Several speakers spoke in favor of maintaining a mayor elected at-large.

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1 Agenda Item No. 8A July 10, 2018 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: Honorable Mayor and City Council Attention: Jeremy Craig, City Manager Melinda C. H. Stewart, City Attorney Michelle Thornbrugh, City Clerk (Staff Contact: Melinda Stewart (707) ) THIRD PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY ON CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS TO BE ESTABLISHED FOR DISTRICT-BASED ELECTIONS, INCLUDING INPUT ON THE NUMBER OF DISTRICTS (EITHER 4 OR 6) AND INPUT ON 5 DRAFT MAPS 3 MAPS WITH 6-DISTRICT CONFIGURATIONS AND 2 MAPS WITH 4-DISTRICT CONFIGURATIONS DISCUSSION: Background: On May 8, 2018, the City Council adopted Resolution No , declaring its intention to transition from at-large to district-based City Council Member elections, beginning with the General Election in With this proposed transition, future members of the City Council will represent the district in which they reside and from which they were elected; and voters in the City, who currently are able to vote for all 4 citywide Council seats and on the Mayor s citywide seat, will be voting on one Council seat that represents the district in which the voter resides and the Mayor s citywide seat. The law requires that following adoption of a Resolution of Intent, the City conduct 4 public hearings seeking public testimony throughout the boundary drawing process 2 public hearings before boundary maps are drawn, and 2 public hearings after boundary maps are drawn. The City Council conducted the first 2 public hearings on May 22, 2018 and June 12, 2018, respectively, to inform the public about the districting process and receive community input on the criteria for drawing the voting district boundaries. This is the third public hearing and includes the presentation of 5 alternative draft district boundary maps prepared by the City s independent demographer. The purpose of the hearing is to introduce and seek community input on the draft maps, and to provide direction on the number of districts (either 4 or 6), any preferred maps and any changes to the maps. At the conclusion of this hearing and following City Council direction, the demographer will revise and refine 1 or more of the maps, which will be posted on the City s website and published in The Reporter on or before August 7, The fourth public hearing will be conducted on August 14, 2018, at which time staff will ask the City Council to make a final determination on the number of districts, to select a map and to establish the sequencing of the district elections. Public Hearing and Community Input: On June 12, 2018, the City Council held the second public hearing to receive input on the criteria for establishing Council district boundaries. At the meeting, approximately 15 people provided public testimony: Several speakers spoke in favor of maintaining a mayor elected at-large. Most speakers favored creating at least 6 districts suggestions were made that more districts would allow more people to feel represented.

2 At least 1 speaker favored 4 districts and 1 favored 5 districts with a rotating Mayor. Testimony regarding communities of interest included: o o o o o o o o Keeping the Markham Heights, Rocky Hill, Brown Street and Callen Street areas ( Rocky Hill Area ) together. Keeping the Rocky Hill Area separate from Browns Valley and Buck Avenue. That the area encompassing Elmira Road, Leisure Town Road, Ulatis Drive and Nut Tree Road was a community of interest that should be kept together including businesses, restaurants, car dealerships, outlets, mobile homes and the senior community. Low income neighborhoods and apartments should be kept together. Apartment dwellers/renters were a community of interest. One district should include the Leisure Town and Diamond Grove senior communities. Keep retirement communities together. Travis School District boundaries should be considered. Consider economic, cultural and language differences when determining communities of interest. Finally, the public suggested and the City Council directed staff to host meetings in a less formal setting to encourage participation from people that may not be able to attend the City Council meetings or who are not comfortable in the formal meeting environment (see Public Outreach and Input discussion below). At the conclusion of the June 12th meeting, based on testimony from the public, the City Council provided the following direction to the demographer: Maintain a directly-elected Mayor. Prepare draft maps depicting both 4 districts and 6 districts. Consider the following communities of interest: o Markham Heights, Brown Street and Trower areas o Leisure Town community o Apartments/low income housing areas o Areas with similar socio-economic situations o School attendance boundaries Include districts which cross Interstate 80 Preparation, Publication and Description of Draft Maps: Following the second public hearing and receipt of Council direction, the demographer prepared 5 draft maps shown in Attachment 1. The maps are labeled Plan Orange, Plan Red, Plan Green, Plan Blue and Plan Purple. Two of the maps (Plan Orange and Plan Red) divide the City into 4 districts, and 3 maps (Plan Green, Plan Blue and Plan Purple) divide the City into 6 districts. The maps were posted on the City s website on June 26, 2018 and were published in The Reporter on July 3, Population demographics and voting demographics for each draft map are shown in Attachment 2. Plan Orange Map 4 Districts

