RES 211240 - Laserfiche WebLink

RESOLUTION NO. 21-1240 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PLEASANTON DECLARING THE CITY OF PLEASANTON'S INTENT TO TRANSITION FROM AN AT-LARGE ELECTION SYSTEM TO A DISTRICT-BASED ELECTION SYSTEM WHEREAS, the City of Pleasanton ("City") is a general law city, duly organized under the Constitution and the laws of the State of California. The City Council is comprised of four City Councilmembers currently elected in "at-large" elections, in which each City Councilmember is elected by the registered voters of the entire City, with the Mayor being separately elected also by all registered voters of the entire city; and WHEREAS, California Government Code section 34886, in certain circumstances, authorizes the legislative body of a city of any population to adopt an ordinance to change its method of election from an "at-large" system to a "district-based" system in which each councilmember is elected only by the voters in the district in which the candidate resides; and WHEREAS, on August 5, 2021, the City received a notice of violation letter from attorney Kevin Shenkman on behalf of Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, asserting the City's at-large council member election system violates the California Voting Rights Act ("CVRA") and threatening litigation if the City does not voluntarily change to a district-based election system for electing councilmembers; and WHEREAS, under California Elections Code section 14028(a), a CVRA violation may be established if it is shown that racially polarized voting occurs in elections in a particular jurisdiction; and WHEREAS, the City denies that its at-large council member electoral system violates the CVRA or any other provision of law, and asserts the City's election system is legal in all respects and further denies any wrongdoing in connection with the manner in which it has conducted its City Council elections. Despite the foregoing, the City Council has determined that the purposes of the CVRA and the public interest would be best served by transitioning to a district-based election system and avoiding the risks and costs of defending against a CVRA lawsuit; and WHEREAS, California Elections Code section 10010 requires that a City that is changing from an at-large to district-based election shall do all the following before the City Council votes to approve or defeat an ordinance establishing district-based elections: 1. Prior to drawing one or more draft maps of the proposed boundaries of the districts, the City shall hold at least two public hearings over a period of no more than 30 days, at which the public is invited to provide input regarding the composition of the districts; 2. After all draft maps are drawn, the City shall publish and make available for release at least one draft map and, if members of the City Council will be elected in their districts at different times to provide for staggered terms of office, the potential sequence of the elections shall also be published. The City shall hold at least two additional hearings over a period of no more than 45 days, at which the public is invited to provide input regarding the content of the draft map or maps and the proposed sequence of elections. if applicable. The first version of a draft map shall be published at least seven days before consideration at a hearing. If a draft map is revised at or following a hearing, it shall be published and made available to the public for at least seven days before being adopted: