[Independent Citizen’s Redistricting Committee]
[00:00:06]
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, EVERYONE.
UM, THIS IS OUR FIRST PUBLIC FORUM FOR THE INDEPENDENT CITIZENS REDISTRICTING COMMISSION, AND THIS WILL BE RECORDED AND PUT ON THE CITY SITE JUST FOR EVERYBODY'S KNOWLEDGE.
UM, SO AGAIN, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO, UH, OUR GOAL IS TO GET OUT OF HERE BY 8:00 PM AND I THINK WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THAT GOAL.
UM, SO I AM CHRISTINA
AND, UM, SO IF WE CAN JUST PUT THE POWERPOINT UP ON THE TV, THANK YOU.
THIS IS OUR AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING.
WE WILL TAKE YOU THROUGH THE BACKGROUND ON THE INDEPENDENT CITIZENS REDISTRICTING COMMISSION.
UH, WE WILL DISCUSS THE CURRENT CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT MAPS AND DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION, THE HISTORY OF THE TEN ONE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS, EXPLANATION OF THE DELAYED CENSUS.
AND FINALLY, WE WILL INTRODUCE HOW TO PROCEED THROUGHOUT THE BREAKOUT SESSIONS IF WE END UP MOVING FORWARD WITH BREAKOUT SESSIONS FOR, FOR THIS ROUND, UM, AND THE COMMISSIONERS THEMSELVES WILL GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
AND, UM, WE'LL LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW TO USE THESE MAP PRINTOUTS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN HANDED.
I'M GOING TO PASS THIS OFF TO VICE-CHAIR GONZALEZ.
I ACTUALLY JUST REMEMBERED I WANTED HIM TO DO THIS.
UM, JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ON THIS SLIDE.
YOU CAN FIND US ON FACEBOOK ON INSTAGRAM AND FOREVER EVER WORK WEBSITES.
SO THOSE RESOURCES ARE PROVIDED FOR YOU.
UM, NEXT SLIDE, MATT, WE JUST REALLY WANT TO BE CAUTIOUS, ESPECIALLY WITH NEWS TODAY THAT AUSTIN HAS JUMPED BACK INTO STAGE THREE OF THE COVID PANDEMIC, UM, ENCOURAGING FOLKS TO MASK UP, UM, PROTECT YOUR NEIGHBOR.
UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ABIDING BY COVID GUIDELINES.
I WOULD LOVE TO INTRODUCE, UH, THE COMMISSIONERS THAT YOU SEE ON THE DAYAS TODAY.
UM, SINCE WE CORRALLED TOGETHER IN OUR FIRST MEETING, WE'VE EXPANDED FROM EIGHT TO 14.
UM, WE HAVE A FULL COMMISSION.
UH, EVERYONE HAS BEEN PUTTING IN SUCH HARD, INCREDIBLE WORK, NOT ONLY THE COMMISSIONERS THAT YOU SEE HERE, BUT THE CITY STAFF, UM, OUR ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER, UH, CONSULTANTS, UH, LEGAL COUNSEL.
SO JUST WANT TO APPLAUD EVERYONE'S EFFORTS THAT BROUGHT US HERE TODAY.
UM, DISTRICT ONE, YOU HAVE AERO HARDING AND SELENA GEEK COMMISSIONER.
HE WHO'S OFF TO MY RIGHT, UM, OR DISTRICT TWO.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER MORRIS FOR COMMISSIONER FOR, WE HAVE, UH, FOR DISTRICT FOUR, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER LANDS, DISTRICT FIVE COMMISSIONER KANAAN DISTRICT SIX COMMISSIONER SCHNEIDER, DISTRICT SEVEN.
WE HAVE SHAREPOINT AND COMMISSIONER BUNK, ONE DISTRICT EIGHT, UH, COMMISSIONER LEE AND COMMISSIONER BLINK, DISTRICT 10.
WE HAVE MYSELF VICE CHAIR, GONZALEZ AND COMMISSIONER DEMPSEY, AND INTENTIONALLY DISTRICT NINE COMMISSIONER.
KAMBO LEAVING HER TOWARDS THE END HERE.
SO SHE, IF SHE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HERSELF AND WHY SHE JOINED THE ICRC.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NEXT LINE, MATT? SORRY ABOUT THAT.
MY NAME IS SHANNA KAMBO AND, UM, I RESIDE IN DISTRICT NINE.
I'M A GEOGRAPHY AND SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES MAJOR AT UT.
SO I'M DEFINITELY PASSIONATE ABOUT MAPS, PASSIONATE ABOUT FINDING OUT THE NEEDS OF A DIVERSE POPULATION.
