[00:00:03]
[Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission Public Hearing District 10]
WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.UM, HOPE EVERYONE'S HAVING A GREAT EVENING.
WE APPRECIATE YOU SPENDING A PRECIOUS EVENING WITH US.
WELCOME TO THE INDEPENDENT CITIZENS, REDISTRICTING COMMISSION, PUBLIC FORUM IN DISTRICT 10, AS YOU CAN, IF YOU CAN GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, SHAREPOINT IS UP HERE.
YOU'LL SEE OUR AGENDA FOR THE EVENING.
WE ARE GOING TO BREAK, HAVE SOME BACKGROUND ON THE ICRC, THE COMMISSIONERS THAT YOU SEE UP HERE UPFRONT, WE ARE GOING TO GIVE A RUNDOWN OF THE CURRENT CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT MAPS, AND SOME DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION GO THROUGH THE HISTORY OF THE CURRENT TEN ONE COUNCIL DISTRICTS AND EXPLANATION OF WHY THE 2020 CENSUS DATA IS A BIT DELAYED AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW WE'RE GOING TO PROCEED WITH THE BREAKOUT SESSION AND HOW TO USE SOME OF THE MAPS THAT YOU RECEIVED UPON ENTERING.
GIVEN THE TURNOUT THAT BREAKOUT OPTION MAY BE OPTIONAL.
THAT BREAKOUT OPTION MAY BE OPTIONAL, AND WE'LL WALK YOU THROUGH THAT.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
AS YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS CURRENTLY IN STAGE THREE OF THE COVID PANDEMIC.
WE MAY REACH STAGE FOUR PRETTY SOON.
SO WE ARE ENCOURAGING EVERYONE TO PLEASE REMAIN MASKED SHOW FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS.
AND FOR THOSE NEXT TO YOU, YES, WEAR YOUR MASK.
I'M JUST GOING TO INTRODUCE MYSELF AND THE COMMISSIONERS THAT YOU SEE UP HERE.
I SERVE AS THE VICE CHAIR OF THE ICRC.
AND WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME, IF YOU COULD PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND FOR DISTRICT ONE, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER HARDEN.
WE ALSO HAVE COMMISSIONER YE WHO CANNOT BE WITH US THIS EVENING FOR DISTRICT TWO.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER CALDERON WHO COULD NOT BE HERE THIS EVENING FOR DISTRICT THREE.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER MORRIS FOR DISTRICT FOUR.
HE'S NOT HERE WITH US TODAY FOR DISTRICT FIVE.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER KANAAN DISTRICT SIX OF COMMISSIONER SCHNEIDER FOR DISTRICT SEVEN.
WE ALSO HAVE COMMISSIONER FOLK ON WHO WAS NOT HERE THIS EVENING.
DISTRICT EIGHT, COMMISSIONER LEE, EXCUSE ME, DISTRICT THREE.
I BELIEVE THERE WAS A SWITCH RECENTLY.
COMMISSIONER LEE RESIDES IN DISTRICT THREE, COMMISSIONER EIGHT.
COMMISSIONER NINE, DISTRICT NINE.
SHE'S ALSO OUR STUDENT COMMISSIONER.
WE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE ONE STUDENT COMMISSIONER ON OUR COMMISSION AND IN DISTRICT 10, AGAIN, MYSELF, THE VICE CHAIR AND COMMISSIONER DEMPSEY TO MY RIGHT.
I'M GOING TO LET HER INTRODUCE HERSELF A LITTLE BIT MORE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE TONIGHT WITH US.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING YOUR INPUT.
UM, I'VE LIVED IN DISTRICT 10 SINCE 2013 AND, UM, I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT PEOPLE FEELING REPRESENTED AND, UM, FEELING HEARD.
SO, UH, WE WELCOME YOUR INPUT TONIGHT AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER DEMPSEY.
BEFORE I MOVE ON JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF, I RESIDED IN DISTRICT 10, SINCE ABOUT 2017.
I LIVE UP ON MESSA AND SPICEWOOD SPRINGS RIGHT NEXT TO THE ANDERSON HIGH SCHOOL.
I GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS WITH A JOURNALISM DEGREE IN 2013 AND THROUGH A POLITICAL PROGRAM CALLED THE ATEC.
SELLERATOR LEARNED ABOUT THIS COMMISSION AND THE IMPORTANCE OF REDISTRICTING I APPLIED.
I WAS ONE OF THE EIGHT COMMISSIONERS CHOSEN.
