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THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR JOINING
[Independent Citizen's Redistricting Commission]
US TODAY.THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US, BEING HERE WITH US AND OFFERING UP AT ONE OF YOUR PRECIOUS SATURDAYS TO DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF REDISTRICTING AND ITS IMPACT ON OUR CITY OF AUSTIN.
AFTER 12 PUBLIC FORUMS AND MONTHS OF WORK, THE ICRC NOW HAS AN APPROVED, PRELIMINARY MAP OF WHAT THE NEW CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT MAP COULD LOOK LIKE IN 2022.
PLEASE REMEMBER THIS IS A PRELIMINARY DRAFT.
WE ARE HERE FOR YOUR FEEDBACK ON THIS VERSION.
IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY JUST REMEMBER TO SIGN UP AT THE REGISTRATION DESK WITH OUR ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER, CHRISTINE GRANADOS, IF YOU WISH TO TESTIFY AT TODAY'S AFTER TODAY'S PRESENTATION, YOU CAN ALSO PICK UP COPIES OF THE PROPOSED MAPS.
I SEE SOME OF YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE THAT ALREADY AND LEAVE WRITTEN COMMENTS ON THESE MAPS, USING THE PAPER AND PENS THAT WERE PROVIDED.
LASTLY TO THE GUESTS GOT TO SEE A RECREATION CENTER FOR WELCOMING US BACK INTO YOUR SPACE TODAY.
WE TRULY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.
I WANT TO UNFORTUNATELY REMIND EVERYONE THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS ADHERING TO STAGE FIVE RISKS.
WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO PLEASE WEAR FACE COVERINGS AT ALL TIMES, UNLESS YOU ARE SPEAKING DURING THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY PORTION OF THE FORUM, PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH US.
WE WILL SANITIZE THE MICROPHONE AFTER EACH SPEAKER.
I WANT TO BRIEFLY WALK YOU THROUGH OUR AGENDA FOR THIS MORNING.
THE GOAL FOR TODAY IS TO DEPART THE GUS GARCIA REC CENTER BY 1:00 PM.
WE WILL BRIEFLY GO OVER HOW TO STAY INFORMED AND HOW TO SUBMIT FEEDBACK TO THE ICRC.
AS WE PUSH FORWARD TOWARD OUR NOVEMBER 1ST DEADLINE, WE WOULD DISCUSS WHY AN INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING PROCESS IS IMPORTANT.
THE PROCESS ITSELF, AND THE CITY CHARTER THAT GUIDES OUR WORK.
WE'LL SHOW YOU THE PRELIMINARY MAP.
AND AGAIN, YOU HAVE COPIES OF EACH INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT WITH YOU AND THE DATA AND THE REASONING FOR ITS CREATION.
WE WILL THEN MOVE INTO THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY PORTION OF TODAY'S FORUM.
EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES, AND LASTLY, WE WANT TO SHARE A FEW REMINDERS OF OUR WORK BEFORE YOU DEPART TODAY ON THIS SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE SOME LINKS TO OUR WEB PRESENCE, OUR FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS, WAYS THAT YOU CAN STAY CONNECTED TO THE WORK OF THE ICR ICRC LONG AFTER YOU LEAVE TODAY'S FORUM.
I WANT TO TAKE THIS TIME TO ALSO THANK SOME OF OUR LOCAL MEDIA PARTNERS, SUCH AS THE COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER.
THE AUSTIN MONITOR THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN, K U T THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE FOR THEIR RECENT ICRC COVERAGE AND SUPPORT AND PROMOTING OUR FORUMS LIKE THE ONE TODAY, WHILE THE 14 VOLUNTEER COMMISSIONERS OF THE ICRC MAY BE CHARGED WITH THE ACTUAL WORK OF REJOINING THE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT MAP.
THE FINAL PRODUCT WILL BE OURS AS AN ENTIRE CITY AS A COMMUNITY.
WE CAN NOT DO THIS WITHOUT YOUR INPUT.
IN ADDITION TO THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY THAT YOU MAY GIVE AT TODAY'S FORUM.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND SIGNING UP.
YOU CAN ALSO SUBMIT FEEDBACK THROUGH AN ONLINE SURVEY ON SPEAK UP AUSTIN.ORG VIA EMAIL TO ICRC DOT COMMISSIONERS AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV VIA A VIRTUAL FORUM, LIKE THE ONE SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH, OR EVEN GOOD OLD FASHIONED PHYSICAL MAIL.
SO THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS, HOW DID WE GET TO WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY IN 2012, AUSTIN VOTED TO SET A STANDARD FOR AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT MAPPING OF OUR DISTRICTS.
IN 2013, 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.
THESE MILESTONES CHANGED THE CITY'S ELECTION SYSTEM AND PROVIDED A POTENTIAL MODEL FOR, FOR CITIES NATIONWIDE, THE 2021 COMMISSIONERS WANT TO STRENGTHEN THAT MODEL.
BUT WHY DOES HAVING AN INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING PROCESS MATTER? BECAUSE IT'S THE BACKBONE OF DEMOCRACY FOR EQUAL REPRESENTATION AT THE CORE OF REDISTRICTING IS EQUAL AND FAIR REPRESENTATION, INCLUDING FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES PROTECTED UNDER FEDERAL LAW.
EACH DISTRICT SHOULD HAVE CLOSED AS CLOSE TO THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS AS POSSIBLE.
THIS IS THE ICRC IS NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
ACCORDING TO THE CITY CHARTER, IT'S ALSO SUPPORTS INDEPENDENT INPUT AND INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING PROCESS ALLOWS RESIDENTS TO HAVE A VOICE IN HOW THEIR COMMUNITY IS SHAPED WITHOUT THE INFLUENCE OF POLITICAL OFFICIALS.
IN 2015, THE SUPREME COURT AFFIRMED THAT VOTERS DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO ESTABLISH SUCH AN INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION AT A TIME WHEN POLITICIANS ELICIT DISTRUST CITIZEN, REDISTRICTING CAN PROVIDE THAT TRANSPARENT AND TRANSFORMATIVE ALTERNATIVE TO POLITICS.
AS USUAL, THIS MOVEMENT INVITES THE INVOLVEMENT OF ANY AND ALL OF CITY'S RESIDENTS.
OUR WORK CAN NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT PUBLIC FORUMS LIKE THIS ONE TODAY.
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ALL OF YOU IN ATTENDANCE, IT ALSO ALLOWS US TO FOCUS ON THE RAPID CHANGES THAT OUR CITY HAS EXPERIENCED OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.THIS INDEPENDENT PROCESS ALLOWS US TO FOCUS ON REDRAWING DISTRICT BOUNDARIES BASED ON POPULATION GROWTH AND MOVEMENT, RATHER THAN BEING CONCERNED WITH THE OUTCOMES OF AN ELECTION.
WE MENTIONED WHY AN INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING PROCESS IS IMPORTANT, BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT ACTUAL PROCESS FOR A BIT, FOLLOWING OVER 300 APPLICATIONS, THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE 60 MOST QUALIFIED APPLICANTS, THE RANDOM SELECTION OF THE FIRST EIGHT COMMISSIONERS, AND THEN THE INTERNAL SELECTION OF SIX ADDITIONAL THE 14 COMMISSIONERS OF THE ICRC HAVE HELD 12 PUBLIC FORUMS IN JULY AND AUGUST USING THE 2013 MAP TO GATHER FEEDBACK ON THE INTEGRITY OF LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS.
THIS SERVED AS OUR FOUNDATION.
OVER THAT TIME, WE HOSTED 105 ATTENDEES LISTON, 2 48, SPEAKERS COLLECTED 50 PROPOSED MAPS, 87 EMAILS, AND EVEN TWO VOICEMAILS FROM THE PUBLIC.
WE THEN TASKED OUR MAPPING SPECIALIST, GEORGE KORBEL TO CREATE A ROUGH FIRST DRAFT OF A NEW MAP THAT PRIORITIZED THE CREATION OF DISTRICTS WITH REASONABLY EQUAL POPULATION USING THE DELAYED 2020 CENSUS DATA.
IT USUALLY SUPPOSED TO COME IN MARCH OF THE SAME YEAR, THE ICRC THEN VOTED AND APPROVED THE PRELIMINARY MAP THAT YOU WILL SEE TODAY IN ADDITION TO POPULATION ADJUSTMENTS, THIS VERSION INCORPORATED CONSIDERATIONS OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT FEEDBACK PERTAINING TO THE INTEGRITY OF NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE HEARD AT THE 12 FORUMS AND VIA EMAIL COMMUNICATION THAT BRINGS US TO TODAY.
AND IT'S AN EXCITING, A LOT OF WORK GETTING TO THIS DAY, THE ICRC WILL NOW TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR 14 DAYS THROUGH FIVE MORE PUBLIC FORUMS. THAT ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK WILL BE REVIEWED AND CONSIDERED FOR POTENTIAL INCORPORATION INTO A FINAL MAP ABOUT THAT FINAL PROCESS.
THAT PROCESS WILL BEGIN AROUND OCTOBER 6TH.
WHEN WE WILL START WORKING ON A FINAL MAP DRAFT, WE WILL HOPE TO APPROVE THAT FIRST VERSION.
THEN WE TAKE THAT INITIAL VERSION AND GO BACK OUT FOR PUBLIC FEEDBACK FOR THREE MORE FORUMS IN MID-OCTOBER.
THE ICRC WILL ADOPT A FINAL MAP BY THE DEADLINE SET IN THE CITY CHARTER NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 1ST, 2021.
WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN MEET THIS DEADLINE.
LASTLY, THE ICRC WILL RELEASE A FINAL REPORT.
FOLLOWING THE ADOPTION OF A FINAL MAP, OUR SUBCOMMITTEE HAS ALREADY BEGAN, BEGAN WORK ON THIS IMPORTANT AND INFORMATIVE DOCUMENT.
SO HOW DO WE DRAW THESE MAPS AT THE FOREFRONT OF OUR PROCESS IS THE CITY CHARTER ADHERENCE TO SECTION THREE E THE COMMISSIONERS MUST DRAW EACH DISTRICT BOUNDARY USING THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA.
THIS IS AN ORDER OF PRIORITY FROM TOP TO BOTTOM.
MOST OF OUR GUIDELINES ARE PRETTY CUT AND DRY AS YOU'LL SEE, I'M JUST GOING TO RUN THROUGH THESE REAL QUICK.
THE FIRST IS THAT EACH DISTRICT SHALL HAVE REASONABLY EQUAL POPULATION WITH OTHER DISTRICTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, DISTRICT SIX AT THE TIME OF THE 2020 CENSUS DATA WAS THE MOST OVERPOPULATED DISTRICT AND CAN ONLY SHIFT POPULATION TO NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS OF 10 AND SEVEN DUE TO GEOGRAPHIC CONTIGUITY.
NUMBER TWO DISTRICT SHALL COMPLY WITH THE FEDERAL VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
THIS IMPACTED THE WAY WE SHAPED DISTRICTS.
1, 2, 3, AND FOUR ON THE EAST SIDE OF AUSTIN, WHICH ARE THE CITY'S PROTECTED OPPORTUNITY.
NUMBER THREE DISTRICTS SHALL BE GEOGRAPHICALLY.
CONTIGUOUS DISTRICTS CAN SOMETIMES TAKE ODD SHAPES.
WHY CAN'T THEY JUST BE STRAIGHT LINES AND EQUAL SIZE AND SHAPE? I THOUGHT THIS, WHEN I JOINED ICRC BACK IN FEBRUARY, DISTRICTS MUST BE TOUCHING NO GAPS, CITY PLANNING, BUSINESS, AND NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT DO NOT HAPPEN IN NEAT AND TIDY SHAPES.
AND BECAUSE PEOPLE LIVE IN DIFFERENT DENSITIES AND DISTRICTS MUST BE RELATIVELY EQUAL IN POPULATION.
THIS CAN CREATE STRANGE SHAPES.
IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE DISTRICT IS GERRYMANDERED TO SAY A DISTRICT WAS GERRYMANDERED WOULD BE TO IMPLY THAT IT WAS DESIGNED IN A WAY THAT WOULD FORM A POLITICAL ADVANTAGE FOR A CANDIDATE OR A POLITICAL PARTY, WHICH IS NOT THE CASE IN THIS APOLITICAL REDISTRICTING PROCESS.
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 THREE PROCEEDING SUBSECTIONS.
THIS IS WHY YOU ARE HERE TODAY.
I'VE HIGHLIGHTED IT ON THE SLIDE HERE.
THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'RE RECEIVING AT PUBLIC FORUMS LIKE TODAY GENERALLY FALLS INTO CATEGORY.
NUMBER FIVE, DISTRICT BOUNDARIES SHALL BE DRAWN TO ENCOURAGE GEOGRAPHICAL COMPACTNESS DISTRICTS SHOULD NOT BE DRAWN IN THE WAY THAT WOULD MAKE THEM SPRAWL.
MEANING THAT RESIDENTS OF THE SAME DISTRICT SHOULD LIVE AS NEAR TO ONE ANOTHER AS PRACTICAL, PRACTICAL, PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
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TWO MORE ON THIS NEXT SLIDE.DISTRICT BOUNDARY SHALL BE DRAWN USING THE BOUNDARIES OF EXISTING ELECTION PRECINCTS.
IN THE 2013 MAP, YOU SAW SOME BTDS THAT STANDS FOR VOTING TABULATION DISTRICTS MAY HAVE BEEN SPLIT IN SOME THAT COULD HAVE BEEN SPLIT TO FORM SOME NEIGHBORHOODS IN 2013.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE DISCUSSED IN OUR RECENT WEDNESDAY MEETING THE SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOOD OF CONNIE'S WOODS, BUT CONEYS WOODS WAS A NEIGHBORHOOD ON THE BORDER OF DISTRICT SIX AND DISTRICT SEVEN.
AND THAT WAS TO PROTECT ACTUALLY THAT WENT AGAINST KEEPING A VTD HOLE.
WE TRIED TO CORRECT THAT IN THIS VERSION OF THE MAP, AS YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT LATER AND FINALLY DISTRICT SEVEN, I MEAN PRIORITY NUMBER SEVEN, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
NUMBER SEVEN DISTRICT BOUNDARIES SOUTH SHALL BE DRAWN USING GEOGRAPHICALLY IDENTIFIABLE BOUNDARIES.
AUSTIN'S NATURAL BOUNDARIES LIKE LAKE TRAVIS SHOW CREEK, AND THE MANY PARTS OF THE GREENBELT MAKE GREAT CITY COUNCIL BOUNDARIES AS WELL.
MAJOR ARTERIES AND CORRIDORS ARE ALSO IMPORTANT MARKERS OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST THOUGH.
COMMUNITIES CAN ALSO CROSS MAN-MADE FEATURES GREEN SPACES AS WELL AS HISTORICAL AREAS AND BUILDINGS CAN ALSO BE CONSIDERED IN THIS PROCESS.
SO THE MAP, AGAIN, I'M GLAD Y'ALL PICKED UP SOME COPIES IN FRONT OF YOU.
IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO SEE IN FRONT OF YOU THAN ON THE SCREEN ITSELF.
ON THIS SLIDE, YOU WILL SEE THE POPULATION GROWTH BY DISTRICT FROM 2010 TO 2020, AND THEN THE ADJUSTED POPULATION PER PROPOSED NEW DISTRICT ON THE FAR RIGHT OF THIS TABLE IN 2010, THE POPULATION OF AUSTIN STOOD AT 790,390.
SO THE IDEAL POPULATION PER CITY COUNCIL IN 2013 WAS ABOUT 79,000 RESIDENTS PER DISTRICT.
THE LARGEST DISTRICT PER IN TERMS OF POPULATION LAST TIME WAS DISTRICT SIX AND THE SMALLEST DISTRICT WAS DISTRICT ONE WITHIN THE 2013 BOUNDARIES.
BY 2020 DISTRICT SIX WENT FROM BEING 3.7, 2% OVER IDEAL DEVIATION IN POPULATION TO 12.7, 6%.
MEANWHILE, DISTRICT FORCE POPULATION BARELY INCREASED OVER THAT SAME 10 YEAR PERIOD BY JUST 1,350 RESIDENTS TODAY, THE IDEAL POPULATION PER EACH OF THE 10 DISTRICTS WOULD BE 96,185 RESIDENTS BASED ON THE CURRENT CITY POPULATION OF AUSTIN OF 961,855.
A NUMBER PROVIDED BY THE 2020 CENSUS DATA.
THAT'S ABOUT A 21% INCREASE SINCE 2010 OR ABOUT 172,000 RESIDENTS.
THESE DISTRICTS CURRENTLY, AS THEY'RE DRAWN ARE ALL WITHIN THE LEGAL DEVIATION RANGE, NOTICED THE LARGEST POPULATION IN THE PRELIMINARY MAP HAS DISTRICT EIGHT AT 101,397 RESIDENTS, WHICH IS 5.4, 2% ABOVE IDEAL DEVIATION WITH THE SMALLEST POPULATION IN THE PRELIMINARY MAP BEING DISTRICT THREE WITH 92,924 RESIDENTS, THAT'S A NEGATIVE 3.39% DEVIATION.
IF YOU TAKE THESE TWO ENDS OF THE POPULATION DISTRIBUTION, YOU GET A TOTAL DEVIATION OF 8.81%, WHICH CURRENTLY SITS UNDER THE 10% DEVIATION LIMIT.
IN ADDITION TO POPULATION, OTHER CONSIDERATIONS WERE MADE BY THE ICRC.
WHEN WE STARTED DRAWING THESE MAPS.
IN ADDITION TO POPULATION SHIFTS, COMMISSIONERS REQUESTED PUBLIC EXPERT TESTIMONY ON AUSTIN HISTORY, INCLUDING THIS RACIAL HISTORY, ITS POLICIES, TRANSPORTATION, LAND ATTRIBUTES, GEOGRAPHICAL TRENDS.
WE'VE DONE THIS ON A RECUR ON AN ONGOING BASIS.
THE ICRC HEARD FROM TRAVIS COUNTY ABOUT VOTING PRECINCTS AND PLANS TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY ON REDISTRICTING AS NECESSARY.
WE ALSO HEARD FROM THE AUSTIN ISD AS PART OF THE PROCESS OF GAINING FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE, THE COMMISSION WAS ALSO EDUCATED ON THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT AND OTHER APPLICABLE LAWS AND STATUTES.
THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT SECTION TWO IS WHERE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA BECOMES RELEVANT.
SECTION TWO PROHIBITS VOTING PRACTICES AND REDISTRICTING PLANS THAT DISCRIMINATE BASED ON THE COLOR OF RACE OR MEMBERSHIP IN A LANGUAGE MINORITY GROUP, MINORITY OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS ARE DRAWN TO HAVE A MAJORITY PEOPLE OF COLOR AS THE VOTING AGE POPULATION AND THAT'S PROTECTED.
SO THEY MAY HAVE A CHANCE TO ELECT A CANDIDATE OF THEIR CHOICE.
AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN REDISTRICTING CONSIDERATION IS PUBLIC INPUT.
THE ICRC PRODUCED A DOCUMENT THAT LISTED ALL PUBLIC INPUT THAT WE RECEIVED SO THAT COMMISSIONERS COULD HAVE A CLEARER PICTURE OF WHAT WAS BEING ASKED OF THIS PROCESS.
THIS WAY COMMISSIONERS COULD UNDERSTAND AND ADVOCATE FOR THE ASS COMING FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS.
WE HAVE ONE OR TWO COMMISSIONERS FROM EVERY CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT REPRESENTED ON THIS BODY.
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CHOSE TO START WITH THE 2013 MAP THAT WAS FORMED ALONG WITH THE COUNCIL STRUCTURE CHANGE TO TEN ONE.THESE DISTRICTS HAVE PROVIDED A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR THE 2021 ICRC HAVING PROVIDED THEIR RATIONALE IN THE 2013 ICRC FINAL REPORT WITH FIDELITY TO THE CHART CITY CHARTER PRIORITIES.