AND ESPECIALLY SINCE AUSTIN, UM, NOW HAS THE FASTEST GROWING POPULATION FOR A MAJOR CITY IN THE U S UM, WE JUST, THE DEAN IS A VERY IMPORTANT AND A VITAL COMPONENT OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IN THE CITY TODAY.
SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE PART OF THIS COMMISSION, WORKING WITH AN AMAZING GROUP OF PEOPLE.
AND, UM, I'M VERY OPEN AND WILLING TO HEAR FROM, UM, DISTRICT NINE RESIDENTS AND THE LARGER COMMUNITY ABOUT THEIR NEEDS FOR REDISTRICTING.
AND WE'LL DEFINITELY DO OUR BEST TO CREATE, UM, A FAIR AND EQUITABLE, UM, MAP.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER COMBO.
[00:05:01]
OKAY.SO IN 20 12, 60 1% OF AUSTIN VOTERS SET THE STANDARD FOR OPEN AND TRANSPARENT MAPPING OF DISTRICTS.
THIS VOTE APPROVED REPLACING THE CITIES AT LARGE CITY COUNCIL SYSTEM THAT LACKED GEOGRAPHICAL AND RACIAL REPRESENTATION WITH THE CURRENT TEN ONE SYSTEM THAT CONSISTS OF 10 SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS, PLUS THE MAYOR TO PREVENT GERRYMANDERING ON BEHALF OF ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL, THE DISTRICTS WERE DRAWN BY AN INDEPENDENT CITIZENS REDISTRICTING COMMISSION.
THE ICRC HISTORY WAS MADE ON NOVEMBER 18TH, 2013.
WHEN WE BECAME THE FIRST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES TO HAVE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS DRAWN BY A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT GROUP OF ORDINARY RESIDENTS WERE NOT SELECTED BY ANY LEGISLATOR, JUDGE OR OTHER PUBLIC OFFICIAL, THE WAY THAT OTHER REDISTRICTING COMMISSIONS OPERATE WERE ALSO ALL VOLUNTEERS NOT PAID 1 CENT.
THIS BODY BEFORE YOU IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR PRODUCING THE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS, NOT THE CITY COUNCIL, NOT THE MAYOR OR THE CITY MANAGER NOR THE STATE.
WE ARE INDEPENDENT WITH A CAPITAL NEXT SLIDE.
SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR SELECTION PROCESS.
I ALREADY SPOKE TO OUR HISTORY.
UH, WE HAVE THIS YEAR, WE HAD RECEIVED OVER 300 APPLICATIONS AND IT'S A LITTLE HARD FOR ME TO SEE THE TEXT THERE.
VICE CHAIR CAN IS, UM, 89.3, 1% OF THESE RECEIVED APPLICATIONS MET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, UH, TO BE ELIGIBLE, TO BE ON THIS COMMISSION.
AND THEN THERE WAS A REVIEW PANEL THAT SELECTED THE TOP 60 APPLICANTS.
THE CITY AUDITOR RANDOMLY SELECTED EIGHT IN A LOTTERY SYSTEM FROM THIS QUALIFIED POOL OF 60.
AND THEN THOSE RANDOMLY SELECTED EIGHT COMMISSIONERS CHOSE SIX ADDITIONAL APPLICANTS FROM THAT QUALIFIED POOL THAT BRINGS US TO THE 14 MEMBERS THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
AND WE WILL BE THE ONES THAT DRAW THE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES FOR AUSTIN.
OKAY, SLIDE WHAT YOU SAID, YOU SEE HIGHLIGHTED HERE.
THIS IS WHY YOU ARE HERE TODAY.
UM, OUR GOAL IS TO HEAR FROM YOU IN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR 10 DISTRICTS, WE ARE GOING TO EVERY DISTRICT AND WE'LL HOLD ONE OF THESE PUBLIC FORUMS, UM, FOR THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF EACH OF THE DISTRICTS.
UM, AS WELL AS COMING UP WITH AN INITIAL DRAFT OF THE BOUNDARIES WE WILL, AFTER WE DO THAT, WE'LL HOLD FOR BOARD PUBLIC MEETINGS AND THAT'S GOING TO BE ONE IN EACH OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY PRECINCTS AFTER THAT.
AND WE SOLICIT MORE PUBLIC INPUT THERE.
WE WILL PROPOSE FINAL BOUNDARIES AND WE'LL COME BACK, EXCUSE ME, GO BACK OUT TO THE PUBLIC, UM, AND HAVE TWO MORE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
THESE ARE GOING TO BE NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE RIVER, AND THEN WE WILL VOTE ON THE FINAL BOUNDARIES AND IMPROVE, UH, RATHER ADOPT THAT PLAN, UH, NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 1ST, 2121.
SO I'M GOING TO KEEP THIS SIMPLE.
WHY DOES REDISTRICTING MATTER? OUR REDISTRICTING PROCESS MATTERS BECAUSE IT'S DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO FAIR REPRESENTATION.