3 District 1 crosses I-80 - includes the Vine Street, Browns Valley, North Village and the Leisure Town community areas, Centennial Park and Horse Creek Soccer Complex, the industrial park, the Nut Tree Plaza, the auto mall, and the Premium Outlets. District 2 crosses I-80 - includes the North Alamo, Orchard and Buck Avenue neighborhoods, the Markham Heights, Callen Street, Brown Street and Trower neighborhoods, Vacaville High School, the Downtown area, the East Main development area, Brenden Theaters, Helen Power Plaza, Hamburger Hill/East Monte Vista businesses, Ulatis Community Center, McBride Senior Center, and the City Hall campus. District 3 - includes several low income and other apartment complexes, Buckingham Charter School, Will C. Wood High School, Vacaville Christian School, Costco, Winco, Three Oaks Community Center, Keating Park, Al Patch Park, Lagoon Valley and the State correctional facilities (CMF and CSP-Solano). District 4 - includes the Foxboro residential development area, Southtown residential development area and the East of Leisure Town residential development area. Plan Red Map 4 Districts District 1 - includes the North Alamo, Orchard, Vine Street, part of Buck Avenue, Browns Valley and North Village residential areas, Vacaville High School, Nut Tree Plaza, Centennial Park and Horse Creek Soccer Complex, and the industrial park. District 2 crosses I-80 - includes the Markham Heights, Brown Street, and Trower areas, part of Buck Avenue, Aegean Way, the Downtown area, the East Main development area, Will C. Wood High School, Hamburger Hill/East Monte Vista businesses, Helen Power Plaza, half of the Premium Outlets (southwest of Nut Tree Road), Ulatis Community Center, the City Corporation Yard, McBride Senior Center and the City Hall campus. District 3 - includes the Leisure Town community, residential development areas along Leisure Town Road and areas of new development east of Leisure Town Road, the Easterly Waste Water Treatment Plant area, half of the Premium Outlets (northeast of Nut Tree Road), and the auto mall. District 4 - includes the Foxboro and Southtown residential development areas, Three Oaks Community Center, Al Patch Park, Keating Park, Lagoon Valley and the State correctional facilities (CMF and CSP-Solano). Plan Purple Map 6 Districts District 1 crosses I-80 - includes the Vine Street, Browns Valley, North Village and the Leisure Town residential areas, Centennial Park and Horse Creek Soccer Complex, the industrial park, Nut Tree Plaza, the auto mall, and half of the Premium Outlets (northeast of Nut Tree Road). District 2 - includes the North Alamo, Orchard and Buck Avenue neighborhoods, Vacaville High School, the Downtown area, the East Main development area, Brenden Theaters, McBride Senior Center and the City Hall campus

4 District 3 crosses I-80 - includes the Markham Heights, Brown Street, Trower area and Aegean Way neighborhoods, Hamburger Hill/East Monte Vista businesses, Helen Power Plaza, half of the Premium Outlets (southwest of Nut Tree Road), Ulatis Community Center and the City Corporation Yard. District 4 - includes several low income and other apartment complexes, Buckingham Charter School, Will C. Wood High School, Vacaville Christian School, Costco, Winco, Three Oaks Community Center, Keating Park, part of Al Patch Park and Lagoon Valley. District 5 - includes residential development areas along Leisure Town Road and areas of new development east of Leisure Town Road and the Easterly Waste Water Treatment Plant area. District 6 - includes the Foxboro and Southtown residential development areas, part of Al Patch Park and the State correctional facilities (CMF and CSP-Solano) Plan Blue Map 6 Districts District 1 - includes part of the Orchard/Fruitvale area, Vine Street, Browns Valley and North Village residential areas, Centennial Park and Horse Creek Soccer Complex, Vacaville High School, the industrial park and Nut Tree Plaza. District 2 crosses I-80 - includes North Alamo and part of Orchard, and part of Buck Avenue residential areas, Lagoon Valley, Keating Park, Al Patch Park, the State correctional facilities, Three Oaks Community Center and City Hall Campus. District 3 crosses I-80 includes the Markham Heights, Brown Street, Trower, and Aegean Way residential areas, the Downtown area, East Main development area, Hamburger Hill/East Monte Vista businesses, Helen Power Plaza, half of the Premium Outlets (south-west of Nut Tree Road), Ulatis Community Center, the City Corporation Yard and McBride Senior Center. District 4 includes several low-income and other apartment complexes, Will C. Wood High School and Winco. District 5 includes the Leisure Town residential area, other residential development areas along Leisure Town Road and areas of new development east of Leisure Town Road, the auto mall, half of the Premium Outlets (north-east of Nut Tree Road) and the Easterly Waste Water Treatment Plant area. District 6 includes the Foxboro and Southtown residential development areas.

