03 - Laserfiche WebLink

background informational January 4 hearing. He reported he will draft at least three maps for the February 3 hearing, along with the submission of any publicly-drawn draft maps. The February 3 hearing is the time for the City Council to start narrowing down options. Mr. Wagaman briefly reviewed the six criteria required by state law for drawing the districts. He emphasized the primary goal is to have four equally-sized districts to represent the City's 79,894 residents according to the 2020 United States census. He noted the City is ethnically diverse but his preliminary analysis shows it would not be possible to draw a district where a protected class is a majority, most likely leaving the federal Voting Rights Act out of Pleasanton's process aside from identifying communities of interest. He reported he is not from Pleasanton. Mayor Brown opened the public hearing. Ms. Jensen advised she does not support Mr. Pegeron's comment about allowing for maximum density due to pollution and traffic concerns. In response to Ms. Jensen, Mayor Brown clarified the City is looking for large natural dividing lines such as everything west of Interstate 680. Mr. Wagaman advised there are prescribed criteria under both state and federal law with the latter stating race cannot be the predominant factor. Mayor Brown directed the public to the City's website where residents can draw maps. In response to Mayor Brown, Mr. Wagaman clarified the public has been given several options because different tools work better for different people, including a paper tool where residents can draw their proposed lines by hand. He advised the timeline is short due to state law and not a City Council decision. Andre Pegeron endorsed centering a district surrounding the downtown area to ensure his district is like-minded. Bryan Tor expressed uncertainty over what constitutes a community of interest. Mr. Wagaman clarified determining communities of interest is part of the purpose of the meeting. He noted he has already received three different definitions of what constitutes the downtown area. Mr. Tor advised the City Council needs to provide direction on the boundaries of downtown, and considerations of a neighborhood, a Homeowners' Association (HOA), or school enrollment zone. In response to Mr. Tor, Mr. Wagaman advised the City Council can provide broad direction such as treating every HOA as a community of interest or just certain HOAs. He stated there are no limitations in the law here and advised this is part of why all discussions are public. In response to Mr. Tor, Mayor Brown confirmed they have not yet provided any direction and noted the City Council is there now to listen. She explained the City Council will guide the City's consultants after the public hearing and will continue to gather public feedback until the approval of a final map. Sandy Yamaota advised Ruby Hill should be moved to a different part of the City instead of the one to its immediate north for reasons of economic equity. Mayor Brown closed the public hearing. Councilmember Arkin would like school boundaries to be considered towards defining communities of interest. She agreed defined neighborhoods like Birdland and Ruby Hill should not be divided. She noted public maps she has seen feature jagged lines making contiguous but not compact districts. She City Council Minutes Paae 4 of 17 January 18, 2022