SUBJECT:
Title
Erie Home Rule Charter: Council District Options and Resident Engagement
Body
DEPARTMENT: Administration
Communications & Community Engagement
Department
PRESENTER(S): Amy Teetzel, Director of Administrative Services & Operations
Gabi Rae, Director of Communications & Community Engagement
First Name Last Name, Title
TIME ESTIMATE: 20 minutes
only required for non-consent items
POLICY ISSUES:
The configuration of council districts to best reflect the Home Rule Charter requirements to "...recognize general election precincts and to establish contiguous and compact districts with due consideration given to equal representation and communities of interest."
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Town staff agrees with the expert consultant in recommending Plan #2 for the final districting map. Plan #2 follows the Charter instructions more directly and creates districts that can most easily be managed during an election by Weld and Boulder Counties. Additionally, since both options include a district that includes portions of both counties, staff also recommends the next iteration of the maps name the districts District 1, District 2, and District 3, (not B1, W1 and W2), starting from the western most district and going clockwise.
End
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
Erie voters approved the Erie Home Rule Charter in the November 2023 election and Boulder and Weld counties certified the election results that same month. The Charter either requires or enables numerous implementation actions. Among the required actions, Article 2.03 requires the Council to create Council Districts by adopting an ordinance dividing the Town into three districts to “recognize general election precincts and to establish contiguous and compact districts with due consideration given to equal representation and communities of interest.” As provided in Charter Article 16.03.(3), the ordinance establishing the boundaries of the Council districts shall be effective on or before May 9, 2024, which is at least 180 days prior to the Nov. 5, 2024, election.
To provide the Council with district options to consider, and to be consistent with the Charter requirement that changes to Council districts be “made after considering recommendations from an independent expert with experience in the field of redistricting who is unaffiliated with the Town of Erie,” the Town retained Magellan Strategies. The consulting firm has worked on redistricting efforts for more than 20 years in Colorado.
At the Feb. 20 Study Session, the consulting firm presented initial districting options to the Council and Council directed staff to provide a forum for community engagement. Staff then requested input from residents on two of the options presented. During the Mar. 12 Council meeting, staff will share the engagement process implemented and the community preference between Proposed Plan 1 and Proposed Plan 2. Access to the plans and quick survey can be found here: www.erieco.gov/2079/Home-Rule-Charter <http://www.erieco.gov/2079/Home-Rule-Charter>.
COUNCIL PRIORITY(S) ADDRESSED:
ü Effective Governance
ATTACHMENT(S):
1. Proposed Plan 1
2. Proposed Plan 2
3. Side by side comparison