5 Plan Green Map 6 Districts No district crosses I-80. District 1 includes the Vine Street, Browns Valley and North Village residential areas, the Markham Heights, Brown Street and Trower residential areas, Centennial Park and Horse Creek Soccer Complex, the industrial park, Hamburger Hill/East Monte Vista businesses and Nut Tree Plaza. District 2 includes the North Alamo, North Orchard and Buck Avenue residential areas, Vacaville High School, the Downtown area, McBride Senior Center and the City Hall campus. District 3 includes Costco, Winco, Buckingham Charter School, Will C. Wood High School, Vacaville Christian High School, several low income and other apartment complexes and Three Oaks Community Center. District 4 includes Helen Power Plaza, Ulatis Community Center, City Corporation Yard, one-half of the premium outlets (southwest of Nut Tree Road), some residential. District 5 includes the Leisure Town residential community, residential development areas along Leisure Town Road and areas of new development east of Leisure Town Road, the auto mall, half of the Premium Outlets (northeast of Nut Tree Road) and the Easterly Waste Water Treatment Plant area. District 6 includes the Foxboro and Southtown residential development areas, Al Patch Park, the State correctional facilities, Keating Park and Lagoon Valley. Public Outreach and Community Input: In response to the public s request and Council direction, City staff conducted a District Elections Open House on Thursday, June 28,, 2018 from 4:00 7:00 p.m. at the Ulatis Community Center. The 5 draft maps were available for viewing and comment and staff was on hand to solicit comments, answer any questions and provide information. There was a good turnout -- approximately 25 people who were very engaged and provided many comments and draft maps. The comments and draft maps have been forwarded to the demographer and are attached to this staff report (Attachment 3). The City also staffed a booth at the Farmers Market on Saturday, June 30, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Again, the draft maps were available for viewing and comment and staff was available to provide information and answer questions. There was a steady stream of people throughout the day that stopped by the booth to inquire about the districting process and to provide comments. All written comments and draft maps have been forwarded to the demographer and are incorporated with the comments from the Open House in Attachment 3. In addition to the Open House, Farmers Market booth and testimony at the public hearings, City staff continues to engage in a public outreach campaign to encourage and obtain feedback and input by:

6 Continuing to update the district elections webpage which includes the draft maps, population and voting information, mapping tools and other information related to the City s boundary drawing and transition process. Preparing and distributing a third flyer in English and Spanish about the transition process and the public hearing dates, encouraging people to attend the meetings and seeking public input and participation. Posting information to the City s social media platforms Facebook and Twitter. To facilitate community input the City has also provided several ways to submit input on the topics of district elections and formation of districts. These include: Sending an to district.elections@cityofvacaville.com. Mailing or dropping off draft boundary maps and/or comments on the existing maps to the City Clerk at 650 Merchant Street, Vacaville, CA Requesting an informal meeting with City staff at City Hall or in the community by ing district.elections@cityofvacaville.com or calling the City Clerk at (707) City staff is available to meet with and solicit feedback from interested community groups such as service organizations, neighborhood organizations, home owners associations, and other community organizations. Any written public comment, summaries of oral comments and draft maps received on this topic prior to posting the agenda are attached (Attachment 3). Any written public comment, summaries of oral comments and draft maps received after posting of the agenda will be available for the City Council and the public at the meeting. Next Steps: Tonight, the City Council will receive testimony on the draft maps and provide direction to the demographer on: 1. The number of districts (4 or 6). 2. Draft map preferences and any revisions to 1 or more of the draft maps. The demographer will revise one or more maps based on the Council s direction. One or more revised map(s) will be published in the newspaper and posted on the City s district elections webpage no later than August 7, The public will then be able to provide additional input and comment on the draft map(s) prior to and at the public hearing on August 14, Selection of the final map is scheduled for the August 14th public hearing. The related ordinance will be introduced at the September 11, 2018 City Council meeting. The schedule of remaining public hearing dates for this effort is presented below. There will be Spanish/English translation services provided at the public hearings.

7 PUBLIC HEARING DATE July 10, 2018 August 14, 2018 September 11, 2018 September 25, 2018 DESCRIPTION Hearing #3 Present draft boundary map or maps provided by the demographer. Take public testimony on the draft maps. Provide direction to the demographer on revisions or adjustments to the maps. Draft maps under consideration at this hearing will be published in The Reporter and posted on the City s district elections webpage on or before July 3, Hearing #4 Review the revised map or maps, take public testimony. If no significant changes are proposed, select final boundary map for inclusion in the district elections ordinance. Draft maps under consideration at this hearing will be published in The Reporter and posted on the City s district elections webpage on or before August 7, Hearing #5 Introduce district elections ordinance. Agenda Item Adoption of ordinance. FISCAL IMPACT: The significant staff time required to implement the transition process is covered by the General Fund through previously budgeted salaries and benefits. As part of approval of the Resolution of Intent (Resolution No ), the City Council allocated up to $90,000 from the General Fund to cover the retention of specialized elections counsel, which includes demographer services. Staff also anticipates incurring expenses for the public outreach campaign and providing translation services of $10,000. These costs would also be paid from the General Fund. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: This action is not a project within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Sections 15320, 15378, and 15062(b)(3) as it is an organizational structure change and does not have the potential to result in either a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. RECOMMENDATION: Hold the third of 4 public hearings on the transition to district-based elections, to receive public input on the number of voting districts and configuration of the draft map(s). Provide direction to the demographer on: The number of districts 4 or 6; and Draft map preference(s) and any proposed revisions ATTACHMENTS: Attachment 1: Draft maps Attachment 2: Draft maps population and demographic information Attachment 3: Written public comments