Sacramento Redistricting Citizens Advisory Committee Meeting - June 27, 2011

The Sacramento Redistricting Citizens Advisory Committee met on June 27, 2011, from 6:04 p.m. to 10:44 p.m. at New City Hall, 915 I Street, Council Chambers. The committee reviewed and discussed redistricting maps for the City of Sacramento, heard public testimony, and made recommendations to the City Council. Key actions included eliminating Map SR030 from consideration and advancing four maps (SR017, SR024, SR031, SR035) to the City Council with modifications and comments.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of June 20, 2011 Committee Minutes: Moved by Camp, seconded by Pluckebaum. Approved unanimously (13-0, with Maviglio absent).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Joany Titherington (Oak Park resident): Supported maps SR031 and SR035, urging that Oak Park remain part of District 5 with Curtis Park to preserve partnerships and momentum.
• Kevin Greene (Downtown Sacramento Partnership): Supported maps that reunite the central city into a single council district, opposing Map SR031 for slicing the river district and rail yards from the central city.
• Dustin Littrell (Oak Park resident): Supported maps SR031 and SR035, emphasizing the importance of keeping Oak Park and Curtis Park together.
• Michael Boyd (Oak Park Neighbors Association): Opposed Map SR024 for splitting Oak Park and separating it from District 5; supported maps that keep Oak Park intact with Curtis Park.
• David DeLuz (Greater Sacramento Urban League, African American Leadership Coalition): Supported Map SR031, arguing for including the rail yards in District 2 to provide an economic engine for the district and to ensure development projects receive attention.
• Derrell Roberts (African American Leadership Coalition): Supported Map SR031, highlighting the goal of creating a black-brown coalition and the importance of keeping Del Paso Heights, Meadow View, and Oak Park intact.
• Betty Williams (NAACP Sacramento): Endorsed Map SR031, noting the coalition's outreach to other communities and willingness to accept modifications.
• Rosanna Herber (LGBT community): Noted that all four maps pair the central city with LGBT-supportive areas, thanked the committee for considering the LGBT community of interest, and supported keeping the central city together.
• Cortez Quinn (Twin Rivers Unified School District Board): Opposed maps SR017 and SR035 for splitting Del Paso Heights; supported Map SR031.
• Erin Domingo: Raised concerns about centralizing the central city into one district, arguing that having multiple districts with a portion of the central city ensures broader attention to issues like homelessness and small businesses.
• Eireann Flannery: Suggested using population breakdown data to provide additional guidance for map evaluation.
• Briza Trujillo-Cadero: Requested that Map SR017 not be considered, as it splits South Natomas.

Discussion Items

• Item 3: Discussion and Consideration of Map SR030

  • Committee member Bill Camp presented a modified version of Map SR030, explaining his rationale for adjustments to districts. Discussion included concerns about contiguity, neighborhood splits, and the butterfly shape of districts. A substitute motion to include Map SR030 with the other four maps for consideration failed (4-9). The original motion to eliminate Map SR030 from advancement passed (9-4).

• Item 4: Review of Top Four Maps (SR017, SR024, SR031, SR035)

  • Staff presented analyses of the four maps, including population deviations, community of interest intactness, and trade-offs. Scot Mende noted that Map SR024 had a 10.83% total deviation, above the 10% rule of thumb, which could require stronger justification. Committee members discussed each map, noting strengths and weaknesses.
  • After public comments, the committee moved to Item 5 for modifications.

• Item 5: Review and Discuss Map Modifications for Recommendation to Council

  • The committee discussed modifications to each of the four maps. Member Steve Hansen presented proposed modifications for Maps SR017, SR024, and SR035. Member Phil Pluckebaum presented a modified version of Map SR035.
  • Key areas of consensus included:
    • Keeping Valley View Acres with District 1.
    • Not splitting Meadow View in District 8 (preferred to split Greenhaven instead).
    • Keeping Oak Park with Curtis Park and intact within District 5 (although not all maps achieved this).
    • Not splitting South Natomas, if possible, to preserve the Latino community of interest.
    • Addressing population deviations to stay below 10%.
  • The committee ultimately voted to move all four maps (SR017, SR024, SR031, SR035) forward to the City Council for consideration, with the inclusion of the discussed comments and modifications. The motion passed unanimously (13-0, with Maviglio absent).

Key Outcomes

• Motion to Eliminate Map SR030: Passed 9-4 (Porter, Shah, Hansen, Motmans, Frye-Lucas, Perry, Wallace, Leal-Carrillo, Rubalcava in favor; Camp, Bowler, Pluckebaum, Cherry opposed).
• Motion to Advance All Four Maps (SR017, SR024, SR031, SR035) to Council: Passed unanimously (13-0). Staff will incorporate modifications and comments and present revised maps at the next meeting on July 6, 2011.
• No Ranking: The committee decided not to rank the four maps, instead presenting them all with comments to the City Council for final decision.
• Next Steps: Staff will produce modified maps and a report summarizing committee comments and trade-offs. The committee will reconvene on July 6, 2011, to finalize recommendations. The final report is due to the City Council on July 12, 2011.