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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #07 Appointment of Members of the Districting Commission > >e Center of Good Li C EE AGENDA ITEM COVER SHEET Meeting Date: June 21, 2011 1 Reviewed By: Contact Name: Beth Eikenberry Department Direct• p j , a Contact Number: X1022 City Manager: � - ��_ Subject: Appointments to the Districting Commission Background Summary: The 2010 Census numbers have been completed and distributed to Orange County municipalities. GIS Coordinator Mike O'Halloran corrected some areas of discrepancy in certain Census blocks resulting in the following population numbers: IDEAL ACTUAL DEVIATION DISTRICT POPULATION POPULATION FROM IDEAL % DEVIATION 1 8893 9246 354 3.98 2 8893 8672 -221 -2.48 3 8893 9016 124 1.39 4 8893 8636 -257 -2.88 35570 35570 The results show that the greatest deviation is 3.98 %, in District 1. Cities are required to maintain a deviation in Commission Districts of no more than 10% ( +5% to -5 %). If the Commission feels that the above district deviations are not at an acceptable range, a districting Commission could be created early to make boundary adjustments in time for the 2012 Election. If the Commission feels that the above district deviations are acceptable for the 2012 Election, a Districting Commission would be formed as required by Charter at the end of this year and any district boundary changes made would not apply until the 2013 Election. At the Commission Meeting on June 7, 2011, the City Commission expressed an interest in moving forward with an Early Districting Commission. Recommendations Staff respectfully recommends the Commission make appointments to the Districting Commission as soon as possible to meet the election deadlines. Attachments: Ocoee Charter Section C -66 Establishment of a Districting Commission Districting Commission Timeline for 2012 Election Supervisor of Elections — Reapportionment, Redistricting and Reprecincting Financial Impact: None Type of Item: (please mark with an "x') Public Hearing For Clerk's Dept Use: Ordinance First Reading Consent Agenda Ordinance Second Reading Public Hearing Resolution Regular Agenda X Presentation /Commission Approval Discussion & Direction X Original Document/Contract Attached for Execution by City Clerk Original Document/Contract Held by Department for Execution Mayor center of Good L Commissioners S. Scott Vandergrift , Gary Hood, District 1 Rosemary Wilsen, District 2 City Manager Rusty Johnson, District 3 Robert Frank , Joel Keller, District 4 STAFF REPORT 2012 Municipal Election The City of Ocoee is anticipating piggybacking with the Orange County Supervisor of Elections (SOE) Office during the Presidential Preference Primary Election in order to save approximately $40,000 in election costs and to increase voter turnout for the municipal election. SOE Mapping Supervisor Beverly Willis spoke to the Commission on June 7, 2011 and explained that the 2012 PPP Election is a moving target and could occur on any Tuesday between January 3 and March 6, 2012. There is a Selection Committee that has been given until October 1, 2011 to select a date. She also stated that if Ocoee wished to change their district boundaries on time for the 2012 Election, it would have to be completed by early fall so that all necessary adjustments and notifications can be completed on time. Districting Commission Previous Districting Commissions have met in 1991, 1992, 1994, 1997, 2002, and 2007. In accordance with Section C -66 of the City Charter, the 2012 Districting Commission would need to be appointed between November 15 and December 15, 2011 unless the Commission found there was enough deviation to warrant an earlier formation of a Districting Commission. At the Commission Meeting on June 7, 2011, the Commission expressed an interest in creating an early Districting Commission. Due to the extremely tight time frame and an unknown date of the Presidential Preference Primary, a timeline has been created so that the Districting Commission could complete its task and an Ordinance could be adopted in time for the earliest possible date of election which is January 3, 2012. The current estimated population of Ocoee is 35,570 and each district should have an ideal population of 8,893. The allowable 10% deviation for that would be 8004 - 9782 people in each district. 1 C_ :/ V, \51 A e_tr . § C -66. Establishment of Districting Commission. A. Appointment of members. The City Commission shall establish a Districting Commission after November 15, 1991, but no later than December 15, 1991, and every five (5) years thereafter (i.e., 1996, 2001, etc.) a new Districting Commission shall be appointed by the City Commission after November 15 but no later than December 15 of that year. A Districting Commission may also be appointed by the City Commission at such other times as deemed necessary by the City Commission. The Districting Commission shall consist of five (5) members who shall be appointed by majority vote of the City Commission and who shall serve on such commission for terms of one (1) year, unless such terms are extended by the City Commission. B. Removal; vacancies. (1) Removal. Any member of the Districting Commission may be removed by the City Commission in accordance with the following procedures: (a) The City Commission shall adopt by affirmative vote of a majority of all its members a preliminary resolution which must state the reasons for removal. A copy of the resolution shall be promptly delivered to the member of the Districting Commission sought to be removed. (b) Within five (5) days after a copy of the resolution is delivered to the member sought to be removed, such