Chico City Council will hold a special public hearing on redistricting on Tuesday, March 29, at 6 PM.
This previously unscheduled meeting will allow more public comment on the several maps under consideration. (Click on above link to see the maps).
The public may email comments or questions on these maps to RedistrictingEmails [at] chicoca.gov.
Click here to view the March 29 meeting on-line or attend in person at the City Council Chamber at 421 Main Street.
Click here to view the March 15 public hearing. The redistricting presentation begins at 1:20:00 (the sound goes off after a few seconds but is back on at 1:22:03). Issues discussed include the level of public participation, treatment of “communities of interest” such as the Chico Avenues Neighborhood Association (CANA), Barber, and Lower Bidwell Park, and the fire-vulnerable neighborhoods on the east side.
Fair Maps Act Criteria: In addition to equal population within 10% deviation, the Council must apply these criteria when selecting a map:
(c) The council shall adopt district boundaries using the following criteria as set forth in the following order of priority:
(1) To the extent practicable, council districts shall be geographically contiguous. Areas that meet only at the points of adjoining corners are not contiguous. Areas that are separated by water and not connected by a bridge, tunnel, or regular ferry service are not contiguous.
(2) To the extent practicable, the geographic integrity of any local neighborhood or local community of interest shall be respected in a manner that minimizes its division. A “community of interest” is a population that shares common social or economic interests that should be included within a single district for purposes of its effective and fair representation. Communities of interest do not include relationships with political parties, incumbents, or political candidates.
(3) Council district boundaries should be easily identifiable and understandable by residents. To the extent practicable, council districts shall be bounded by natural and artificial barriers, by streets, or by the boundaries of the city.
(4) To the extent practicable, and where it does not conflict with the preceding criteria in this subdivision, council districts shall be drawn to encourage geographical compactness in a manner that nearby areas of population are not bypassed in favor of more distant populations.
(d) The council shall not adopt council district boundaries for the purpose of favoring or discriminating against a political party.
CA Election Code Section 21601.
