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[Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission Public Hearing District 4]
GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY.WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
I WAITED A FEW MINUTES AFTER THE TWO O'CLOCK ADVERTISED TIME TO SEE IF THERE'D BE MORE FOLKS THAT WALKED IN, BUT I THINK NOW'S A GOOD TIME.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE FOR OFFERING UP ONE OF YOUR PRECIOUS SATURDAYS TO DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF REDISTRICTING AND ITS IMPACT ON OUR CITY OF AUSTIN.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE GODS GUTS, THE RECREATION CENTER FOR WELCOMING US INTO THEIR SPACE.
THIS AFTERNOON, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
I JUST LIKE TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO BRIEFLY WALK THROUGH OUR AGENDA FOR THIS AFTERNOON.
THE GOAL FOR TODAY IS TO FINISH AND DEPART THE REC CENTER BY 4:00 PM.
ON THIS SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE SOME LINKS TO OUR WEB PRESENCE, OUR FACEBOOK AND OUR INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS.
A WAYS THAT YOU CAN STAY CONNECTED TO THE WORK OF THE ICRC.
WHEN YOU DEPART THE REC CENTER TODAY, I WANT TO ALSO TAKE THE TIME AND THANK SOME OF OUR LOCAL MEDIA PARTNERS, SUCH AS THE COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER.
THE AUSTIN MONITOR THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN AND FOX SEVEN NEWS CHANNEL FOR THEIR RECENT ICR COVERAGE AND THEIR SUPPORT IN PROMOTING THE PUBLIC FORUMS. LIKE THE ONE YOU'RE AT TODAY.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE CITY HAS REENTERED A REENTERED STAGE FOUR COVID RISK LEVEL.
SO WE JUST ASK THAT EVERYONE MASK UP WHEN THEY CAN, WHEN YOU'RE NOT SPEAKING.
AND WE HAVE THE ROOM SOCIALLY DISTANCE, AS BEST AS WE COULD TODAY.
FOR THAT REASON, A QUICK INTRODUCTION, I JUST WANT TO, I'M GOING TO CALL OUT THE COMMISSIONER'S NAMES TODAY, AND IF THEY COULD JUST RAISE THEIR HANDS, THAT WOULD BE GREAT FOR REPRESENTING DISTRICT ONE.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER AERO HARDEN, AND WE ALSO HAVE COMMISSIONER SELENA YE FOR DISTRICT TWO.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER SAT AT UNESCO, BUT ON FOR DISTRICT THREE, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER AND BRING A MORATH.
AND WE ALSO HAVE COMMISSIONER WONG LEE WHO CANNOT BE WITH US THIS AFTERNOON.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER MCKINNON WHO COULD NOT BE WITH US THIS AFTERNOON.
DISTRICT SIX, COMMISSIONER EUGENE SCHNEIDER FOR DISTRICT SEVEN.
WE HAVE CHAIR CHRISTINE APPRENTICE, WHO UNFORTUNATELY COULD NOT BE WITH US THIS AFTERNOON AND COMMISSIONER CAMILIA
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER JOSHUA BLANK.
COMMISSIONER NINE IS OUR STUDENT COMMISSIONER SHANA KAMBO.
SHE COULD NOT BE WITH US THIS AFTERNOON FOR COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 10.
I AM VICE CHAIR, LOUIS GONZALES.
AND YOU ALSO HAVE COMMISSIONER ERIN DEMPSEY.
AND LASTLY, I JUST LEARNED THAT HE'S RUNNING A LITTLE BIT LATE TODAY, DIFFER DISTRICT FOUR REPRESENTATIVE BY COMMISSIONER STARTING LANDS, WHO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING WITH COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONER LANDS, NAME WHILE NOUN.
AND I HOPE THAT HE CAN JOIN US IN A FEW MINUTES.
HE GOT TIED UP IN A PREVIOUS MEETING, SOME BACKGROUND ON OUR COMMISSION 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.
WITH THAT LACK GEOGRAPHICAL AND RACIAL REPRESENTATION WITH THE CURRENT TEN ONE CITY COUNCIL MAKEUP CONSISTING OF 10 SINGLE COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
THIS VOTE DRAMATICALLY CHANGED THE CITY'S ELECTION SYSTEM AND PROVIDED A POTENTIAL MODEL FOR CITIES NATIONWIDE TO PREVENT GERRYMANDERING ON BEHALF OF ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL.
THE DISTRICTS, AS WE'VE VIEWED THEM TODAY WERE DRAWN BY THE INDEPENDENT CITIZENS REDISTRICTING COMMISSION.
THE ICRC HISTORY WAS MADE ON NOVEMBER 18TH, 2013.
