Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission - Aug. 17, 2021
Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission Regular Meeting of the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission / Reunion Regular de la Comision Ciudadana Independiente de Redistritacion - District 5 public forum will be held via videoconference. Please see agenda for details.
Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC) August 17, 2021 at 6:00 pm Manchaca Road Branch Library 5500 Menchaca Road Austin, TX 78745 Members: Joshua Blank Camellia Falcon Shaina Kambo Hoang Le Eugene Schneider Sara Inés Calderón Luis Gonzalez, Vice-Chair Prabhu Kannan Brigham Morris Selina Yee AGENDA Erin Dempsey Errol Hardin Dr. Sterling Lands Christina Puentes, Chair CALL TO ORDER 1. INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC FORUM A. Logistics B. Public Forum Rules 2. DEFINING THE ICRC: WHY WE ARE HERE TODAY 3. CITY DEMOGRAPHICS PRESENTATION 4. GROUP BREAKOUT SESSION A. To Identify Aspects/Areas of the District that Matters to You/the Community B. District Map Drawing Priority Discussion (ICRC Charter: Section 3E) 5. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GROUP ACTIVITY RESULTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE) – Related to Group Activity (Each speaker will be limited to 5 minutes) 6. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: INDIVIDUAL – Must Have Signed In Prior to Meeting (Each speaker will be limited to 3 minutes) ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Matt Dugan at the Housing and Planning Department, at 512-974-7665 and matthew.dugan@austintexas.gov, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, please contact Matt Dugan at 512-974-7665 and matthew.dugan@austintexas.gov or Lisa Rodriguez at 512-974-3119 and lisa.rodriguez@austintexas.gov. Versión en español a continuación. Public Forum Procedure redistricting plan 1. Purpose: to receive public input on redistricting matters prior to approval of preliminary 2. Logistics: request that all cell phones and electronic devices be silenced, and identify location of restrooms, entrances, and exits. Discourage speakers from repetitious or irrelevant testimony. • Chair: move meeting along • Vice-Chair: assist chair with time, schedule, and speaker names • Staff: MC/host, assist with handouts and speakers • Commissioners: limit questions to clarifications only. Specific questions shall be written and handed to Chair. Chair will have the discretion to approve questions and ask them of the speakers. 3. Public Forum Rules: • All individuals wishing to make comments must sign in prior to the meeting. • Each speaker is limited to 3 minutes, unless additional time is granted by the Chair. • Those in attendance are asked to refrain …
Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC) August 17, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. Via Videoconference Register in advance for this Zoom webinar: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3TZ4Ii3KQOmzO92w8p4Inw After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Members: Joshua Blank Camellia Falcon Shaina Kambo Hoang Le Eugene Schneider CALL TO ORDER Sara Inés Calderón Luis Gonzalez, Vice-Chair Prabhu Kannan Brigham Morris Selina Yee Erin Dempsey Errol Hardin Dr. Sterling Lands Christina Puentes, Chair REVISED AGENDA DEFINING THE ICRC: WHY WE ARE HERE TODAY 1. INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC FORUM 1. Logistics 2. Public Forum Rules 2. 3. 4. MAP ACTIVITY SESSION CITY DEMOGRAPHICS PRESENTATION A. To Identify Aspects/Areas of the District that Matters to You/the Community B. District Map Drawing Priority Discussion (ICRC Charter: Section 3E) CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: INDIVIDUAL – Must Have Signed In Prior to Meeting (Each speaker will be limited to 3 minutes) 5. ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please the Housing and Planning Department, at 512-974-7665 and call Matt Dugan at matthew.dugan@austintexas.gov, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, please contact Matt Dugan at 512-974-7665 and matthew.dugan@austintexas.gov or Lisa Rodriguez at 512-974-3119 and lisa.rodriguez@austintexas.gov. Versión en español a continuación. Public Forum Procedure 1. Purpose: to receive public input on redistricting matters prior to approval of preliminary redistricting plan • Logistics: request that all cell phones and electronic devices be silenced, and identify location of restrooms, entrances, and exits. Discourage speakers from repetitious or irrelevant testimony. • Chair: move meeting along • Vice-Chair: assist chair with time, schedule, and speaker names • Staff: MC/host, assist with handouts and speakers • Commissioners: limit questions to clarifications only. Specific questions shall be written and handed to Chair. Chair will have the discretion to approve questions and ask them of the speakers. 2. Public Forum Rules: Chair. • All individuals wishing to make comments must sign in prior to the meeting. • Each speaker is limited to 3 minutes, unless additional time is granted by the • Those in attendance are asked to refrain from disrupting the meeting by making noise …