MANY BELIEVE THAT IT IS THE ANTIDOTE TO GERRYMANDERING PRACTICES.
WE SEE AT THE STATE LEVEL AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHERE POLITICAL DISTRICTS ARE DRAWN FOR THE PURPOSE OF POLITICIANS TO GET REELECTED RATHER THAN TO ENSURE FAIR REPRESENTATION AND INCREASE DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION.
OUR PROCESS MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR RESIDENTS TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE FOR A CANDIDATE OF THEIR CHOICE.
SOMEONE WHO THEY BELIEVE WILL FIGHT FOR THEM WHEN THEY GET INTO OFFICE.
ONE CHALLENGE FOR THIS COMMISSION IS ENSURING THAT THE POOL OF APPLICANTS WILL ACCURATELY REFLECT THE DEMOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY OF OUR CITY'S ENTIRE POPULATION WHILE ALSO HAVING NO TIES TO CITY OR STATE POLITICS OR POLITICAL PARTIES.
AND ALSO THAT WE MUST HAVE LIVED AND VOTED IN AUSTIN FOR, UM, FOR AT LEAST I THINK, FIVE YEARS.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE INDEPENDENT WITH A CAPITAL I, A LITTLE RECENT HISTORY FREE ALL THE SUPREME COURT ON JUNE 29TH, 2015, AFFIRMS THAT VOTERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO ESTABLISH INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSIONS AT A TIME WHEN POLITICIANS ELICIT DISTRUST CITIZEN REDISTRICTING CAN PROVIDE A TRANSPARENT AND TRANSFORMING ALTERNATIVE TO POLITICS.
THIS MOVEMENT INVITES THE INVOLVEMENT OF ANY AND ALL RESIDENTS.
OUR WORK TODAY CAN NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT PUBLIC FORUMS LIKE THIS ONE.
AND WITHOUT YOU AND ATTENDANCE, NEXT SLIDE.
THIS ONE 13 INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING OF ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES WAS A GRASSROOTS FROM THE GROUND UP INITIATIVE AND THE 2021 COMMISSIONERS HOPE TO DO THE SAME THIS YEAR, BECAUSE WE BELIEVE REPRESENTATION IS THE BACKBONE OF DEMOCRACY.
THIS IS A, A GRAPH SHOWING THE, UH, POPULATION
[00:10:01]
MAKEUP OF EACH OF THE 10 COUNCIL DISTRICTS FROM 2010.SO IN 2010, THE POPULATION WAS 790,390.
AND THE IDEAL POPULATION PER CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT WAS AROUND 79,000.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE SOME COME JUST UNDER SOME COME JUST OVER DISTRICT NINE, SINCE THAT'S WHERE WE ARE TONIGHT, UH, HAPPENED TO BE ALMOST RIGHT ON THE NOSE.
AND WHEN THIS, UH, WHEN THE DISTRICT WAS MADE, IT HAD 79,735 PEOPLE.
SO VERY CLOSE TO A 0% DEVIATION.
HOW DO WE DRAW THE MAPS? LATER THIS YEAR, THE CITIZENS ON THIS COMMISSION WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE 2020 CENSUS DATA.
THE COMMISSIONERS WILL USE THIS DATA AND PUBLIC INPUT TO DECIDE HOW TO DRAW THE NEW DISTRICT BOUNDARIES AND BEST REFLECT AUSTIN'S CHANGES ADHERENT TO SECTION THREE E OF THE ICRC CHARTER.
THE COMMISSIONERS MUST DRAW EACH DISTRICTS BOUNDARIES USING THIS CRITERIA YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN.
SO THERE ARE SEVEN ITEMS AND THESE ITEMS ARE LISTED IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE.
SO WE PRIORITIZE FROM THE TOP DOWN NEXT SLIDE ON THIS GRAPH, YOU SEE THE RAPID AND PRECIPITOUS GROWTH IN AUSTIN'S POPULATION.
THROUGH THE YEARS, IT ACTUALLY TAKES US BACK TO 1870, AND THAT REALLY PAINTS THIS PICTURE.
THE ESTIMATE FOR AUSTIN'S POPULATION LAST YEAR IN 2020 IS 995,484.
THAT'S ABOUT A 25% INCREASE SINCE 2010.
AND THE IDEAL CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT SIZE IN THIS CASE WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 99,500.
I'M CERTAIN THAT AT THIS POINT WE HAVE SURPASSED A MILLION, BUT OF COURSE WE WILL DRAW THE DISTRICTS AND A PORTION BASED ON THE DATA FROM THE 2020 CENSUS.
SO THIS IS THE, UM, RACE AND ETHNICITY COMPOSITION OF OUR CITY FROM 2010 AND THEN 2019.
