Travis County Commissioners Court
Tuesday, May 17, 2011 (Agenda)
Item 20
Number 20, consider and take appropriate action on Travis County redistricting matters, including a, principles to guide the redistricting process and, b, updated time table for the redistricting process.
>> good afternoon, judge, members of the court.
I have with me the team.
I wanted to introduce them, I understand that the court's time is very short.
if I can just introduce them and we will take the court's decision on whether they want to come back to this issue maybe after lunch or not.
first rolando rios, george corvl, both attorneys, extensive experience in redistricting, alsoic jake key going to be with our community outreach project.
judge, I'm at your disposal in terms of a time.
there are really two items, two decisions, the first is to adopt a series of guidelines which would instruct, if you will, the -- the redistricting consultants and drawing of the maps, the second will be to approve any renovations to the overall global time table that the court approved last fall for it.
those decisions -- in all candor do not have to be made today.
I can bring them back next week if that is the court's will --
>> we're going to at least need that.
there's been a lot of last minute things that were brought to my office at the last minute.
of course looking at those, I saw some things that I'm going to have to get some answers to, I need to get those answers that I can call you, get those answers, but I'm not ready to sign-off on anything today.
as far as I'm concerned, another one as far as the scheduling is concerned, I saw there's been a change in the amount of time, maybe like in August, it was kind of shortened in August.
it wasn't the 23rd, I think it was back to an earlier date in August.
I think you and I have already spoken on that.
I have some concerns, I think if it's not going to be anything that precludes us from maybe taking the time that we had last time.
the schedule that we approved, the draft schedule that we approved prior to this one.
there were some things in there that I wanted to make sure that everyone understands as far as why the shortened, why were the times shortened.
and in one regard.
of course we are dealing with new persons that are coming on board.
I have two new elected officials.
and in my precinct.
the constable and also the jp who has never gone through this process.
they may need, when the boundaries are discussed as far as looking at their boundaries for an example, they may need that extra time.
so when we shorten time within our schedule here to proceed, I just wants to make sure that you are taking into consideration that we have some new concerns that have never gone through this redistricting process before.
and of course I want to make sure that they have the necessary input into the process -- into this process.
where they will feel comfortable in proceeding when their maps are actually drawn.
so I hope you all understand where I'm coming from.
but today I'm not going to sign anything.
not Ron Davis.
>> judge, let me go ahead and then turn it over to mr. Rios for -- he has a couple of remarks on the packet that he just handed out to members of the court.
maybe just some general comments on the process that he intends to go through.
>> okay.
>> judge, Commissioners, Commissioner Davis to your point, obviously, we can work with whatever schedule you can feel more comfortable with.
and there's no reason why we have to adopt the -- the amended schedule at this particular point.
you can at least discuss it and we'll take it up some other time.
>> we need to do that.
>> I have a handout.
I want to go real quickly through it.
it's basically some of the basic data that we have on your county and first table is county has gone over a million people, we have 8.5% african-americans and 33.5 speers latino and you have your 18 and over data there as well.
on the next page, we've got a comparison of how Travis County has grown compared to dallas, harris and bexar.
of the four major counties in Texas, travis has grown the fastest at 26% change over the past 10 years.
and you see -- you even grew faster than harris and bexar and you've got 49.6% latino and compared to what harris county has now, 49% latino.
on the next page, is just basically a profile of your -- of your districts, Commissioner precincts.
here's where the criteria is going to be coming in because we have to comply with the one person one vote rule.
presently you have a 27% deviation.
