Honorable Mayor Combs, Vice Mayor Nash, Councilmembers Mueller, Wolosin, and Taylor and Staff,
Thank-you for beginning Menlo Park’s first redistricting process. I am looking forward to GEOinovo’s presentation on current redistricting laws, options for the methods of how the redistricting process is driven, and community input on the preferred process.
The staff report recommends “proceeding with a not to exceed amount of $63,000 for demographer services and additional redistricting support.” If the residents prefer one of the 3 types of commissions and the Council selects the commission process, will $63,000 be sufficient to cover costs? It would also be helpful to include a chart that compares potential cost and nuances and legal requirements for establishing the 3 types of commissions.
The final maps will be with us for the next 10 years and it is important to get them right. Although we may think there has not been a significant change in population, the apartments on Haven and Hamilton Avenues were not part of the 2010 Census which has the potential of causing boundary changes. There are a substantial number of development projects in various parts of the city, completed or somewhere in the review process that will be completed and occupied during the next 5 years. The development projects in District 1 alone, has the potential of increasing the population by 3-4,000 or more.
I continue to strongly support a resident driven process where the citizens decide on the type of redistricting commission.
Again thank-you for commitment to Menlo Park.
Respectfully,
Pam D. Jones, MP resident
The impossible dissipates when I becomes WE.