UM, AND THIS IS, UH, YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT THE HISPANIC POPULATION HAS ACTUALLY SHRUNK, UM, WHICH IS QUITE AN ANOMALY WHEN YOU COMPARE THAT TO THE REST OF THE STATE.
UM, THE POPULATION THAT IDENTIFIES AS WHITE IN AUSTIN IS 49% WHILE 32% IDENTIFY AS LATINO.
WE HAVE ABOUT 8% THAT IDENTIFY AS ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER, WHICH IS HIGHER THAN THE SHARE OF THE STATE POPULATION.
A LITTLE MORE THAN 7% OF OUR POPULATION IDENTIFY AS BLACK, WHICH IS LOWER THAN THE SHARE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AS A WHOLE, WE HAVE CLOSE TO 3% THAT IDENTIFY WITH TWO OR MORE RACES AND SMALLER SHARES IDENTIFYING AS AMERICAN, INDIAN, AND ALASKA NATIVE.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE RATE OF GROWTH BY, UM, W RATHER WHEN WE LOOK AT THE RATE OF GROWTH BY ETHNICITY CONCENTRATIONS, UM, YES, NEXT LINE.
BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CONTRIBUTION OF EACH OF THESE RACE, ETHNICITY GROUPS TO THE TOTAL CHANGE ACROSS THIS DECADE, WE SEE THAT THE MAIN DRIVER IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS BEEN THE NON-HISPANIC WHITE POPULATION.
THIS IS UNIQUELY DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF TEXAS, WHERE WHITES ARE CONTRIBUTING ONLY ABOUT 13% OF TOTAL POPULATION CHANGE ACROSS THE DECADE.
AND HERE IN AUSTIN, AS YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT'S HIGHLIGHTED THERE ON THE RIGHT COLUMN, IT'S CLOSER TO 50.
NEXT SLIDE I SAW EARLIER, AUSTIN HAS GROWN BY OVER 200,000 PEOPLE SINCE 2010.
AND THIS MAP SHOWS THAT THE GROWTH IS CONCENTRATED IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY.
IN SOME CASES, AREAS OF AUSTIN LOST POPULATION WHILE OTHERS GREW BY MORE THAN 3000 RESIDENTS, WHICH YOU CAN SEE FROM THAT KEY BY THE DARK BLUE, THIS UNEQUAL GROWTH MEANS THAT DISTRICT BOUNDARIES WILL CHANGE.
NEXT SLIDE DO NOT HAVE THE 2020 CENSUS DATA.
THE CITY CHARTER HAS SET THE DEADLINE OF NOVEMBER 1ST FOR THE FINAL REDISTRICTING PLAN TO BE ADOPTED.
THIS IS A TIGHT TURNAROUND CONSIDERING WE CANNOT FORMALLY START THE MAPPING PROCESS UNTIL WE HAVE RECEIVED THE CENSUS DATA.
SO AS YOU SAW EARLIER, BETWEEN WHEN WE RECEIVE THE DATA FROM THE CENSUS BUREAU AND THE NOVEMBER 1ST DEADLINE, WE WILL NEED TO DRAW PRELIMINARY MAPS, PRESENT THEM TO THE PUBLIC IN EACH TRAVIS COUNTY PRECINCT AND TAKE PUBLIC INPUT, REVISE THE MAPS, PRESENT THE FINAL
[00:15:01]
MAPS TWO MORE TIMES AND TAKE PUBLIC INPUT, AND THEN ADOPT THE FINAL PLAN A LOT TO DO IN THAT VERY SHORT TIMELINE.AND SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S HIGHLIGHTED ARE THE DATES WHEN WE WILL RECEIVE THIS DATA.
SO WE HAD A GROUP ACTIVITY PLANNED, BUT I THINK GIVEN WHO, UH, YOU KNOW, THE SIZE OF OUR AUDIENCE TONIGHT, WE COULD PROBABLY JUST BE ONE GROUP.
UH, SO THIS WILL BE MODIFIED A LITTLE BIT JUST, UM, AS WE GO.
SO ATTENDEES WILL BE DIVIDED INTO, WOULD HAVE BEEN DIVIDED INTO EQUAL GROUPS, ARE Y'ALL COMFORTABLE WITH JUST BEING ONE? YES.
UM, SO WE, WE WON'T DO THE PART THAT, UM, INVOLVES THE NAME TAG AND EVERYTHING.
UH, BUT I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT YOU ALL HAVE YOUR NAME TAG, SO AT LEAST WE CAN KNOW YOUR NAMES.
AND, UM, AND I THINK RATHER THAN DOING IT WITH, UM, SMALL GROUPS WHERE COMMISSIONERS ARE LEADING, WE CAN PROBABLY JUST, UH, HAVE Y'ALL FILL OUT THOSE MAPS WHERE YOU ARE.