I LIVE, YOU KNOW, I RESIDE IN THIS DISTRICT WITH MY PARTNER AND MY ADOPTED GREAT PEER.
AND HE'S APA WHO ALWAYS, ALWAYS HAVE TO MENTION AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT AND OREGON SPENDING THE EVENING WITH US.
WE'RE HERE TO DRAW MAPS, REDRAW MAPS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN 20 12, 60 1% OF AUSTIN VOTERS SET THE STANDARD FOR AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT MAPPING OF OUR DISTRICTS.
THE VOTE APPROVED, REPLACING THE CITIES AT LARGE COUNCIL SYSTEM, AND IT BROUGHT IN A NEW TEN ONE COUNCIL CONSISTING OF 10 SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS.
PLUS THE MAYOR TO PREVENT GERRYMANDERING ON BEHALF OF ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL.
THE DISTRICTS ARE DRAWN BY THE ICRC IN 2013, AND HISTORY WAS MADE IN NOVEMBER WHEN AUSTIN BECAME THE FIRST CITY IN THE COUNTRY TO HAVE ITS CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS DRAWN THROUGH THE VOLUNTEERISM OF A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT GROUP OF ORDINARY CITY RESIDENTS.
[00:05:01]
IS NOT SELECTED BY ANY LEGISLATOR OR JUDGE OR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.THE WAY THAT OTHER, OTHER REDISTRICTING COMMISSIONS OPERATE.
WE ARE AUSTIN RESIDENTS NOT PAID 1 CENT FOR THE WORK THAT WE DO THIS BODY BEFORE YOU IS NOW SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR PRODUCING THE NEW CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT MAP, NOT THE CITY COUNCIL, NOT THE MAYOR, NOT THE CITY MANAGER OR THE STATE WE'RE INDEPENDENT WITH THE CAPITAL.
I, WE ARE CONDUCTING OUR DIFFICULT WORK SOLELY WITH THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CITY AND ITS RESIDENTS IN MIND.
JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND ABOUT THE, ABOUT THE COMMISSION OVER 300 APPLICATIONS WERE RECEIVED FOR PLACEMENT ON THE COMMISSION.
OVER 89% OF THOSE APPLICATIONS WERE MET MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND WERE DEEMED QUALIFIED.
AN APPLICANT REVIEW PANEL THEN SELECTED 60 OF THE MOST QUALIFIED AND THROW A RANDOM JOIN SYSTEM BY THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE.
EIGHT COMMISSIONERS WERE SELECTED.
THEN YOU SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME.
WE CHOSE THE NEXT SIX COMMISSIONERS, WHICH BRINGS YOU TO THE FINAL NUMBER OF LUCKY 14 THAT YOU SEE UP HERE ON THE TABLE.
THESE 14 COMMISSIONERS WILL DO THE HARD WORK TO REACH ALL THE CITY DISTRICT BOUNDARIES.
THE COMMISSION WILL DECIDE ON THE NEW BOUNDARIES THROUGH AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS WITH MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT LIKE THIS EVENING.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE IN ORDER TO DRAW THE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES, COMMISSIONERS NEED INPUT FROM RESIDENTS LIKE YOU THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
THIS PROCESS INVOLVES HOLDING PUBLIC MEETINGS.
ONE IN EACH OF THE CURRENT 10 CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS THAT'S TODAY THAT'S TONIGHT COMING UP WITH THE INITIAL DRAFT OF THE BOUNDARIES, WE THEN HOLD FOR MORE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
ONCE WE DRAW A PRELIMINARY MAP IN EACH OF THE COUNTY PRECINCTS, WE PROPOSE FINAL BOUNDARIES FOR THE MAP AND THEN HOLD TWO MORE, TWO FINAL PUBLIC HEARINGS, ONE NORTH OF THE LAKE AND ONE SOUTH.
WE THEN VOTE ON THOSE FINAL BOUNDARIES.
AND BEFORE NOVEMBER 1ST, 2022 VERY TIGHT TIMELINE, THOSE MAPS MUST BE APPROVED.
THE HIGHLIGHTED BULLET POINT THAT YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE.
THIS IS WHY YOU ARE HERE TODAY.
I'M GOING TO PASS THE MIC BACK OVER TO SHAREPOINT US TO SPEAK ON WHY THIS ENTIRE REDISTRICTING PROCESS MATTERS TO THOSE OF YOU IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT.
AND JUST A QUICK CLARIFICATION, NOVEMBER 1ST, 2021, YOU SAID 20, 22.
