UC Berkeley: Independent Commission Will Soon Start Work Drawing New Council District Boundaries

Berkeley CA

09 January, 2021

12:59 AM

Description

Press release from the City of Berkeley: January 07, 2021 Press Contact: Matthai Chakko, (510) 981-7008 First Commissioners to be selected in online meeting January 13 Berkeley, California (Thursday, January 07, 2021) - Help ensure a fair and transparent start to the one-a-decade process of redrawing Berkeley's Council district boundaries by observing the selection of the first members of the City's Independent Redistricting Commission at an upcoming online meeting. The Commission, created by voters in 2016, will create a new map for City Council Districts using factors such as population, geography, and demographics. These boundaries are adjusted every 10 years to re-balance the districts, but this is the first time that the map will be created by community members. Previously, the City Council was responsible for approving new boundaries. Random Drawing of Commissioners: Wednesday, January 13 The selection meeting will be held Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at 4pm. One Commissioner and one alternate will be randomly selected for each Council district, from a pool of applicants who applied in the fall. These eight Commissioners will then choose five additional "at-large" members and alternates from the remaining applicants at their first meeting later this month, for a total of 13 Commission members. Representatives from other City Commissions and multiple departments will join the meeting as observers to ensure the selection is conducted fairly. You can support a transparent redistricting process by acting as a community observer - watch the selection live online at cityofberkeley.info/CalendarEventWebcastMain.aspx or broadcast on Berkeley Community Media. Community participation essential to the redistricting process We ensure fair representation for Berkeleyans over the next 10 years when people throughout Berkeley have a voice in redistricting. This is the first of many opportunities to participate. The Commission will hold public meetings to receive community input, review written comments and maps submitted by community members, and ultimately create a new district map for formal adoption by the City Council. Community members will be able to access the same data the Commission is using, draw their own maps with an online tool, and comment on what others have proposed. Even if you are unable to join this meeting, we hope you will participate in future Independent Redistricting Commission events and activities over the next year. For questions or requests for accommodation, contact the City Clerk Department at [email protected] or (510) 981-6908. Links Independent Redistricting Commission webpage Independent Redistricting Commission Plan (PDF) Keep up with City of Berkeley news via our News page, email or Follow @CityofBerkeley . This press release was produced by the City of Berkeley. The views expressed here are the author's own.