member may file with the City Commission a written reply and /or a written request for a public hearing. This hearing shall be held at a City Commission meeting no earlier than fifteen (15) days and no later than thirty (30) days after the request is filed. (c) The City Commission may adopt by affirmative vote of a majority of all its members a final resolution of removal, which may be made effective immediately. Such resolution, if adopted, must be adopted no earlier than six (6) days and no later than thirty (30) days from the date a copy of the preliminary resolution was delivered to the member sought to be removed, if such member has not requested a public hearing. If such member has requested a hearing, such resolution, if adopted, must be adopted within forty -five (45) days from the date of the hearing. (2) Vacancies. If any vacancy occurs in the Districting Commission, a qualified individual shall be appointed by the City Commission to serve in place of the member who created the vacancy. Such vacancy shall be filled within thirty (30) days after the vacancy occurs. C. Powers and duties. (1) The Districting Commission shall serve as an advisory body to the City Commission with respect to the establishment of initial geographic boundaries of the four (4) single- member districts of the City of Ocoee. Each new Districting Commission shall serve as an advisory body to the City Commission with respect to the redistricting of such boundaries. (2) Upon its initial appointment in 1991, the Districting Commission shall review the most current, official census data, together with all other data relevant to the establishment of initial geographic boundaries of the four (4) single- member districts, and shall prepare a report to the City Commission that contains recommendations concerning such boundaries. (3) Upon appointment of a new Districting Commission in 1996, and every five (5) years thereafter, the Districting Commission shall review the geographic boundaries of the four (4) single- member districts in light of the most current, official census data, together with all other data relevant to the redistricting of geographic boundaries. The Districting Commission shall prepare a report to the City Commission containing recommendations, if any, for the adjustment of district boundaries. (4) All recommendations concerning the geographic boundaries of single- member districts shall be prepared in compliance with the following criteria: (a) Each district shall be formed of compact, contiguous territory and shall be as rectangular as possible. To the extent possible, the boundary lines of each district shall follow the center lines of streets. (b) The districts shall be based upon the principle of equal and effective representation as required by the United States Constitution. (c) The boundaries of each district shall, to the extent possible, be aligned with the boundaries of the county precincts within the city and with the boundaries of the city. (d) All reports containing recommendations shall include a map that sets forth the proposed boundaries of each district. D. Recommendations to the City Commission. All reports of the Districting Commission shall be available to the public and submitted to the City Commission in accordance with such reasonable deadlines as may be established by the City Commission or as may otherwise be required by law. Within two (2) months of the receipt of any such reports, the City Commission shall accept or reject the recommendations contained therein, or the City Commission may send such reports back to the Districting Commission for further study and consideration. The establishment of the initial geographic boundaries of the four (4) single- member districts and any subsequent redistricting of such boundaries shall be done by ordinance by the City Commission; provided, however, that the City Commission shall not establish or redistrict such boundaries until after receipt of a report from the Districting Commission containing recommendations relating thereto, unless the Districting Commission fails to deliver its report by the deadline established by the City Commission. E. Officers. The Districting Commission shall create and elect appropriate officers as it deems necessary for the orderly conduct of its specific duties. F. Support. It shall be the responsibility of the Planning Department, or such other department as may be designated by the City Manager, to provide technical data and assistance to the Districting Commission. City staff shall also be available to assist the Districting Commission as needed. G. Expenses. The City Commission shall appropriate funds to defray reasonable expenses of the Districting Commission. DISTRICTING COMMISSION TIMELINE Date Days Prior Task Misc. To Election 1,. N 7,2 1 1 1 cyst.:° JEJN 21, 2011 206 Appoint n Board Rileunilcrs ; t <. 27,21111 ..v kl `1 , 2011 1 6 1 ;;r °i�. e€ err ,11;1, 2, ,1 1 102 1aaarfleeifr r; ti ( 8, 2111 ,; 14 13oa Meeti li 1 1 AUG 22, 2011 134 Board Meeting - Finalize boundaries S a EP 14, 2011 1 11 Agenda a Item' rdi ranee Due '' 7 111 1 1! v SEP 20, 2011 1)5 1st Reading of Ordinance t. 4, 2011 95 OCT 7, 2011 88 Adopted. Ordinance Due to (Early Fall) Orange County \0\ 10 2011 lP 111 54 4 [Jai if'y ng 13e gins 1 NOV 18, 2011 i €', i� a€ I°�r , .rd ',IAA ,, 2012 0 Fri r i or: -. , l'o s' i 'e 1 .t..° r °�.. l 1 )ate i iaa 1 tO --1 -1 € 743,74.'