UM, IT'S THIS YEAR THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE OUR PLANS ADOPTED.
SO I'M GOING TO EXPLAIN WHY REDISTRICTING MATTERS AND I'LL KEEP IT SIMPLE.
OUR REDISTRICTING PROCESS MATTERS TO YOU BECAUSE IT'S DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO FAIR REPRESENTATION.
AND YOU CAN, WITH THIS IN MIND, YOU CAN SHARE A DISTRICT WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIMILAR CONCERNS AND WHOSE CAUSES YOU WANT TO ADVOCATE.
FOR MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THIS FORM OF REDISTRICTING IS THE ANTIDOTE TO GERRYMANDERING PRACTICES THAT WE'VE SEEN AT THE STATE LEVEL AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHERE POLITICAL DISTRICTS ARE DRAWN FOR THE PURPOSE OF POLITICIANS GETTING REELECTED RATHER THAN TO ENSURE FAIR REPRESENTATION AND INCREASED DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION LIKE THIS, 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 OUR COMMISSION IS ENSURING THAT THIS POOL OF APPLICANTS WILL ACCURATELY REFLECT THE DEMOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY OF OUR CITY'S ENTIRE POPULATION WHILE ALSO HAVING NO TO CITY OR STATE POLITICS OR POLITICAL PARTIES.
AND HAVING LIVED IN VOTING IN AUSTIN FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS.
AGAIN, THE INDEPENDENT WITH A CAPITAL LIFE, A LITTLE RECENT HISTORY FOR Y'ALL THE SUPREME COURT ON JUNE 29TH, 2015, AFFIRMED THAT VOTERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO ESTABLISH INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSIONS.
AND THIS WAS AT A TIME WHEN POLITICIANS ILLICIT DISTRUST CITIZEN REDISTRICTING CAN PROVIDE THIS TRANSPARENT AND TRANSFORMING ALTERNATIVE TO POLITICS AS USUAL.
AND THIS MOVEMENT INVITES THE INVOLVEMENT OF ANY AND ALL RESIDENTS AND OUR WORK CANNOT HAPPEN WITHOUT 2013.
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, WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN IS TAKEN FROM THE CITY CHARTER SPECIFICALLY FOR
[00:10:01]
THE FORMATION OF THIS COMMISSION.AND IN ORDER OF PRIORITIZATION AT THE TOP, YOU SEE THAT WE COMPLY WITH THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT AND THE CONSTITUTION AND THIRD THAT OUR DISTRICTS MUST BE GEOGRAPHICALLY CONTIGUOUS.
THE REASON YOU'RE HERE TONIGHT IS FOR NUMBER FOUR, THE GEOGRAPHIC INTEGRITY OF LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS OR LOCAL COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST SHALL BE RESPECTED IN A MANNER THAT MINIMIZES THEIR DIVISION TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE WITHOUT VIOLATING THE REQUIREMENTS OF ANY OF THE PRECEDING SUBSECTIONS.
AND THEN IT GOES ON AGAIN IN ORDER OF PRIORITY.
OKAY? SO LATER THIS YEAR, THE CITIZENS ON THIS COMMISSION WILL HAVE ACCESS TO 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.
AND WE ALL KNOW AUSTIN HAS CHANGED A LOT IN THE LAST 10 YEARS.
SO ADHERENT TO THIS SECTION THREE OF THE CHARTER, THE COMMISSIONERS MUST STRAW EACH DISTRICT'S BOUNDARIES AGAIN WITH THIS CRITERIA, OKAY.
THIS IS OUR POPULATION BY COUNCIL DISTRICT, AS IT, AS IT WAS WHEN THESE DISTRICTS WERE FORMED.
AND IN 2010, THE POPULATION WAS 790,390.
SO AT THE TIME THE IDEAL POPULATION PER CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT WAS 79,000 AND DISTRICT 10, IF YOU SEE AT THE BOTTOM ACTUALLY HAS A DEVIATION FROM THAT.
79,000 IS AT 81, OR IT WAS AT 81,152.
AND THAT WAS A 1.72% ABOVE THE 79,000 MARK.
ON THIS GRAPH, YOU SEE THE RAPID AND PRECIPITOUS GROWTH IN AUSTIN'S POPULATION THROUGH THE YEARS.
AND I THINK IF YOU CAN SEE THIS ALL THE WAY BACK TO 1870, IT REALLY PAINTS THAT PICTURE.
THE ESTIMATE FOR AUSTIN'S POPULATION LAST YEAR FOR 2020 IS 995,484.
