ELECTORAL DISTRICTS 2015/06/09ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ELECTORAL DISTRICTS MINUTES
TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015
6:30 P.M.
East Anaheim Community Center
Committee Members Present: Hon. Edward Wallin, Ret., Chairman; Hon. Stephen Sundvold,
Vice Chair; Hon. James Jackman, Ret.; Hon. Nancy Wieben Stock, Ret.; Ret.; Hon. Thomas
Thrasher, Ret.
Staff Present: City Clerk Linda Andal, Outside Counsel Ben De Mayo, Consultant Justin Levitt.
Chairman Wallin called the meeting to order at 6:32pm. The committee members and staff
provided brief introductions.
1. Discussion on creating City Council district boundaries and possible direction to
staff.
Mr. Levitt presented a PowerPoint presentation that reviewed the history of the districting
process, including voter approval of Measures L and M in the November 2014 election which
increased the size of City Council and changed the electoral method for Council Members from
at -large to single -member districts with the Mayor continuing to be elected citywide. He
reviewed the US Constitutional requirement that each district have equal total population with an
acceptable variance of 5-10% and Section 2 of the Federal Voting Rights Act requirement to
consider protected classes of voters, those who historically faced discrimination, and provide
equal power to elect candidates of their choice. Mr. Levitt reported that race is considered but
the Supreme Court determined that race could not be the predominant criteria in drawing district
lines. He added that California state law provided additional criteria for consideration including
geography, topography, contiguity, and compactness of territory. Mr. Levitt explained that the
shape of districts may follow major roads, rivers, or arroyos and may also reflect a sense of
community where an area's residents have shared problems, schools, parks, traffic issues,
shopping areas, quality of roads, police/fire services, and development.
Mr. Levitt explained several breakdowns of city demographics based on the 2010 Census data
including total population, citizen voting age population, Hispanic/non-Hispanic White/Asian
citizen voting age population, education, family size, transportation needs, income level,
language, and home -ownership data. Based on previous public feedback, additional maps were
produced to depict population density, household size, parks, and school locations and district
boundaries.
Mr. Levitt explained how public input was vital to knowing what was important to a community
and indicated those by geographic boundaries, offering an example that a freeway may seem
an obvious physical divider but that communities on each side may actually share common
concerns. He listed the various opportunities for input including speaking during public
comments, sending letters or emails, using the website comment form, and submitting a public
participation kit of maps and spreadsheets, indicating that a submittal could be just one district
Regular Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Electoral Districts
June 9, 2015
Page 2 of 4
or the entire city. For anyone desiring assistance with the public participation toolkit or drawing
maps, Mr. Levitt announced he would be at all committee meetings an hour prior and after each
meeting to answer any questions.
Mr. Levitt reviewed the timeline with a first round of public meetings to gather information, 2-3
draft proposals would be released on July 1, 2015, a second round of public meetings in July
and August to gather feedback on the draft maps and make adjustments, Committee
recommendation to City Council, and at least 3 required public hearings by City Council prior to
adoption, followed by the first election in these new districts in November 2016.
He reviewed the calendar of upcoming meetings: July 1St— City Council Chambers and July 8th -
Ponderosa Family Resource Center. He also announced that staff would attend Neighborhood
Council Meetings on July 15, 16, 22, 23, with Mr. Levitt available on July 16th and 23rd to meet
with any interested group or association. These scheduled meetings would be followed by
additional Committee meetings in August and September.
Public Comments:
Larry Larsen, Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) member, responded to public comments
made at the last Committee meeting related to the CAC committee.
Benita Gagne questioned whether information from the previous CAC had been provided to this
current committee.
Chairman Wallin explained this committee was formed to address a different issue, to engage in
a process to create boundaries while the CAC was formed to discuss the city moving from at -
large to district elections.
Ron Bengochea, resident, advised he submitted a map based on geographic boundaries,
expressing his view that a district representative needed to know the neighborhood. He
expressed his frustration about non participation and encouraged communities to help
themselves.
