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MINI WE'VE RESUMED OUR NORMAL MINI FORMAT AND TO COMPLY[ CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Bill Wells]
WITH STATE LAWS, WE INVITE THE PUBLIC TO JOIN US IN PERSON TO MAKE COMMENTS ABOUT ANY ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, INCLUDING PUBLIC COMMENTS.THE MOODY IS NOW CALLED THE ORDER, AND I'LL ASK OUR CITY CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLE ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE PRESENT.
WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND WITH ME AND JOIN ME IN RECITING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE FOLLOWED BY A BRIEF MOMENT OF SILENCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE.
[1. City of El Cajon Redistricting Process RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council approves reconsideration of its prior decision and considers employing additional demographer services of National Demographic Corporation (NDC).]
MEETING TO DISCUSS THE CITY OF ALCOHOLISM REDISTRICTING PROCESS? AND I'LL ASK OUR CITY MANAGER TO TELL US ABOUT THIS.THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AT IT'S OCTOBER 26, MEETING THE CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERED AN AGENDA ITEM RELATING TO CITY, UH, CITY, THE CITY'S DISTRICTING OR REDISTRICTING PROCESS.
UM, AT THAT TIME WE HAD COME TO A CROSSROADS WHERE WE HAD ENOUGH INFORMATION TO PRESENT TO THE CITY COUNCIL IN WHICH STAFF NEEDED SOME DIRECTION FROM THE COUNCIL.
AND I WANTED TO REITERATE THE SORT OF THE THREE AREAS THAT WE WERE SEEKING DIRECTION FIRST IS THAT STAFF PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY'S CURRENT CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT, OR A DISTRICTING MAP, WHICH COMPLIED WITH FEDERAL AND STATE LAW BECAUSE THE POPULATION HAS REMAINED WITHIN THE BALANCE ALLOWED BY THE LAW.
SO THE CITY COUNCIL, AS PART OF THAT DISCUSSION, AFFIRMED THAT THAT WAS THE CASE BASED ON THAT AFFIRMATION.
UM, WE STAFF TOOK THAT AS THERE WAS NO OTHER ADDITIONAL MAPS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WANTED TO DRAW TWO AS COMPETITIVE OR ALTERNATIVE MAPS TO THE CITY'S EXISTING MAP.
THE SECOND ITEM THAT WAS PRESENTED IS THAT STAFF REITERATED THAT THE CITY WOULD CONTINUE TO ACCEPT MAPS, ALTERNATIVE MAPS FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AND THESE MAPS WOULD RELY ON A SOFTWARE PROGRAM CURRENTLY ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE CALLED DISTRICT R.
AND THEN, UM, AS PART OF THAT DISCUSSION, THE COUNCIL DIRECTED STAFF, NOT TO CONSIDER, CONSIDER PURCHASING AN ADDITIONAL MAPPING SOFTWARE PROGRAM CALLED MAPTITUDE BECAUSE IT REALLY WOULDN'T ADD MUCH VALUE OR ADDITIONAL BELLS AND WHISTLES TO WHAT DISTRICT ARE PROVIDES THE THIRD DECISION OR THE THIRD SORT OF DECISION POINT THAT STAFF BROUGHT FORWARD HAD TO DO WITH, UM, WHETHER TO UTILIZE ADDITIONAL DEMOGRAPHIC SERVICES FROM NDC.
AS YOU REMEMBER, DISTRICT ARE PROVIDES REALLY GENERALIZED DEMOGRAPHIC DATA IN THE FORM OF SORT OF COLOR GRADIENT AS YOU CHOOSE A MAP OR AS YOU, AS YOU FORM YOUR DISTRICTS, BUT IT DOESN'T BREAK DOWN THE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA LIKE VOTER TURNOUT OR ETHNICITY BREAKDOWN OR AGES OR EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, HOUSEHOLD INCOME LANGUAGES SPOKEN AT HOME, ET CETERA, ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE USED TO SEEING AS PART OF, UM, THE 2017 PROCESS AT THAT 2000 OR THE OCTOBER 26 MEETING THE COUNCIL OPTED NOT TO RELY ON THE ADDITIONAL SERVICES OF NDC, UM, AND RELY REALLY ON THE DISTRICT ARE TO CALCULATE TOTAL POPULATION, WHICH BY LAW IS WHAT YOU'RE ONLY REQUIRED TO DO.