WHEN AUSTIN BECAME THE FIRST CITY IN THE COUNTRY TO HAVE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS DRAWN THROUGH THE VOLUNTEERISM OF A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT GROUP OF REGULAR RESIDENTS.
THIS COMMISSION THAT YOU SEE TODAY IS NOT SELECTED BY ANY POLITICIAN.
THE WAY THAT OTHER REDISTRICTING COMMISSIONS MAY OPERATE.
WE ARE VOLUNTEERS WHO APPLIED FOR OUR POSITIONS.
WE ARE AUSTIN RESIDENTS WHO CARE ABOUT THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS AND HOW IT IS MANAGED.
SOME OF US HAVE FULL-TIME JOBS.
OTHERS HAVE FAMILIES TO CARE FOR.
WE ARE NOT PAID 1 CENT FOR THE WORK WE ARE DOING THE BODY BEFORE YOU IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR PRODUCING THE NEW CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT MAP, NOT THE CITY COUNCIL, NOT THE MAYOR, NOT THE CITY MANAGER, NOR THE STATE.
WE'RE INDEPENDENT WITH THE CAPITAL.
I, WE ARE CONDUCTING OUR DIFFICULT, TOUGH YET IMPORTANT WORK UP UP AGAINST A VERY TIGHT DEADLINE SOLELY WITH THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND ITS RESIDENTS.
IN MIND, YOU SEE SOME HISTORY AT THE TOP OF THE SLIDE THAT I JUST MENTIONED AT THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE SLIDE, SOME BACKGROUND ON OUR SELECTION PROCESS.
SO AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, WE ALL APPLIED FOR THE POSITION.
OVER 300 APPLICATIONS WERE RECEIVED
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BY THE CITY OF THOSE APPLICATIONS OVER 89% MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND WERE IDENTIFIED AS NOT HAVING ANY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.AN APPLICANT REVIEW PANEL MADE OF THREE CPAS THEN SELECTED THE 60 MOST QUALIFIED APPLICATIONS THROUGH A RANDOM JOIN SYSTEM, A LOTTERY.
IF YOU WILL, THE CITY AUDITOR OFFICE THEN SELECTED EIGHT COMMISSIONERS FROM THAT QUALIFIED POOL, THOSE RANDOMLY SELECTED EIGHT COMMISSIONERS.
THEN HAVE THE TASK OF CHOOSING THE SIX ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONERS ON THIS BODY FROM THE QUALIFIED POOL TO ENSURE THAT THE COMMISSION REFLECTED THE DIVERSITY OF AUSTIN.
WE PRIMARILY WANTED ALL OF THE DISTRICTS REPRESENTED ON THE BODY.
HOWEVER, RACIAL, ETHNIC, AND GENDER DIVERSITY PLAYED A PART IN THE DECISION AS WELL.
THAT WORK LED TO THE NUMBER 14, THE 14 COMMISSIONERS WHO WILL WORK TO REACH ALL THE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES.
OUR ROLE, THE COMMISSION WILL DECIDE ON THE NEW BOUNDARIES FOR OUR CITY THROUGH AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS WITH MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT, LIKE THE FORUM YOU'RE ATTENDING THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, IN ORDER TO DRAW THE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES, COMMISSIONERS NEED INPUT FROM RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, THAT PROCESS INCLUDES HOLDING PUBLIC FORUMS IN EACH OF THE 10 CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
AFTER THAT WE'D COME UP WITH A PRELIMINARY VERSION OF OUR MAPS.
AFTER THAT WE HOLD FOUR MORE PUBLIC FORUMS, ONE IN EACH OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY PRECINCTS.
WE PROPOSE FINAL BOUNDARIES FOR OUR MAPS.
THEN GO OUT TWO MORE TIMES, ONE NORTH AND ONE SOUTH OF LADY BIRD LAKE.
WE VOTE ON THE FINAL MAPS, ALL IN THE HOPES OF HAVING A FINAL MAP ADOPTED NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 1ST, 2021.
SO PLEASE KEEP THAT DATA IN MIND, NOVEMBER 1ST, 2021, THE HIGHLIGHTED BULLET POINT THAT YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE.
THAT IS WHY YOU ARE HERE TODAY.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
WHY DOES ALL THIS MATTER? WHY DOES REDISTRICTING MATTER TO YOU? I'LL KEEP IT SIMPLE.
OUR REDISTRICTING PROCESS MATTERS BECAUSE IT'S DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO YOUR FAIR REPRESENTATION.
