TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Linda A. Nemeroff, District Secretary
SUBJECT: Redistricting Project
ACTION ITEM
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider approving the Public Outreach Plan for the Redistricting Project.
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
Goal - Strong Public and Policymaker Support
While the redistricting process is mandated by law and has no strategic importance to AC Transit in general, public outreach plays a critical role in construction of ward boundaries that will be in place for the next decade. Public input on where the lines should be is essential to the process.
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
Costs for public outreach associated with the Redistricting Project are included in the FY 2021-22 operating budget.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
Redistricting is the process of adjusting ward boundaries in order to equalize populations following the federal census, which is conducted every ten years. The process is governed by federal and state laws, including the Federal Voting Rights Act; Transit District Law; and Elections Code Sections 22000 and 22001.
A key element in determining where lines are drawn is public input which is a necessary ingredient in determining where communities of interest are. A community of interest is a group of people that share common social or economic interests that should be included within a single ward for purposes of their effective and fair representation.
As the Board is aware, the legislature enacted AB 849 in 2019, which established redistricting protocols for cities and counties that do not apply to special districts like AC Transit. However, AC Transit has utilized many of the prescribed outreach mandates in its prior redistricting effort in 2011 and proposes to expand that effort for the current Redistricting Project. The plan that has been developed encompasses the following elements:
? At least four (4) public workshops that will focus on the cities most impacted by redistricting which are...
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