Commissioner of precincts 3 and 4 have the most shall we say difference between your ideal and the deviation.
district 3 is 17% over.
district 4 is 10% under.
precincts 1 and 2 are actually close to the ideal.
they are under 5%.
we usually like to have our Commissioners be under 5%.
as long as the top to bottom is less than 10%, then we're okay.
so we have the one person one vote rule that we need to comply with.
at the same time we've got Commissioner of precinct 1 has got 17% african-american, which is -- which is where your african-americans are concentrated, precinct 4, 56% hispanic.
so when we are applying the one person one vote rule, we also have to make sure those communities, the integrity of those communities are also maintained and their votes not diluted.
the next page is basically a map of your existing precincts.
like I said, 3 and 4 are the fastest growing areas of the county, those are going to have the most drastic changes.
the next map basically the concentration of where the african-americans are.
and then the next page is your -- your concentration of your hispanics in the county.
and then I -- I attached a -- a the data table for the total population is and
>> [indiscernible] registration and turnout for the 2010 general election.
george and I have been dealing with this thing for him for 40 years, me for 30 years, so we represent 70 years of redistricting experience.
we would like to meet with you all personally in the next couple of weeks to start getting your ideas.
I have met already with most of your staffers.
I haven't met with the -- with Commissioner Eckhardt's staffers yet to try to set up a meeting, either george or I will met with you personally.
I will be more than happy to answer your questions, Commissioner.
>> I guess one concern, I guess on those meeting dates, I want to make sure that Monday through Friday between 9:00 and 5:00 I'll be available, so I'm just elect you know my availability then you can maybe work within your schedule or you and your staff to make sure that we are able to have those meetings.
so hopefully because you are in bexar county and of course down in san antonio and of course that -- that will be a -- travel and all of this other kind of stuff.
but I will let you know in advance, when in advance, we can just work something out as far as us getting together.
so -- so I just want to let you know that's -- that's what I'm looking at.
>> yes, sir.
>> somewhere between 9:00 and 5:00, Monday through Friday.
>> we are very flexible.
right now he is spending about 80% of his time in the legislature because he's working on the state-wide redistricting, so we are available during the week wherever you want, Commissioner.
>> okie-doke, I appreciate that.
>> the thing that concerns me -- most now, and it's really based on rumor more than fact, is that a couple of the -- of the jp's may want to go through the redistricting process.
so seems to me that we ought to make a few phone calls and see if in fact that's the case, if so how serious they are because we need to accommodate them the sooner we know it the better, right?
the other thing I'm not sure how a redrawing of the j.p.
lines or constable lines impact each other.
or one another.
>> they don't have to change their line, but they don't want to make some changes.
>> they have been chatting informally, I guess to the extent they can reach agreement on it, fine.
but if they don't reach agreement, unfortunately that kind of brings the Commissioners court into play, right?
if they reach an agreement, that's just us rubber stamping them -- patting them on the back as well.
>> [one moment please for change in captioners]
>> the question that we put the add-on into the contract for was for the numerous meetings between the redistricting consulting team and those elected officials that would be necessary in order to hear their wishes and get their input on those lines.
but cid can do my homework on this, but I believe the case bais contract calls for all the lines to be redrawn.
>> well, they haven't landed on absolutely yes.
they seem to be discussing it and just calling my attention to that possibility.
>> do you want us to contact them, judge?
>> I think that would be good.
>> do you have --
>> can you give you the names off the record?
>> sure.
>> any other questions or comments?
>> that will do it for me.
>> I want to mention that the schedule that I handed out for iew reach, in addition to what Commissioner Davis said, we have alternate meetings in July, so we can work through that.
but we're delighted to work on this component.
it's a crucial component of the restrict dricting process.
there are a few items in the outreach process that will require Commissioner's attention.
I wanted to point out those.
one is that we will need mailing list from each of our offices so that we can send out our notifications.
that will have to happen pretty soon, as soon as we start the launch.
another thing is we're recommending that each of you set up a taskforce to spread the word about the redistricting office.
>> what kind of mailing list are you talking about there?
I want to make sure we get this clear from the git-go.
what I saw was was some of the outreach would be like the social network, for example.
that's going to be considered?
and if it is, there's a lot of foangz that don't have computers -- folks that don't have computers.
I'm concerned about that.
and then you're saying a list from our office.
what kind of list are you talking about?
>> a mailing list.
we would like to send out letters.
>> a mailing list that we send out letters?