THE ORIGINAL MAP WE FEEL WAS BASED ON THE SAME STANDARDS THAT WE'RE BASING OUR MAPS ON AND UPON REVIEWING THE 2013 FINAL REPORT, THE COMMISSION FOUND THAT THE LOCATIONS MAJOR LANDMARKS NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE BEEN STABLE, EVEN IF RACIAL DEMOGRAPHICS HAVE CHANGED AND THE CITY HAS GROWN.
SO GIVEN THAT, AND THE VTD IS MANY OF THE BOUNDARY LINES ARE STABLE.
WE KIND OF WANT IT TO JUXTAPOSE THE 2013 VERSION VERSUS THE PRELIMINARY MAP, PRELIMINARY MAP.
APOLOGIES IF IT IS A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO SEE ON THE SCREEN, I WILL POINT OUT A FEW KEY POINTS ABOUT THE PRELIMINARY MAP AS IT COMPARES TO THE EXISTING 2013 MAP.
AND AS A REMINDER, YOU HAVE THOSE PRINTOUTS AND YOU CAN EMAIL US YOUR TESTIMONY ABOUT THIS PRELIMINARY PROPOSAL VIA EMAIL OR THROUGH THE OTHER WAYS THAT YOU SAW ON THE SCREEN AT A LATER DATE.
SO AS WE SAW EARLIER, THE DATA SUPPORTED A CHANGE TO SAVE TO THE SHAPE OF DISTRICTS THAT HAVE GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY, AS WELL AS THEIR ADJACENT DISTRICTS DISTRICT SIX, 10, AND SEVEN WERE A SIGNIFICANT FOCUS IN MAPPING DISCUSSIONS.
NOTABLY DISTRICT SIX POPULATION GREW BY A LARGE THANKS TO A LARGE ASIAN POPULATION, WHICH NOW SITS AT NEARLY 28% IN THAT DISTRICT.
ANOTHER INTERESTING NOTE ABOUT DISTRICT SIX WAS THAT OVER 70,000 RESIDENTS CURRENTLY RESIDE IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, CONVERSELY, IN THE CASE OF A DISTRICT THAT HAS NOT GROWN LIKE DISTRICT FOUR, IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE RELATIVELY EQUAL POPULATION ACROSS ALL DISTRICTS, THIS DISTRICT NEEDED TO TAKE POPULATION FROM ITS SURROUNDING DISTRICTS SEVEN AND ONE, SOME DISTRICTS SUCH AS DISTRICT TWO AND DISTRICT FIVE REQUIRED VERY MINIMAL CHANGES BECAUSE THE POPULATION GROWTH WITHIN ITS CURRENT BOUNDARIES MATCHED THE POPULATION SIZE OF DISTRICTS BASED ON THE CITY'S 2020 POPULATION.
THESE MAPS WERE DRAWN STARTING WITH THE CONSIDERATION OF THE BOUNDARIES OF PROTECTED MINORITY OPPORTUNITIES, OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS ON THE EAST SIDE DISTRICTS, 1, 2, 3, AND FOUR, RATHER THAN STARTING FROM ANOTHER ORIENTATION ON THE MAP.
THIS WAS TO ENSURE THE LARGEST POSSIBLE CONCENTRATION OF BLACK AND HISPANIC POPULATIONS WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES SO THAT THEY HAVE THE GREATEST CHANCE OF ELECTING A CANDIDATE OF THEIR CHOICE.
THIS IS ALL SUPPORTED AGAIN BY THE VRA.
THE COUNTY WILL NOT RELEASE THEIR VTS UNTIL LATER THIS YEAR.
AND SO FOR THAT TIME BEING THE ICRC USED THE EXISTING SHAPE OF BTDS TO GUIDE OUR CHANGES.
AND AGAIN, VTD VOTING TABULATION DISTRICTS.
THE COUNTY HAS INFORMED US THAT SOME OF THESE VTD ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE ALSO BASED ON NEEDING TO DO THEIR WORK AND BALANCE OUT POPULATION.
SO THE ICRC MAY ADJUSTED LINES AFTER NOVEMBER 1ST TO ACCOMMODATE THESE CHANGES.
OVERALL MUCH OF THIS MAP HAS STAYED THE SAME FIRST CHANGES THAT YOU SEE REFLECT POPULATION CHANGE AND THE NEED TO DRAW BOUNDARIES THAT CONTAIN EQUAL POPULATION WITHIN THEM.
AND THIS WAS BEST ACCOMPLISHED USING THOSE VTS SECOND DISTRICTS WITH HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF PEOPLE OF COLOR WAR PRIORITIZED AS REQUIRED BY FEDERAL LAW.
AND FINALLY THE HEART OF THE COMMISSION'S DISCUSSION LEADING UP TO THE APPROVAL OF THE PRELIMINARY PRELIMINARY MAPS ON DECEMBER ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, HAD TO DO WITH COMMUNITY INPUT.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU MAY SEE A CHANGE THAT CREATES AN UNNECESSARY SPLIT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, OR MAINTAINS A SPLIT FROM THE LAST MAP THAT YOU DID NOT WANT TO SEE IN 2021.
IF THIS IS THE CASE, PLEASE SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH US SO THAT WE'LL HAVE ALL THE TESTIMONY ON RECORD FOR CONSIDERATION AS WE GO INTO DRAWING A FINAL MAP.
I'M SO SORRY, BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO RECOGNIZE THIS QUESTION, THE REST OF US CAN NOT HEAR IT.
SO MAYBE THE QUESTION WHEN YOU FINISH AND THEN IF THE PERSON CAN GO TO THE MICROPHONE, JUST, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU, SORRY.
IT ALSO HAS TO BE ON THE MICROPHONE FOR OUR
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER FUNK ON MA'AM THE QUESTION.
WE WILL GO INTO PUBLIC TESTIMONY PORTION RIGHT NOW, AND THAT WILL GIVE YOU THE ALLOWANCE TO GO UP TO THE MIC TO ASK THIS QUESTION, WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER IT.
NO, MA'AM WE DO NOT HAVE THAT ON THE PRESENTATION.
DEFINITELY HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION DURING THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY PORTION.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER PECAN.
THAT'S A GOOD SEGUE, A LITTLE ROCKY, BUT I THINK, I THINK A GOOD SEGUE INTO THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY PORTION OF TODAY.
I JUST WANT TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF GROUND RULES FOR OUR PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
ALL INDIVIDUAL WISHING ALL INDIVIDUALS WISHING TO MAKE COMMENTS MUST HAVE SIGNED IN PRIOR TO THE MEETING, AND THERE'S STILL AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
SO THE SIGN UP SHEET IS AT THE REGISTRATION
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TABLE.WHEN YOU CAME IN, EACH SPEAKER WILL BE LIMITED AT THREE MINUTES, UNLESS ADDITIONAL TIME IS GRANTED BY THE CHAIR.
IN THIS CASE, I'M THE VICE CHAIR.
I WILL BE PRESIDING OVER THAT.
THE COMMISSION IS INTERESTED IN GATHERING CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK ON CITIZENS' VIEWS OF THE PRELIMINARY MAP, SUGGESTED ADJUSTMENTS AND THE OVERALL REDISTRICTING PLAN SPEAKERS CAN ASK QUESTIONS DURING THE TESTIMONY TO SEEK INFORMATION AND CLARITY RATHER THAN TO SEEK DEBATE.
THE CHAIR CAN ANSWER A COMMISSIONER CAN ASK THE CHAIR TO ADDRESS THE SPEAKER OR THE CHAIR CAN DIRECT STAFF TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION.
THE SPEAKERS TIME WILL BE STOPPED WHEN THE COMMISSION IS ANSWERING A QUESTION, COMMISSIONERS WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS THAT ARE WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY OF A SPECIFIC SPEAKER.
EVERYONE IS ASKED TO PLEASE ABIDE BY THESE GUIDELINES SO THAT THIS PUBLIC FORUM PROCESS CAN PROCEED SMOOTHLY AND ALL WHO WISH TO SPEAK, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
TODAY I'M GOING TO ASK IF MATT DOUGAN AS COMMISSIONER LANDS, I'D LIKE TO, UM, TO APPLAUD YOU FOR DOING SUCH AN EXCELLENT JOB OF GIVING US NOT ONLY AN OVERVIEW, BUT AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.
SO I TRULY APPRECIATE THE WAY YOU PRESENTED IT.
IF YOU COULD CALL THE SPEAKERS IN THE ORDER THAT THEY SIGNED UP, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
MATT IS GOING TO TIME KEEP FOR US AS WELL.
SO HE MAY BE HOVERING OVER YOU A LITTLE BIT WHEN MAYBE YOU'RE AT THE MINUTE MARK, BUT AGAIN, I'M HAPPY TO ALLOW FOLKS TO FINISH UP A SENTENCE OR A THOUGHT.
AND AGAIN, PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH US.
WE'LL SANITIZE THE MICROPHONE BETWEEN EACH SPEAKER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MATT, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL UP THE FIRST SPEAKER TODAY? OKAY.
SO WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME AND STUCK TO THE MICROPHONE, GIVE YOUR NAME AND DISTRICT.
IT SHOULD BE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S STILL NOT COMING THROUGH.
WE MIGHT HAVE OVER PROMISED THAT MIKE MA'AM IT'S DEFINITELY ON.
I HEAR MATT'S VOICE COMING OUT OF THE SPEAKER, BUT IT'S EXTREMELY LOW.
AND OUR MAIN GUY, GARY IS GOING TO GET THIS FIXED FOR US.
ALSO, I JUST WANT TO TAKE THE TIME.
AAV ATX SEN MATT, OUR STAFF LIAISON, CHRISTINE GRANADOS, OUR ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER FOR SETTING EVERYTHING UP.
THERE'S JUST MY VOICE TO MATT.
MAYBE IT MAY TAKE OFF THE MASK WHEN I HATE TO SAY THAT, BUT WHEN SPEAKING, OKAY NOW IS THAT BETTER? YEAH.
IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE TO REMOVE YOUR MASK WHILE YOU ARE SPEAKING, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT MIGHT PICK UP ON THE MIC A LITTLE BIT BETTER TODAY.
SO LIKE VICE CHAIR SAID, WANT TO CALL YOUR NAME, STEPPED UP TO THE MICROPHONE.
GIVE YOUR NAME AND DISTRICT STATE IF YOU'RE REPRESENTING YOURSELF OR SOMEBODY ELSE.