SO THAT'S ABOUT A 25% INCREASE SINCE 2010, SINCE THE LAST CENSUS, THE IDEAL CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT SIZE NOW WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 99,500.
AND WE HAVE SURELY SURPASSED 1 MILLION PEOPLE BY NOW, BUT OF COURSE WE WILL DRAW THESE DISTRICTS AND A PORTION BASED ON THE DATA FROM THE 2020 CENSUS.
AS WE 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.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE LIGHT COLORS WHILE OTHERS HAVE GROWN BY MORE THAN 3000 RESIDENTS, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE DARK BLUE ON THIS MAP, THIS UNEQUAL GROWTH MEANS THAT DISTRICT BOUNDARIES WILL HAVE TO CHANGE REGARDING OUR RACE AND ETHNICITY COMPOSITION.
THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE REST OF THE STATE.
OUR POPULATION IN AUSTIN THAT IDENTIFIES AS WHITE IS ABOUT 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 AUSTIN'S POPULATION IDENTIFIES AS BLACK, WHICH IS LOWER THAN THE SHARE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AS A WHOLE STATEWIDE.
THE BLACK POPULATION IS 11% AND THE ASIAN POPULATION IS 5%.
WE HAVE CLOSER, OR I'M SORRY, WE HAVE CLOSE TO 3% THAT IDENTIFY WITH TWO OR MORE RACES AND SMALLER SHARES IDENTIFYING AS AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE.
AND I'LL SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTRAST AGAIN.
YOU MAY ALREADY SEE IT BETWEEN TEXAS AND AUSTIN AND OUR POPULATION CHANGE.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CONTRIBUTION OF EACH OF THESE RACIAL, ETHNIC GROUPS TO THE TOTAL CHANGE IN THE DECADE, WE SEE THAT THE BIGGEST DRIVER IN THE CITY HAS BEEN THE NON-HISPANIC WHITE POPULATION HERE IN AUSTIN.
IT'S CLOSER TO 50% OF THAT TOTAL CHANGE.
AND THIS SETS US APART FROM THE REST OF TEXAS, WHERE THE WHITE POPULATION IS CONTRIBUTING ONLY ABOUT 13% OF THE TOTAL CHANGE AND 53% OF THE CHANGES DRIVEN BY LATINOS ACROSS THE DECADE.
SO THE TEXAS LATINO POPULATION IS AT 40% WHILE THE NON-HISPANIC WHITE POPULATION IS 42.
AND AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE HERE FOR 2019, OUR HISPANIC POPULATION IS IN THE BLUE AT 32.5%.
AND I ALSO WANT TO NOTE, WE ARE AWARE OF THE WAY THAT BLACK AND LATINO COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN PUSHED TO THE OUTSKIRTS OF AUSTIN AND THE AUSTIN AREA FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, INCLUDING HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.
[00:15:01]
HAVE THIS 2020 CENSUS DATA YET? THE CITY CHARTER SET THE DEADLINE OF NOVEMBER 1ST OF THIS YEAR FOR THE FINAL REDISTRICTING PLAN TO BE ADOPTED.THIS IS A TIGHT TURNAROUND CONSIDERING WE CANNOT FORMALLY START THIS MAPPING PROCESS UNTIL WE HAVE RECEIVED THE CENSUS DATA.
SO AS YOU SAW EARLIER, BETWEEN WHEN WE RECEIVED THE DATA FROM THE CENSUS BUREAU AND THE NOVEMBER 1ST DEADLINE, WE WILL NEED TO DRAW THE PRELIMINARY MAPS, PRESENT THEM TO THE PUBLIC IN EACH TRAVIS COUNTY PRECINCT AND TAKE PUBLIC INPUT, REVISE THE MAPS, PRESENT THE FINAL MAPS TWO MORE TIMES AND TAKE PUBLIC INPUT AND THEN ADOPT THE FINAL PLAN ON, ON THIS SLIDE.
YOU'LL SEE THAT THE RAW DATA WILL BE RELEASED AUGUST 16TH.
SO IT'S LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY NOW.
AND THEN SEPTEMBER 30TH, THE BUREAU WILL RELEASE THE TOOLKIT WITH SOFTWARE TO UNDERSTAND THE DATA IN THE CENSUS.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GETTING TO THE FUN PART.
NOW, EVERYBODY, I'M GOING TO PASS THIS BACK TO VICE-CHAIR GONZALEZ TO EXPLAIN OUR ACTIVITY FOR THIS EVENING USING THE MAPS THAT YOU HAVE WITH.
