ALAMEDA-CONTRA COSTA TRANSIT DISTRICT - Report ID: 23-391b

• Report ID: 23-391b
• Type: Public Hearing
• Meeting Body: Board of Directors - Regular Meeting
• Meeting Date: 9/6/2023
• Recommended Action: Receive presentations from the District's public outreach and demographer consultants regarding upcoming workshops and outreach activities and the process and criteria for redistricting to a seven-ward election system for the Board of Directors; and hold the first of two public hearings to receive public input and provide direction regarding the boundaries and composition of wards before draft maps of proposed ward boundaries are drawn. Staff Contact: Linda A. Nemeroff, Board Administrative Officer/District Secretary Presenters: Jennifer Nentwig, Tripepi Smith Michael Wagaman, Wagaman Strategies

Date	Action By	Action	Result
9/6/2023	Board of Directors - Special Meeting	Hearing held

TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Linda A. Nemeroff, Board Administrative Officer/District Secretary
SUBJECT: Redistricting to Seven-Ward Election System - Public Hearing #1

ACTION ITEM
AGENDA PLANNING REQUEST: ?

RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):

Title
Receive presentations from the District's public outreach and demographer consultants regarding upcoming workshops and outreach activities and the process and criteria for redistricting to a seven-ward election system for the Board of Directors; and hold the first of two public hearings to receive public input and provide direction regarding the boundaries and composition of wards before draft maps of proposed ward boundaries are drawn.

Staff Contact:
Linda A. Nemeroff, Board Administrative Officer/District Secretary

Presenters:
Jennifer Nentwig, Tripepi Smith
Michael Wagaman, Wagaman Strategies
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:

Goal - Strong Public and Policymaker Support
Initiative - Internal and External Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Programs and Priorities

BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:

There is no budgetary or fiscal impact associated with this report.

BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:

Since its establishment, AC Transit has had a directly elected seven-member Board of Directors consisting of five Board members representing specific geographic areas known as "wards" and two representing the entire District "at-large". On March 27, 2023, AC Transit received a letter from attorney Ginger L. Grimes asserting that the District's at-large electoral system violates the California Voting Rights Act of 2001 ("CVRA"). The letter claims that polarized voting may be occurring in the District and threatened litigation absent the District's voluntary conversion to a seven-ward election system for Boardmembers.

On July 26, 2023, the Board of Directors adopted Resolution No. 23-033, declaring the Board's intent to transition from a hybrid ward-based and at-large election system to a solely ward-based election ...