AND THEY'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO TESTIFY UNLESS GRANTED ADDITIONAL TIME.
ALL GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE TO AUSTIN.
MOST, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR DILIGENCE AND COMMITMENT TO LISTENING TO ALL OF ITS COMMUNITIES, STRIVING TO BE FAIR AND PRIORITIZING OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS TO ENSURE DIVERSITY OF REPRESENTATION ON THE AUSTIN CITY, COUNCIL DIOCESE, I'M NATE JONES, THE PRESIDENT OF OCEAN, THE ORGANIZATION IS CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOODS.
OCEAN IS THE CONTACT TEAM FOR SIX HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS WHOSE WESTERN BOUNDARY IS IHI 35.
OUR SOUTHERN BOUNDARY IS SEVENTH STREET IN OUR EASTERN BOUNDARY.
IS SHE CALLING AND NORTHWESTERN AVENUE.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS AREA, CENTRAL EAST INCLUDES A MAJOR PORTION OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURAL CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT, HOUSTON TILLOTSON UNIVERSITY, THE CARVER CENTER, AND ABOUT A DOZEN CHURCHES.
WE'RE ALSO HOME TO AN AMAZING NEIGHBORHOOD CALLED GUADALUPE AND OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE PARISH ALSO KNOWN AS GN DC GMDC HAS FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT TO PRESERVE MEXICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE AND HOUSING AFFORDABILITY THERE.
AND IN MANY OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS FURTHER EAST I'VE LIVED IN BLACK SHARE PROSPECT HILL FOR 17 YEARS AND CAN TELL YOU BOTH FROM MY LIFE THERE AND MY SERVICE ON THE CONTACT TEAM, THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF RESIDENTS IN CENTRAL EAST.
WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT LOSING.
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WE LIKE EAST CESAR CHAVEZ AND BLACK LAND NEIGHBORHOODS ARE MINDFUL OF OUR PROXIMITY TO DOWNTOWN AND THE UNRELENTING PUSH TO CONVERT OUR COMMUNITIES TO TOWER DISTRICTS.YOUR DRAFT MAP WAS VERY ENCOURAGING TO US AS IT SET DISTRICT ONES, WESTERN BOUNDARY AT AGE 35, AND SEEMED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS AND WAYS OF LIFE ON EITHER SIDE.
AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR WORK WITH THE NAACP HISTORIC COALITION.
WE AGREE THAT THE LBJ SCHOOL AND LIBRARY HOLD NOT ONLY IS A SYMBOLIC, BUT SUBSTANTIVE CONNECTION TO THE COMMUNITIES OF DISTRICT ONE AND THEIR ABILITY TO REMAIN WHERE THEY ARE.
HOWEVER WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE REMOVE THE OTHER PARCELS WEST OF
AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL, THERE WAS NO PUBLIC TESTIMONY CALLING FOR THEIR INCLUSION.
THE FORMER SITE OF THE BRACKENRIDGE HOSPITAL IS THE CORNERSTONE OF DOWNTOWN'S INNOVATION DISTRICT AND IS ENTITLED FOR HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF REDEVELOPMENT ON 14 ACRES, THE EXPECTED GROWTH.
THERE COULD QUICKLY UNBALANCED DISTRICT ONE DIMINISHING THE POWER AND NUMBERS OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
WE ARE HERE TO MAINTAIN RESPECTFULLY.
WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE RESTORE THE BOUNDARY IS IN THE DRAFT MAP WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LBJ COMPLEX.
THE INTERSTATE IS A CHALLENGE FOR THOSE ON EITHER SIDE OF IT, BUT PLEASE RECOGNIZE WE ARE VERY DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES ON EACH SIDE.
VICE CHAIR, COMMISSIONER VAUGHN.
I'D LIKE TO THINK THE GENTLEMAN FOR HIS TESTIMONY AND ALSO SAY THAT SARAH, YOU MAY HAVE BEEN REFERENCING ONE DRAFT BACK BECAUSE WE DID DO SOME WORK ON THAT PARTICULAR DISTRICT.
AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO DISCUSS THEM WITH YOU AFTER THE FORUM.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS THE MAP I'M LOOKING AT INCLUDES THE BRACKENRIDGE COMPLEX.
I THINK THE CURRENT MAP DOES SHOW BRECKENRIDGE AND WE'VE HEARD THE GENTLEMAN'S TESTIMONY.
I'VE HEARD COMMISSIONER FELKINS QUESTION AND WE WILL DEFINITELY LOOK INTO THAT A BIT MORE, BUT IT DOES SHOW IT ON THE MAP.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MISS ORA HOUSTON.
I'M GOING TO SPEAK TO YOU ALL ON THIS SIDE BECAUSE EVERYBODY SEEMS TO BE ON THAT SIDE TODAY.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING AND FOR THE DIFFICULT WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
UM, I'M HERE TO APOLOGIZE WHEN WE WERE AT THE CARVER MUSEUM BACK IN AUGUST, I RECOMMENDED SOME BOUNDARIES FOR DISTRICT ONE AND I WILL REPEAT FOR THE RECORD, DRAW THE WESTERN BOUNDARY OF THE DISTRICT AT THE EAST SIDE OF
THE ONE EXCEPTION IS FOR THE LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND THE LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON LIBRARY, AS A REMINDER OF THE IMPORTANCE OF ALLIES AND HOW FAR WE HAVE COME AND HOW FAR WE HAVE YET TO GO IN THIS CITY.
WHAT I NEGLECTED TO DO WAS GIVE YOU SOME PARAMETERS, SOME LINES, SOME STREET NAMES.
WE WOULD GO OVER WEST OF 35 ON MAIN ROAD AND WE WOULD GO WEST TO ROBERT DEADMAN.
AND THEN WE WOULD GO NORTH TO DEAN KEATON DRIVE THAT ENCAPSULATES RED RIVER, WHICH IS WHERE BOTH THE LBJ SCHOOL AND THE LBJ LIBRARY STAND.
SO IF WE COULD DO JUST CARVE OUT THAT LITTLE AREA OR DISTRICT ONE, DEAN CADEN ALSO IS THE CURRENT BOUNDARY OF DISTRICT ONE AND DISTRICT NINE.
SO THAT DOESN'T CHANGE ANY, IT WOULD JUST BE MOVING FROM MLK UP TO MAIN OR ROW INTO DEAN KEY AND ROBERT DEADMAN.
AND THEN TO DEAN KEY, THAT WOULD DO WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY BACK IN AUGUST.
AND I, AGAIN, APOLOGIZE FOR NOT
[00:30:01]
BEING CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THAT RECOMMENDATION IS.THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN AND GOOD LUCK.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MS. HOUSTON.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS PAC YOUNG I APOLOGIZE FOR THE LAYING THE COMMISSION, BUT I HAVE A BAD KNEE STANDING UP THAT LONG.
YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO GET A GOOD PRESENTATION.
I OFFICIALLY REPRESENT THE NAACP, UH, HISPANIC, UH, UH, COALITION I'VE BEEN REQUESTED, UH, AS MS. MR. YOUNG.
CAN YOU MAYBE TAKE THE MICROPHONE OFF AND PUT IT UP TO YOU? OH, IT'S STILL A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO, I'LL BE HAPPY TO HOLD IT.
I REPRESENT THE NAACP HISPANIC, UH, COALITION AND I'VE BEEN REQUESTED, UH, MS. HOUSTON IS ONE OF OUR LEADERS, BUT I'VE BEEN OFFICIALLY REQUESTED BY LEADERSHIP, UH, TO REQUEST A CHANGE IN DISTRICT ONE, UH, TO THE LINE SHE DESIGNATED, UH, UH, DEAN KEATON, UH, TO, UH, THEN SOUTH, UH, ON ROBERT DEADMAN AND THEN, UH, TO THAT TO MAIN ROAD AND THEN MAIN ROAD BACK TO THE 35.
I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT CATCHING THAT IN THE LAST PRESENTATION.
THERE IS NO ONE AT FAULT THERE.
UM, FRANKLY, WE WERE ALL WORKING UNDER A GREAT DEAL OF STRESS.
THE LAST COMMISSION HAD MONTHS TO GO OVER SINCE THIS DATA, UH, MR. KORBEL AND MY TEAM HAD ABOUT SIX DAYS, UH, AND, UH, THIS WAS AN INADVERTENT MISTAKE.
NO ONE IS TO BLAME AND NO ONE DID ANYTHING WRONG.
HOWEVER, SHE IS CORRECT THAT IF YOU GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 15TH, AND THEN DOWN TO 12TH STREET, WE CHECKED, UH, CITY RECORDS AND BETWEEN 15TH AND 12TH STREET, THERE ARE CONDOS UNDER CONSTRUCTION THAT WOULD HAVE ABOUT SEVEN OR 800 PEOPLE.
AND I CAN ASSURE YOU, NONE OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE BLACK AND THEY'RE ALL GOING TO BE RICH, WHITE PEOPLE, WHITE PEOPLE, WHICH WOULD DRAMATICALLY IMPACT THE DISTRICT FIRST, AS SHE TESTIFIED AT THE HEARING AND DISTRICT ONE, AND AS WE'VE TESTIFIED BEFORE, WE SIMPLY WANT THE LBJ SCHOOL AND, UH, LIBRARY, WE NOT INTERESTED IN INTRUDING INTO DISTRICT NINES BUSINESS DISTRICT OR A HOSPITAL DISTRICT THAT BELONGS IN DISTRICT NINE.
UM, AND SO WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE CHANGE BACK TO WHAT WE ORIGINALLY REQUESTED, WHICH IS THE LBJ COMPLEX, UH, BE ADDED TO ONE AND THE REST OF WHAT IS SHOWN ON THE CURRENT PRELIMINARY MAP, BE PUT BACK IN NINE, WHERE ARE WE THINKING THERE'S APPROPRIATE TO BE DONE? UH, AND SO, UH, THAT IS A REQUEST WE MAKE FORMALLY.
UM, WE THINK THAT, THAT WE REALIZE YOU CAN'T TAKE A CENSUS OF BUILDINGS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN BUILT, BUT WE DO BELIEVE THAT IF WHEN THOSE BUILDINGS WERE BUILT, THAT WOULD BE AN ADVERSE IMPACT ON THE MINORITY OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT ONE.