SHAREPOINT DOES, WE ORIGINALLY HAD THE IDEA OF BREAKING UP INTO GROUPS FOR THIS, GIVEN THE TURNOUT TODAY, AND THE FACT THAT PEOPLE STILL MAY BE A LITTLE BIT CAUTIOUS OF THE PANDEMIC.
YOU ARE, WE ARE WELCOME TO BREAK INTO GROUPS, OR YOU ARE JUST WELCOME TO REMAIN IN YOUR SEAT AND COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY THAT YOU WERE HANDED AT THE REGISTRATION DESK ON YOUR OWN.
YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A MAP WORKSHEET.
THIS MAP DOES HAVE A PRINTOUT OF THE CURRENT DISTRICT THAT WE'RE IN DISTRICT 10.
IF YOU DO NOT RESIDE IN DISTRICT 10, NO WORRIES.
THERE IS ALSO A PAGE WITH THE ENTIRE CITY MAP ON IT.
WHAT WE ASK THAT YOU COMPLETE ON THIS MAP IS TO EXAMINE IT, IDENTIFY ANY COMMON AREAS OF INTEREST TO YOU, MARK THOSE WITH A STAR OR A DOT, AND THESE COULD BE PLACES OF WORSHIP.
THIS COULD BE YOUR FAVORITE GROCERY STORE, YOUR FAVORITE PARK IN THE DISTRICT, UH, YOUR, YOUR CHILD'S SCHOOL, MARK THOSE WITH A STAR AND THEN CIRCLE THOSE POINTS, IDENTIFYING THE AREA IN YOUR DISTRICT.
AGAIN, WE'RE DOING THIS ACTIVITY.
SO WE KNOW WHAT MATTERS TO THE RESIDENTS OF THIS DISTRICT.
AND WE TRY AND WE WOULD TRY NOT TO DRAW LINES OR DIVIDE THOSE AREAS.
OKAY? WE ARE HERE AS COMMISSIONERS TO FACILITATE ANY CONVERSATIONS OR ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
AGAIN, THIS BREAKOUT SESSION SPECIFICALLY POINTS TO NUMBER FOUR IN THE ICRC CHARTER THAT KEEPING THAT INTEGRITY OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES INTACT, UM, PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND WORKSHEETS THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN OUT JUST TO GIVE A BETTER SNAPSHOT OF WHAT MATTERS TO YOU.
AND, UM, I BELIEVE THAT IS IT ABOUT THE ACTIVITY? JUST ADD QUICKLY, YOU SHOULD SEE THAT THERE'S ALSO PLENTY OF ROOM FOR COMMENT.
IF YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN THE REASONING BEHIND WHAT YOU CIRCLED AND START ON YOUR MAP, WHERE IF YOU JUST WANT TO LEAVE US COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, ANYTHING SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO IMPROVE THIS PROCESS.
AND IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE, YOU CAN ALSO LEAVE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION ON THE BACK.
THERE'S SOME SPACE PROVIDED THERE FOR YOU AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SHEET, SO WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOU IF NEEDED.
AND IT'S THE SAME PROCESS FOR BOTH MAPS.
WE'LL GIVE YOU ALL ABOUT WHY DON'T WE SAY 20 TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES.
AND IF WE DON'T ACTUALLY NEED ALL THAT TIME, JUST LET US KNOW.
AND THEN WE WILL TURN TO THE MICROPHONE IS AVAILABLE HERE AFTER YOU HAVE FINISHED YOUR MAPS.
IF YOU WANT TO COME TO THE MIC AND SPEAK, THANK YOU.
I WILL POINT OUT WHEN YOU ARE DRAWING THESE POINTS ON YOUR MAP, UM, WHAT YOU NEED, WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS DISTRICT.
WHAT AGAIN, WHAT GROCERY STORES DO YOU FREQUENT AND WHERE DO YOU GO TO THE DOCTOR? SO WE HOPE THOSE QUESTIONS ON THE BACK OF THE SHEET WILL BE VERY HELPFUL.
I HOPE THAT THAT WAS ENOUGH TIME FOR YOU.
WE WILL TAKE YOUR MAPS AT THE END, BUT YOU MIGHT WANT TO HOLD ONTO THEM.
IN CASE YOU HAVE COMMENTS FROM THAT MAP THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE OUT LOUD WITH US IN OUR PUBLIC TESTIMONY, TECHNICALLY ALL INDIVIDUALS PUSHING TO MAKE COMMENTS SHOULD HAVE SIGNED IN PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
BUT AGAIN, I THINK WE JUST, WE WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
AND I THINK THAT IF YOU WANTED TO TESTIFY THIS EVENING, THAT IS PERFECTLY FINE.
