[Mpls] Redistricting Commission

[Bert1956]

As the co-author of the revised redistricting Commission, let me provide some facts and opinions:          a) Yes, the final member of the group is the chair elected as an additional member by the other members.          b) I'm stunned that Andy Kozak isn't on there again. He has done the last three, I think.          c) Under the old plan (pre 1999) the Independence party wouldn't even have been represented; I think it would have been just the Democrats and Republicans. (or maybe just the Democrats and the Greens - majority and minority caucuses on the Council was the old criteria, I think)          d) The Green party wasn't entitled to the two additional party representatives (potentially) because even though a major party (due to Ralph), they did not have a Governor or Senator candidate who polled 5%. Ken Pentel was the gubernatorial candidate and he did not fare well in 1998, and I don't even know if they had a Senate candidate in 2000.          e) I, too am disappointed first that the Charter Commission did not appoint any of the 'non-aligned' folks, and second, that there is little diversity apparent on the face of the appointments. However, you can only work with the pool of people who applied! So if you are complaining, why didn't you get into the process???? Another case of "round up the usual suspects!"          f) We faced a lot of opposition from DFL Council members in doing even this much, (including Barret Lane, by the way, as I recall, so I cry no tears for his unrepresented soul). If current Charter Commissioners can go further on reforming this, great.          g) Plan on attending the Redistricting Commission meeting Wednesday, 2/20 at 7 PM Logan Park (NE) if you want to 'shadow' the Commission.  P.S. Hats off to David for his Geek site!!!!          h)  Here is the exact current Charter text for this process. Article 1, Section 3:               ....... B.     In each year ending in the number two, or whenever the number of Wards is changed, or when required by court order, Redistricting Commission shall be established to draw Ward boundaries. The Commission shall consist of members, as provided herein, who are eligible voters of the City. The Redistricting Commission shall be appointed as follows: 1.     The largest number of City Council members who consider themselves to be affiliated with the same political party shall appoint one person to the Commission. The remaining members of the City Council shall appoint one person to the Commission. 2.     The Charter Commission shall request a list of nominees from the following sources: The City Chair, or if there is no City Chair, the State Chair, of each major political party, as defined by Minnesota Statute 200.02, Subdivision 7, whose candidate for governor or for United States senator in the preceding election received five (5) percent of the total ballots cast for that office in the City of Minneapolis. Each party list shall contain at least six, but not more than ten, names of persons broadly representative of the city population. Nominees shall not currently be or within two years previous to appointment, have been, an elected official of municipal, county, state or federal government, nor an employee of a political party, nor a candidate, in a primary or general election, for a public office for which the ballot indicates a political party designation of candidates, nor an employee of city government. Each party list shall include persons from groups traditionally under represented in city government, including racial minorities. The names of the Council appointees and the lists of party nominees shall be submitted to the Charter Commission not later than February 1 in years ending in two. Requests for appointees and nominees shall be made by the Charter Commission 45 days prior to the above deadline. 3.     The Charter Commission shall accept letters of nominations from duly eligible voters of the City. The letters may be self-nomination or the nomination of another, all of whom must be eligible voters of the City. Notice of the request for letters of nomination shall be a public notice made by the Commission 45 days prior to February 1 in years ending in two. Within 15 days after receiving the lists of party nominees and self nominees, the Charter Commission shall select by a majority vote of all of its members, two members from each majorparty to serve on the Redistricting Commission, at least one of which must be from the lists submitted by the parties. Remaining members may be chosen from either the lists submitted by the political parties or from the list of self nominees affiliated with that party. The Charter Commission at its discretion may also select by majority vote up to two other members from a list of names limited to those submitted only by: a) political parties who do not qualify as major parties; or b) self nominees who are not affiliated with any political party. No political party shall constitute a majority of the Redistricting Commission. The members selected by the Charter Commission, and the Council appointees shall then, within ten days, meet at a time and place selected by the Charter Commission and elect by a majority vote one more person to serve on the Redistricting Commission who shall serve as its chair. If a chair is not selected within fifteen (15) days after the time set for the initial meeting, each contending faction shall name the person of their choice for chair and the selection shall be made by lot. If a member shall cease to serve, the vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as that member's original appointment. Each person selected as a member of the Commission shall take an Oath of Office before acting as a member. The written Oath shall be filed with the City Clerk. Members of the Commission shall receive per diem on the same basis as members of the City Planning Commission. The City Council, upon request of the Redistricting Commission, shall promptly provide funding for such staff and other assistance as the Commission deems necessary to complete its work in a timely manner. C.     At or within the times prescribed by law, the Redistricting Commission shall adopt a Ward boundary plan in accordance with the standards of paragraph A hereof. The Commission, with appropriate notice, shall hold at least two public hearings prior to adoption of the plan. At least one of the public hearings shall be for the purpose of reviewing the tentative plan. A copy of the tentative plan shall be published as a legal notice for the public at least seven (7) days prior to the public hearing on the tentative plan. Neighborhoods, as delineated by the Planning Department, shall be solicited for their input. The plan shall state the boundaries and population of each Ward and shall be deemed completed when filed with the city Clerk with the signatures of a majority of the members of the commission. The Redistricting Commission shall, at this time, be dissolved; however, if the District Court finds the plan improper and returns it, the Commission shall reconvene for the purpose of revising and readopting the redistricting plan. Whenever Wards have been so readjusted, no further Ward adjustment shall be made until the announcement of the next decennial United States Census. In the event any territory shall be annexed to the City, it shall become part of the adjoining Ward. D.     Should the Redistricting Commission fail to adopt a plan within the time prescribed, each of the contending factions on the Redistricting Commission shall submit a plan, and one plan shall be selected by lot. Determinations by lot shall be supervised by the City Clerk.       E.     (1)     The District Court shall exercise original jurisdiction in any matter relating to apportionment in the manner provided by law, and upon application by an appropriate party and after notice and hearing may compel the execution of any action required hereunder. (2)     If a redistricting plan is questioned in a proceeding before the Court, and insufficient time remains to determine the issue, the Court may either (a) postpone the effective date of the plan, or (b) if the proposed plan appears to more closely reflect the distribution of population than the existing Ward apportionment, order that the proposed apportionment be effective for the next election without prejudice to the issue with respect to subsequent elections. (3)     If a redistricting plan is questioned in a proceeding before the Court, and the Court finds the plan is improper, the Court shall return the plan to the commission for revision and readoption.        F.     The City Council shall enact the ordinances necessary to implement this section, provided that redistricting shall be governed by the law in effect on January 1 of the year in which a Redistricting Commission is established. No readjustment of Ward boundaries shall apply to any City election if the adopted plan goes into effect after the first date for filing for such elections. All Council Members, including those who take office as provided in Chapter 2, Section 16 or 16A of this Charter, may complete the term for which they are elected, or appointed notwithstanding changes in Ward boundaries. G.     This amendment shall take effect immediately upon certification of its adoption by the voters of the City of Minneapolis. H.     The method herein provided shall be the sole method for readjusting Ward boundaries, and the City Council shall have no power to readjust Ward boundaries except as in this section provided. (As amended 11-5-46; 11-5-74; 11-11-80; 83-Or-234, � 1, 9-30-83; 11-8-83; 88-Or-018, �� 1, 2, 2-12-88; 88-Or-220, � 1, 12-16-88; 91-Or-262, � 1, 12-27-91; 11-2-99)