AND WE WANT TO TRY TO AVOID THAT IF ANYONE HAS ANYTHING TO ASK, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. YOUNG, ARE THERE ANY AS ALWAYS NIAGARA COMMISSION FOR THEIR TIME? ANY QUESTIONS SINCE SAMSUNG? THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. YANG.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS AND CHARLOTTE PATTERSON.
SO FIRST I JUST WANTED TO THANK ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
I KNOW THAT THIS IS REALLY DIFFICULT AND CRITICAL WORK RIGHT NOW.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
UM, SHOUT OUT, ESPECIALLY THE
UH, BUT I'M NOT SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF ANY PARTICULAR DISTRICT OR SPECIFICALLY TO ANY BOUNDARY LINES TODAY.
I'M HERE WITH MORE GENERAL COMMENTS.
I'M THE VICE-CHAIR OF, UH, THE CITY MUSIC COMMISSION, WHICH SEEMS LIKE IT MUST BE LIKE THE FUN COMMISSION TO BE ON, BUT IT'S REALLY NOT RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF DIFFICULT WORK AND THINKING ABOUT THE SAME THINGS THAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT, UH, FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE BEEN ENGAGED IN DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SYSTEMIC RACISM AND HOW TO BEST ADDRESS HISTORIC RACIAL
[00:35:01]
INEQUITIES THROUGH THE LENS OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.UM, BUT SO TODAY I'M HERE WITH THAT IN MIND AND IN MY HEART OF THE CHARTER, WHICH GUIDES REDISTRICTING INCLUDES THE SHALL KNOW THESE TWO REQUIREMENTS, AUSTIN CHARTER REQUIRES REDISTRICTING COMMISSION TO BE IMPARTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY INTERESTS ARE REQUIRED CRISP CRITERIA, BUT AFTER FAIR REPRESENTATION OF MINORITIES.
SO AS YOU DO THIS CHALLENGING WORK OF HEARING COMMUNITY TESTIMONY, UH, AND INPUT FROM INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP THOSE TWO REQUIREMENTS FRONT OF MIND.
PLEASE LISTEN CAREFULLY TO REPRESENTATIVES FROM COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, KEEPING IN MIND THAT SHIFTING DISTRICT BOUNDARIES IN SUCH A WAY THAT A COMMUNITY OF COLOR IS CUT OFF FROM SIMILARLY UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS OR ABSORBING A MORE AFFLUENT, PRIMARILY WHITE NEIGHBORHOOD INTO ONE OF OUR EASTERN CRESTON CRESCENT DISTRICTS WILL HAVE THE EFFECT OF DILUTING THE VOICES OF THOSE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
THIS IS A TIME WHEN A LOT OF THIS DISTRICTS ARE REALLY UNDER SIEGE FROM GENTRIFICATION AND THEY ARE SUFFERING THE MOST HEAVILY FROM OUR AFFORDABILITY CRISIS.
SO I WOULD LOOK TO LIFT UP AND AMPLIFY THOSE VOICES.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK.
AND AGAIN, I'M ANNE CHARLOTTE PATTERSON, VICE CHAIR OF THE CITY MUSIC COMMISSION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MRS. PATTERSON.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING.
ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. PATTERSON? THANK YOU AGAIN.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS KIMBERLY LEVINSON.
AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.
IT'S A THANKLESS TASK AND YOU GET TO LISTEN TO A LOT OF COMPLAINTS.
SO I KNOW IT'S NOT A LOT OF FUN.
I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, ABSOLUTELY THOUGH AGREE AND EMPHASIZE THAT I DO BELIEVE THAT THE PAC YOUNG OR A HOUSTON ARE CORRECT ABOUT THE ADJUSTMENT TO DISTRICT NINES BOUNDARIES IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA, AROUND THE MLK AREA AND RED RIVER.
THOSE ARE AREAS THAT SHOULD BE PART OF MY DISTRICT, WHICH IS DISTRICT DOWNTOWN.
I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AND THOSE AREAS ARE BUILT UNDER THE SAME DOWNTOWN BUILDING CODES IN DOWNTOWN DENSITY, BONUS PROGRAMS AND SUCH.
AND SO THEY DO ACTUALLY BELONG IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT AN AREA THAT YOU HAVE CURRENTLY TWO DISTRICT 10, WHICH ENCOMPASSES BUILT DOWNTOWN BUILDINGS LIKE THE INDEPENDENT AND SPRING AND BUOY AND THE WHOLE FOODS AREA ALSO BELONGS IN DOWNTOWN BECAUSE IT REALLY IS A PART OF DOWNTOWN.
I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S DIFFICULT TO MAKE THESE POPULATION ADJUSTMENTS, BUT YOU WOULD BE BETTER OFF, I THINK ADJUSTING OUR DISTRICT'S POPULATION BY SHEDDING SOME OF THE SOUTHERN AREAS INTO DISTRICT FIVE OR SOME OF THE WESTERN AREAS INTERDISTRICT 10 OR SEVEN, IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE TO DO THAT.
IT WOULD KEEP COMMUNITIES TOGETHER AND IT WOULD HELP WITH COMMUNITIES OF COLOR BEING ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEIR MAJORITY IN DISTRICT ONE, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE I BELIEVE MR. YOUNG IS CORRECT WHEN HE SAYS, BASICALLY THOSE ARE GOING TO BE FILLED WITH A LOT OF RICH WHITE PEOPLE, AND IT'S GOING TO HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON THE POPULATION OF DISTRICT ONE.
SO I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER WHAT I SAY TODAY.
MA'AM FOR THAT TESTIMONY REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
ANYONE ON THE COMMISSION HAVE QUESTIONS FOR MS. LIVINGSTON COMMISSIONER BUCKLIN? UM, COULD YOU JUST PLEASE CLARIFY THE BEGINNING OF YOUR STATEMENT? I WAS NOT UNDERSTANDING, SO YOU ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH MOVING PARCEL 3 25 AND 2 0 6.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT CLARIFICATION COMMISSIONER PECAN.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CHUCK REYNOLDS.
WELL, I GUESS I'LL JOIN EVERYBODY ELSE AND THANKING YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK.
I KNOW, I KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT AND PUTTING UP WITH THESE MEETINGS AND, UH, REALLY I'M MOSTLY HERE JUST TO SAY THAT I WAS VERY POSITIVELY IMPRESSED WHEN I, WHEN I SAW THE DRAFT MAPS.
UM, I THINK IN THESE DAYS OF, UH, EXTREME GERRYMANDERING, I MEAN, UH, TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE, I'M IN A CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT THAT EXTENDS ALL THE WAY TO FORT WORTH.
UH, TO ME IT'S VERY REFRESHING TO SEE DISTRICTS THAT LOOKED TO ME TO BE SORT OF CONTIGUOUS THAT SORT OF TAKE INTO ACCOUNT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE SORT OF, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, CONSISTENT, UM,
[00:40:01]
AND IN SHAPE, YOU KNOW, UNDER, THEY CAN'T BE EXACTLY REGULAR, AS YOU SAID, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LAKES AND ROADS AND WHATEVER, BUT, UH, IN GENERAL, UM, WITH POSSIBLY SOME ADJUSTMENTS, I THINK THOSE LOOK PRETTY GOOD, I GUESS IN TERMS OF, UM, I CURRENTLY IN DISTRICT SIX, THE ONE THAT I GUESS IS THE, IS THE OVERSIZED ONE.UM, AND, UM, AND I THINK, UH, WITH REGARD TO DISTRICT SIX, I ALSO AGREE WITH IT, IT LOOKS AT THE CHANGES THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MAKING THERE.
I THINK THAT, UH, I LIVE IN THE MORE, THE, UM, FOUR POINTS SORT OF RIVER PLACE AREA.
AND IT MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE TO ME, UH, FOR US TO BE GROUPED SORT OF INTO MORE WITH WHAT'S DISTRICT 10.
NOW, TH TH THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS, WE ALL CONNECT, WE, HEY, WE SHARED THE SAME AMENITIES.
UM, AND SO TO ME, IT JUST MAKES A WHOLE LOT MORE SENSE, UM, THAT THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD BE IN THE SAME DISTRICT, WHICHEVER ONE IT IS.
AND I, I THINK FROM THE CURRENT MAP OR THE PROPOSED MAP, UM, THAT WOULD BE MOVING US INTO DISTRICT 10.
SO, UM, SO AGAIN, REALLY JUST, UH, JUST HERE TO SAY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THANKS.
AND I, I, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST FOR THE THINGS I'VE SEEN, I, I SUPPORTED AND I THINK THAT, UH, THE CHANGES YOU'VE MADE IN THE DISTRICT THAT I LIVE IN, UM, TO ME SEEM TO BE RATIONAL AND MAKES SENSE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT TESTIMONY, MR. REYNOLDS, I WILL SAY AS IF THESE MAPS STICK, UH, WE WILL BE DISTRICT NEIGHBORS NOW, I SUPPOSE BEING REPRESENTED IN DISTRICT 10 MYSELF.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS OR APPRECIATE THEM TODAY.
IS THERE ANY ON THE COMMISSION, ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. REYNOLDS? THANK YOU SO MUCH, SIR.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CECILE AND DOSE.
SO MY NAME'S CECILE FERNANDEZ.
UH, I LIVE IN THE COPPER FIELD, NEVER HEARD, UH, RIGHT UP THE STREET, WELCOME TO EVERYONE WHO CAME FROM OTHER PART OF TOWN.
UM, SO IT'S THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH WALNUT CREEK ON ONE SIDE, THIS SO CROSSED BY JAEGER LANE AND LIMITED BY PALMER ON THE NORTH.
AND, UM, SO FIRST LET ME ASK MY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE PRESENTATION.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MUCH OF THE FEEDBACK YOU HAD SO FAR WAS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THE MAP AND HOW MUCH WASN'T, BECAUSE THEY CAN SEE THE FEEDBACK I GAVE WASN'T.
SO DO WE HAVE ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH US TODAY AT THE MOMENT? MA'AM NOT AN EXACT PERCENTAGE OR NUMBER OF WHAT FEEDBACK WAS ACTUALLY INCORPORATED.