[00:20:01]
TO THREE MINUTES, AND THOSE IN ATTENDANCE ARE ASKED TO REFRAIN FROM DISRUPTING THE MEETING BY MAKING NOISE OF ANY KIND.AND WE ARE INTERESTED AGAIN IN GATHERING DATA ON YOUR VIEW OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD OF DISTRICT 10 AND OUR MAPS AND THE WAY THAT WE'RE WORKING RIGHT NOW AS, AS A BODY.
SO IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO COME UP TO THE MICROPHONE, IT IS OPEN MR. YOUNG BECK YOUNG WITH THE NAACP IS MY COALITION.
I DON'T LIVE IN THIS DISTRICT.
MY COMMENTS ARE GENERIC AS I DID IN THE LAST MEETING I WANT TO MENTION FOR FOLKS IS INFORMATION ABOUT THE LITTLE JAGGED SPOTS ALL THROUGH THIS MAP.
UH, PEOPLE THINK THAT SOME INDICATION OF GERRYMANDERING, WHAT IT REALLY IS, IS AN INDICATION OF THE CITY'S PROBLEMS WITH ANNEXATION IN THIS DISTRICT.
WHEN THESE DISTRICTS WERE DRAWN, THERE WERE AREAS WHICH EITHER HAD NOT BEEN ANNEXED HAD NOT BEEN BUILT OUT.
SO THERE'S NO REASON FOR THE CITY TO ANNEX A VACANT LOT OR WHO WERE OPPOSED TO BEING ANNEXED, BUT THE CITY HAD THAT OPTION.
AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF EITHER NEGOTIATING OR WAITING FOR THE BAY AREAS TO BE BUILT OUT.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED SUBSEQUENTLY IS THE LEGISLATURE HAS ALL, BUT STRIPPED THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE VISIBILITY TO ANNEX ANYTHING.
SO YOU STILL HAVE AREAS INSIDE THE CITY THAT THERE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN BUILT OUT, BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE THE POWER TO ENACT THEM.
OTHERS HAVE OBJECTED STRENUOUSLY, AND ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE LEGISLATURE, THE CITY JUST FOUND IT EASIER NOT TO BOTHER THE ONE BIG CHUNK DOWN HERE, SOUTH OF THE RIVER IS ACTUALLY ANOTHER CITY.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHETHER THAT'S ROLLING WOOD OR WESTLAKE HILLS, BUT THEY CAN'T EXIT BECAUSE IT'S ANOTHER COMMUNITY.
NONE OF THIS WAS DONE MALICIOUSLY OR ANYBODY DECIDED WE JUST DIDN'T WANT BOTHER WITH THEM.
THEY WERE NOT AVAILABLE TO THE CITY EITHER, BECAUSE AS I SAID, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO BE, OR BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING THERE.
AND THE CITY WOULD MADE A SERIOUS MISTAKE AND AN X-WING AND PROVIDING SERVICES TO A PASTURE OR A FOREST.
AND THEN OVER TIME THEY WERE NOT, THEY TURNED OUT TO NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT.
HOPEFULLY AT SOME POINT, THE LEGISLATURE WILL COME TO IT SINCE IT IS.
SO I WOULDN'T BET ON IT ANYTIME SOON AND REINSTATE THE ABILITY OF THE CITY TO MAKE ANNEXATIONS.
AND WE CAN PICK UP SOME OF THESE AREAS.
WHEN WE LOOK IN EAST AUSTIN, WE'LL FIND A DIFFERENT SITUATION WHERE THE CITY HAS MADE A CHOICE FOR PACS, BECAUSE THEY DON'T THINK THEY'RE PROFITABLE.
BUT IN THIS CASE, WHEN THIS WAS DONE, THESE AREAS WERE NOT AVAILABLE OR THEY WERE OPPOSING ANNEXATION OR THEY WERE NOT PROFITABLE.
AND THEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO ANNEX WENT AWAY.
SO I WANT FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND THIS WAS NOT MALICE.
THANK YOU, MR. YANG, DOES ANYONE ELSE WISH TO MAKE A COMMENT THIS EVENING? GOOD EVENING.
I'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN FOR 35 YEARS OR SO.
