2011 2:00:00 PM

Monday, September 12, 2011 2:00 PM
City Council Chambers, Legislative Building, 745 Fourth Street, Sparks, Nevada

General Business: 6.7

Title: First reading and possible discussion of Bill# 2636 an ordinance redistricting the City Council ward boundaries based on the 2010 United States Census.

Petitioner/Presenter: City of Sparks/Jim Rundle, Sr. Planner

Recommendation: Staff recommends the City Council identify any potential modifications to the Ward Boundary map so that they may be considered during the public hearing on September 26, 2011. This is the 1st reading only. The City Council will instruct the City Clerk to read the First Reading of the Bill by title on September 12, 2011, and thereafter publish a notice of a Second Reading and public hearing of this Bill for its possible adoption and approval on September 26, 2011.

Financial Impact: N/A

Business Impact (Per NRS 237):
A Business Impact Statement is not required because this is not a rule.

Agenda Item Brief: At the August 29, 2011 City Council meeting staff presented three different redistricting concepts (1A, 1B, and 1C) for the Council's discussion. Based on that input, staff focused on modifications to 1C. Staff has included the "Stonebrook" development and the area master planned Tourist Commercial within the "Tierra Del Sol" zoning handbook into Ward 4. This staff report also includes demographic information for the proposed wards. This is the first reading for an ordinance; discussion may occur but no formal action will be taken. A public hearing will be scheduled for September 26, 2011. New City Council ward boundaries may be approved through adoption of an ordinance following that public hearing.

Background: The 2010 United States decennial census has been completed and information has been forwarded to the local jurisdictions. With this census data, the City has initiated the process of redistricting the five Sparks City Council wards. The ward boundaries were last redrawn in 2003 when the City's population was estimated at 78,435. The 2010 census determined the City of Sparks' population was 91,057. While growth occurred throughout the City of Sparks, the majority of it occurred in Ward 4 as illustrated on the "Council Wards" map on page 5. Title 2 of the Sparks Municipal Code requires that population between Wards not differ more than 5%. Currently, the difference exceeds the 5% threshold. Therefore, the ward boundaries must be redrawn. Dividing the 2010 Sparks population number of 91,057 by five (wards) provides a target population of 18,211 per ward. Relative to this target, currently Ward One is under populated by 10%, Ward Two is under populated by 3%, Ward Three is under populated by 16%, Ward Four is over populated by approximately 26% and Ward Five is over populated by approximately 3%. At its August 29, 2011 meeting, the Sparks City Council discussed modifications to Concept 1C. Concept 1C utilized the existing Ward boundaries as a starting point, as illustrated on page 5 ("Redistricting Concept 1C" map). At this meeting members of the Council requested: • Keeping “Stonebrook” in Ward 4 • Putting the Tourist Commercial designated land of “Tierra Del Sol” into Ward 4 • Ensuring the homes along Siltstone Way are in the appropriate ward based on their zoning district and home owner’s association (HOA) affiliation As staff creates ward boundary concepts for consideration by the City Council, staff ensures: • that the ward boundary includes the current council person’s residence in that ward; • the ward boundaries are contiguous; and • Wherever possible, the ward boundaries follow arterials/major streets. The "Proposed" Ward Boundaries map can be reviewed on page 4. The ward boundaries ultimately adopted by the Council should, in addition to redistributing the population equally between wards, strive for equal legislative representation for all citizens. To do so the redistricting plan should balance geographic compactness, contiguity, respect for political subdivisions, respect for communities of interest, protection of incumbents and other "political" factors, and race-neutral redistricting principles. Staff has analyzed the available 2010 Census data and calculated the number and percentage of each proposed ward's population that is of Hispanic, African American, American Indian and Asian origin. For comparison purposes, staff has also done this same analysis for the existing ward boundaries using the 2010 data. Population of Proposed Ward Boundaries (as illustrated on page 4) by Race and Hispanic Origin based on 2010 U.S. Census Ward Total Total Total Total Total Population Hispanic African American Asian of Ward American Indian One 18,230 7,835 or 43% 706 or 4% 514 or 3% 940 or 5% Two 18,157 7,395 or 41% 811 or 4% 374 or 2% 1,262 or 7% Three 18,237 3,270 or 18% 664 or 4% 373 or 2% 1,630 or 9% Four 17,897 2,218 or 12% 557 or 3% 288 or 2% 1,265 or 7% Five 18,536 3,418 or 19% 590 or 3% 351 or 2% 1,517 or 8% Population of Current Ward Boundaries (as illustrated on page 5) by Race and Hispanic Origin based on 2010 U.S. Census: Ward Total Total Total Total Total Population Hispanic African American Asian of Ward American Indian One 16403 6642 or 40% 671 or 4% 459 or 3% 867 or 5% Two 17720 8168 or 46% 786 or 4% 393 or 2% 1273 or 7% Three 15297 2583 or 17% 576 or 4% 301 or 2% 1410 or 9% Four 22848 2883 or 13% 653 or 3% 368 or 2% 1747 or 8% Five 18789 3860 or 21% 642 or 3% 379 or 2% 1317 or 7% The current ward boundaries have been in place since 2003 and no concerns have been brought to City staff's attention regarding either the dilution or over-concentration of minority communities. The proposed ward boundaries are mostly consistent, in terms of their populations' breakdown by race and Hispanic origin, with the existing wards. The Federal Voting Rights Act obligates the City to refrain from diluting the political cohesion of minority groups and avoid creating racially polarized voting districts. There are generally three methods of dilution: "fracturing," "stacking," and "packing." Fracturing refers to the practice of drawing district lines so that minority members are dispersed among as many districts as possible to ensure that the members remain a minority in each district. Stacking refers to the practice of drawing district lines to combine concentrations of minority population with greater concentrations of majority (white) population to ensure that members remain a minority in each district. Packing refers to drawing district boundary lines so as to concentrate as many minorities as possible into as few districts as possible in order to minimize the number of minority districts. Staff have not intentionally employed any of these dilution methods and believe, based on the comparison presented above, that the proposed ward boundaries maintain the current cohesion of the community's minority groups. Modifications to the ward boundaries map can be proposed at the first reading. While a formal motion cannot be proposed, staff will consider the Council's discussion in preparing the "Final" proposed Ward Boundary map for the public hearing on September 26, 2011.

Analysis: See "Background"

Alternatives: First Reading Only

Recommended Motion: First Reading Only

Attached Files:

Proposed Ward Boundaries - Colors.pdf

Redistricting plan 1c.pdf

ordinance - Bill No. 2636.pdf

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