AND SO I WILL, IF YOU GIVE ME JUST ONE MOMENT, I WILL GET THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY, AND WE CAN DISCUSS THOSE JUST TOGETHER.
COMMISSIONER CANNOT MENTION THANKS TO PATRICIA FOR PREPARING THE NAME TAGS WITH THE COLOR CODED STICKERS THAT WE DIDN'T END UP NEEDING TODAY.
IT'S ACTUALLY, UM, I'LL READ WHAT WE HAVE HERE.
SO STEP ONE WOULD HAVE BEEN WHEN WE GOT TOGETHER IN GROUPS, INSTEAD, WE'RE GOING TO STAY WHERE WE ARE.
UH, STEP TWO, I WILL TAKE CARE OF IN JUST A MOMENT.
STEP THREE, EACH GROUP WILL SELECT ONE SPEAKER, RATHER, MAYBE WE COULD JUST GO AROUND AND EACH PERSON, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME TO THE MICROPHONE AND SHARE WHAT YOU PUT ON YOUR, UM, ON YOUR SHEET AND EXPLAIN YOUR MAP, YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO THAT.
IF NOT, YOU CAN JUST HAND US YOUR SHEET AT THE END OF THIS.
UM, AND THEN YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO REPORT WHAT YOU PUT ON YOUR DOCUMENT.
UH, AGAIN, IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE DOING SO NOW, IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
WHEN YOU, UM, ENGAGE WITH THIS MAP THIS EVENING IS WHAT ARE YOUR AREAS OF INTEREST IN YOUR COMMUNITY IN DISTRICT NINE? AND IF YOU'RE NOT IN DISTRICT NINE, BUT YOU CAME ANYWAY, THAT'S AMAZING.
AND I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE AND YOU CAN FILL OUT THE MAP.
THAT IS JUST A MAP OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
IF YOU SEE THERE, ONE OF, OF THIS DISTRICT AND ONE OF THE WHOLE CITY, DOES EVERYBODY HAVE A MAP? YES, THAT'S IT.
ARE THESE OVERLAPPING SETS OF NEIGHBORHOODS, NETWORKS, AND GROUPS THAT SHARE INTERESTS, VIEWS, CULTURES, HISTORIES, LANGUAGES, AND VALUES, UM, AND THAT YOU CAN IDENTIFY ON THIS MAP WITH THESE BOUNDARIES.
SO, UH, EXAMPLES ARE NEIGHBORHOODS, SCHOOLS, PARKS, SHOPPING MALLS, THE GROCERY STORE YOU GO TO EVERY WEEK.
UM, ANY REC FACILITIES, BUS ROUTES.
THAT'S JUST KIND OF A LIST TO GET YOU STARTED AND YOU'LL USE A MARKER OR A PEN IS FINE AS WELL TO DRAW POINTS ON YOUR MAP.
THESE COULD BE DOTS OR STARS, WHATEVER YOU PREFER TO REPRESENT THE PLACES THAT YOU FREQUENT IN YOUR DISTRICT.
AND THEN YOU WILL DRAW A LINE AROUND THE AREAS THAT YOU WISH TO REMAIN INTACT IN YOUR DISTRICT.
ON THE BACK OF THE MAP, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE ARE LINES FOR COMMENTS.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE ANY COMMENTS, EXPLAINING YOUR MAP, UM, OR IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE US ANY SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS, CONCERNS.
AND IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE TOO, THANK YOU.
REASON WE'RE ASKING YOU FOR THIS TONIGHT IS, UH, WHAT YOU SEE HIGHLIGHTED HERE, WHICH IS, UH, THE FOURTH POINT DOWN, UM, ON OUR CITY CHARTER SECTION THREE E.
AND THIS IS TO, UM, FOR THE GEOGRAPHIC INTEGRITY OF LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS OR LOCAL COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST
[00:20:16]
COMMISSION.IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO HAVE AN APP AS WELL? ABSOLUTELY.
PATRICIA, WOULD YOU MIND THANK YOU AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE TO MATT AS YOU'RE WORKING ON THIS WORKSHEET, HOPEFULLY YOU ALL CAN READ THE QUESTIONS HERE.
PLENTY OF QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER, UM, SUCH AS, WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR DISTRICT? HOW DO YOU LIVE LIFE IN YOUR COMMUNITY? WHAT ROUTES DO YOU TAKE TO WORK? WHAT CHURCHES, MOSQUES, TEMPLES DO YOU ATTEND GROCERY STORES? DO YOU FREQUENT? WHAT SCHOOLS DO YOUR CHILDREN ATTEND? HOW ACCESSIBLE IS THE CAPITAL METRO BUS LINE? WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SHARED COMMUNITY SPACES, SUCH AS SHOPPING CENTERS, HOMEOWNERS, ASSOCIATIONS, PARKS, AND POOLS.