THIS ALSO MEANS THAT YOU COULD SHARE DISTRICT WITH NEIGHBORS THAT HAVE SOME, UH, SOME SIMILAR CONCERNS WHO YOU COULD ADVOCATE FOR MANY BELIEVE THAT THIS PROCESS IS THE ANTIDOTE TO GERRYMANDERING PRACTICES THAT WE SEE AT THE STATE LEVEL AND ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHERE POLITICAL DISTRICTS ARE DRAWN FOR THE PURPOSE OF POLITICIANS GETTING REELECTED RATHER THAN TO ENSURE FAIR REPRESENTATION AND INCREASE DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION.
THE ICRC 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, AS I MENTIONED, WAS ENSURING THAT THE POOL OF APPLICANTS, THE COMMISSIONERS THAT YOU SEE ACCURATELY REFLECTED THE DEMOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY OF THE CITY'S ENTIRE POPULATION WILL ALSO HAVE A NO TIES TO THE CITY OR STATE.
AND HAVING LIVED IN VOTED IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS.
AGAIN, WE ARE INDEPENDENT WITH THE CAPITAL I, BEFORE I MOVE FORWARD, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY FOR EVERYONE.
THE SUPREME COURT ON JUNE 29TH, 2015, AFFIRM THAT VOTERS DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO ESTABLISH INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSIONS LIKE THIS ONE AT A TIME WHEN POLITICIANS ELICIT TO DISTRUST CITIZEN REDISTRICTING CAN PROVIDE A TRANSPARENT AND TRANSFORMATIVE ALTERNATIVE TO POLITICS.
AS USUAL, THIS MOVEMENT INVOLVES THE INVOLVEMENT.
IT INVITES THE INVOLVEMENT OF ANY AND ALL RESIDENTS.
OUR WORK CANNOT HAPPEN WITHOUT FORUMS LIKE THIS ONE THIS AFTERNOON, WITHOUT ALL OF YOU IN ATTENDANCE, THE 2013 INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING OF THE ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES WAS A GRASSROOTS FROM THE GROUND UP INITIATIVE AND THE 2021 COMMISSIONERS HOPE TO DO THE SAME THIS YEAR, BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT REPRESENTATION IS A BACKBONE OF DEMOCRACY.
LATER THIS YEAR, THE COMMISSION WILL HAVE ACCESS TO 2020 CENSUS DATA.
THE COMMISSIONERS WILL USE THAT DATA AND THE PUBLIC INPUT TO DRAW NEW DISTRICT BOUNDARIES THAT BEST REFLECT AUSTIN'S RAPID CHANGES, ADHERENT TO SECTION THREE OF THE CITY CHARTER, THE COMMISSIONERS MUST DRAW EACH DISTRICT BOUNDARY USING THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA THAT YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE UP HERE IN ORDER OF PRIORITY FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, THE TOP PRIORITY, ENSURING THAT EACH NEW DISTRICT HAS A REASONABLY EQUAL POPULATION.
THE HIGHLIGHTED ITEM NUMBER FOUR, THAT YOU SEE IS WHY WE ARE CONDUCTING THESE PUBLIC INPUT FORUMS, AND IS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE CAN RECEIVE THIS INFORMATION FROM YOU FROM THE PUBLIC.
WE LEARNED ABOUT THE GEOGRAPHIC INTEGRITY OF LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES THAT ARE OF INTEREST TO YOU.
THESE NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES SHALL BE RESPECTED IN A MATTER THAT MINIMIZES THEIR DIVISION TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE
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WITHOUT VIOLATING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROCEEDING.THREE ITEMS THAT YOU SEE AS YOU SAW IN SOME PREVIOUS SLIDES EAST, EACH DISTRICT SHOULD HAVE THE SAME REASONABLY EQUAL POPULATION.
IN 2010, THE POPULATION OF AUSTIN STOOD AT 790,390.
SO THE IDEAL POPULATION OF EACH OF THE 10 DISTRICTS WAS ABOUT 79,000.
WE ARE CURRENTLY IN DISTRICT FOUR, THE POPULATION AT THAT TIME WHEN THE, WHEN THE LINES WERE DRAWN MAY DISTRICT FOR A POPULATION OF 79,360.
SO THERE ARE NEARLY RIGHT ON THE MONEY.
IT WAS ONLY A NEGATIVE 0.5 DEVIATION FROM THE IDEAL NUMBER ON THIS GRAFT, YOU WILL SEE THE RAPID GROWTH IN AUSTIN'S POPULATION THROUGH THE YEARS.
UH, IT GOES BACK TO 1870 JUST TO SHOW HOW, LIKE HOW INCREDIBLY DIFFERENT OUR POPULATION HAS EVOLVED.