>> of constituents.
who you would like to be notified of the process.
we would like to get the word out as many ways as we can.
and you're right, a lot of people don't have access to computers.
we'd like to send out as many notification as we can.
we'll also do a notification in the newspaper.
and then post it on the county website.
I believe your staff will do that.
then we'll be of course doing the media relations and sending out a news release, preparing news releases at each stage of public outreach.
>> according to your timeline it would be advantageous for our project to get those mailing lists to you as soon as possible.
>> right.
>> the timeline that you had distributed was may 23rd.
>> right.
>> that's right around the corner.
>> that's next week.
it's next week.
>> and the reason we were trying to push for the hearings in June was that people start going on vacation in July and we would like to try to get as many folks at these hearings as possible.
the longer we wait the less likely it is that we will have good attendance.
>> if they can't appear in person, let's say they're on vacation, can they submit something in written form and it will also be considered?
>> absolutely.
and another one of the methods were going to use is the speakers' bury rewhere we can arrange for either yourselves or staff tomorrow peem to speak at organizational meetings.
they have have a chance to speak at those as well.
>> can you tell me in the outreach scheme of things, I know you mentioned social networking, tweeter and all these kind of -- whatever apparatus you're looking at as far as social networking is concerned.
what type of base message will be made available that would even end -- that we even end this process?
what have you come up with to let folks know that yes, folks, here we are around the corner again in our next type of redistricting process.
every 10 years we do this, da, da, da.
and what type of -- what type of computerized effort are you suggesting, are you going to utilize other than the social networking stuff?
because everybody is not on facebook.
everybody sheriff's deputy on twitter -- everybody is not on twitter.
>> that's certainly not the major component of the outreach.
that was something we discussed early on.
I'm not even sure that we're plan to go do the social media campaign from this point.
we're trying to keep it very tight at this point from what I understand and most of our notifications will be done by letters, email, if we have email lists, email blasts, as well as posting to the county website and sending out news releases to the media.
>> and I guess if you're not going to embrace 100 percent of the social network end of it, then my question is what other type of computer networking are you going to suggest that's going to be available?
that's what I'm trying to get to.
>> we're planning to utilize the county website.
we're planning to do email addresses for the e-mails we're able to put together.
>> that's why we're asking for those kinds of lists that you maintain in your offices of people you contact, people you send information to about important county matters.
Commissioner Davis, you had members of the blackland prairie neighborhood association here just today on this issue.
those are the kind of people we would like to reach out to and to work with your office in terms of assimilating those sorts of lists so that we can make sure those people know about the steps of the redistricting process.
>> and that's the towrs's for each of you will be -- the taskforces for each of you will be important.
if we can get your twits stits to spread the word and get people out to these hearings and know that this is happening.
we're dividing the outreach effort into four different phases, the launch phase, public hearing phase, the activities after the public hearing and activities after redistricting changes are approved.
each one is going to be a different message, Commissioner.
>> once we provide that to you then the subject matter of those persons that the list that you have, the subject matter you will translate that are -- or either transmit that, communicate that to the persons from that list of the different phases.
is that correct?
>> correct.
>> all right.
>> does that make sense?
>> okay.
>> anything else?
so we'll have this back on next week?
>> yes, sir.
>> hopefully we'll try to call this item up at 11:00.
hopefully we'll be a bit more a target next week.
if there's nothing else on this item...
okay.
we'll see you next week.
>> thank you, judge.
>> and deece, since we have you here do you want to do the legislative item now?
>> I can do it as quickly as you want, judge, or I'm available to come back after lunch?
>> what say the court, do you need to run to the legislature this afternoon?
>> no.
there's actually -- the focus will be on floor debate on the redistricting plan in the senate today and there's probably not much we can do at this point over there.
so I plan to be here all afternoon, judge.
>> rather than run through it now, let's go through it this afternoon.
is that okay?
>> I'm happy to do that.
>> should we recess for a full hour and a half?
until -- what's that?
2:00?
>> 2:30.
>> move we recess until 2:30.
>> second.
>> all in favor?
that carries unanimously.
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