Laserfiche WebLink
6.K. - Page 12 of 18 <br />process of considering district maps, in an effort to better address community concerns and gain <br />additional community input. This was announced at the March 25, 2019 City Council meeting. On March <br />26, 2019 the City released a media statement in English and Spanish announcing the reopening of the <br />process and next steps. Staff also contacted organizations which had provided input on the transition <br />process to let them know the City Council had extended the process for transitioning to district elections <br />and would be considering revised and new maps, should they wish to provide maps or comment on maps <br />submitted. <br />ANALYSIS <br />Over the last six months, the City Council oversaw an extensive community engagement process and <br />received substantial community comments related to district maps. Many residents expressed <br />preferences for keeping Redwood Shores as a separate and distinct district, retaining the Centennial <br />neighborhood together as part of an overall district, maintaining the Downtown neighborhood as part of <br />an overall district, connecting the East Bayshore neighborhood with the Friendly Acres neighborhood, and <br />connecting the Bair Island neighborhood with the Downtown neighborhood. Feedback also included using <br />Jefferson Avenue and Neighborhood Association boundaries as reference, aligning major roadways <br />together where possible, establishing two majority Latino districts, and choosing a map that allows the <br />Farm Hill neighborhood to vote in 2020. <br />Following the Council's March 25 decision to re -open the drafting process, the City's demographer <br />developed four revised maps to address community concerns (13g, 13h, 21e, 21f.) The revised maps <br />reflected the extensive community input received since September when the City began the district <br />elections transition process, as well as direction provided by the City Council. <br />Public Hearing #6 <br />On April 8, the City Council held Public Hearing #6 to provide feedback and gain community input on six <br />district elections maps (four revised maps submitted by the demographer and two community submitted <br />maps) and provided input on sequencing of elections. The City Council narrowed the list of demographer <br />revised maps to three 13g, 13h, 21f (Attachment B) for further Council review and discussed interest in <br />considering community submitted draft maps. Additionally, the City Council directed staff to contact <br />representatives from the Asian Pacific American Advocates, the Japanese American Citizens League (San <br />Mateo Chapter) and Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) -San Mateo, to provide a district elections <br />update and share City materials with their members. Staff contacted these organizations as requested. <br />Prior to the May 6, 2019 meeting, community members were encouraged to submit draft maps early by <br />April 20, in order to provide the demographer enough time to ensure community -submitted maps were <br />population balanced as required by law. Community members had the opportunity to provide comments <br />and draft maps until Saturday, April 27 at 12 p.m. The City received three additional community submitted <br />maps by the deadline; along with other comments received from community members (Attachment C). <br />Two of the three community submitted maps were withdrawn by the maps submitter. One community <br />submitted draft map, Map 13L (Attachment D), that was received before the April 27 deadline, is included <br />this staff report. All revised demographer maps and the single community submitted draft map were <br />posted on the City's District Elections website at www.redwoodcitV.org/districtelections on April 29. This <br />meets the seven-day posting requirement under State law. The City additionally publicized the posting of <br />the revised maps via its weekly e -newsletter on May 3, 2019 and through the City's social media platforms. <br />A <br />NOW - <br />City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcitV.org <br />349 <br />