JUST KNOW WE READ EVERY EMAIL, WE'VE COMPILED A DOCUMENT OF ALL THE TESTIMONY FROM THE 12 FORUMS THAT WE HAD IN JULY AND AUGUST.
WE REVIEW THAT BEFORE WE WENT INTO THE SEPTEMBER 8TH AND SEPTEMBER 15TH MEETINGS.
UM, BUT WE CAN DO OUR BEST TO TRY TO COME BACK WITH A NUMBER.
WE JUST DO NOT HAVE ONE AT THE MOMENT IN THE PRESENTATION.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU SAW IN THE SEPTEMBER 15TH MEETING, WE LISTENED TO TESTIMONY ABOUT THE BOCCONI WOODS NEIGHBORHOOD, THE ALLEN DALE NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, THE NORTHWEST ASSOCIATION NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, SO IT DOES GO INTO OUR WORK, BUT I'M HAPPY TO TRY TO WORK PERSONALLY FOR A NUMBER IF, IF THAT WILL SUPPLY.
COMMISSIONER, IF ON TWO THINGS, ONE, CAN YOU PLEASE REPEAT YOUR LAST NAME? UM, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY HARD TO HEAR YOU FOR THE ACOUSTICS HERE ARE REALLY DIFFICULT.
UM, WOULD IT HELP THIS WAY? MY LAST NAME IS SPELLED F AS IN FRANK, A N D O N S AS IN SIERRA.
AND WE'RE GLAD TO LOOK AT THAT FOR YOU.
I WILL SAY TO ECHO VICE-CHAIR GONZALES, THAT PRETTY MUCH THE ONLY WE DID CONSIDER EVERY BIT OF FEEDBACK, PRETTY MUCH THE ONLY ONES THAT WE COULD NOT CONSIDER WAS BECAUSE IT WAS IN, UM, IT WAS AN OPPOSITION TO OUR MANDATES FROM THE CITY CHARTER.
SO IF YOU DO HAVE, UM, TESTIMONY OR, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GAVE PREVIOUS TESTIMONY, AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED FOR YOUR LAST NAME, SO I COULD LOOK, UM, THAT IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THAT IN LIGHT OF THE, UH, SEVEN SECTIONS OF SECTION 38 D UM, THAT YOU'LL PROBABLY FIND YOUR ANSWER THERE.
I USED THE PICKUP PLATFORM, BUT ANYWAY, I'LL USE THIS SPACE NOW TO GIVE MY TESTIMONY.
SO I LIVE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD COPPERFIELD, WHICH IS NOT ORGANIZED.
WE DO NOT HAVE AN ACTIVE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
WELL, NOT EVEN IN THE AREA WHERE THERE'S NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO ORGANIZE BECAUSE WE CAN SEE AS PART OF PROCESSES LIKE THIS ONE,
[00:45:01]
HOW ESSENTIAL IT IS, UM, TO, TO BE ABLE TO SEND A REPRESENTATIVE THAT SENDS A MESSAGE ON BEHALF OF THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD.AND ALL NEIGHBORHOOD IS CUT IN TWO BETWEEN DISTRICT ONE AND DISTRICT SEVEN.
SO THE NORTHERN PART OF IT, NORTH OF JAEGER LANE IS PART OF DISTRICT SEVEN.
AND WE HAVE IMPORTANT ISSUES REGARDING TRAFFIC.
FOR EXAMPLE, SAFETY OF PEDESTRIANS.
WE HAD A YOUNG BOY WHO WAS KILLED TWO YEARS AGO ON YOUR, YOUR LANE.
HE WAS WALKING EAGLE LANE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE SIDEWALKS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT GOING, GOING ON AROUND COPPERFIELD.
WE ARE ALONG A PROJECT CONNECT CARBY DOOR.
MOST OF THE LOTS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ARE BIG ENOUGH FOR EDU'S, WHICH WOULD REALLY HELP FIGHT THE TRENCHER FICATION, WHICH IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN THE COMMERCIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
I LOST MY NANNY NEIGHBOR TO A YOUNG COUPLE, BOTH ACTIVE, BOTH WORKING.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE LADY DOES.
THE GENTLEMAN IS A DENTIST, SO YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW MUCH MORE INCOME THE DENTIST MAKES COMPARED TO THE NANNY.
THEY HAVE CATS WHO WE ARE BECOMING JUST LIKE THE REST OF EAST AUSTIN, WHERE PETS NOW LIVE NEARBY, SPLASH PADS, MORE THAN KIDS.
AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT ALL NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL.
WE HAVE A SCHOOL RIGHT IN THE HERD OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WHAT JUST ONE HALF A BLOCK FROM THE EAGLE LANE, WHERE WE HAVE TRAFFIC ISSUES.
WE HAVE KIDS CROSSING EACH DAY, YOGA LANE, UM, JUST TO GIVE ANOTHER EXAMPLE ON THE GENTRIFICATION, THERE WERE PLUMB CLAMBER ROOMMATES IN THE HOUSE ACROSS FROM US.
THEY ALSO DISAPPEARED ON TWO AND WERE REPLACED BY ANOTHER YOUNG COUPLE CHILD-FREE COUPLE IS MY TIME UP.
I'M HAPPY TO GIVE YOU IS HELP US.
AND I, FROM THE INFORMATION SHARE, I DON'T SEE ANY REASON NOT TO BRING US TOGETHER.
IT SOUNDS LIKE IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE.
MA'AM CAN YOU ADD YOUR QUESTIONS UP, COMMISSIONER YOU THANK YOU, CECILE.
I THINK THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT OF VIEW.
I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST TO SPEAK WITH YOU AFTER THIS.
I HIKE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ALL THE TIME, CAUSE I LIVE NEARBY AND I REQUESTED SIMILAR CHANGES AS YOU DID, BUT MAYBE THE REASONS WHY MINE WERE REJECTED MIGHT BE THE SAME AS YOURS.
COMMISSIONER YOU ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER BLINK? I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD IDENTIFY THE WHAT'D YOU THINK THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IS BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY IS JAEGER LANE.
SO IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE MAP AND CONSIDERING WHAT'S THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BLINK, COMMISSIONER HARDEN.
I, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY.
I WANTED TO FIND OUT SPECIFICALLY WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS NOW SPLIT BETWEEN DISTRICT ONE AND DISTRICT SEVEN.
IS YOUR REQUEST THAT IT BE UNIFIED IN DISTRICT ONE OR UNIFIED IN DISTRICT SEVEN, OR DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE? THANK YOU.
COMMISSIONER HARLAN, COMMISSIONER FALCON.
IF I COULD REQUEST THAT YOU ANNOTATE THE MAP OR EVEN GET A NEW ONE, IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THE ONE YOU HAVE THAT ACTUALLY CIRCLES THE NEIGHBORHOOD, JUST BECAUSE SO OFTEN WE DO GET FEEDBACK ABOUT SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOODS WANTING TO BE UNIFIED, AND WE LIKE GO TO THE WEBSITE AND GO TO ALL THESE PLACES.
AND WE'RE JUST NOT ABLE TO FIND, WE WANT TO HONOR THE FEEDBACK, BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE THE EXACT BOUNDARIES, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT.
IF WE COULD WORK, IF YOU COULD LEAVE THAT BEHIND, THAT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL.
THAT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL.
AND WE CAN WORK WITH YOU ON THAT.
AND ALL OF THESE MAPS, IF YOU SUBMIT MAPS BACK TO US, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT, THEY WILL BE SAVED FOR THE PUBLIC RECORDS SPECIFICALLY FOR REDISTRICTING PROCESS AND THEY GO A LONG WAY IN HELPING THE ICRC DO OUR WORK.
MATT, DO WE HAVE OUR NEXT SPEAKER? THE NEXT SPEAKER HAS BETTY WEED.
[00:50:09]
HI THERE.AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UH, I LISTENED WITH GREAT INTEREST TO A COUNCIL MEMBER, HOUSTON, UH, TESTIMONY AS WELL AS, UH, PAC YANG'S.
I DEFINITELY SUPPORT THE ATTEMPT TO TRY AND KEEP COMMUNITIES TOGETHER.
I COME FROM THE, UH, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS ALMOST ENTIRELY IN DISTRICT NINE AND WE ARE A CENTRAL AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD.
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 50 YEARS.
WE'LL BE CELEBRATING OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY NEXT YEAR.
UM, I BELIEVE I'D HOPE THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED A, A LETTER, A COUPLE OF LETTERS FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, SO YOU SHOULD HAVE OUR MAPS AND, UM, AND EVERYTHING.
UH, WHAT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT STRUCK ME WAS WHEN YOU SAID THAT YOU ARE FIGHTING SPRAWL, YOU DO NOT WANT, UH, AREAS THAT JUST SPRAWL OUT, YOU KNOW, START IN THE CENTER AND GO WAY OUT, UH, MUCH LIKE MANY OF OUR, UH, CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS END UP BEING, WE, WE VERY MUCH SUPPORT KEEPING COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST TOGETHER.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IS THAT YOU CONSIDER KEEPING OUR, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IN ONE COUNCIL DISTRICT, WHICH COUNCIL DISTRICT, WELL, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY ONE THAT IS CENTRAL TO AUSTIN BECAUSE THAT, THAT WOULD BE THE BEST CHOICE.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU WERE UNDER A TIGHT GUIDELINE.
I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT YOUR WORK MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE HAVING A DELAYED CENSUS AND, AND HAVING A VERY TIGHT DEADLINE.
BUT, UM, I DO ASK YOU TO CONSIDER THIS.
I WAS LOOKING AT, UM, DISTRICT NINE AND IT'S JUST, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE PULLED A NUMBER OF AREAS OUT OF IT AND PUT THEM INTO, UH, DISTRICTS.
THAT'S SPRAWL ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE CITY, UH, BOUNDARIES, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE AND I DON'T REPRESENT TARRYTOWN, BUT, UM, I WAS THAT ENTIRE CHUNK WEST AUSTIN HAS BEEN PUT INTO A, A DISTRICT THAT GOES WAY THE HECK OUT TO, UH, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE TRAVIS OR, OR SOMEWHERE NEAR THERE.
