DATE: April 27, 2021
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Jean M. Rousseau, County Administrative Officer
SUBJECT: Resolution to Establish 2021 Redistricting Commission
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Adopt Resolution establishing the 2021 Advisory Redistricting Commission; and
2. Approve the application period for the 2021 Advisory Redistricting Commission to occur from April 27, 2021 through May 14, 2021 and direct staff to post vacancies and authorize staff to accept applications.
REPORT
The intent of the redistricting process is to equalize, as closely as possible, the population in each Supervisorial District. The recommended action will authorize the creation of the 2021 Advisory Redistricting Commission as directed by your Board on April 13, 2021. The commission will be comprised of eleven members to complete the redistricting project. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board may deny the recommended action in which case you will need to either form one of the other two options for a redistricting commission, hybrid or independent, or complete the redistricting process without a commission.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The committee members will be volunteers and there is no funding available to provide reimbursement for meals and mileage.
DISCUSSION:
Redistricting is the process by which Supervisorial District boundaries are drawn every ten years to ensure each district has an equal number of residents. In adopting new Supervisorial Districts, the Board must comply with the requirements of the United States and California Constitutions, the federal Voting Rights Act, and the California Elections Code. On April 13, 2021, your Board directed staff to return with a resolution to establish an Advisory Redistricting Commission. The composition of the Commission and recommended selection of the Commission members is as follows:
1. Composition
a. The Commission shall be comprised of a total of eleven registered voters of Fresno County.
b. Two qualified members will be selected and recommended for appointment by each of the Board Members from an applicant pool representing their respective Supervisorial District (ten members).
c. Of the remaining qualified applicants, one member will be recommended for appointment by the County Administrative Office (CAO).
2. Selection
a. Applicants must complete the application attached to this Agenda Item. If your Board approves the recommended action, the application will be available immediately after the Board meeting today from the County Administrative Office. The application can also be downloaded from the Fresno County redistricting web page located at the following link: <https://www.co.fresno.ca.us/resources/redistricting>.
b. The application period shall commence today and end on May 14, 2021. Completed applications shall be received in hard copy by staff in the County Administrative Office by no later than 5:00 p.m. on May 14, 2021.
c. After the closing date for acceptance of applications, CAO staff will verify the information on the applications. Each Board Member shall be provided with copies of completed applications submitted by qualified applicants who reside in their district. Each Board Member shall select and recommend for appointment two qualified members from their respective district and submit to the CAO by May 18, 2021.
d. Of the remaining qualified applicants, one member will be recommended for appointment by the CAO.
e. Staff will return to the Board at the May 25, 2021 Board meeting for the appointment of 11 qualified members to the 2021 Advisory Redistricting Commission.
Staff in the County Administrative Office will post vacancies for the 2021 Advisory Redistricting Commission. Notifications of the application will also be shared on the County’s social media sites, distributed and posted through fliers, and public outreach through the County’s contracted marketing outreach firm specific to the redistricting project, Tripepi Smith.
As required by Elections Code section 23002, subdivision (c), Commission members shall not be County elected officials, or family members, staff, or paid campaign staff of a County elected official. According to Elections Code section 23002, subdivision (b), “family member” means a spouse, parent, sibling, child, or in-law, and under subdivision (h) “spouse” means a spouse or registered domestic partner. Commission members are also subject to the guidelines set forth in the attached application.
The 2021 Advisory Redistricting Commission will serve in an advisory capacity to the Board of Supervisors and will evaluate the existing boundaries of each Supervisorial District, receive and consider public input, and develop options for boundary adjustments to account for population and demographic changes as provided in the 2020 Census data. Duties of the Commission shall include the following:
1. Attendance and participation at all public hearings and/or workshops.
2. Work collaboratively with County staff and retained consultants.
3. Meet with County staff and retained consultants to receive training and draw proposed district boundaries.
4. Develop redistricting plan recommendations to present to the Board of Supervisors.
Based on Elections Code section 21501, subdivision (a)(2), the Supervisorial District boundaries must be adopted no later than 174 days before the June 7, 2022 statewide primary election, which is December 15, 2021. The following is a timeline for the redistricting project after appointment of the commissioners and is subject to change based on the release of census data and possible changes in the state deadlines through proposed legislation.
• April - May 2021: Project Planning & Initial Outreach
o Board of Supervisors Adopts resolution to create Advisory Redistricting Commission.
o Applications are accepted for Commission - two week period (April 27th through May 14th).
o CAO reviews and verifies applications and submits to the Board of Supervisors for their review.
o Board of Supervisors reviews and provides CAO staff with names for appointment.
o Board of Supervisors appoints members to Commission at their May 25, 2021 meeting.
o Initial kickoff training meeting for Commission is held.
o Public outreach begins.
• May - September 2021: Initial Data Analysis & Initial Hearings/Forums
o Population, demographic, socio-economic analysis and matching.
o Initial public hearings and/or workshops, including an overview of the redistricting laws and criteria.
o Continued outreach to the public.
• October - November 2021: Draft Map Preparation & Review
o 2020 Census total population counts released, and California Statewide Database completes “prison adjustments” of the data. Total population counts in outreach materials and mapping tools are updated with the official Census data.
o Public hearing(s) to review the draft maps, narrow down the list of initial draft maps, and provide direction on any desired new or revised maps.
• November - December 2021: Map Adoption
o Board would need to adopt final map by no later than December 15, 2021. There is currently a Board meeting scheduled on December 14, 2021 that would be the target date.
The 2021 Advisory Redistricting Commission will receive direct support through CAO staff, County Counsel, Chiefs of Staff for each Supervisorial District, the Information Technology Division of the Department of Internal Services, the Registrar of Voters, and the Geographic Information Systems staff in the Public Works and Planning Department. In addition, the County will also utilize outside consultants as follows: National Demographics Corporation is the demographer and Tripepi Smith is the Marketing Outreach manager/coordinator.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #6, April 13, 2021
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Resolution
Commissioner Application
CAO ANALYST:
Samantha Buck