Victoria Michaels, resident, encouraged residents to pick up Fast Facts and help deliver them to
their neighbors and encouraged residents to come to the meetings.
Greg Diamond reviewed various maps he would submit, highlighting that Anaheim Hills stopped
westerly around Tustin Avenue, the southwestern peninsula of Anaheim should stay together,
and the Colony should be kept together in one district. He requested the committee look at
creating an Asian -plurality or Asian -participation district, referenced Little Arabia as a
community, and discussed drawing lines in a way that did not work to fit or exclude particular
politicians.
Unidentified female speaker living in Central Anaheim expressed her concerns about the
density in her area, particularly with many hotels in the area, and questioned whether people in
the hotels were counted in the population totals for the districts.
Regular Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Electoral Districts
June 9, 2015
Page 3 of 4
Mr. Levitt explained that on April 1, 2010, hotels submitted a report of who was living or staying
in those hotels and the Census would make the determination of residency.
Chairman Wallin closed the public comments and recognized the time it would take Mr. Levitt to
review and consider the information and maps received with Mr. Levitt concurring and
requested the Committee to provide explicit direction or specific criteria or communities of
interests for him to consider while drafting alternative plans. Chairman Wallin indicated the
primary or dominant consideration was equal population in each district. Next, to comply with
Voting Rights Act considerations for ethic/minority groups, the contiguity of each district, the
geography of city with natural and manmade boundaries such as freeways, rivers, and creeks,
testimony received at public meetings, and written submissions. He also requested Mr. Levitt
consider how to handle the Resort District and its impact on the City, potentially being in more
than one but less than three districts.
Judge Stock encouraged the public to use the comment portion of the public toolkit to describe
why they desire specific districts, which could indicate the factors that influence each particular
district.
Judge Jackman expressed his sympathy to communities of interest or neighborhoods, but noted
that with districts each having approximately 56,000 people, many different neighborhoods will
be linked together and will need to learn to get along.
2. Discussion and scheduling of district committee meetings.
Mr. DeMayo announced the upcoming scheduled meetings on July 1St in the City Council
Chambers and July 8th in South Anaheim at the Ponderosa Family Resource Center. He added
staff's attendance at the Neighborhood Council meetings in the West on July 15th, East on July
16th, Central on July 22"d, and South on July 23rd
Mr. DeMayo reviewed the calendar and suggested public map submittals be completed by
Friday, July 31St to provide Mr. Levitt time to review and draft.
Chairman Wallin spoke to his view that the east Anaheim district started at the Riverside County
line and would continue west until it reached 56,000 residents. Vice -Chairman Sunvold
expressed his wish that the geographic boundary of the Santa Ana River and the 91 freeway
separating Anaheim Hills from a portion of East Anaheim be considered on some maps.
The committee concurred that July 31, 2015 be the deadline for public map submittals and
suggested the following future meeting dates, all to begin at 6:30 p.m.:
Wednesday, August 19 — Council Chambers
Wednesday, August 26 — remote location TBD
Tuesday, September 8 — remote location TBD
Monday, September 14 — Council Chambers
Ms. Andal indicated staff would procure off site locations and would return with a final calendar
for Committee approval.
Regular Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Electoral Districts
June 9, 2015
Page 4 of 4
Mr. DeMayo indicated additional time has been built within the timeline to allow for extra
meetings should the Committee need to meet prior to the October 6th deadline to submit
recommendations to City Council. Chairman Wallin commented the Committee needed to keep
on schedule to allow City Council time to review and make changes, if desired, but also enough
time for candidates to determine whether they wish to run.
3. Approve meeting minutes of the May 27, 2015 Advisory Committee on Electoral
Districts.
Vice -Chairman Sunvold moved to approve the minutes of the ACED May 27, 2015 meeting,
seconded by Judge Thrasher. Approved Vote: 5-0.
4. Committee Comments / Staff comments
Mr. Levitt announced he would be available following the meeting to assist with maps.
With no further business to conduct, Chairman Wallin adjourned the meeting at 7:44pm.
s ctfully submitted,
Linda N. Andal, CMC
City Clerk