The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 10/01/2019 - SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 113, 2019, AMENDINAgenda Item 2 Item # 2 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY October 1, 2019 City Council STAFF Rita Knoll, Chief Deputy City Clerk Carrie Daggett, City Attorney SUBJECT Second Reading of Ordinance No. 113, 2019, Amending the City of Fort Collins District-Precinct Map to Reflect Changes in County Precinct Boundaries and Waiving the Redistricting Requirement of Section 7-87(d) of the City Code. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Ordinance, unanimously adopted on First Reading on September 17, 2019, aligns City precinct boundaries with County precinct boundaries as required by Section 7-66 of the City Code. None of the divided precincts affect Council district boundaries. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on Second Reading. ATTACHMENTS 1. First Reading Agenda Item Summary, September 17, 2019 (w/o attachments) (PDF) 2. Ordinance No. 113, 2019 (PDF) Agenda Item 6 Item # 6 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY September 17, 2019 City Council STAFF Rita Knoll, Chief Deputy City Clerk Carrie M. Daggett, Legal SUBJECT First Reading of Ordinance No. 113, 2019, Amending the City of Fort Collins District-Precinct Map to Reflect Changes in County Precinct Boundaries and Waiving the Redistricting Requirement of Section 7-87(d) of the City Code. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this item is to align City precinct boundaries with County precinct boundaries as required by Section 7-66 of the City Code. None of the divided precincts affect Council district boundaries. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION On March 26, 2019, the Larimer County Board of Commissioners amended County precinct boundaries. State statute mandates the Clerk and Recorder set precinct lines to include no more than 2,000 eligible electors. Population increases in some areas in Larimer County made it necessary for precincts to be divided to comply with State statute. Four precincts that include municipal voters were divided. None of the divided precincts affect Council district boundaries. It is important for the City precinct boundaries to match the County precinct boundaries. The County does not, and will not, track municipal precinct boundaries in the voter registration system. Individual voter addresses are tied to County precinct boundaries, thereby making those boundaries the only way to acquire voter data from Larimer County and the statewide voter registration system. The splitting of precincts triggers a renumbering of City precincts. Since land has been annexed since adoption of the last District-Precinct map, those annexations will also affect the renumbering. Numbers are automatically assigned in the GIS system using a sequential numbering tool. Council District Boundaries Section 7-87(d) of the City Code, added in January 2017, requires the City Clerk to review population deviation between districts when the need to adjust precinct boundaries arises. When this provision was added, it was not expected that the County would adjust precinct boundaries so frequently (twice since January 2017). Because the Council completed a lengthy process of evaluating, amending and approving a new map to balance Council district boundaries in June 2016, and no new census data upon which to base updates to the boundaries is available, completing an additional review and amendment of district boundaries does not appear to be in the best interest of the citizens of Fort Collins. In addition, a redistricting study has been funded in 2020 to examine our current method and other options available to redistrict in a manner that better survives population growth. ATTACHMENT 1 COPY Agenda Item 6 Item # 6 Page 2 The proposed ordinance includes language that waives the application and operation of Section 7-87(d) of the City Code at this time. CITY FINANCIAL IMPACTS The additional precincts created by the division of existing precinct will have minimal financial impact. BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION The Council Election Code Committee recommends adoption of the Ordinance. Minutes reflecting the Committee’s discussion are attached. (Attachment 3) PUBLIC OUTREACH Public outreach was not conducted because the City Code requires that City precincts correspond with County precinct boundaries. ATTACHMENTS 1. District-Precinct Map showing County precinct splits (PDF) 2. Proposed District-Precinct Map (PDF) 3. Election Code Committee minutes, September 6, 2019 (draft) (PDF) COPY -1- ORDINANCE NO. 113, 2019 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS AMENDING THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS DISTRICT-PRECINCT MAP TO REFLECT CHANGES IN COUNTY PRECINCT BOUNDARIES AND WAIVING THE REDISTRICTING REQUIREMENT OF SECTION 7-87(d) OF THE CITY CODE WHEREAS, by Ordinance No. 017, 2018, Council adopted an amended District-Precinct Map (the “Map”) currently in use as provided in Section 7-68 of the City Code; and WHEREAS, the Map includes election precinct boundaries established pursuant to Section 7-66 of the City Code, which provides that, insofar as practicable, City precinct boundaries must correspond with the boundaries of the election precincts established by Larimer County (the “County”); and WHEREAS, in March 2019, the County adjusted its precinct boundaries, thereby causing inconsistencies between County precinct and City precinct boundaries; and WHEREAS, in accordance with Code Section 7-66, the Council has determined that it is in the best interest of the citizens of Fort Collins to amend the previously adopted Map to correspond City precinct boundaries with the County precinct boundaries, as shown on the Amended District-Precinct Map, dated August 20, 2019 (the “Amended Map”), which is on file in the office of the City Clerk and which is incorporated herein by this reference; and WHEREAS, because the Council completed a lengthy process of evaluating, amending and approving the Map to balance Council District boundaries in June 2016, and no new census data upon which to base updates to the Council District boundaries is available, completing an additional review and amendment of District boundaries otherwise required at this time under Section 7-87(d) would not be in the best interest of the citizens of Fort Collins; and WHEREAS, funds for a redistricting study have been budgeted in 2020; and WHEREAS, staff has recommended that the Council waive the otherwise applicable requirement in Code Section 7-87(d) that the Council review and update Council District boundaries as otherwise triggered by the precinct boundary changes; and WHEREAS, the Council desires to avoid excessive changes to the Council District boundaries in light of the foregoing. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section 1. That the City Council hereby makes and adopts the determinations and findings contained in the recitals set forth above. Section 2. That the City of Fort Collins District-Precinct Map, adopted by Ordinance No. 017, 2018, and effective February 16, 2018, is hereby amended by adjusting election precinct -2- boundaries to correspond with County precinct boundaries as shown on the Amended Map, and by renumbering precincts as may be necessary to incorporate property annexed into the City. Section 3. That the Council hereby waives the application and operation of Section 7- 87(d) of the City Code in connection with this adjustment of precinct boundaries. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 17th day of September, A.D. 2019, and to be presented for final passage on the 1st day of October, A.D. 2019. __________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________ City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading on the 1st day of October, A.D. 2019. __________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________ City Clerk