10-12-2021 CC RPT 18 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Redistricting Report • Page 2 and referred the redistricting criteria and alternatives to the Governmental Affairs Committee (now known as the Inclusiveness, Community Engagement, and Governmental Processes Committee): 1. Equalize the population count in each Ward within 10% (top to bottom) 2. Achieve ±5% from optimal population per Ward 3. Comply with all applicable laws 4. Avoid disqualification of City Councilmembers during a term 5. Maintain continuity of existing Wards, to the extent possible 6. Draw Wards that are compact and contiguous 7. Use natural, geographic boundaries to the extent possible 8. Maintain cohesive neighborhoods and community interests, to the extent possible 9. Consider school districts and avoid dividing same, to the extent possible 10. Maintain income diversity within Wards, to the extent possible That Committee had the responsibility of developing alternatives for City Council consideration. The staff redistricting team consisted of the City Clerk, City Attorney, City Manager, Chief Information Officer, and Community Development Director observing a timeline of approximately one year (December 2011 to October 2012) conducting public meetings, workshops, review of draft maps. The City Council adopted the final redistricting map in November 2012, with the adoption of the ordinance. In January 2020, AB 849, known as the "Fair and Inclusive Redistricting for Municipalities and Political Subdivisions Act" or "Fair Maps Act," went into effect, which specifies the criteria and deadlines for cities and counties to adopt or adjusting new district (ward) boundaries. The Fair Maps Act also defines the hearing procedures that would allow the public to provide input on the placement of boundaries and proposed boundary maps. The Fair Maps Act requires the governing body to take specified steps to encourage the residents of local jurisdictions to participate in the redistricting process. DISCUSSION: Overview of Procedural Requirements for Redistricting Riverside City Charter Section 402 requires City Council, by an ordinance, to divide the city boundaries into seven wards, review the boundaries of those wards every ten years, and adjust, by ordinance, those boundaries to provide for substantially equal number of residents in each ward. The resulting redistricting ordinance becomes effective thirty days after it is adopted. The existing ward boundaries are to be used until new ward boundaries are established by that redistricting ordinance. Under California Election Code Division 21, Chapter 7, Article 2, new wards established generally cannot be changed until after the next decennial census, in 2031. However, Riverside City Charter states that ward boundary adjustments may occur more frequently as determined necessary upon receipt of official census data. The California Fair Maps Act sets forth new map criteria requirements which are different from the criteria adopted by the City Council in 2011. To the greatest extent practicable, the City is required to adopt district boundaries using the criteria in the following order of priority: 1. Council wards shall be geographically contiguous. 2. The geographic integrity of any local neighborhood or local community of interest should be respected and included within a single ward for its effective and fair representation in