HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 11/19/2002 (3) * PLEASE NOTE: Since the Glendale City Council does not take formal action at
the Workshops, Workshop minutes are not approved by the City Council.
MINUTES
CITY OF GLENDALE
CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP
NOVEMBER 19, 2002
1:30 p.m.
PRESENT: Mayor Elaine M. Scruggs, Vice Mayor Thomas R. Eggleston, and
Councilmembers Joyce V. Clark, Steven E. Frate, David M. Goulet,
H. Phillip Lieberman, and Manuel D. Martinez
ALSO PRESENT: Ed Beasley, City Manager; Terry Zerkle, Assistant City Manager;
Rick Flaaen, City Attorney; and Pamela Oliveira, City Clerk
1. COUNCIL REDISTRICTING
CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM:
Ms. Amy Duffy, Intergovernmental Relations Director and Mr. Jon Paladini,
Deputy City Attorney; and Dr. Florence Adams, National Demographics Corporation.
On February 9, 1988, Glendale voters approved the creation of six election
districts for the City of Glendale. The city must redistrict its boundaries at least every ten
years according to the Code of the City of Glendale Sec. 15-2 Redistricting. The City
has updated its six council boundaries in 1992 and in 1996. Council district boundaries
need to be adjusted to bring them into accord with the 2000 Census.
On June 18th, NDC provided the Council an overview of their proposed Glendale
redistricting criteria and timeline for the 2002 Redistricting Process. The Council
directed staff to use NDC's proposed redistricting criteria to guide the development of a
good government redistricting plan that will also win approval from the Department of
Justice.
Today, National Demographics Corporation (NDC) will present their
recommended plan, along with two alternatives for how best to realign Glendale's
council districts. In addition, NDC will present the citizen comments received
throughout the redistricting outreach.
On April 17, 2001 a presentation was made to Council asking for their direction to
fund NDC's proposal, retain legal services by Mr. Greg Jernigan and fund a marketing
campaign to ensure the public is included in the redistricting process and provided
adequate notice of the new boundaries.
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NDC provided their first update on the City of Glendale's 2002 Redistricting
Process to the Council on June 18, 2002.
Six public meetings were held throughout Glendale with NDC and Glendale staff
explaining the redistricting process and how to provide citizen input. Notification of
these meetings occurred through email, letters, newspaper advertisements, news
releases, flyers, newsletters, and through the City's website and KGLN.
The City of Glendale 2002 Redistricting Plan is budgeted as a one-time
appropriation of $94,500 to cover the costs of hiring professional consultants to
complete this task.
The recommendation was to review National Demographics Corporation's
recommended and two alternative boundary plans and provide staff direction.
Dr. Adams explained the code requires the city redistrict following the census,
equalizing the populations in the council districts. She stated the overall deviation is
currently 51 percent and needs to be brought under 10 percent. She discussed the
difference between total population and voting age population, stating the districts have
to meet benchmarks defined by the Department of Justice. She said the districts have
to be compact and contiguous and follow other government criteria such as respecting
community interests, following natural and man-made boundaries and respecting
existing districts to the extent possible. She stated they reviewed the districts in terms
of the 2000 census and were directed by Council to use the redistricting criteria. She
said six public meetings were held, citizen kits were distributed and draft scenarios were
presented. She stated a public hearing on the recommended and alternative plans is
scheduled for next week and, once a final plan is adopted, it will go to the Department of
Justice for pre-clearance.
In terms of citizen input, Dr. Adams reported receiving 16 fully developed plans,
three partial plans and 12 letters and comments. She noted they recently received 41
plans from an 8th grade class at Sahuaro Ranch School, stating they will develop maps
for each student.
In response to Vice Mayor Eggleston's question, Dr. Adams said the Justice
Department has 60 days to act once a plan has been submitted. She explained the
Justice Department could request more information at the end of the 60 day period and
take another 30 days to make a final decision.
Dr. Adams reviewed a few of the citizen plans, commending all of the citizens
who took the initiative to submit plans. She explained the Gallardo Perez Plan, Agius
Plan, Louis Lugo Jr. and Sr. plan and Diggs Plan all had excellent deviations, but fell
below the benchmark in terms of voting rights. She stated the Escudero Plan meets all
of the criteria and slightly exceeds the benchmark in Ocotillo District but divided
established neighborhoods. She said the Sahuaro District Plan had a number of
supporters and has been incorporated into the Recommended Plan.
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Dr. Adams reviewed the Recommended Plan, stating it fully embraces the criteria
used to guide the process. She said the plan has an overall deviation of 7.73 percent
and preserves the Hispanic percentage in both Ocotillo and Yucca districts. She said
the districts are compact and contiguous, boundaries follow major streets and road, and
self-identified communities are recognized and respected. She stated extensive citizen
input was received, considered and utilized in the development of the Recommended
Plan. She pointed out Yucca District is slightly under-populated to allow for future
growth and the existing districts are largely preserved.
