REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Introduce an 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 must 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 discussed options at its Council Strategic Session on January 28. It provided direction on key components of a draft ordinance on February 2, February 23, and March 16. The attached draft Ordinance (Attachment 1) includes the most recent changes directed by the Council on March 16.
At the March 16 Council Meeting, the City Council also directed staff to return to Council on March 30 for the consideration of the introduction of an Ordinance Establishing a Public Process for Redistricting.
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 reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
DISCUSSION
Staff prepared a draft ordinance establishing a restricting process based on Council direction. Council discussed the redistricting process at five public meetings, giving community members several opportunities to provide feedback. Council accepted many of the suggestions given by members of the public, which are incorporated into the draft ordinance.
The Ordinance Establishing a Public Process for Redistricting establishes a seven-member Redistricting Commission with three to six alternates. Commissioners would be appointed by Council using an open public process. The responsibilities of the Redistricting Commission will be to:
• Hold public hearings to gather public input on district boundary preferences, including communities of interest
• Accept map proposals from the public with the option of designing its own map proposal/s
• Evaluate and refine map proposals with community input
• Host one joint meeting with the City Council to discuss map proposals before the Commission makes its final map selections
• Recommend three to five map proposals to Council by the deadline established in a Redistricting Outreach Plan adopted by Council
The City Council would adopt the final district plan, consisting of a district boundary map and sequencing of elections for each district. Council would have the option of adopting a map recommended by the Redistricting Commission with a simple majority vote. Alternatively, Council, by supermajority vote, could send back one or more maps with comments to the Redistricting Commission for reconsideration. The Redistricting Commission would consider Council’s feedback and have the option to revise and resubmit its map proposal/s or reaffirm its recommended map/s and resubmit without changes. Council would then be required to adopt one of the map options recommended by the Redistricting Commission.
Staff anticipates releasing the Redistricting Commissioner Application on April 12 with a deadline of May 31. Staff also plans to present a Redistricting Outreach Plan for Council consideration and approval on May 4.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact at this time. Staff estimates that the public process for redistricting will cost approximately $150,000. Staff will request funding at a later time.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, Sunnyvale Public Library and Department of Public Safety. In addition, the agenda and report are available at the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Introduce the Ordinance Establishing a Public Process for Redistricting as shown in Attachment 1.
2. Introduce the Ordinance Establishing a Public Process for Redistricting as shown in Attachment 1 with modifications.
3. Do not introduce the proposed ordinance and provide alternative direction to staff.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Alternative 1: Introduce the Ordinance Establishing a Public Process for Redistricting as shown in Attachment 1 to the report.
Staff
Prepared by: Jaqui Guzmán, Deputy City Manager and Melissa Tronquet, Assistant City Attorney
Reviewed by: Teri Silva, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Kent Steffens, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Draft Ordinance
2. Incremental Redline of Draft Ordinance