UH, LAST WEEK AT THE NOVEMBER 4TH, UM, PUBLIC, THE THIRD PUBLIC HEARING ON DISTRICT CONSIDERATIONS DURING PUBLIC TESTIMONY, THERE WAS A REQUEST FOR THE COUNCIL TO RECONSIDER THE USE OF NDC SERVICES.
UM, AGAIN, THERE'S NO LEGAL REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE, BUT THE COUNCIL DURING THAT MEETING ASKED STAFF TO AGENDA EYES, THIS ITEM, WHICH WE'RE HERE TODAY TO REGENE DIES.
UH, IF THE COUNCIL WISHES TO USE NDC SERVICES, THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS THAT ARE IN PLACE.
YOU, THE COUNCIL'S ALREADY APPROVED AN AGREEMENT WITH NDC FOR THIS SERVICE.
IT WOULD JUST BE GIVING DIRECTION THROUGH A VOTE TO STAFF TO TRIGGER THOSE SERVICES WITH THE NDC.
WITH THAT, STAFF'S HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
THE FIRST ONE IS DENEEN EDIKA GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY STAFF AND UPPER AND AN ATTENDANCE FOR MAKING THIS SPECIAL MEETING POSSIBLE.
AND FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY, AS YOU ALL KNOW BY NOW, MY NAME IS JANINE.
ERIC HAD POLICY ASSOCIATE AT PANA, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING HARD WITH THE MUSTARD CENTER TO ENSURE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE ACCESS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCESS.
I'M SPEAKING TODAY TO URGE YOU TO TAKE THIS FIRST STEP OF HIRING A DEMOGRAPHER.
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I ALSO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE INPUT OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST AS COMMUNITY MAPS ARE DRAWN AND CONSIDERED FOR THE PUBLIC'S KNOWLEDGE.THE FAIR MAPS ACT WAS PASSED IN 2019 TO ENSURE A FAIR AND INCLUSIVE REDISTRICTING AND ALL MUNICIPAL LEVELS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT AND NUANCE THEM FREE DISTRICTING, INCLUDING COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST TOLL.
AND SO DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE LINES DRAWN IN 2017 REMAIN EQUALLY BALANCED, THEY WERE ADOPTED UNDER A DIFFERENT LEGAL LANDSCAPE.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE COUNCIL NOW ALSO HAS TO CONSIDER DEMOGRAPHIC DATA THAT APPLIES TO THE FEDERAL VOTING RIGHTS ACT AND HOW DATA APPLIES TO COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST TESTIMONY PER THE FAIR MAPS ACT.
I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF A DEMOGRAPHER WITH DOES NOT ONLY NLI CENSUS DATA, BUT ADDITIONALLY HAS TO SUPPLY THE COUNCIL, THE EVOLVING OR CHANGING DATA BASED ON SHIFTING OUR CURRENT LINES AND SUBMITTED PUBLIC MAPS OR COUNCIL REQUESTED MAPS FOR CONSIDERATION.
FOR EXAMPLE, ALL THE COUNCIL HAS RIGHT NOW IS BASIC POPULATION DATA FROM ITS CURRENT MAP.
AND IT DOESN'T HAVE A DEEP DIVE INTO THE DATA FOR THE MAPS SUBMITTED BY THE PUBLIC, WHICH HAVE MULTIPLE PUBLIC SUBMISSIONS, THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE SHIFTING POPULATIONS AND DEMOGRAPHIC ACROSS DISTRICTS AND SUBMITTED MAPS.
THOSE CHANGES THEN HAVE TO BE ANALYZED TO ENSURE THAT THEY CONFORM TO LAWS LIKE THE VRA AND FAIR MAPS ACT.
IF THEY DON'T, THEN THE COUNTY, THE COUNCIL CAN ASK THE DEMOGRAPHER TO TWEAK THINGS, TO ENSURE THEY'RE IN CONFORMANCE WITH VARIOUS STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS.
AND IT'S A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY, THE PUBLIC AND THE DEMOGRAPHER.
THAT'S THEIRS WITH THE DATA, DATA AND LEGAL ELEMENT THAT IS INTERTWINED.
A GOOD DEMOGRAPHER IS WELL VERSED IN THE APPLICABLE LAWS AND CAN AID THE COUNCIL AND THE CITY ATTORNEY AND BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE LAWS AND HOW THE DATA APPLIES TO THEM.
I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THERE ARE THINGS LIKE COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST CAN BE BOTH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE IN THEIR ANALYSIS.
