must be configured so that they are relatively equal in total population according to the 2020 federal census data. In no event should the total population deviation between the largest and the smallest district exceed ten percent as compared to the ideal precinct size. 6. The districts should be compact and composed of contiguous territory. Compactness may contain a functional, as well as a geographical, dimension. 7. Consideration may be given to the preservation of incumbent -constituency relations by recognition of the residence of incumbents and their history in representing certain areas. 8. The plan should be narrowly tailored to avoid racial gerrymandering in violation of Shaw v. Reno. 9. The plan should not fragment a geographically compact minority community or pack minority voters in the presence of polarized voting, or otherwise discriminate against protected groups so as to create potential liability under the Voting Rights Act. Resolution No. J fj 24, Z I — Page 2 of 4 Redistricting Criteria Adoption and Guidelines for Submitting Proposals and Comments Date: ()C A6� Z j Section 5. The City Council will review all plans considering these criteria and will evaluate how well each plan conforms to the criteria. Section 6. Any plan submitted to the City Council by a citizen for its consideration should be a complete plan—i.e., it should include all seven (7) councilmember districts, should redistrict the entire City, and otherwise comply with the City Council Resolution Adopting Guidelines for Persons Submitting Specific Redistricting Proposal and Providing Comments. The City Council may decline to consider any plan that is not a complete plan. Section 7. All plans submitted by citizens, as well as plans submitted by staff, consultants, and members of the City Council shall also conform to the Criteria adopted in this Resolution. Section 8. In order to make sure that any comments regarding the redistricting process and any redistricting plan that might be submitted are of maximum assistance to the Council in its decision -making process, the Council hereby sets the following guidelines to be followed by each person submitting a comment or a redistricting plan for consideration: The Council wants to be sure that all proposals are fully and accurately considered. Therefore, citizen -proposed plans must be submitted in writing and be legible. If a plan is submitted orally, there is significant opportunity for misunderstanding, and it is possible that errors may be made in analyzing it. 2. Because a citizen -proposed plan submitted without a population breakdown, may not have sufficient information for the Council to give it full consideration, any citizen -proposed plan must show the total population and voting age population for African -Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Anglo/Other for each proposed council district based on the 2020 Census Data. 3. Plans submitted muse redistrict the entire City. The Council will be considering the effect of any plan on the entire City. Any plan considered is subject to the Voting Rights Act, which protects various racial and language minorities. Thus, as a matter of federal law, the Council will be required to consider the effect of any proposal on multiple racial and ethnic groups throughout the City. If a plan does not redistrict the entire City, it may be impossible for the Council to assess its impact on one or more protected minority groups. 4. Plans should conform to the redistricting criteria the Council adopts by separate resolution to be used in drawing the trustee districts. Comments on proposed plans must be submitted in writing and be legible, even if the person also makes the comments orally at a public hearing. 6. The Council may wish to follow up on such comments or obtain additional information about submitted plans or comments. Therefore, persons providing Resolution No. t 0 2 — Page 3 of 4 Redistricting Criteria Adoption and Guidelines for Submitting Proposals and Comments Date: O(2p i Z�Z_ ) attest. comments and those submitting proposed plans must identify themselves by full name and home address and provide a phone number and, if available, an email address. 7. All comments and proposed plans must be submitted to the City Council by the close of the final public hearing prior to Council adoption of the new plan. Section 9. The Mayor is authorized to sign the Resolution and the City Secretary to Section 10. This Resolution shall become effective and be in full force and effect on its execution by the Mayor. PASSED AND APPROVED on this &day of 12021. CITY OF)GEORGETOWN, TEXAS ATTEST: Robyn Den ore, City Secretary APPROVED AS TO FORM: A4 "4141 4-A====—�— Skye asso , City Attorney Resolution No. (O Zto ZI - [% Page 4 of 4 Redistricting Criteria Adoption and Guidelines for Submitting Proposals and Comments Date: 0:'-460 i - 2fo 17�2