UM, THE ESTIMATE FOR AUSTIN'S POPULATION LAST YEAR, UH, WAS 995,484.
THAT IS AN INCREASE OF 25% SINCE 2010.
SO WITH THAT NUMBER, THE IDEAL CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT SIZE WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 99,500.
I'M CERTAIN AT THIS POINT THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS SURPASSED 1 MILLION RESIDENTS, BUT REMEMBER WE WILL DRAW THE DISTRICTS AND A PORTION BASED ON THE DATA FROM THE 2020 CENSUS.
THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING GRAPH.
AS WE SAW EARLIER, AUSTIN HAS GROWN BY MORE THAN 200,000 PEOPLE SINCE 2010.
THIS MAP SHOWS THAT THAT GROWTH IS CONCENTRATED IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY.
IN SOME CASES, AREAS OF AUSTIN LOST POPULATION, THOSE AREAS ARE NOTED IN WHITE WHILE OTHERS GREW BY MORE THAN 3000 RESIDENTS, THOSE AREAS ARE NOTED IN THE DARKEST BLUE COLOR THAT YOU SEE UP HERE.
THIS UNEQUAL GROWTH IN OUR CITY MEANS THAT DISTRICT BOUNDARIES WILL CHANGE THE RACE AND ETHNIC COMPOSITION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE REST OF THE CITY.
THE CITY IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE REST OF THE STATE.
EXCUSE ME, 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.
AND A LITTLE MORE THAN 7% OF OUR POPULATION IDENTIFY AS BLACK, WHICH IS LOWER THAN THE SHARE OF THE STATE.
WE HAVE CLOSE TO 3% THAT IDENTIFY AS TWO OR MORE RACES AND SMALLER SHARES THAT IDENTIFY AS AMERICAN, INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF EACH OF THESE RACIAL, ETHNIC GROUPS TO THE TOTAL POPULATION CHANGE OVER THE DECADE, WE SEE THAT THE BIGGEST DRIVER IN AUSTIN HAS BEEN THE NON-WHITE NON-HISPANIC WHITE POPULATION IN AUSTIN.
THAT GROUP REPRESENTS NEARLY 50% OF THE CHANGE OF THE PAST DECADE.
THIS SETS US APART FROM THE REST OF TEXAS, WHERE THE WHITE POPULATION IS ONLY CONTRIBUTING 13% OF THAT CHANGE.
53% OF THE STATEWIDE POPULATION CHANGE IS DRIVEN BY THE LATINO POPULATION ALTOGETHER.
THE LATINO POPULATION OF TEXAS IS AT 40% WHILE THE NON-HISPANIC WHITE POPULATION IS AT 42%, THE BLACK POPULATION, 11%, THE ASIAN POPULATION, 5%, AS YOU WILL NOTE BY THE PIE CHART ON THE RIGHT SIDE, THAT MAKEUP IS VERY DIFFERENT HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AS WE MENTIONED, WE DO MOST OF OUR WORK BASED ON THE 2020 CENSUS DATA WHEN WE RECEIVE IT, WHY DON'T WE HAVE IT YET IN ON JULY 31ST, UH, OPERATIONAL DELAYS, A GLOBAL PANDEMIC LAWSUITS AND MOVES BY A PREVIOUS PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION ARE SOME OF THE REASONS TO BLAME THE CITY CHARTER.
HOWEVER, DOES SET THE DEADLINE OF NOVEMBER 1ST FOR THE FINAL REDISTRICTING PLAN TO BE ADOPTED.
THIS IS A TIGHT TURNAROUND CONSIDERING THAT WE CANNOT FORMALLY FORMALLY START THE MAPPING PROCESS UNTIL WE RECEIVE THAT DATA.
SO AS YOU SAW ON EARLIER SLIDES BETWEEN WHEN WE SEE THE RAW DATA, WHICH WE ESTIMATE TO BE AUGUST 16TH AND NOVEMBER AND THE NOVEMBER 1ST DEADLINE, WE WILL NEED TO DRAW PRELIMINARY, PRELIMINARY MAPS.
WE NEED TO PRESENT THEM TO THE PUBLIC AND EACH OF THE FOUR TRAVIS COUNTY PRECINCTS TAKE PUBLIC AND PUT THERE.
THEN WE REVISE THE MAPS, PRESENT THE FINAL MAPS.
TWO MORE TIMES, TAKE PUBLIC INPUT, AND THEN FINALLY ADOPT A FINAL PLAN THAT GIVES US JUST OVER TWO MONTHS TO COMPLETE THIS ENTIRE.