AND THE COUNCIL MUST WEIGH ON BOTH ON THE ULTIMATE OUTCOME OF A FINAL MAP AS THE COUNCIL CAN'T ASSUME THAT BECAUSE THEY HAVE EQUAL POPULATIONS ACROSS DISTRICTS, THAT THESE POPULATIONS CONE NORM TO THE SEAL, THE COMMUNITY OF INTEREST TESTIMONY, THEY RECEIVED A PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND SHORT TO GET THE PROCESS, RIGHT? THE CITY NEEDS A GOOD DEMOGRAPHER.
IF THE PROCESS IS DONE RIGHT, THEN THE LINE DRAWING PROCESS SHOULD BE AN EXERCISE IN FLUIDITY WHERE THE COUNCIL GETS INITIAL DATA ASSESSMENT TAKES PUBLIC TESTIMONY, REQUESTS, MAPS, AND ET CETERA.
IT'S NOT SIMPLE AS THE POPULATIONS ARE EQUAL, SO NOTHING HAS CHANGED, UH, AND WE SHOULD ADOPT THESE MAPS AGAIN BECAUSE OF ALL THESE AND BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY HAS CONTINUED TO SHOW UP, I URGE YOU TO TAKE THIS FIRST STEP OF HIRING A DEMOGRAPHER TO ENSURE A FAIR AND EQUITABLE PROCESS, AND TO AGAIN, TAKE INTO COMMUNITY OF INTEREST TESTIMONY AND ALL STAGES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THE TIME AND FOR THIS SPECIAL MEETING TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR RECONSIDERATION ON, UM, ON THURSDAY AFTER HEARING OUR COMMUNITY AND SEEN OUR COMMUNITY PRESENT REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT IN GENERAL, TO OUR COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST.
UM, AS MY COLLEAGUE JEANNINE MENTIONED, IT IS REALLY CRITICAL THAT YOU ALL CAN RECONSIDER HIRING, UH, THE NDC AND VOTE YES.
WE'RE HERE TO URGE YOU TO DO THAT AND ALSO TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE CONTINUED TO SHOW UP SINCE DAY ONE FROM THE FIRST, UM, REDISTRICT IN HEARING, WE'VE CONTINUED TO SHOW UP THIS PAST THURSDAY, WE HAD OVER 17 SPEAKERS FROM OUR COMMUNITY THAT HAVE EXPRESSED THE INTEREST AND IMPORTANCE OF TAKING OUR COMMUNITY'S INPUT INTO ACCOUNT.
AND THAT IS THROUGH HIRING AN NDC AS A FIRST STEP, BUT ALSO, UM, UH, THROUGH KEEPING AN OPEN MIND UNTIL THIS PROCESS IS COMPLETE.
WE HAVE ONE MORE HEARING ON JANUARY 22ND AND THAT'S A SATURDAY.
SO WE'RE ANTICIPATING A LOT MORE COMMUNITY SHOW UP BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITIES ARE WORKING CLASS.
SO WE URGE YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE NOT MADE UP YOUR MIND YET.
YOU HAVE NOT MADE UP A DECISION ABOUT WHAT THE MAP IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE OR WHAT THE LINES ARE GOING TO LOOK LIKE, BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE ONE MORE HEARING WHERE COMMUNITIES OF INTERESTS ARE GOING TO SHOW UP AGAIN AND AGAIN, AND THEY'RE GOING TO EXPRESS WHAT THEIR COMMUNITIES OF INTERESTS ARE AND WHAT THE LINES THAT MAKE SENSE TO THEM IN THEIR COMMUNITIES ARE.
SO, AGAIN, I'M URGING YOU ALL TO PLEASE TAKE YOUR TIME WITH THIS PROCESS TO PLEASE NOT MAKE UP YOUR MIND ALREADY AND WAIT UNTIL THE PROCESS IS COMPLETE AND COMMUNITIES HAVE GIVEN YOU THEIR FULL INPUT ON WHERE THE LINES SHOULD BE DRAWN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
AND JUST IN GENERAL, I'M ALSO WORKING CLASS.
I LEFT MY FULL-TIME JOB TO BE HERE TODAY.
SO JUST HIGHLIGHT IN THAT A LOT MORE COMMUNITY MEMBERS DID WANT TO BE HERE TODAY, BUT BECAUSE IT'S A 3:00 PM MEETING, THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO SOME HERE TO LIFT UP THEIR COMMENTS THAT THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT IN
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PERSON ON THEIR BEHALF BECAUSE I HAVE THAT ABILITY TO BE HERE TODAY BECAUSE MY WORK IS FLEXIBLE.SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AND HAVE A WONDERFUL REST OF YOUR DAY.