WHERE DO YOU GO TO THE DOCTOR? WHERE'S THE NEAREST POLICE AND FIRE STATION IN YOUR COMMUNITY? WHAT ARE YOUR COMMUNITIES SHARED INTERESTS, UM, HEALTH CONDITIONS, LAND USE, ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND OTHER ISSUES.
WHAT ARE THE RACIAL AND ETHNIC COMPOSITIONS, CULTURAL IDENTITIES AND HOUSEHOLDS THAT PREDOMINANTLY SPEAK A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS IN YOUR COMMUNITY INCLUDED, BUT NOT LIMITED TO INCOME, HOME OWNERSHIP AND EDUCATION LEVELS, AND WHAT ARE THE SHARED POLITICAL BOUNDARY LINES FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS IN YOUR COMMUNITY? AND I WILL LEAVE THIS SLIDE UP.
AND IF YOU ALL COULD MAYBE JUST, UM, LOOK UP AT US AND, OR, YOU KNOW, WAVE YOUR HAND OR WHATEVER, WHEN YOU T WHEN YOU WERE FINISHED.
SO WE KNOW TO, TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT STEP.
[00:26:35]
JUST AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE'LL CHECK IN WITH ALL OF OUR GUESTS AND THEIR ASSIGNMENT, UH, IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES OR SO.UM, I'LL GIVE US JUST ONE MORE MINUTE TO WRAP UP, AND THEN WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT STEP.
WE ARE GOING TO HEAR FROM OUR PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE WITH US TODAY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME UP TO THE MIC AND SHARE ABOUT YOUR MAP.
IN FACT, UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE, I CAN GIVE THIS BACK TO YOU IF YOU WANT, JUST WANT TO SPEAK.
AND PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND TELL US WHAT DISTRICT YOU'RE IN.
YEAH, SO, UH, MY NAME IS BRAD PARSONS.
UM, I'VE BEEN WATCHING EVERYTHING YOU'VE BEEN DOING, AND I WANTED TO COMPLIMENT YOU ALL FOR YOUR VOLUNTEERING, ESPECIALLY IN THE PAST MONTH OR MORE YOUR ORGANIZATION.
AND WHAT YOU'RE ACCOMPLISHING HAS REALLY BEEN IMPRESSIVE.
UH, EVEN JUST TONIGHT, ALL THE PREPARATION I CAN TELL THAT WENT INTO THE NIGHT.
UM, SO I, WHEN A COMPANY IN THE I'M, THE ONE WHO WAS SAYING IS RF RFQ IS RFPS FOR THE LAST COMMISSION ON THE THREE POSITIONS.
CAUSE I COULD TELL THAT WOULD HELP FROM THEM.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF THE CONTEXT, UH, BUT I ALSO WAS INVOLVED IN AGR HELP PACK AND LINDA GATHER SIGNATURES.
SO I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING.
I JUST WANTED TO, YOU ACTUALLY PUT UP EARLIER THIS MAP, IT CAME FROM THE CITY TOMORROW FOR HIS PRESENTATION, YOU ALL A FEW WEEKS AGO.
AND IT'S THE, UH, THE CONCENTRATION BASICALLY OF THE POPULATION CHANGES AROUND THE CITY AND THIS, UH, THIS TELLS YOU, I THINK, WHAT YOUR WORK IS GOING TO BE BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY AROUND THE EDGES OF THE CITY IS WHERE THE GROWTH IN POPULATION HAS BEEN.
[00:30:01]
IF YOU LOOK WHAT ACTUAL DISTRICTS IT IS, IT'S REALLY ABOUT FIVE OR SIX DISTRICTS.SO THAT THERE'S ANOTHER FOUR THAT DIDN'T GROW NEAR AS MUCH.
UM, THE, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, THE POPULATION, EACH DISTRICT IS GOING FROM 80,000 TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND, BUT SOME OF THEM ARE MORE THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
NOW, IN FACT, DISTRICT SIX, EVEN WHEN IT WAS DRAWN, UH, IT WAS DRAWN USING DATA THREE YEARS OLD, IT WAS ALREADY CLOSE TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
SO, SO YOU KNOW THAT BASICALLY WHERE THE BLUES ARE DARKER, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF THE DISTRICTS.
UH, IF YOU WERE GOING FROM THIS SAME MAP AND THEN THE OTHER FIVE AND FOUR OR FIVE DISTRICTS, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SORT OF EXPAND IN GEOGRAPHY, BUT THE OTHER POINT ABOUT THIS, UM, SO THAT'S THAT RIGHT THERE TELLS YOU THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE QUITE A BIT OF CHANGES IN THE MAP.
