REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Discussion and Direction on Ordinance Establishing a Public Process for Redistricting
Report
BACKGROUND
Sunnyvale voters adopted a six-district Council election system with a directly-elected mayor (Measure B) on March 3, 2020. As part of Measure B (Sunnyvale City Charter section 609(b)), Council is required to adopt an ordinance establishing a public process for redistricting. Staff provided an overview of the redistricting process at a study session on January 12. Council further discussed options at its Council Strategic Session on January 28. Council discussion focused on the option of establishing a redistricting commission. On February 2, Council provided direction on some of the key components for establishing a redistricting commission, summarized in Attachment 1.
EXISTING POLICY
Sunnyvale City Charter section 609(c): "The City Council shall adopt an ordinance establishing a public process for redistricting. Such ordinance shall be adopted in sufficient time for redistricting following release of the 2020 federal Census."
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a "project" with the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sections 15320,15378 and 15061(b)(3) as it is an organizational structure change and does not have the potential to result in either a direct or reasonable foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
DISCUSSION
Based on the City Council's comments on February 2, staff prepared a draft ordinance (Attachment 2) to create a public process for redistricting. It includes requirements established in federal and state law and a hybrid-format redistricting commission of seven members and three alternates. The Commission would be responsible for holding public hearings to gather public input and narrowing map options to three to five recommended maps. Recommended maps would be forwarded to the City Council for final appr...
Click here for full text