ICRC Public Forum Presentation_D2_08102021 — original pdf

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Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC) P U B L I C FO R U M : D I S T R I C T 2 M E N D EZ M I D D L E S C H O O L 5 1 0 6 V I L L A G E S Q . D R . A U S T I N , T X 7 8 7 4 4 T U ES DAY, AU G . 1 0 , 6 - 8 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 Please Mask Up! The City of Austin has returned to Stage 5 COVID-19 Guidelines. 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 2 Commissioner Sara Inés Calderón Sara Inés Calderón has been a resident of District 2 since 2014, when she came back to live in Austin for the second time, previously she worked at ¡ahora sí! at The Austin American-Statesman. Since coming back she's made Austin her home, working at various tech startups in town, as well as working with community and non-profit organizations to invite more people of color to consider careers in technology. “Let the people draw the maps.” --Austinites for Geographic Representation ICRC Background & Selection Process History Austin residents voted to elect City Council by geographic district in 2012. Before that vote, six council members and the mayor were elected citywide. Today, the city has 10 districts with a council member elected from each district. The mayor is still elected citywide. In 2013, a diverse group of Austin residents determined the boundaries for the 10 council districts. Since then, Austin’s population has grown and changed an estimated 24% from 790,000+ people to 979,000+. This year a new group of citizens will redraw the district boundaries to reflect these changes. ICRC Selection Process 300+ applications received 89.31% of received applications met minimum requirements Applicant Review Panel selected the 60 most qualified Commission applicants City Auditor randomly selected 8 Commissioners from the qualified pool The randomly selected 8 commissioners choose 6 additional applicants from the qualified pool 14 commissioners will work to draw the district boundaries The Role of the ICRC The Commission will decide on the new boundaries through an open and transparent process with many opportunities for public input. In order to draw the district boundaries, commissioners need input from residents throughout the process. The process involves: ◦ Holding public meetings in each of the 10 city council districts ◦ Coming up with an initial draft of the boundaries ◦ Holding four more public meetings (one in each of the Travis County precincts) ◦ Proposing final boundaries ◦ Holding two more public meetings (one north and one south of Lady Bird Lake) ◦ Voting on final boundaries ◦ Adopting a final plan by no later than November 1, 2021 Why Redistricting Matters Redistricting will change how Austin residents are represented by City Council and shape how they think about their community. Austin’s population has grown and changed since the districts were originally drawn in 2013. The new district boundaries may change as well. Residents who participate will have a chance to meet Austinites across the city and learn more about the city they call home. They will learn about Austin’s history and make important decisions about Austin’s future. ICRC Final Plan November 2013 1 0 How Does the ICRC Draw Maps? From the City Charter, Section 3.E 1. Each district shall have reasonably equal population with other districts, except where deviation is required to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act or is allowable by law. 2. Districts shall comply with the federal Voting Rights Act and any other requirement of federal or state law. 3. Districts shall be geographically contiguous. 4. 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 preceding subsections. 5. District boundaries shall be drawn to encourage geographical compactness such that nearby areas of population are not bypassed for more distant populations as is practical. 6. District boundaries shall be drawn using the boundaries of existing election precincts, as is practical. 7. District boundaries shall be drawn using geographically identifiable boundaries, as is practical. Total Population by District, 2010 1 2 Austin Population Growth, 1870 to 2020 The ideal city council district size would be approximately 99,584. 1,200,000 1,000,000 800,000 600,000 400,000 200,000 0 995,484 790,390 656,562 465,622 345,890 251,808 186,545 87,930 132,459 4,428 11,013 14,575 22,258 29,860 34,876 53,120 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 0.995 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Censuses 1870 – 2010; U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Vintage 2020. million Numeric Population Change, 2010 to 2019 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Decennial Census, American Community Survey 2019 5-Year Estimates 14 Austin Race/Ethnicity Composition 2010 Demographics 2019 Demographics 1.7% 2.8% 7.7% 6.3% 35.1% 48.7% 7.4% 8.1% 32.5% 48.8% White Asian, Pacific Islander Two or more races, NH Other races, NH 0.2% Hispanic Black American Indian, Alaska Native 0.2% American Indian, Alaska Native, NH 0.3% White Asian, Pacific Islander Two or more races, NH Other races, NH 0.1% Hispanic Black Why Do We Not Have the 2020 Census Data? Operational delays caused by COVID-19 in addition to wildfires, hurricanes, allegations of political interference, fluctuating deadlines and lawsuits delayed the Census Bureau’s original plan to deliver the redistricting data to the states starting on Feb. 18, 2021 and ending on March 31, 2021. Redistricting data will be released mid-August to late September at census.gov ◦ Aug. 12–Census Bureau will release raw data ◦ Sept. 30–Census Bureau will release toolkit with software to understand data in census Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Associated Press Group Activity Instructions (45 minutes) 1. Attendees will be divided into equal groups corresponding to designation on name tags. Find the people in the audience who match the designation on your name tag. 2. Commissioners will lead each group through the map printout activity. ◦ Commissioners are not participants, but facilitators ◦ Commissioners will review the steps for the activity and the redistricting priorities as noted in ICRC charter, section 3.E ◦ Groups will identify aspects/areas of interest within their district that matters most to them and their local community on provided district map printouts 3. Each group will select one speaker to report group findings and questions/concerns. 4. Each speaker will have 5 minutes to report to the entire commission and everyone in attendance. Common Areas of Interest Areas of interest are the overlapping sets of neighborhoods, networks, and groups that share interests, views, cultures, histories, languages, and values and whose boundaries can be identified on a map. Examples: •Neighborhoods •Schools •Parks •Shopping malls and grocery stores •Recreation facilities •Bus routes Questions to Consider in Small Group Breakout What do I need to know about your district? Where do you go to the doctor? 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, homeowners’ associations, parks, pools, etc.? Where is the nearest police and fire station in your community? What are your communities shared interests-health conditions, land use, environmental conditions, and/or other issues? What are the racial and ethnic compositions, cultural identities, and households that predominantly speak a language other than English in your community? Explain the socio-economic status in your community, including but not limited to income, home-ownership and education levels. What are the shared political boundary lines from other jurisdictions in your community? Public Testimony • All individuals wishing to make comments must have signed 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 from disrupting the meeting by making noise of any kind (clapping, verbal feedback, etc.); anyone who disrupts the proceedings will be asked to leave. • The Commission is interested in gathering data on citizens’ view of neighborhoods, maps, and the redistricting plan. • Everyone is asked to abide by these guidelines so that the public forum process can proceed smoothly and all who wish to speak have the opportunity to do so. Map Worksheet Instructions (20 minutes) 1. Collect a map worksheet for the district in which you reside. 2. Read the instructions at the top, then using a pen, draw points (dots, stars) on the map to represent the places you frequent in your district. 3. Circle the areas that you wish to remain intact in your district. 4. Leave written comment on the back of the map of your district. 5. You can also mark up the city-wide map and leave comments. Upcoming Public Forums DISTRICT-SPECIFIC FORUMS CITY-WIDE FORUMS D1: Saturday, August 14: 1-3pm George Washington Carver Museum; Lobby 1165 Angelina St, Austin, TX 78702 D5: Tuesday, August 17: 6-8pm Via Zoom Virtual Public Forum #1 Saturday, August 21: 10am-12pm Via Zoom Virtual Public Forum #2 Friday, August 27: 11am-1pm Via Zoom Thank You for Attending the ICRC’s Public Forum! Have something to say to all the commissioners? Email us at icrc.commissioners@austintexas.gov