UM, YOU DID HAVE A FORMER COMMISSIONER TELL YOU THAT, UM, YOU SHOULD BE CAREFUL AND HESITANT AND BE SURE, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING WHEN YOU CHANGE LINES.
WELL, THE POPULATION HAS CHANGED SO MUCH.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CHANGE A LOT OF, A LOT OF LINES.
AND THE QUESTION IS, THEN I'LL CLOSE WITH THIS.
ARE YOU GONNA TAKE THE CURRENT MAP AND TRY TO, UM, WORK IT AROUND, YOU KNOW, MOVE THE DOMINOES AROUND TO TRY TO GET IT TO BALANCE AGAIN.
AND I THINK THERE IS A WAY IT'S BASICALLY WHAT I WROTE ON MY INPUT TO YOU TODAY.
THERE'S A WAY YOU COULD DO THAT, BUT YOU ALSO ARE NOT LIMITED TO THAT.
THERE HA THERE ARE PEOPLE WITHIN THE CITY WHO, SINCE YOU'RE INDEPENDENT, THEY DO NOT CONTROL YOU.
WHO WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO JUST WORK FROM THIS MAP AND SLIGHTLY CHANGE IT, BUT YOU CAN START FROM A WHOLE NEW MAP.
UM, SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER, UH, AS YOU YOU'RE GONNA, YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, NINE MORE MEETINGS.
YOU'RE, I'M IMPRESSED THAT YOU'RE DOING LIKE ONE OF THESE EVERY THREE OR FOUR DAYS NOW FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
AND YOU'LL GET LOTS OF DIFFERENT FEEDBACK.
THIS IS GOING TO HELP YOU, AND THEN YOU'LL GO, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO FINALLY, YOU WILL GET THE DATA AND YOU'LL BUILD TO DECIDE HOW YOU WANT TO DO THE MAP.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT IS KEY WHERE THE GROWTH HAS BEEN IN.
IT IMPLIES THAT THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE QUITE A BIT OF CHANGE TO THE MAP.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR VOLUNTEERING.
THANK YOU, MR. PARSONS, DID ANYONE ELSE WANT TO SPEAK TO US TODAY? HELLO.
I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF OUR, THE COALITION.
UM, I'M NOT A CITIZEN OF DISTRICT NINE, BUT I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
ONE, THIS IS AN EXTRA EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF A DISTRICT THAT IS NOT A MINORITY DISTRICT, BUT AS IMPACTED BY THEM ON EVERY SIDE OF THIS DISTRICT, UH, ESPECIALLY, UH, ON THE EAST AND SOUTH AND ON THE NORTH AND TO THIS DISTRICT IS HEMMED IN BY DISTRICTS THAT ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN OR HISPANIC DISTRICTS OR OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS.
I MEAN, CHECK THAT ON YOUR OWN MAP DISTRICT FOR DISTRICT ONE AND DISTRICT THREE ARE ALL MINORITY DISTRICTS HAVE SOME KIND OF OPPORTUNITY OR, OR MAJORITY MINORITY.
SO THIS IS ONE OF THE DISTRICTS YOU'LL SEE, AS YOU GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WHICH ARE SHAPED BY DISTRICTS THAT ARE HIGHER PRIORITY THAN THIS DISTRICT WOULD BE UNDER YOUR PRIORITY SYSTEM.
NUMBER TWO, YOU'RE GOING TO FIND PEOPLE WILL TESTIFY AT SOME POINT.
WELL, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE'S THIS NEW TAKEN OUT OF MY DISTRICT.
THIS NICHE REMOVED, LIKE THERE IS HERE.
THE SHORT ANSWER IS, IS IT IN THE INTERPERSONAL NEGOTIATIONS OF PEOPLE FROM ONE, ONE DISTRICT IN ANOTHER? YOU HAVE THESE THINGS HAPPEN WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO STAY AS THEY WERE IN THE PAST BETWEEN A FIVE AND NO, NO HIGHER THAN THEY HAD TO GO.
AND UNDER 10% WAS THE GOAL OF THE LAST COMMISSION.
YOU HAVE A CERTAIN SET OF POPULATION, AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TRIM SOMEWHERE WHEN YOU'RE FRO FROZEN ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH BY MINORITIES, THEN YOU BE IN NIBBLING AT THE AGES TO GET YOUR NUMBERS.
NOW, THIS DISTRICT IS ALMOST PERFECT IN SIZE BY THE STANDARDS OF THE LAST TIME.
AND WHAT HAPPENED IS, IS THAT PEOPLE DID THINGS LIKE ONE OF THESE NIBBLES IS TO BE SURE THAT THE LBJ SCHOOL LBJ MUSEUM IS IN THE BLACK DISTRICT.
THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE THAT WERE NEGOTIATING THESE DISTRICTS.
IT WASN'T SOMETHING I HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH, OR I REPRESENTED THE FOLKS INVOLVED.
THAT WAS AN INTERPERSONAL REACT DEAL BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THE ICRC AND MEMBERS OF THE NAACP.
ANOTHER ONE WAS JUST HAD TO GET RID OF EXTRA POPULATION.
YOU'RE GOING TO FIND THAT THAT HAPPENS.
PEOPLE THINK, WELL, DISTRICTS WOULD BE NICE, STRAIGHT SQUARE, ROUND THINGS TO GET VARIANCES.
AND THEN AS YOU GET INTO THIS PROCESS, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO MEET THE PERSON THAT SAYS, WELL, BUT I WANT THIS OVER HERE.
[00:35:01]
ELSE SAYS, WELL, I DON'T CARE.SO WE HAVE THE LBJ LIBRARY AND SCHOOL GOES IN WITH, AMONG THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN DISTRICT.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
THIS IS NOT SOME JERRY MANNERED MANNERED OP UH, OPERATION.
IT IS A DISTRICT SHAPED BY HIGHER PRIORITIES.
AND THEN AT THE VERY END, BECAUSE IT HAD TO BE REDUCED TO GET IT BACK TO VARIANCE BY INTERPERSONAL NEGOTIATIONS.
I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
THANK YOU, MR. YOUNG, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WILLING TO TESTIFY? YES.
AND PLEASE JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND WHICH DISTRICT YOU'RE IN.
UH, I'M QUINTIN BOBATH, UH, DISTRICT NINE.
UM, I WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO MAKE A COMMENT SAYING THAT I WASN'T QUITE SURE WHY THOSE LITTLE, I GUESS, NIBBLES WERE, UH, IN THE DISTRICT AND THAT'S A VERY HELPFUL INFORMATION TO KNOW NOW.
UM, BUT MORE GENERALLY SPEAKING, UH, I, I'M KIND OF, UM, UNDER THE MINDSET THAT, UH, THE DISTRICTS WILL HAVE TO BE REDRAWN PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY.
UM, AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH ALL THE POPULATION CHANGE, UM, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME SPEAKING AT ONE OF THESE.
SO FORGIVE ME IF THIS IS NOT PARTICULARLY INTELLIGENT, BUT I REALLY JUST WANTED TO SAY VERBALLY THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME.
AND I THINK THE PEOPLE I KNOW IN MY COMMUNITY, UM, THE KIND OF THE HANCOCK AND HYDE PARK AREA STAY IN THE SAME DISTRICT, EVEN IF IT BECOMES A DIFFERENT DISTRICT, BUT THEY STAY GROUPED TOGETHER.
UM, THEY SHARE A LOT OF THOSE SAME, YOU KNOW, GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS THAT THEY SHARE, LIKE THE HANCOCK HEB CENTER OR THE, THE BIG CHURCH IN HYDE PARK OR THE U S WELL, I THINK THE USP HAS JUST CLOSED, BUT YOU GET MY POINT.
UM, AND THEY ALSO SHARE LIKE THE ROUTE SEVEN AND ROUTE 10 BUS LINES AND ALSO THE ISSUES WITH SHOAL CREEK.
AND IF THEY HAVE TO BE IN A DIFFERENT DISTRICT, I THINK THAT'S FINE, BUT I THINK IT'D BE GOOD TO KEEP THEM IN A DISTRICT WHEREVER THEY GO.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO TESTIFY TODAY? OKAY.
I AM GOING TO, UH, LET VICE-CHAIR, GONZALVEZ FINISH US OFF THIS EVENING.
AND IF YOU COULD JUST PUT THE SLIDE DECK BACK UP ON THE SCREEN.
YOU KNOW, WE JUST WANT TO THANK AGAIN, EVERYONE WHO JOINED US FOR OUR FIRST PUBLIC FORUM.
WE WILL HAVE NINE ADDITIONAL FORUMS. OUR NEXT BEING THURSDAY, JULY 22ND, UM, FROM SIX TO 8:00 PM AT THE DELL JEWISH COMMUNITY CAMPUS FOR DISTRICT 10.
UM, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THOSE WHO CAME UP AND TESTIFIED, GAVE SOME TESTIMONY FOR WHY CERTAIN AREAS SHOULD STAY INTACT WITHIN DISTRICT NINE.
UH, WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT A FUTURE PUBLIC FORUM.
UM, THIS MAY NOT HAVE GONE AS WE ORIGINALLY PLANNED, BUT I THINK IT WENT AS GREAT AS IT COULD BE.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
THANK YOU FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT.
UM, AND WE LOOK TO, WE LOOK FORWARD TO DO MORE OF THIS WORK WITH THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN IN MIND.