THIS IS ABOUT THE SAME TIMEFRAME THAT THE PREVIOUS COMMISSION HAD TO COMPLETE THEIR WORK BACK IN 2013, UPON ARRIVING TO TODAY'S FORUM,
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YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A WORKSHEET PACKAGE ON ONE SHEET.THERE IS A MAP OF DISTRICT FOUR, WHERE WE CURRENTLY ARE HOLDING THIS FORUM.
ON THE OTHER SHEET, THERE IS A MAP OF THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
WE WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT CITY MAP JUST IN CASE YOU'RE JOINING US THIS AFTERNOON.
AND YOU'RE NOT A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FOUR, OR IF YOU MIGHT WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT ON YOUR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT, YOUR FAVORITE PARK, YOUR DOCTOR'S OFFICE, SHOULD THOSE BE OUTSIDE OF DISTRICT FOUR? WE ASK THAT YOU TAKE SOME TIME TO EXAMINE THESE MAPS FOR COMMON AREAS OF INTERESTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, NEIGHBORHOODS, SCHOOLS, YOUR FAVORITE GROCERY STORE, MARK THESE AREAS ON THE MAP WITH A DOT OR A STAR, THEN PLEASE DRAW A CIRCLE AROUND THE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUR DISTRICT THAT YOU BELIEVE SHOULD REMAIN INTACT.
AS WE BEGAN, OUR REJOIN WORK ON THE BACK OF EACH OF THESE MAPS IS PLENTY OF EMPTY SPACE.
WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE LEAVE US WRITTEN COMMENTS, SHARE SOME DETAILS ON WHY THOSE DOTS AND STARS, UM, ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU.
IF YOU PREFER TO WRITE YOUR COMMENTS IN A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH, PLEASE DO.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE FORUM THIS AFTERNOON, BE SURE TO RETURN THESE COMPLETED WORKSHEETS TO THE REGISTRATION, WELCOMED US.
THAT IS, WAS AT THE DOOR THAT YOU ENTERED THROUGH.
THESE DOCUMENTS WILL BE SAVED.
THEY WILL BECOME PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD FOR THE PURPOSE OF REDRAWING.
MAPS WANTS TO DELAYED 2020 CENSUS DATA DOES ARRIVE HERE.
JUST AN EXAMPLE OF AGAIN, NEIGHBOR, NEIGHBORHOODS, SCHOOLS, PARKS, SHOPPING MALLS, GROCERY STORES, RECREATION CENTERS.
UM, I HOPE THESE, UH, THIS LEADS YOU TO JOIN SOME OF THOSE DOTS OR STARS ON THESE MAPS.
WITH THIS MAP HOMEWORK, WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON THAT ICR CHARTER PRIORITY.
NUMBER FOUR, KEEPING THE GEOGRAPHIC INTEGRITY OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY INTACT.
IF YOU CHOOSE TO, UH, GIVE PUBLIC TESTIMONY TODAY THAT IN THE WORKSHEETS THAT YOU WERE COMPLETING NOW WILL, UM, WILL HELP US HAVE A BETTER SNAPSHOT OF WHAT MATTERS TO YOU AS VOTERS, UH, AND WHAT MATTERS TO THE RESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITIES OF DISTRICT FOR THIS ACTIVITY, WE'LL GIVE COMMISSIONERS THE UNDERLINING UNMEASURED VARIABLES THAT WILL HELP US KEEP THE GEOGRAPHIC INTEGRITY OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WHILE WE'RE REDISTRICTING THE SLIDE THAT I'M GOING TO LEAVE UP HERE FOR NOW.
UM, THESE ARE QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER MORE QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER.
WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL WHEN IDENTIFYING WHAT MEANS MOST TO YOU AND YOUR DISTRICT.
THE LIST OF QUESTIONS ARE ALSO ON THE VERY BACK OF THESE WORKSHEETS AT THE BOTTOM.
JUST IF YOU, IF YOU NEED A CLEAR SNAPSHOT OF THEM, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE ABOUT 20 TO 25 MINUTES FOR Y'ALL TO COMPLETE THESE MAPS.
AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO INVITE THOSE WHO SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY TO COME UP TO THE MIC HERE.
UM, SO WE WILL REVISIT Y'ALL IN ABOUT 20 MINUTES.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH CONVERSATION.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY PORTION OF OUR MEETING.
BEFORE I LET OUR ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER, CHRISTINE GRANADOS GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION FOR THE SECTION TO GIVE AND TURN OUT TODAY.
I JUST WANTED TO NOTE TO EVERYONE, OUR NEXT PUBLIC FORUM OPPORTUNITY WILL BE THIS TUESDAY FROM SIX TO 8:00 PM.