!Y FR killigiair MI it'll Oak 'fftr: j r�r€b � r ww, 10 i4 w, , „ ,,, ,..,,, � �'99,y,ri,�YP,'rr.. �� b y ✓ - _ 4 .u. >, �, a3��� �' �„ ...; gg l 9 fit 96 e REAPPORTIONMENT, REDISTRICTING AND REPRECINCTING Bill Cowles, Orange County Supervisor of Elections April 7, 2011 Some very important events will be happening from now until fall 2012 that will impact our elections in Orange County as well as the rest of the United States. These events are reapportionment, redistricting and reprecincting. Reapportionment: As required by the U. S. Constitution, every 10 years a count is made of every man, woman and child in the country by the Census Bureau. These population counts are used to decide how many of the 435 congressional seats each state gets in the U. S. House of Representatives. As a result of the 2010 Census, Florida gained 2 more seats for a total of 27. The largest congressional delegation is California with 53, Texas is second with 36, and Florida and New York with 27 each are tied for the third and fourth. Those 27 congressional seats, combined with our 2 U. S. Senate seats, equals 29 Electoral College votes for Florida. Redistricting: It is the responsibility of each State Legislature to use the population counts released by the Census Bureau (per Public Law 94 -171) to create the actual congressional districts that contain approximately an equal number of people. The legislature will also use these PL 94 -171 census counts to redraw the State Senate and State House into equal districts. The Florida legislature will hold statewide public hearings in the summer and fall of 2011 and begin their work on the Federal and State districts when the session starts on January 10, 2012. Those new districts must be through all Governor, Supreme Court and Justice Department reviews in time for federal and state candidate qualifying to begin on June 18th, 2012. Here in Orange County, those same census population numbers will be used to create new single member county and several city districts. This year Redistricting Advisory Committees (RAC) will be appointed to begin working on the Orange County Commission, Orange County School Board, City of Orlando, and if needed, City of Winter Garden and City of Ocoee districts and should be completed by the fall of 2011. Reprecinctinq: All of these district line changes must then be reflected in the county and city voting precinct lines that are used by the Elections office to determine where a person votes and what ballot they will receive. Voting based on the new county districts will be in the fall 2012 elections and new city districts will be in the spring 2012 elections. However, the actual district changes do not take effect until the county and city commissioners are sworn into office. Before the elections, every voter in Orange County will be notified of these changes. In summary, as a result of reapportionment, redistricting and reprecincting, a voter in Orange County could be assigned to a new precinct, go to a new polling place and be in a new district with a new set of elected officials. Websites: These websites have information about census, redistricting and elections: www.census.gov /rdo Census Bureau redistricting website www.ncsi.org National Conference of State Legislatures www.doe.dos.state.fl.us Florida Division of Elections www.ocfelections.com Orange County Supervisor of Elections REDISTRICTING GUIDELINES Bill Cowles, Orange County Supervisor of Elections April 7, 2011 The purpose of redistricting is to create compact, contiguous districts that are fairly equal in population according to the U.S. Census Bureau population numbers. This requires using census geography as the base for the district lines. The following guidelines are a way to use that information more effectively. 1. Use the same census data and maps that the state legislature is using The Public Law 94 -171 population data and census block maps released earlier this year will be the basis for U. S. Congress, Florida State Senate and Florida State House districts. There are going to be challenges and there may be revisions, but the same data used at the state level should be same used at the local. 2. Major roads and water features are the best choice for district lines Major roads, lakes, and rivers are the easiest to identify and describe. They also create natural boundaries between residential areas by controlling traffic flow, especially interstates and expressways. 3. Census tract lines and block group lines are the next best choice for district lines Census tracts follow most major roads and water features, but sometimes are along other arterial roads. Census tract boundaries usually remain the same from Census to Census. Census block groups are inside census tracts and are also on arterial roads. 4. Only use other Census lines that are paved roads Try to stay away from unpaved roads, railroads, small residential streets, intermittent streams, or other non - physical features where possible. Unpaved roads and railroads can disappear and small streams can change with rainfall or development. Using these types of lines could cause confusion over time since the district line has to stay on the feature as it existed when the district was created. 5. Buffer areas to keep cities and neighborhoods together Draw districts in a way that creates "buffers" around areas that are to be kept together. City boundaries can change with annexations and census lines do not usually follow subdivision lines, so to keep a city or neighborhood together may require going outside of the area to the nearest census block line or major road. 6. Anticipate future growth This suggestion is difficult because future growth areas have no current population that can be included in the district counts. Also, in Orange County most undeveloped land is primarily in the outer rural areas beyond the main urban core. The best way to anticipate future growth is to make the districts with the growth area smaller in population than the others.