THEY'RE UNDER CONTRACT ALREADY.
WE JUST NEED STAFF NEEDS DIRECTION FROM THE COUNCIL OF WHETHER YOU WANT TO UTILIZE THOSE ADDITIONAL SERVICES, WHICH WOULD COST $20,000.
BECAUSE FROM WHAT I WAS HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT WE HAD NOT HIRED NDC, BUT IN FACT, WE HAD, WE, WE ACTUALLY HAD ALREADY, AND THEY STILL ARE, EVEN IF YOU WERE NOT TO UTILIZE THE $20,000 OF ADDITIONAL SERVICES, WE HAVE A DEMOGRAPHER AND IN OUR DISPOSAL.
AND JUST TO LET THE AUDIENCE KNOW, I TOO AM WORKING CLASS, I HAVE TO WORK, AND THAT'S WHY THESE MEETINGS ARE IMPORTANT, BUT WE'RE NOT ALL RETIRED UP HERE.
AND I UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION OF HAVING A THREE O'CLOCK MEETING, BUT I RUSHED DOWN HERE TWO FROM MY OFFICE AND MAKE ARRANGEMENTS WITH MY EMPLOYER AS WELL.
STEVE, I THINK THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION AT THE LAST MEETING WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, GOING FORWARD WITH THE EXISTING MAP.
AND I THINK THE CITY MANAGERS CLARIFIED THAT TODAY.
DID WE WANT TO SEE ANOTHER MAP BESIDES THE EXISTING MAP? UH, AND I THINK THAT'S A CLARIFICATION THAT HELPS, UH, I THINK THE COMMUNITY IS RIGHT.
WE SHOULD NOT MAKE UP OUR MINDS ON WHATEVER MAP WE CHOOSE UNTIL WE'VE HEARD ALL THE PUBLIC INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
SO I, AND UNFORTUNATELY I WAS ON THE LOSING END OF A VOTE LAST TIME THAT SAID WE SHOULD NOT USE THE $20,000 TO PROVIDE DEMOGRAPHIC SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITIES MAP.
I EXPRESSED THAT LEFT THE COMMUNITY AT AN UNEVEN DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE THEY COULD SUBMIT MAPS WITHOUT DEMOGRAPHICS, BUT WE HAD A MAP WITH DEMOGRAPHICS AND THAT'S JUST SEEMS UNFAIR TO THE PUBLIC.
SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT HIS BACK ON THE AGENDA TODAY.
AND, UH, I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE $20,000 BEFORE WE, UH, I, I THANK YOU FOR THE MOTION.
UM, LET ME JUST GRAB THE GRAHAM.
UM, COUNSELOR GLOBAL RECOGNIZED THE CLARIFICATION OF WHAT THE COUNCIL REALLY HAD DONE LAST AT THE LAST MEETING.
I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO CLARIFY THAT.
AND WE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC COMMENTERS THAT THERE'S, THIS NEED TO FOLLOW THE FAIRFAX MAP.
THE REALITY IS THAT AT SOME POINT, THE COUNCIL HAS TO MAKE A DECISION ON A MAP AND HOLD ITS FOURTH HEARING TO CONSIDER THAT FINAL MAP.
THE REALITY IS THAT THIS COUNCIL RIGHT NOW COULD ADOPT A MAP FOR CONSIDERATION.
I THINK IT'S, UM, IT SHOWS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL HAS GONE A LITTLE BIT ABOVE AND BEYOND TO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT, BECAUSE YOU COULD HAVE ALREADY MOVED THIS PROCESS FAR, FURTHER ALONG THAN YOU HAVE, BUT YOU'VE CONTINUED TO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT FROM THE COUNCIL.
I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, UM, THE PUBLIC RECOGNIZE THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND AND FOLLOWING THE FAIR MAPS ACT, I HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE, BUT SOMEBODY LIKES THE SECOND, SECOND MOVING THE SECOND AND PLEASE VOTE MOTION CARRIES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE, RIGHT? THAT BRINGS US TO A GERMAN, THE JOINT SPECIAL MEETING OF THE ALCOA CITY COUNCIL AND ALCOHOL AND HOUSING AUTHORITY HELD THE SNIPE THERE IN NOVEMBER, 2021 IS ADJOURN TILL TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH, 2021 AT THREE O'CLOCK, WHICH WAS FIVE MINUTES AGO.