IT IS A FOCUS ON DISTRICT SIX, BUT ANY AUSTIN RESIDENT IS ABLE TO ATTEND ANY OF THESE PUBLIC FORUMS. THIS ONE FOR DISTRICT SIX RIGHT NOW IS VIRTUAL.
WE WILL DO IT VIA ZOOM, JUST GIVEN THE PANDEMIC AND SOME CANCELLATIONS ON VENUES.
AFTER THAT, WE WILL BE FOCUSED ON DISTRICT THREE FROM ONE TO 3:00 PM ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 7TH.
AND THEN I WANT TO KNOW THE END OF AUGUST ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 21ST FROM 10:00 AM TO 12:00 PM AND FRIDAY, AUGUST 27TH FROM 11:00 AM TO 1:00 PM.
THESE ARE COMPLETELY VIRTUAL FORUM OPPORTUNITIES.
AND WE WELCOME ANY MEMBER OF ANY RESIDENT OF AUSTIN TO ATTEND THESE.
AGAIN, THEY ARE BOTH VIA ZOOM AND THEY ARE ON AUGUST 21ST AND AUGUST 27TH.
I'LL LET YOU TAKE IT FROM HERE.
BEFORE WE START, WOULD ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO SIGN UP TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
WELL, AS LOUIS, AS COMMISSIONER GONZALES SAID, I'M CHRISTINE AND I'M THE COMMISSIONER'S ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER AND ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO, WHO'S GOING TO GIVE PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
I'M GOING TO CALL YOU UP IN THE, IN THE ORDER THAT YOU SIGNED IN AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
AND AT ABOUT THE TWO MINUTE 32ND, MARK, I'M GONNA GET UP AND KIND OF HOVER NEAR YOU.
SO FIRST PERSON SIGNED UP IS PECK YOUNG.
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THANK YOU, CHRISTINE.UM, BEFORE MR. YOUNG SPEAKS, I WOULD JUST ALSO WANT TO REITERATE, WE ARE ASKING FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY SPECIFICALLY ON REDISTRICTING AND MAPS.
AND I JUST ASK THAT EVERYONE BE COURTEOUS TO EVERYONE AT THE S AT THE MICROPHONE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. YOUNG, THANK YOU.
I'M PECK YOUNG WITH THE NAACP AND HISPANIC COALITION.
I'M SPEAKING AT THE REQUEST OF FORMER SANDRA GONZALO BARRIENTOS, UH, WHO IS ALSO THE FORMER CHAIR OF THE, UH, UH, CO-CHAIR OF THE AUSTINITES FOR GEOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION AND THE CURRENT CO-CHAIR OF OUR COALITION.
UH, HE PLANNED TO BE HERE, BUT HE'S NOT ABLE TO, BECAUSE HE WAS CALLED AWAY ON PERSONAL ISSUES.
UH, SANDRA BARRIENTOS GAVE 30 YEARS PLUS TO ELECTED A BLACK IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
HE HAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN THE RE-DISTRICTING AREA SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE IT WAS ALL LEGISLATIVE SERVICE.
HE WANTS ME TO COMPLIMENT YOU ON TAKING ON THIS JOB FOR ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY, OUR ORGANIZATION, AND ITS MEMBERS ARE SUPPORTIVE OF FOR MINORITY DISTRICTS BASED ON THE CENSUS PROJECTIONS, WHICH INDICATE THAT APPROXIMATELY 40% OF THE POPULATION IS EITHER BLACK OR HISPANIC.
WE SPECIFICALLY WILL BE WORKING WITH YOU FOR ONE AFRICAN-AMERICAN OPPORTUNITY, DISTRICT THREE HISPANIC DISTRICTS, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE WILL BE TWO MAJORITY HISPANICS.
AND AT LEAST AT HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY OF NOT MAJORITY DISTRICT IS OUR INTENTION TO PRESENT YOUR COMMISSION WITH FOUR DRAFT DISTRICTS, FOLLOWING THESE GUIDELINES.
UH, ONCE THE CENSUS TRACK AND BLOCK DATA IS AVAILABLE, WE APPRECIATE THAT YOU WILL FOLLOW ALL CONSTITUTIONAL AND VOTING RIGHTS GUIDELINES, AND WE HOPE THIS BODY WILL BE, WE'LL BE CAREFUL AND THOROUGH CONSIDERING OUR PROPOSAL.
WE MUST, WE MOST FUNDAMENTALLY AGREE WITH YOUR PRESENTATIONS THAT, AND IN YOUR POSITION THAT THE ICRC IS INDEPENDENT WITH A CAPITAL I, AND THAT YOU MUST DO WHAT YOU FIND NECESSARY TO DEFEND THIS POSITION.
WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. YOUNG, AND THANK YOU TO CENTER BODY ON THOSE.
THE GENTLEMEN WILL REPEAT HIS NAME TO THE MIC JUST SO WE GET IT FOR RECORD.
AND IF YOU COULD STATE WHAT DISTRICT YOU'RE IN.
UH, I AM, UH, LIVE IN THE DISTRICT FOUR AREA, UH, SPECIFICALLY I LIVE, UH, IN THE NORTH AUSTIN CIVIC ASSOCIATION NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, THAT IS BOUND BY KRAMER ON THE NORTH LAMAR TO THE EAST METRIC DRIVE TO THE WEST AND 180 3, UH, TO THE SOUTH.
AH, SO BEFORE YOU CONTINUE, CAN I ASK IF YOU COULD MAYBE LEAN A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO THE MIC? IT SEEMS HAPPY TOO MUCH BETTER.
UH, SO, UH, I WOULD ASK THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN PARTICULAR, BUT IN GENERAL, ALL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS BE KEPT, UH, TOGETHER, UH, IN YOUR CONSIDERATIONS.
UH, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL AREAS THAT MOST PEOPLE, UH, TEND TO CONGREGATE.
UH, I KNOW OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS VERY ACTIVE AND MOST OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS IN OUR AREA ARE ALSO ACTIVE.
UH, I WOULD SUGGEST, YOU KNOW, FIRST I WOULD SAY THAT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, THE NEAR HIGH SCHOOL, CURRENT FORMERLY LINEAR NOW NAVARRO, UH, HAS OVER 50 NATIONALITIES THERE.
UH, AND, UH, IF YOU ANYBODY'S LOOKING FOR GOOD ETHNIC FOOD, THIS IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD YOU NEED TO BE COMING TO.
SO, UH, I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT, UH, DEMOGRAPHICALLY AND CULTURALLY, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, NORTH OF ANDERSON LANE AND WEST, UH, BURNET ROAD HAVE A LOT MORE IN COMMON THAN THOSE SOUTH OF ANDERSON LANE AND, UH, WEST OF BURNET ROAD, UH, TO THE EAST.
I THINK MOST OF THOSE ARE VERY SIMILAR TO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, AND, UH, I SEE A LOT MORE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE, THIS GROUP OF NEIGHBORHOODS THAN I SEE, UH, THROUGH OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, SO I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
THANKS FOR YOUR, ALL OF YOUR WORK.
I'M SURE YOU'RE GONNA MAKE IT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE HAPPY AND GO FOR IT.
THIRD AND LAST PERSON UP TO SPEAK IS ZENOBIA JOSEPH,
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RIGHT? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR MEMBERS, I'M SYNOVIA.MY COMMENTS ARE IN THE CONTEXT OF TITLE SIX OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, WHICH PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN.
I ACTUALLY CALLED IN ONCE BEFORE DURING A VIRTUAL MEETING.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU LISTENING, BUT I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF I ACTUALLY GAVE YOU CAPITAL METRO'S MAP TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I SEE SO CLEARLY, BUT WHAT MIGHT NOT BE SO OBVIOUS TO OTHER PEOPLE.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR MAP, I ACTUALLY HIGHLIGHT IT WHERE YOU HAVE THE FREQUENCY.
IT'S JUST REAL SIMPLE ON THE BACKSIDE.
YOU'LL SEE THAT I HIGHLIGHTED ACTUALLY, YOU JUST HEARD ABOUT SOUTH OF US, 180 3 THAT'S SEVEN, ROUTE SEVEN IS ACTUALLY 10 TO 12 MINUTES, BUT IT WAS SIX MINUTES DURING THE PANDEMIC.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER ONES THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED, THE 60 MINUTE ROUTES ARE ONLY IN THE BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS, SO THEY DON'T SERVE HERE.
BUT IF YOU TURN YOUR MAP OVER AND YOU LOOK AT WHERE I ACTUALLY HIGHLIGHT IT, U S 180 3 AND NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER, YOU'LL CLEARLY SEE HIGHWAY 180 3, HIGHLIGHT IT.
AND THEN IF YOU JUST FOLD THE MAP, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S ONLY ONE PARTIAL 3 25 ROUTE THAT'S FREQUENT THE REST OF THE MAT.
YOU CAN LITERALLY JUST FOLD THE MAP FROM THE PART THAT'S HIGHLIGHTED.
OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, MAPS ARE PERFECTLY FOLDED AND EVERYTHING, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT IT THIS WAY, YOU CAN SEE BETTER THAT THERE'S JUST ONE FREQUENT PARTIAL ROUTE.