UM, PROBABLY IN FOUR DIFFERENT DISTRICTS IN THE TIME THAT I'VE LIVED HERE, WHAT ARE NOW DISTRICTS? UM, THEY WEREN'T AT THE TIME, AT THE TIME, THE ONLY THING I CAN ADD ABOUT LIVING IN DISTRICT 10 RIGHT NOW IS THAT, UM, I'VE ALWAYS FELT LIKE LOOP 360 WAS SOMETHING OF A DIVIDING LINE THAT ISN'T REALLY REFLECTED IN THE CURRENT MAP AT ALL.
IT'S BOTH A NATURAL AND A MANMADE LINE, BUT, UM, I'VE ALWAYS KIND OF FELT WHILE I'VE LIVED IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT IT'S A DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE 360 THAN IT IS ON THE INSIDE.
SO I FEEL LIKE ON THE INSIDE OF THE LOOP, IT'S A DIFFERENT PART OF TOWN THAN IT IS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE LOOP.
UM, THAT'S REALLY ABOUT MY ONLY INPUT OTHER THAN HAVING 7, 8, 7 0 3 IS A BIT, UH, AS WELL.
UM, BUT I UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULTY OF, UM, TRYING TO INCLUDE THE RIGHT NUMBER OF POPULATION FOR EVERY DISTRICT.
AND SO THAT, THAT MAKES SOME SENSE.
BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP DISTRICT 10 ON BOTH SIDES OF 360, UH, FOR ONE MAJOR REASON, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS ON BOTH SIDES, COLLABORATE WITH RESPECT TO WILDFIRE PREVENTION.
[00:25:01]
AND WE'VE GOT LOTS OF GREEN SPACE IN BOTH OF THOSE SEGMENTS OF DISTRICT 10.SO WE HAVE STRONG BONDS ALREADY WITH THE NEIGHBORHOODS DOING THAT, BUT I WOULD AGREE THAT 7, 8, 7 0 3 DOESN'T REALLY BELONG.
AND I'M ASSUMING FROM THE GROWTH NUMBERS, I'VE SEEN THAT D TAN IS GOING TO HAVE TO GET SMALLER.
THE BOUNDARIES ARE GOING TO HAVE TO SHRINK.
SO IF THAT'S THE CASE, I WOULD VOTE FOR CUTTING OFF THE BOTTOM LITTLE PIECE.
ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO TESTIFY THIS EVENING? UH, MY NAME IS RORY RIVERA.
UM, I'M ALSO NOT FROM 10 I'M FROM THREE.
UM, BUT I CAUGHT THIS ON THE NEWS, SO I THOUGHT I'LL COME OVER HERE AND SAY LITTLE SOMETHING BECAUSE I HAVE A LITTLE ISSUE ABOUT THE MAPS AND STUFF FIRST.
UM, I THINK THAT THE MAPS ARE HARD TO READ.
UM, I TRIED TO GET ON A LINE AND LOOK AT THEM AND I SPENT A FEW HOURS.
I DIDN'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME BY SPENDING THESE TWO DAYS TRYING TO FIGURE THEM OUT.
I HAVE TO USE GOOGLE MAPS AND THIS MAP TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
CAUSE I'M, I'M TRYING TO HELP THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY GET OUT AND VOTE.
AND I HAD A COUPLE OF FRIENDS WHO GOT DENIED THE RIGHT TO VOTE THIS LAST TIME THAT WE VOTED FOR CITY STUFF.
AND WHEN I GOT WITH THE, UH, COUNTY COMMISSIONER, I KIND OF CLERK, THEY SAID IT WAS THE CITY.
AND SO I STARTED DOING SOME LITTLE INVESTIGATING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND UM, TO ME, BORN AND RAISED HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS GREW UP IN EAST AUSTIN.
I DON'T THINK THERE SHOULD BE ANY WHITE IN, IN THE CITY OF BOSTON.
AND A LOT OF US ARE BORN AND RAISED HERE, BEEN HERE ALL OUR LIVES AND FALLING A LITTLE WHITE SPOT FOR ONE EXAMPLE IS, UH, ON SLAUGHTER LANE.
I LOOKED AT IT AND IT'S A TRAILER PARK.
THERE'S PREDOMINANTLY HISPANIC, THERE'S WHITE.
AND SO, UH, A REGISTERED VOTER WASN'T GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE FOR THAT TIME THAT LIVES THERE.
AND THEN, UM, WHEN I SPOKE TO SOMEBODY FROM THE CITY, THEY SAID THERE WAS TEARS, TEARS OF, AND ELIGIBILITY.