Dr. Adams discussed Alternative Plan 1, stating it provides a different
configuration for Cholla, Sahuaro, Barrel and Cactus districts. She pointed out the
Cholla District drops below Union Hills on the west side of the city, rather than on the
west and east sides as in the Recommended Plan. She said, additionally, the Cactus
District would move both north and west. She stated the districts are compact,
contiguous and follow major roads. She said it also maintains the Hispanic percentages
in Yucca and Ocotillo and slightly under-populates the Yucca District.
Dr. Adams explained Alternative Plan 2, although viable, differs most
dramatically from the current districts by substantially reconfiguring Yucca and Ocotillo
Districts. She said the plan slightly increases the Hispanic percentage in Ocotillo, while
decreasing the Hispanic percentage and overpopulating Yucca.
Dr. Adams said, while they believe that any of the three plans would provide for
effective representation for the people of Glendale, it is their opinion that the
Recommended Plan best satisfies the stated criteria.
Councilmember Martinez expressed his opinion the original "Red" Plan made a
lot of sense, noting several residents who attended a neighborhood meeting last week
agreed. He asked Dr. Adams why they chose the Recommended Plan over the Red
Plan. Dr. Adams noted the Red plan appears in the configuration as Alternative 1. She
explained recommended plans often represent a combination of several plans. She
reiterated that Council can chose any one of the alternatives presented. She said they
could also incorporate the Alternative 1 boundary lines into the Recommended Plan if
Council so desires. Councilmember Martinez restated his support of the Alternative 1
Plan.
Councilmember Lieberman stated he supports the Recommended Plan and
would vehemently oppose any plan that has his district going west of 51St Avenue
and/or north of Olive Avenue.
In response to Councilmember Clark's question, Dr. Adams reviewed the
boundary configurations for the Red Plan and Councilmember Frate's Plan.
Mayor Scruggs said, as the first Councilmember elected to represent the north,
she supports the Agius Plan. She stated she does not see many opportunities for
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change in the Cholla District and, therefore, believes the separation between Cholla and
Sahuaro will remain in place for a long time. She said all of the neighborhoods west of
Skunk Creek at Union Hills were developed in the county years ago and annexed into
the city. She stated they were developed as rural communities and do not relate to the
master planned communities to the north and east. She said there is a strong
community of interest among the people who live in large lot, rural developments that
came in under county standards. She stated the entire area from 67th Avenue to the
western boundary were bound together in the late 1970's and 1980's and incorporated
through the North Valley Specific Area Plan. She said the residents in that area were
involved in the development of the North Valley Specific Area Plan and dividing the area
would make two districts responsible for an area that was jointly developed. She
pointed out the rural nature of that area matches closely with the area south of Bell
Road.
Councilmember Frate explained the two "legs" in his plan were an attempt to
maintain communities of interest. He said, although it is not the plan he submitted, he
can appreciate the Agius Plan.
Mayor Scruggs stated residents east and west of 75th Avenue sat as equals at
the planning table when developing the North Valley Specific Area Plan.
Councilmember Martinez said he appreciates the Mayor's comments, but still
supports the Red Plan.
Vice Mayor Eggleston said, while he likes the Recommended Plan, he prefers
the Agius Plan.
Mayor Scruggs clarified she supports the Recommended Plan, with the
exception of the Cholla/Sahuaro line which she would prefer to incorporate from the
Agius Plan.
Councilmember Martinez encouraged residents who did not participate in the six
public meetings to attend the November 26, 2002 Council hearing.
Mayor Scruggs voiced the Council's consensus to proceed with the
Recommended Plan, modifying it to incorporate the Sahuaro/Cholla line from the Aguis
Plan.
Councilmember Clark pointed out the numbers for the Recommended Plan and
Aguis Plan are virtually identical. She said, however, the border is not as clean in the
Aguis Plan and asked about the neighborhood located in the one square mile that would
be in the Sahuaro District. Dr Adams stated they checked the registered neighborhoods
to make certain none would be divided. She said taking that square mile into Cholla
would over-populate Cholla by 3.5 percent and under-populate Sahuaro by three
percent.
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Dr. Adams pointed out all of the plans are available to the public. She said they
will return to Council on November 26 with the Recommended Plan, modified as
recommended, and Alternatives 1 and 2, providing the community with an opportunity to
comment on all three.
Mayor Scruggs asked if, in fact, they would be presenting four plans at the
November 26 meeting; the modified Recommended Plan with the Sahuaro/Cholla line
from the Aguis Plan, the original Recommended Plan, Alternative 1 and Alternative 2.
Dr. Adams responded yes.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 2:35 p.m.
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