UM, AND, UH, I JUST FEEL LIKE THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS OR NEIGHBORHOODS OF INTEREST, THERE ARE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE WELL-ESTABLISHED THAT HAVE A LONG TRACK RECORD, UH, WORKING TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP THEIR COMMUNITIES TOGETHER.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE JUST FEEL LIKE, UH, AND I KNOW THAT A LOT OF CENTRAL CITY NEIGHBORHOODS FEEL THIS, BUT WE FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOT A HUGE BULLSEYE ON OUR BACK FROM THE DEVELOPERS, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO RIP US APART, TO TURN US INTO, YOU KNOW, UH, SOMETHING THAT HAS NO COMMUNITY LEFT IN IT.
AND, UM, I, SO, UH, THAT'S MY TESTIMONY.
IF I MAY, I'LL GO FIRST AND THE COMMISSIONER FOLK ON SPECIFIC AREA THAT YOU MAY BE REFERRING TO ON THE MAP AS VTD TWO 50, IT IS, IT, IT BORDERS THE PROPOSED BOUNDARY BETWEEN DISTRICT 10 AND DISTRICT NINE, MENTIONING THAT STUFF IS BEING PULLED INTO DISTRICT 10.
I'LL ALSO NOTE DISTRICT 10 IS IT MAY COVER A LOT OF AREA, BUT SIMILAR POPULATION NUMBERS AS THE REST OF THE DISTRICTS.
SO A LOT OF DISTRICT 10 IS ON OCCUPIED OR IN THEIR RESIDENCE, IN THE SPACE.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THOSE, THOSE NOTES.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE TESTIMONY YEAH.
WHERE WE'RE KIND OF SPLIT BETWEEN DISTRICT NINE AND DISTRICT THREE AND TELL YOU THE TRUTH.
WE WOULD JUST LIKE TO BE IN ONE COUNCIL DISTRICT DULY NOTED, UH, COMMISSIONER FRANKLIN.
JUST TO CONFIRM YOU'RE FROM THE SRC, CORRECT? YES.
WE RECEIVED SEVERAL TESTIMONIES AND I'M HAPPY TO EXPLAIN THAT REASONING TO YOU IF YOU'D LIKE TO MEET AFTER, BECAUSE WE DID LOOK AT THAT IN DETAIL.
AND IF WE HAD MADE THAT CHANGE, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN CONFLICTS WITH SECTION E TWO AND SECTION E THREE.
SO I CAN WALK THROUGH THE MAP AND LET YOU KNOW WHY THAT DID NOT WORK IF YOU'D LIKE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER, HARDIN.
MA'AM CAN YOU, UM, IF YOU COULD GIVE US THE NAMES OF SOME STREETS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHERE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION,
[00:55:01]
UM, OUR, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND YOU DO HAVE THE MAP THAT IT'S BEEN SENT, BUT I JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, AND IT IS THE LARGEST NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IN AUSTIN.UH, WE GO FROM, UH, THE RIVER, UH, BETWEEN CONGRESS TO THE WEST AND, UM, IT KIND OF JOGS JUST EAST OF I 35 GOES DOWN TO, UH, PARKER, UH, AND THEN, UM, CONTINUES SOUTH TO, UH, JUST PAST ST.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER HARDIN.
COMMISSIONER FELT GONE FOR MENTIONING THE MAPS AND ONE SURE THAT THEY'RE THERE, BUT I SAW YOU RAISE YOUR HAND, MAN.
I WAS JUST GOING TO CONFIRM THAT.
THAT WAS, WE LIVE IN MAPS RIGHT NOW AND WE HAVE RECEIVED YOUR MAPS.
ALSO, THANK EVERYONE FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
REALLY APPRECIATE IT, MATT, OUR NEXT SPEAKER, THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MARY FRIEDMAN.
I WAS A SCHOOL TEACHER FOR A LONG TIME, AND IT'S HARD TO KNOW WHEN PEOPLE CAN HEAR ME.
I'M NOT HERE TO REPRESENT MY NEIGHBORS ASSOCIATION.
I'M HERE TO REPRESENT MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS AND THOUGHTS.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
IT FEELS WONDERFUL TO BE INVOLVED IN DEMOCRACY.
CAUSE I, AS A SCHOOL TEACHER AND LIVING MY LIFE, I NEVER TOOK TIME TO PAY ATTENTION TO IT.
AND I FEEL REALLY GRATEFUL TO BE PART OF THIS AND FOR YOU TO HEAR US.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT.
I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT MY EXPERIENCE AS A SCHOOL TEACHER IN AUSTIN HAS VARIED, HAS BEEN VARIED.
I'VE WALKED IN, I'VE WORKED IN SCHOOLS, WONDERFUL SCHOOLS THAT ARE ON THE EAST SIDE.
I'VE WORKED ON WONDERFUL SCHOOLS ON THE WEST SIDE, NORTH, SOUTH.
I'VE BEEN ALL OVER THE PLACE WHILE I'VE WORKED ALL OVER THE PLACE IN AUSTIN.
AND I SEEN AUSTIN CHANGE A LOT OVER THE YEARS.
AND I PERSONALLY VALUE, I'VE GOT TO SAY THIS, I'M DOING THIS OFF MY CUFF OFF THE CUFF.
I PERSONALLY VALUE COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T HAVE MONEY.
I WANT THEM TO BE MORE EMPOWERED AND I'M SEEING AN AREA JUST WEST OF ME, JUST EAST OF ME THAT DOESN'T HAVE MUCH POWER OR MONEY.
AND I'M MORE SENSITIVE TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH DIFFERENCE THAN THE EASTERN WEST DIFFERENCE.
I DON'T CARE AS MUCH ABOUT EAST AND WEST AS I DO NORTH AND SOUTH.
FOR SOME REASON, THIS IS ALL PERSONAL.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT TO YOU.
AND I WANTED YOU TO CONSIDER THAT I DO LIVE IN SRC.
I DO CARE ABOUT MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
I MOVED IN THERE BECAUSE I WAS THIS POOR SCHOOL TEACHER AND I CAN AFFORD TO LIVE THERE BACK WHEN I WAS ABLE TO FINALLY BUY A HOUSE.
NOT ALL OF US WHO LIVED THERE ARE RICH.
MANY OF US HAVE BEEN REALLY HARDWORKING FOLKS, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE WHITE AND OLD, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT THAT DIFFERENT FROM THE PEOPLE OF COLOR WHO MIGHT SUFFER FINANCIALLY.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT PEOPLE OF COLOR WHO DEALT.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT AND ASK YOU TO CONSIDER THAT SOUTH CENTRAL AUSTIN HAS, IS BEING INUNDATED WITH ALL KINDS OF BUILDINGS TOO.
AND MY NEIGHBORS ARE JUST REGULAR PEOPLE AND I AGREE.
I'D LIKE, I AGREE WITH BETTY THAT I'D LIKE US TO STAY ALL TOGETHER IN ONE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING FREEDMAN OR FREEMAN FREED ME.
I'M ACTUALLY, JEN, I'M ACTUALLY JENNICET FREEDOM, BUT I GO BY FREED MAN, LIKE FRIED MAN FRIEDMAN THIS FREED MAN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TESTIMONY.
AND THERE WAS NEVER ANY TO APOLOGIZE FOR WHEN YOU GET UP TO THE MIC, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TESTIMONY TODAY.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. FRIEDMAN? NO, MA'AM THANK YOU SO MUCH.
VICE-CHAIR MAY MAKE A REQUEST.
I'M SORRY THAT ACOUSTICS ARE SO BAD HERE AND I APPRECIATE THAT THE SPEAKERS WANT PIVOT THEIR HEAD AND ADDRESS EVERYBODY, BUT IT REALLY CAN REALLY HEAR YOU BEST OVER HERE.
IF YOU JUST CONTINUE TO KEEP YOUR MOUTH NEAR THE MIC.
I KNOW THAT I AM A BROKEN RECORD, BUT IT'S JUST REALLY TOUGH IN THIS GYM.
I THINK WE COULD DO OUR BEST TO ACCOMMODATE THAT TODAY.
AND I'M A LITTLE SELFISH THAT I'M RIGHT HERE AND CAN HEAR EVERYBODY PERFECTLY.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CURTIS ROGERS.
[01:00:03]
YOU READY? COMMISSIONER.AND COULD YOU HEAR THAT? HOW ARE WE DOING THAT SOUNDS GREAT.
COULD THE MIC GO UP, SIR? I DON'T MEAN FOR YOU TO SQUAT A LITTLE BIT.
MATT COULD STAND, GO UP A LITTLE, PROBABLY TAKE IT OFF THE STAND.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE.
UM, I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT THREE, UM, BUT I REALLY DON'T HAVE A STRONG OPINION ABOUT DISTRICT THREE.
SO I'M SURE THAT'S GOOD NEWS FOR Y'ALL.
UM, I AM ALSO, I'M ON AUSTIN'S BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION BOARD.
UM, MY OPINION REALLY IS THAT AS WHAT'S BEEN ECHOED HERE BEFORE, IS THE LINES HAVE BEEN DRAWN BETWEEN 10 AND NINE AND THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
I UNDERSTAND IT CAN BE EASY TO LOOK FOR DIVIDES AND NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND I THINK THAT BARTON CREEK IS LIKE A RELEVANT DIVIDE GIVEN HOW IT DIVIDES THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
I DON'T THINK SHOAL CREEK SHOULD BE USED THE SAME WAY SHOAL CREEK, AS YOU'VE KNOWN FOR ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE MADE ADDITIONAL CREEK.
IT'S A GREAT COMMUNITY UNITER.
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S AS, AS WELL OF A DIVIDER BETWEEN NEIGHBORHOODS FOR DISTRICTS.
I THINK THAT MOPAC PROBABLY WOULD BE A BETTER ONE AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE AREAS WHERE DENINE STRETCHES ACROSS MOPAC AND DENAI AND SORT OF GOES INTO D SEVEN A LITTLE BIT.
UM, SO I THINK THAT THERE ARE BETTER AREAS TO SHED.
AND I THINK THAT THE AREAS ON THE, I GUESS, CLARKSVILLE AND EVEN DOWNTOWN HAS BEEN MENTIONED, LIKE SOME CONDO BUILDINGS, SHOAL CREEK REALLY GERRYMANDERS THEM OUT OF D NINE.
