REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 03/23/2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: City Manager’s Office - City Clerk
SUBJECT:
Title
City Council consideration of the redrawing of Council Member District Boundaries.
End
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Every ten years, upon the release of the decennial census data, the City of Corona must redraw its five (5) City Council districts based on the new census data and criteria outlined in state law so that the districts correctly reflect current populations. Conducting the public hearings will fulfill the requirements needed so that the districts are redrawn and are substantially equal in population as required by the United States Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court has generally defined ‘substantially equal’ as no more than a 10 percent deviation between the least and greatest populated districts.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Receive a report from staff and the City’s redistricting consultant on the redistricting process, and review draft maps and permissible criteria to be considered to redraw district boundaries.
b. Select a preferred map and introduce by title only and waive the full reading of Ordinance 3345, first reading of an Ordinance regarding by-district elections, adjusting the boundaries of City Council Election Districts and confirming such revised Council District Boundaries as reflected in the attached map.
Body
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
Pursuant to Election Code section 21601, cities with by-district election systems are required to redraw their district boundary maps to ensure compliance with the California and federal Voting Rights Acts. The process to complete redistricting requires a minimum of four public hearings and dedicated public outreach to ensure minority populations and communities of interest are aware of the redistricting effort and are provided with options to participate. The City held the first of the four required hearings on January 5, 2022. The City conducted a Community Workshop on January 27, 2022 at the Corona Public Library, providing a brief overview of the redistricting process and highlighting the online mapping tool. The proposed map was shared with the community at the end of the workshop. Public comment regarding the proposed map centered on the area north of Highway 91 and west of Main Street. Public speakers reported the newly constructed “apartment homes” did not share the same community of interest as the residents south of Highway 91 in the Circle City area, and therefore were better suited in District 2. Recognizing this had been a point of discussion during the transition to district based elections, staff concurred and requested the consultant redraw the draft map accordingly. The revised Map Option 1 was presented to Council at the second of the four required public hearings held on February 2, 2022. A third public hearing was held on February 16, 2022, and a fourth public hearing on March 16, 2022.
ANALYSIS:
Following the first public hearing, the City’s redistricting consultant prepared one potential map option, should the Council wish to consider adjusting districting boundaries. Subsequent to the second public hearing, a member of the public submitted a hand-drawn map, which is not included on the Google link identified below. At the third public hearing the City Council requested the City’s consultant examine the possibility of creating a second majority/minority Hispanic voting district, and a second consultant map was prepared. In addition, two maps have been received from members of the public. At the fourth public hearing, the Council requested the City’s consultant determine if a small population north of State Highway 91 (SR 91) that identifies with being part of the “Circle” could be redrawn from District 2 into District 3, without jeopardizing the second majority/minority Hispanic voting district. Map Option 5 was created that staff believes accomplishes that goal. Option 5 is summarized below, and accompanying demographic information may be found attached to this report (Exhibit 1).
The online tool for closely examining the boundaries of all proposed maps, with zoom and search capabilities, may be found here:
Corona - Google My Maps
Map Option 5
Option 5 was prepared by the City’s consultant after the fourth public hearing, in an attempt to preserve the “circle” community of interest, while also maintaining a second majority/minority Hispanic voting district. The map is population balanced, with a total deviation of 4.70%. A second majority/minority Hispanic voting district was drawn by moving population between Districts 2 and 3, primarily in the area west of Lincoln Avenue south of Corona High School, and north of SR 91 west of Main Street. Districts 1, 4, and 5 remain unchanged from Option 1. The population north of SR 91 that identifies as part of the “circle” community of interest was redrawn into District 3.
Next Steps:
Council is requested to select a preferred map and introduce the ordinance approving the final map. The deadline to complete the redistricting process for the City of Corona is April 17, 2022.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this request.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action is to receive public input on district boundaries, and there is no possibility that this project will have a significant effect on the environment.
PREPARED BY: SYLVIA EDWARDS, CITY CLERK
REVIEWED BY: ROGER BRADLEY, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
Attachments:
1. EXHIBIT 1 - Draft maps
2. EXHIBIT 2 - Ordinance approving the final boundary map