SUBJECT
Title
Study Session to Introduce Issues Requiring Council Direction for Proposed Amendments to Charter Article VI (The Council) to be Submitted to Voters in the March 2020 Election to Implement City Council By-District Elections
Report
BACKGROUND
Following extensive public outreach efforts related to the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) and district-based city council elections, on June 18, 2019 (RTC No. 19-0362), the City Council voted 5-2 to direct staff to prepare a ballot measure for the March 2020 election amending the City Charter to change the City's electoral system from seven at-large numbered City Council seats to six district seats and an at-large, directly elected mayor. As noted in that report, staff's goal in drafting Charter amendments is to add necessary provisions for district elections as directed by the Council while maintaining all other existing concepts and principles in the Charter to the extent they are not in conflict, and unless otherwise directed by Council. The goal of this report is to provide an overview of necessary revisions to Article VI, highlighting policy issues still requiring Council direction.
Concurrently, the Office of the City Manager is working with a demographer to engage in a public process for district-map drawing to determine the boundaries for six city council districts. A City Council meeting to review initial map submissions is scheduled as a separate matter on tonight's Council regular meeting agenda.
DISCUSSION
1. Overview of Amendments to Charter Article VI and Issues Requiring Council Direction
For ease of discussion, staff has grouped the Charter language changes into three basic categories: (1) "No change" required; (2) "Administrative updates" to implement the Council's prior direction for six districts and one at-large mayor that require no further direction to staff to prepare; and (3) "Direction Needed" for outstanding policy issues that do require additional direction from the Co...
Click here for full text