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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 05/17/2011 - FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 063, 2011, MAKING C DATE: May 17, 2011 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY STAFF: Steve Roy _ T COLLINS CITY COUNCIL Wanda Krajieck First Reading of Ordinance No. 063, 2011, Making Certain Amendments to Chapter 7,Article III, Division 3 of the City Code Governing Council Election Districts. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY At the April 5,2011 City election, voters approved a Charter amendment which changed the method for adjusting City Council district boundaries so that the size and configuration of Council districts is based on the number of people residing in each district(population), rather than the number of registered electors. The Charter,as amended, calls for the Council to establish by ordinance the process for adjusting district boundaires and giving notice of any proposed boundary changes and the manner of protesting such proposed changes. This Ordinance amends existing provisions in the City Code to establish the process of adjusting district boundaries based on population. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION In September of 2010, the City Clerk's office began the process of adjusting the City Council districts in compliance with the City Charter, Article II, Section 1 (d). The Charter required the City Clerk to determine whether the number of registered electors in the district containing the lowest number of registered electors is less than eighty-five percent (85%) of the number of registered electors in the district containing the highest number. If so, the City Clerk would recommend district boundary adjustments to the Council. During the redistricting process, questions were raised by citizens and Councilmembers about the formula for redistricting and, in particular, using the number of registered electors in the redistricting formula instead of total population and whether using total population data would provide a more accurate basis for the formula. Discussions ensued aboutwhether it would be administratively feasible to change Council districts on the basis of total population rather than the number of registered electors. The City Clerk's office determined that it would be administratively feasible to do so due to advances in technology that allow for total population to be calculated more efficiently and accurately. Council placed a proposed Charter amendment on the April 5 ballot, which was approved by the voters. As such, amendments to the City Code are needed to reflect changes to the process in accordance with the change in methodology. This Ordinance establishes the periods of time within which the City Clerk is to review district boundaries and recommend any changes in the boundaries to the City Council. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. ORDINANCE NO . 063 , 2011 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS MAKING CERTAIN AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 7 , ARTICLE III, DIVISION 3 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS GOVERNING COUNCIL ELECTION DISTRICTS WHEREAS , the Council submitted to the registered electors of the City an amendment to Article 11, Section 1 of the City Charter concerning Council district boundaries pursuant to Ordinance No . 011 , 2011 (the "Charter Amendment") ; and WHEREAS , the registered electors of the City approved the Charter Amendment during the April 5 , 2011 regular municipal election; and WHEREAS , Article II, Section 1 (c) of the City Code now calls for the City Council to establish by ordinance the process for adjusting district boundaries and giving notice of any proposed boundary changes and the manner of protesting such proposed changes . NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that Section 7-87 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins is hereby amended to read as follows : Sec. 7-87. Redistricting ; notice. (a) The City Council shall, by ordinance, amend the boundaries of the foregoing districts as necessary to comply with the provisions of Article 11, Section l (c) of the Charter. The City Clerk shall cause to be published twice, in a local newspaper of general circulation in the City, notice of the date, time and place of the City Council's consideration of any such redistricting ordinance. The first such notice shall be published no less than fourteen ( 14) days prior to the date of first hearing of the redistricting ordinance, and the second notice shall be published no less than ten ( 10) days prior to the date of the first reading of the same. (b) Not less than one ( 1 ) year after the official decennial publication of the United States Census concerning the population of the City of Fort Collins, the City Clerk shall recommend to the City Council any district boundary changes necessary to ensure that, to the extent reasonably possible, there is no more than a ten ( 10) percent deviation between the most populous and the least populous District. (c) Not less than once every five (5) years after making the determination required under Subsection (b) above, the City Clerk shall again review the district boundaries to determine whether the maximum deviation between the most populous and the least populous district meets the standard described in subsection (b) above. If the standard in subsection (b) above is not met, the City Clerk shall recommend to the City Council any district boundary changes necessary to ensure that the districts conform to such standard. (d) Any changes to district boundaries shall be established by ordinance no less than one hundred twenty ( 120) days before a regular municipal election. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 17th day of May, A.D . 2011 , and to be presented for final passage on the 7th day of June, A.D . 2011 . Mayor ATTEST : City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 7th day of June, A.D . 2011 . Mayor ATTEST : City Clerk