THAT MEANS IT TAKES 30 MINUTES TO TRANSFER TO THE WEST SIDE.
THE ROUTES ARE DISCRIMINATORY.
SO SOUTH WEST AND CENTRAL, THE ROUTES RUN EVERY SIX TO 15 MINUTES, BUT THIS IS THE ONLY PARTIAL 15 MINUTE ROUTE.
THE REST OF THE ROUTES ARE 45 MINUTES.
AND THEN IT'S A 30 MINUTE TRANSFER TO THE WEST BECAUSE THEY ELIMINATED NORTHEAST WEST CONNECTIVITY ON JUNE 3RD, 2018.
WHEN CAPITOL METRO CHANGED THE 52 BUS ROUTES CALLED CAP REMAP, WHICH UNDERGIRDS PROJECT CONNECT.
AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE SWAYED BY THE INFORMATION YOU HEAR ABOUT MORE FREQUENT, MORE RELIABLE AND BETTER CONNECTED SERVICE.
AND SO SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO DISTRICT FOUR, BECAUSE I FOLLOW THE BUS ROUTES AND ALSO LAND USE DEVELOPMENT.
I WOULD JUST SAY THAT IT IS PROBLEMATIC TO ME THAT IN DISTRICT FOUR COUNCIL JUST APPROVED THE QUOTE UNQUOTE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVER AT ST.
JOHN'S AND
AND SO I FIND THAT PROBLEMATIC.
I KNOW YOU CAN'T SOLVE THAT PROBLEM, BUT I THINK YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND, YES WILL BE HALF MARKET RATE AND IT'LL BE HALF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT IN SHORT, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME TWEAKING TO THAT.
AND JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND AS YOU ARE DRAWING THE MAPS.
AND LASTLY, IF I COULD JUST SAY THIS ONE THING, I WOULD JUST RECOMMEND THAT YOU DRAW TWO MAPS IS WHAT I TOLD THE MEMBER THAT SPOKE TO ME.
AND I APOLOGIZE FOR FORGETTING HER NAME, BUT SHE'S FROM LOUISIANA LIKE ME.
UM, BUT I WOULD JUST ASK YOU TO DRAW A CLEAN BLANK SLATE, AND THEN DRAW ONE THAT YOU TWEAK BASED ON THE CENSUS THAT, AND I KNOW YOU HAVE TO USE THE CENSUS EDITOR DRAW BOTH OF THE MAPS, BUT I WOULD JUST ASK YOU TO PRETEND THAT THERE'S NOT THE DIVIDE WITH I 35 AND US 180 3, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE US 180 3 IS THE NEW
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.
AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, IT'S CLOSER FOR PEOPLE IN DISTRICT ONE TO GET TO THIS LOCATION THAN IT IS TO GO DOWNTOWN AND THEN TO CARVER.
BUT IF IT'S VIRTUAL, IT WON'T MATTER.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKING PORTION.
I SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ATTENDING TODAY.
UM, THANK YOU TO THE GASTONIA RECREATION CENTER FOR WELCOMING US.
THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING CITY STAFF FOR SETTING US UP AND FOR RECORDING TODAY'S PUBLIC FORUM, YOU CAN FIND IT ON THE CITY'S WEBPAGE FOR THE ICRC.
UH, UM, AGAIN, I WILL JUST NOTE, WE DO HAVE VIRTUAL PUBLIC FORUM OPPORTUNITIES.
IF YOU COULD TELL YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, YOUR FAMILY TO JOIN US, UH, WE WELCOME THEM.
THOSE TWO COMPLETELY VIRTUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL OF THE DISTRICTS WILL BE AGAIN, SATURDAY, AUGUST 21ST FROM 10:00 AM TO 12:00 PM.
AND FINALLY, OUR LAST FORUM FRIDAY, AUGUST 27TH FROM 11:00 AM
[00:30:01]
TO 1:00 PM.THAT IS GREAT FEEDBACK THAT WE WOULD LOVE ON YOUR COMMENTS AS WELL.
IN ADDITION TO THE MAP, IF WE CAN DO BETTER IN TERMS OF PROJECTION, WE'D, WE'D LOVE TO IMPROVE.
SO THE, THE, THE PRESENTATIONS ARE ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S WEBSITE UNDER THE ICRC.
SO IF YOU JUST LOOK UP BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, YOU CAN FIND THE INDEPENDENT CITIZENS ARE JUST DRINKING.
CAN COMMISSION THE AGENDA FOR TODAY.
THE MAP WORKSHEETS, THE PRESENTATION CAN ALL BE FOUND.
I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT AFTERNOON AND HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR SATURDAY JOURNEY IN THE MEETING.