THAT KIND OF STRUCK ME AS TEARS, WHO SOMEBODY HAS MORE RIGHT TO VOTE AGAINST SOMEBODY ELSE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON THAT AND TRY TO SEE WHAT THAT'S ALL ABOUT.
LASTLY, UM, THAT THE, I LIVE SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF BOSTON.
UM, AND IT'S AN ANNEX, IT'S A THOMPSON LANE OFF OF 180 3, THE TOP OF THIS AREA.
AND BACK IN THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF RESIDENTS IN THERE THAT, THAT, UM, PREDOMINANTLY HISPANIC, UM, THAT DON'T VOTE BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A CONFUSION.
UM, IT'S HARD TO TELL WHAT PRISTINE, WHAT DISTRICT THEY'RE FROM.
SO I RIDE WITH THREE, CAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT I AM THREE.
AND SO, UM, I GO VOTE, I'VE BEEN VOTING AND THERE'S, UH, THERE'S, UH, A LOT OF LACK OF, UH, HOW YOU SAY, UH, IGNORING THAT AREA.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO BRING THAT UP.
LET'S SEE WHY FOR VOTING PURPOSES OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THEY HAVE TO DO WITH SOMEBODY THAT LIVES IN THE CITY OF BOSTON WHILE WE CAN'T VOTE, JUST BECAUSE WE'RE IN A WHITE SECTION.
AND, UH, MAYBE WE'LL SEE YOU IN THE DISTRICT THREE FORUM AS WELL.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WILLING TO TESTIFY THIS EVENING? SURE.
CAN YOU REALLY QUICK TELL US YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME AS TINA LOPEZ.
AND I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE, YOU KNOW, TIMES ARE CHANGING, UM, DIVERSITY, MORE EQUALITY.
SO WHEN ALL THESE DISTRICTS AND THINGS ON THE MAP ARE LAID OUT, YOU KNOW, A LOT, ALL WE WANT MAJORITY PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE WANTS TO STAY GOOD EDUCATION FOR THEIR CHILD TO BE ACCEPTED ANYWHERE.
SO WHEN YOU'RE DRAWING UP THE MAPS IN LINES, JUST, UH, REALIZE THAT YOU'RE IMPACTING FAMILIES, WHETHER THEY CAN GO TO THAT SCHOOL OR NOT.
AND SO, UH, I GUESS TO LOOK AT THE DATA THAT YOU HAVE, HOW MANY, UH,
[00:30:01]
FAMILIES YOU HAVE IN THAT AREA BEFORE YOU START CIRCLING THINGS, BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO, YOU'RE GOING TO SPLIT UP A LOT OF GOOD FAMILIES FROM BEING ABLE TO PUT TO, TO, TO GO TO THAT SCHOOL SYSTEM.UM, SO THAT'S A BIG MAJOR THING.
A LOT OF TIMES I'M SEEING THAT, UH, IN, IN MORE, UM, BETTER ECONOMIC, UH, SCHOOLS, BETTER, BETTER FUNDED SCHOOLS.
THE CHILDREN DON'T EVEN GO TO SCHOOL THERE THEY'RE IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
SO WHEN YOU START LAYING OUT THE ZONES, THINK ABOUT LIKE A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY ON TRANSFERS AND, AND MAYBE GOING OUT A LITTLE BIT ON THE LINES BECAUSE YOU MAY NOT GET THAT WHOLE POPULATION OF KIDS THAT ALREADY LIVED HERE GOING TO SCHOOL HERE.
AND THAT'S ALL HE WANTED TO BRING TO THE TABLE.
AND WE WILL BE WORKING WITH AUSTIN ISD AND THE OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT OVERLAPPED WITH THE CITY AS WELL ON THEIR SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS.
ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO TESTIFY THIS EVENING? RIGHT.
WELL, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING THIS.
IT'S OUR FIRST, THIS IS OUR SECOND PUBLIC FORUM, BUT THANK YOU FOR COMING TO OUR SECOND PUBLIC FORUM TONIGHT.
AND IF YOU WANT TO REACH OUT TO ALL OF US IN ONE EMAIL, THIS IS OUR EMAIL ADDRESS AT THE BOTTOM.
IT'S ICRC DOT COMMISSIONERS AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV.
AND THAT GOES TO ALL 14 OF US.
AND I WANT TO ALSO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE CITY AAV AND TECH PEOPLE THAT CAME OUT TONIGHT.
I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK TO GET EVERYTHING SET UP.
AND THANK YOU TO THE JCC FOR LETTING US USE THIS SPACE.
Y'ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL EVENING.