Name:_____________________________________ Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission Public Forum #10: District 5 | Aug. 17, 2021 | Zip codes: 78704, 78735, 78744, 78745, 78747, 78748, 78652 Ann Kitchen, Council Member, district5@austintexas.gov, 512-978-2105 Directions: Examine the map for common areas of interest (e.g. neighborhoods, schools, churches, shopping centers, or your grocery store). Mark their locations with points on the map. Then, draw a circle around the unique characteristics of the community that you believe should remain intact within the district. You may also leave written comments below that explain your reasoning, as well as any other thoughts about redistricting in Austin generally. Please return this document to the Commission when you are finished. It will be saved for the purpose of redrawing maps once Census data arrives. Thank you for being with us today. (Map may not include some newly annexed portions of Austin.) Name:_____________________________________ Comments:________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ May we contact you? NAME _____________________________________________ ADDRESS________________________________________________________________________________ City EMAIL_____________________________________________ Street Address Zip Code State To create your own proposed maps for the City of Austin, go to districtr.org. Send the link to the finished map to matthew.dugan@austintexas.gov. Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission Name:_____________________________________ Public Forum #10: District 5 | Aug. 17, 2021 Directions: Examine the map of the ten city council districts and provide any redistricting markings and suggestions. You may also leave written comments below that explain your reasoning, as well as any other thoughts about redistricting in Austin generally. Please return this document to the Commission when you are finished. It will be saved for the purpose of redrawing maps once Census data arrives. Thank you for being with us today. #RedistrictATX2021 Name:_____________________________________ Comments:________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Commissioners Question Groups What do I need to know about your district? How do you live your life in your community? What routes do you take to work? What churches, mosques, temples do you attend? What grocery store to you frequent? What schools do your children attend (pre-K, elementary, high school, private, community college, university)? How accessible is Capitol Metro bus line? What are some of the shared community spaces-shopping centers, home owners’ associations, parks, pools, etc.? Where do you go to the doctor? Where is the nearest police and fire station in your community? What are your communities shared interests- health conditions, land …
Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC) P U B L I C FO R U M : D I S T R I C T 5 V I A V I D EO CO N F E R E N C E T U ES DAY, AU G U S T 1 7 , 6 P M Public Forum Agenda 1. How to sign up for testimony 2. Background on the Independent Citizens Redistrict Commission (ICRC) 3. Current City Council district maps and demographic information 4. History of the 10-1 Austin City Council districts 5. Explanation of the delayed Census, and 6. Instructions for how to proceed through breakout sessions and how to use map print outs. Find us on Facebook and Twitter at Austin Redistricting Find us on Instagram @austinredistrict ICRC websites: https://www.speakupaustin.org/city-of-austin- redistricting https://redistrictatx.org/ http://www.austintexas.gov/content/independen t-citizens-redistricting-commission How to Sign Up for Testimony Step 1: Put your first and last name in the chat, the district you reside in, and your email address. Step 2: After the presentation, you will be called on by administrative manager, Christine Granados. Unmute / Mute : If the host gives you permission, you can unmute and talk during the webinar. All participants will be able to hear you. If the host allows you to talk, you will receive a notification: Note: You can still access the audio settings by click on the ^ arrow next to the Unmute/Mute button. For any written comments, email the full commission at icrc.commissioners@austintexas.gov ICRC Commissioners District 1 – Errol Hardin District 1 – Selina Yee District 6 – Eugene Schneider District 7 – Christina Puentes (Chair) District 2 – Sara Inés Calderón District 7 – Camellia Falcon District 3 – Brigham Morris District 3 – Hoang Le District 8 – Joshua Blank District 9 – Shaina Kambo District 4 – Dr. Sterling Lands District 10 – Luis Gonzalez (Vice-Chair) District 5 – Prabhu Kannan District 10 – Erin Dempsey District 5 Commissioner Prabhu Kannan Prabhu Kannan has over 20 years of experience leading teams and influencing meaningful change. He is passionate about giving back to the community and bringing together people, technology and thought to deliver solutions and services to help others. He is a motorcycle enthusiast, and a fan of the outdoors who loves camping, spending time with family and is always equipped with a camera to capture life’s moments. “Let the people draw the maps.” --Austinites …
Rodriguez, Lisa From: Sent: To: Subject: Attachments: HPD ICRC Commissioners Tuesday, August 17, 2021 8:10 PM HPD ICRC Commissionsers DL FW: District 5 homework Baulch_document_606DC795-F9C4-5998-1DA17C7581FD7EB6.pdf Categories: Summary of Action Items From: S Baulch < Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2021 1:10:11 AM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik To: HPD ICRC Commissioners <ICRC.Commissioners@austintexas.gov> Subject: District 5 homework *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** Thank you for volunteering to redraw our districts! I appreciate your non-partisan effort to prevent gerrymandering to favor any candidate (gerrymandering doesn't have to favor a member of a political party...I guess my neighbor didn't remember details from government class, but that was a long time ago for most of us.) Attached is my homework assignment. Power to the people, Sally Baulch CAUTION: This email was received at the City of Austin, from an EXTERNAL source. Please use caution when clicking links or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious and/or phishing email, please forward this email to cybersecurity@austintexas.gov. 1 Name:_____________________________________ Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission Public Forum #10: District 5 | Aug. 17, 2021 | Zip codes: 78704, 78735, 78744, 78745, 78747, 78748, 78652 Ann Kitchen, Council Member, district5@austintexas.gov, 512-978-2105 Directions: Examine the map for common areas of interest (e.g. neighborhoods, schools, churches, shopping centers, or your grocery store). Mark their locations with points on the map. Then, draw a circle around the unique characteristics of the community that you believe should remain intact within the district. You may also leave written comments below that explain your reasoning, as well as any other thoughts about redistricting in Austin generally. Please return this document to the Commission when you are finished. It will be saved for the purpose of redrawing maps once Census data arrives. Thank you for being with us today. (Map may not include some newly annexed portions of Austin.) Sally Baulch Name:_____________________________________ Comments:________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ May we contact you? NAME _____________________________________________ ADDRESS_ EMAIL ___________________________ Street Address City ________________________________________________________________ Zip Code State To create your own proposed maps for the City of Austin, go to districtr.org. Send the link to the finished map to matthew.dugan@austintexas.gov. Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission Sally BaulchThat being said, I also like sharing a council member with nearby neighborhoods so that our neighborhoods can elevate a local issue with a member's staff. I support a more compact districtbecause …
Rodriguez, Lisa From: Sent: To: Subject: HPD ICRC Commissioners Tuesday, August 17, 2021 9:22 AM HPD ICRC Commissionsers DL FW: Meeting on August 18, 2021, Item 3A From: Stefan Haag < Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2021 2:21:27 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik To: HPD ICRC Commissioners <ICRC.Commissioners@austintexas.gov> Subject: Meeting on August 18, 2021, Item 3A > *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** Dear Commissioners, I was wondering why the briefing on the 2020 Census is being conducted by Dr. Valencia, the Austin City Demographer, rather than your legal counsel or your mapper. The independence of the commission is greatly influenced by the source of the commission’s information. Your legal counsel was the legal counsel to the first ICRC and is familiar with the current districts, their boundaries, and relevant information concerning the boundaries for the districts. Also, your mapper should have the capability to brief you on the population of each district after the 2020 census as well as the VTDs that are included in the districts. The same argument could be made concerning your briefing on the open meetings and open records acts and your responsibilities under those acts. Being briefed by the City Attorney is similar to my concerns about the briefing by the City Demographer. The City of Austin should not be providing legal advice to the commission. On September 4, 3021, the action by Governor Abbott that delayed the requirement to complete the training expires, and you are required to complete the training. Although the online training doesn’t take long to complete, it should be done quickly and the certificate of completion provided to Christine. I also think that Christine needs to be aware that communications between citizens and the commission should be available as a backup to a meeting, ensuring that the process is open and transparent. Sincerely, Stefan Haag Resident of SMD 8 Sent from Mail for Windows 10 CAUTION: This email was received at the City of Austin, from an EXTERNAL source. Please use caution when clicking links or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious and/or phishing email, please forward this email to cybersecurity@austintexas.gov. 1
www.montopolis.org ∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆∇∆ On Aug 16, 2021, at 15:55, Calderon, Sara ‐ BC <BC‐Sara.Calderon@austintexas.gov> wrote: Hello please see attached (and below) for live and virtual event information, updates, as well as additional options for public feedback on redistricting from the ICRC. Thank you, ‐ Commissioner Sara Inés Calderón ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ PRESS RELEASE Aug. 16, 2021 For Immediate Release Sara Inés Calderón bc‐sara.calderon@austintexas.gov (512) 931‐1477 Camellia Falcon bc‐camellia.falcon@austintexas.gov Redistricting commission poised, ready for census data drop AUSTIN, TX (Aug. 16, 2021) – With the release of the new U.S. Census data Aug. 12, 2021, the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC) has a strong team in place awaiting useable numbers and comments from the public to draw new city council boundaries for Austin residents. "It's going to be a least week or ten days before it's usable," said George Korbel, ICRC mapping specialist. "At least that's been my experience from the last several redistricting maps I've been involved in." Korbel is no stranger to redistricting. He was instrumental in challenging the fairness of at‐large elections in Texas in the '70s. He and the ICRC's legal counsel David Richards were part of the team that ligated the landmark case known as White v. Regester. The case, which made it all the way to the Supreme Court in 1973 and won, found the urban voting district in Dallas and Bexar County reduced Latino representation in the Texas House of Representatives. The case also expanded into other counties with large urban districts in the state including, Tarrant, Nueces, McLennan, Travis, Galveston, Jefferson, Lubbock and El Paso. 2 "(The case) set down the proof pattern for litigation in almost literally all redistricting that dealt with at‐large elections," Korbel said. Since then, Korbel and Richards have been involved in redistricting over 50 jurisdictions such as cities, counties and school districts. Most recently, they redistricted education institutional boundaries in Houston and for Lone Star College, one of the largest community college districts in the nation. In Austin, Korbel, who has attended all but one ICRC public forum, plans to use the public's input in his map making process. "They're giving suggestions as to what changes should be made, and when I get access to the data, we will determine what the population of each one of the current city districts will be," Korbel said. "Based on that information, we'll start making changes to the districts, but I really …