I THINK IT WOULD BE BEST IF WE UNITED THOSE WITHIN D NINE.
UM, I KNOW YOU HAVE A HARD JOB AS FAR AS MAKING THE POPULATIONS EVEN OUT, BUT AS FAR AS D NINE GOES, I DO THINK THAT WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO KIND OF UNITE THAT AND NOT CREATE LIKE A SKINNY GERRYMANDER DOWNTOWN, I THINK THERE IS AREA TO THE WEST THAT WE COULD ADD TO D NINE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. ROGERS, ARE THERE ANY COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS FOR THE SPEAKER? NO.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS JAMES CHRISTIANSON.
UH, MY NAME IS JIM CHRISTIANSON AND I'M IN, UM, DISTRICT NINE.
DID YOU SAY IT'S BEST IF I JUST SPEAK FORWARD OVER NOT LOOKING AT KILL? OKAY.
UM, I WAS ONE OF THE THREE CPAS WHO WERE REQUIRED TO WHITTLE DOWN THE 300 AND SOME APPLICANTS TO YOUR BODY, UM, DOWN TO THE 80.
UM, SO I HAVE SOME FAMILIARITY WITH THE MAKEUP OF THE COMMISSION HERE.
UH, I LIVE IN THE OLD INFIELD NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, IT IS TO THE, TO THE NORTH.
IT IS WINDSOR ROAD TO THE SOUTH IS INFIELD ROAD TO THE EAST IS PEACE PARK AND TO THE WEST IS MOPAC.
UH, WE'VE JUST LEARNED IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE PLANS OF THIS PRELIMINARY DRAWING AND MANY PEOPLE ARE UPSET AND WILL BE TRYING TO COME TO SOME OF YOUR FUTURE MEETINGS.
WE HAVE, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS DIVIDED LIKE IN THREE PARTS.
I'VE NEVER SEEN ANOTHER GERRYMANDERED DISTRICT.
THEN THE LAST TIME THE REPUBLICANS DID THAT AND TOWARD DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS APART IN CONGRESSIONAL.
AND, UH, AND THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I DON'T EXPECT FROM PEOPLE THAT, UH, ARE ON A CITY OF AUSTIN, PROGRESSIVE LEADERSHIP AND ABILITY TO BE FAIR.
UM, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS DIVIDED THREE WAYS, UH, IN THE SENSE THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TOGETHER.
WE HAVE THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
UH, WE WE'VE GONE TO PICNICS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND Y'ALL HAVE BEEN DIVIDED OR THE DRAWERS HERE HAS MADE NO SENSE OF THIS CLEARLY GERRYMANDERED, UH, AREA BETWEEN
[01:05:01]
WINDSOR ROAD AND INFIELD.I CAN'T SPEAK FOR MY NEIGHBORS NORTH OF WINDSOR ROAD, BUT THEY'RE SPLIT.
THEY'RE SPLIT BETWEEN TWO COUNCIL PEOPLE, DISTRICT PEASE PARK, PART OF IT, PEACE PARK IS IN THE SAME DISTRICT, BUT OTHER PARTS IS IN ANOTHER COUNCIL DISTRICT.
I LOOK AT THE LOOK AT THE DRAWING OF YOUR PRELIMINARY DRAWINGS.
THEY'RE ALL FAIRLY EVENLY DRAWN, BUT WHEN YOU GET DOWN TO THIS AREA OF NINE, IT IS ATROCIOUSLY GERRYMANDERED.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S FAIR.
I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE VIEWED AS NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE ORIGINAL CHARGES THAT Y'ALL ARE GIVEN TO, TO KEEP NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER AND NOT DIVIDE THEM IS MY TIME.
WELL, WE'LL BE COMING TO SOME OF YOUR HEARINGS IS I'M CHARGED TO COME HERE TO BRING THE MAP AND TO SHARE IT WITH ALL OUR NEIGHBORS, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT FAIR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. CHRISTIANSON, IF I MAY, THE TERM GERRYMANDERING ASSUMES THAT WE'RE DRAWING LINE SPACE FOR, FOR A POLITICAL CANDIDATE OR A POLITICAL PARTY, WE WANT TO ASSURE YOU THAT THAT WAS NOT THE REASON FOR THIS MAP.
SO THE TERM GERRYMANDERING JUST WANT TO NOTE THAT SECOND.
I BELIEVE WE'RE STILL REFERRING TO A SIMILAR AREA AND BTD TWO 50.
WE USE THE VOTING TABULATION DISTRICTS TO TRY TO KEEP THEM AS WHOLE AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO THAT COULD BE A REASON FOR A SPLIT, BUT WE APPRECIATE YOUR TESTIMONY TODAY.
WE WILL LOOK INTO HOW WE CAN ENSURE THAT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS KEPT WHOLE.
AND IF YOU CAN SUBMIT, WE HAVE YOUR TESTIMONY TODAY.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE TESTIMONY OF YOUR NEIGHBORS IN THAT AREA AS WELL.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS A PRELIMINARY DRAFT THAT WE'LL GO THROUGH CHANGES BEFORE A FINAL VERSION IS ADOPTED.
AND WE W WE WELCOME ADDITIONAL TESTIMONY WITH ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. CHRISTIANSON.
I SAW COMMISSIONER PHONE GOING AND THEN COMMISSIONER E.
I WOULD JUST MAKE THE REQUEST.
I UNDERSTAND YOU WANT TO TAKE YOUR COPIES WITH YOU.
IF YOU COULD GRAB ANOTHER COPY AND JUST CIRCLE WHAT YOU CONSIDER YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
I KNOW YOU MENTIONED IN AND WINDSOR AND THEN PEACE PARK.
SO IF YOU CAN JUST LEAVE IT WITH US, THAT'S THE BEST, THAT'S THE MOST HELPFUL.
COMMISSIONER YE HAD A QUESTION.
I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS DIRECTED TO YOU, BUT IF YOU DON'T MIND COMMISSIONER UNIQUE, NO, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TESTIMONY.
IT WAS REALLY THE SAME THING THAT WE REALLY NEED TO SEE THE SPECIFIC BOUNDARIES OF WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, BUT ALSO, UH, REALLY TO ECHO WHAT VICE CHAIR SAID.
WE, WHEN WE MADE THIS DECISION, WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT, HOW THAT WOULD IMPACT THE RESIDENTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT REALLY IT WAS JUST TO, TO HAVE EQUAL AMOUNTS OF POPULATION IN THESE DIFFERENT SECTIONS.
SO WE DO WANT TO HEAR YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBOR'S CONCERNS.
SO PLEASE DO SHARE THE MAP AND IT WILL ALSO BE ONLINE AS WELL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER YOU AND THANK YOU AGAIN, MR. CHRISTIANSEN, DO WE HAVE OUR NEXT SPEAKER? NICE TO HEAR THOSE ARE THE ONLY FOLKS THAT INDICATED THEY WANTED TO SPEAK TODAY.
JUST GOING TO GIVE THIS OPPORTUNITY IN CASE ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO STEP TO THE MIC.
WE CAN GET YOUR NAME AFTERWARDS, BUT IF THERE'S NOT APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO SPOKE TODAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS TESTIMONY.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE'RE COMING OUT TO THESE FIVE FORUMS AFTER THIS PRELIMINARY VERSION.
IF YOU JUST GIVE ME ANOTHER MINUTE OR TWO, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THOSE UPCOMING FORUMS. SO AFTER OUR EVENT HERE AT THE GUS GARCIA RECREATION CENTER, AGAIN, THANK YOU.
WE WILL HAVE FOUR MORE PUBLIC FORUMS TO TAKE PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON THIS PRELIMINARY MAP THAT YOU SAW TODAY.
PLEASE SHARE THESE EVENTS WIDELY INTO YOUR COMMUNITY.
AND THROUGHOUT AUSTIN, WE NEED AS MUCH TESTIMONY AS POSSIBLE.
THIS COMING TUESDAY, WE WILL HOLD A FORUM AT THE MAYFIELD COTTAGE.
THIS IS ON WEST 35TH STREET, STARTING AT 6:00 PM.
NEXT SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH, WE WILL HOLD ANOTHER FORUM AT THE DOVE SPRINGS RECREATION CENTER, STARTING AT 1:00 PM.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH WILL BE OUR VIRTUAL FORUM TO BE MINDFUL FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT WANT TO ATTEND IN PERSON.
GIVEN THE CURRENT PANDEMIC THAT WE ARE IN THE LAST FORUM IS ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2ND AT THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMUNITY CENTER AT OAK HILL.
AND THAT STARTS AT 11:00 AM AS IS REQUIRED BY THE CITY CHARTER.
THE ICRC IS HOLDING A PUBLIC FORUM IN EACH OF THE FOUR TRAVIS COUNTY PRECINCTS IN ADDITION TO THE VIRTUAL FORUM SO THAT WE ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY ACCESSIBLE TO ALL OF AUSTIN.
THE CONTENT OF FUTURE FORMS WILL REMAIN THE SAME AS THE PURPOSE FOR THESE FORUMS. AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY FOR GIVING US ONE OF YOUR SATURDAYS.
[01:10:01]
QUESTIONS, IF YOU WANT TO SUBMIT ANY WRITTEN TESTIMONY, IF YOU NEED CLARIFICATION, PLEASE EMAIL US AT ICRC DOT COMMISSIONERS AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV, OR PLEASE ATTEND ONE OF OUR FUTURE FORUMS AGAIN.I HOPE EVERYONE HAS A GREAT DAY.
I HAD TO STEP OUT FOR A MOMENT, BUT DID WE PUT, UH, THIS AMENDMENT TO DISTRICT ONE ON THE AGENDA FOR OUR NEXT, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
WE THEN NO ACTION WAS NOTED ON THE AGENDA HERE.
WE HAVE HEARD THE REQUEST OF THE NAACP, INCLUDING OR HOUSTON AND PECK YOUNG, AND WE WILL DISCUSS IT AT A FUTURE WEDNESDAY MEETING.
WE CAN, WE CAN PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
THANK YOU SO MUCH COMMISSIONER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS TODAY? THANK YOU EVERYBODY.