[00:00:05]
          CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 6:30 P.M. 
          [1. CALL TO ORDER]
ON THANK YOU SO MUCH. SEPTEMBER 27TH 2021. 
          CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER. WILL YOU PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. 
          MR. CROSBY. PUT YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART. 
          READY, BEGIN. 
          ROLL CALL. 
          ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCIL MEMBER LAU. 
          PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY. 
          HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER. 
          PRESENT. MAYOR PRO TEM DAVIS. 
          PRESENT. MAYOR HEPBURN. 
          PRESENT. WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING THIS EVENING MR. 
          [4. Council Election by Districts - Public Hearing - The City will host an educational presentation of the districting process as well as seek resident feedback on the communities of interest.]
RUSSI, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, MR. MAYOR. YOU DO HAVE YOUR CONSULTANTS THAT ARE HERE FROM NDC NATIONAL DEMOGRAPHICS CORPORATION THAT WILL BE DOING AN OVERVIEW FOR THE COUNCIL AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY. 
          THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS A LITTLE UNIQUE IN THE SENSE THAT IT IS NOT ABOUT TAKING AN ACTION AS MUCH AS CONVEYING INFORMATION. 
          AS COUNCIL IS AWARE, THEY INITIATED THE PROCESS TO EVALUATE DISTRICTING BY ADOPTING THE RESOLUTION OF INTENTION BACK IN JULY. 
          THIS NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS IS THAT PROCESS. 
          WHAT TODAY WILL BE ABOUT IS THE SECOND OF TWO EDUCATIONAL PUBLIC HEARINGS, I'LL CALL IT, AS WELL AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER INFORMATION FROM THE COMMUNITY ON WHAT COMMUNITY OF INTEREST SHOULD BE EVALUATED BY THE DEMOGRAPHERS. 
          WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DOUG AND TO TODD, WHO WILL GO INTO MORE DETAILS AND THEN OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS OF COUNCIL AND COMMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY. 
          GOOD EVENING, GENTLEMEN. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND AUDIENCE. 
          I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE TONIGHT. 
          AS WAS MENTIONED, I'M DOUG JOHNSON FROM NATIONAL DEMOGRAPHICS, JOINED BY TOD TATUM. 
          WE'RE WORKING THIS PROJECT TOGETHER AS WE KIND OF TEAM APPROACH ALL OUR PROJECTS. 
          SO TO MIX THINGS UP A LITTLE BIT TONIGHT, YOU GOT ME PRESENTING. 
          SO JUST BEFORE WE GET INTO THE DETAILS IN THE SLIDES, I DO WANT TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF A BIG PICTURE. FIRST OF ALL, JUST FOR THOSE. 
          AS I WAS SAYING, WE HAVE GOOD TURNOUT TONIGHT, WHICH I'M HAPPY TO SEE, AND IT'S THE CITY HAS BEEN DOING EXTENSIVE OUTREACH, BOTH IN SOCIAL MEDIA AND IN ALL THE USUAL CHANNELS. 
          SO WE'VE BEEN HAPPY TO WORK WITH THE CITY ON THAT AND HAPPY TO SEE THAT ALL HAPPENING WITH THOSE THAT HAVE CHECKED THE WEBSITE. 
          THERE ARE FAQS AND ALL KINDS OF INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THIS PROCESS TO GET INTERESTED. 
          AS WAS JUST MENTIONED BY THE CITY MANAGER. 
          AND WE ARE STARTING THIS PROCESS, NO FINAL DECISION HAS BEEN MADE, BUT THIS PROCESS STARTED AT THE REQUEST OF SOME RESIDENTS WHO RAISED THE ISSUE. 
          AND OBVIOUSLY, AS WE CAN TELL YOU, AS WE RUN ALL AROUND THIS REGION, YOUR LOCAL JURISDICTIONS ARE CERTAINLY FACING LEGAL CHALLENGES AND FINDING THEMSELVES IN LEGAL TIGHT SPOTS. AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A MAP THAT I'LL SHOW YOU LATER ON OF THE LOCAL JURISDICTIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY HAD TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS. 
          SO YOU GET A SENSE OF THIS REALLY IS, AS WE CALLED IT, IN A ROSE INSTITUTE REPORT OUT OF CLAREMONT MCKENNA, WE CALLED IT A SILENT TSUNAMI SWEEPING THROUGH THE STATE AND SWEEPING UP ALL THE CITY'S SCHOOL DISTRICTS. 
          AND NOW WE'RE EVEN WORKING WITH HOSPITAL DISTRICTS, AIRPORT DISTRICTS. 
          WE'RE ALL FACING LEGAL CHALLENGES AS WELL. 
          THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS THE CITY DOES NOT CURRENTLY FACE A LAWSUIT, SO WE WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT AND THAT THE CITY COUNCIL IS KIND OF AHEAD OF THE CURVE IN GETTING AHEAD OF THAT SITUATION, WHICH GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO GO AT YOUR OWN PACE AND TO GIVE MORE TIME FOR THE RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS AS WELL. 
          WE ARE DEALING WITH A LIBRARY DISTRICT THAT ACTUALLY GOT A LEGAL THREAT RECENTLY, AND THEY LITERALLY THE DATA CAME OUT TODAY. 
          THEY HAVE TO HAVE THEIR DRAFT MAPS, POSTED THE 29TH. 
          JUST UNDER THOSE LEGAL TIMELINES, THINGS GET VERY, VERY TIGHT. 
          SO IT'S GOOD THAT THE CITY IS AHEAD OF THIS CURVE AND MORE ABLE TO CONTROL ITS TIMELINE. 
          AND ONE QUESTION, KIND OF TO ANTICIPATE QUESTIONS THAT COME UP IN MOST OF OUR JURISDICTIONS. 
          A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY BE AWARE OF THE SANTA MONICA LEGAL BATTLE OVER THIS ISSUE, AND I MENTIONED IT IN THE PRESENTATION AS WELL. 
          IT OFTEN COMES UP, WHY DON'T WE WAIT AND SEE? AND THE REALITY IS, IS THAT THERE ISN'T TIME YOU DO HAVE MORE TIME THAN IF YOU WERE UNDER THREAT OF A LAWSUIT NOW. BUT WITH YOUR JUNE ELECTION COMING UP, THAT RULING ISN'T EXPECTED UNTIL MARCH OR APRIL AT THE EARLIEST. 
          AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET A LAWSUIT IN THESE CASES IS THEY ACTUALLY THE LAWYERS ACTUALLY TRY TO CANCEL YOUR UPCOMING ELECTION AND THIS IS HAPPENING IN A NUMBER OF 
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JURISDICTIONS, PALMDALE MOST PROMINENTLY WHERE THE JUDGE JUST CANCELS THE UPCOMING ELECTION. SO THEN YOU REALLY LOSE OUT. 
          SO IT'S MUCH BETTER TO BE AHEAD OF THAT PROCESS, AND YOU CAN ALWAYS REACT TO THE SANTA MONICA DECISION AND ANY CHANGES THAT COME UP FROM THAT LATER ON. 
          SO JUST TO REINFORCE WHAT THE CITY MANAGER SAID, THIS IS NOT A DECISION HEARING, THIS IS A PUBLIC INFORMATION AND PUBLIC FEEDBACK HEARING WHERE WE'RE HOPING TO GET LOTS OF INFORMATION ON COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST, THINGS THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED AT AS WE START TO DRAFT THE MAPS. AND IT IS, AS I SAID, HAVING BEEN EDUCATED AT CLAREMONT MCKENNA AND A LOT OF OUR TEAM IS FROM DOWN THE ROAD, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH YOU. 
          WE'VE WORKED WITH HUNDREDS OF JURISDICTIONS ACROSS THE STATE, SO IT'S GOOD TO BE IN KIND OF THE OLD NEIGHBORHOOD AND WORKING WITH YOU. 
          JUST A COUPLE OF STATS, MAKE SURE I COVER THEM ALL. 
          OH YEAH, SO AS PEOPLE MAY BE AWARE, I'LL SHOW THE MAP OF THE LOCAL IMPACT OF THIS LAW. 
          WE'RE NOW AT ABOUT TWO HUNDRED CITIES STATEWIDE. 
          WE'RE WELL OVER TWO HUNDRED SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS WELL. 
          THEY'VE BEEN FORCED TO CHANGE IN THIS AREA OF THE CALIFORNIA VOTING RIGHTS ACT. 
          AND WE DID WORK WITH ONE CITY. 
          THIS IS A FEW YEARS AGO LOOKING AT THE QUESTION OF AT-LARGE MAYOR VERSUS BY DISTRICT I'M SORRY, BY ROTATING MAYOR. 
          AND BACK THEN, AT LEAST THE NUMBERS WERE ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF CALIFORNIA CITIES HAD A ROTATING MAYOR. ABOUT ONE THIRD HAD A DIRECTLY ELECTED CITYWIDE MAYOR AND THOSE THAT FOLLOWED IT CLAREMONT ACTUALLY HAD A BIG DEBATE ABOUT THIS, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY REALLY IN-DEPTH, INTERESTING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT PROCESS BEFORE THEY DECIDED AND THEY DID END UP CHOOSING A ROTATING MAYOR OR STICKING WITH THE ORIGINATING MAYOR, WHICH THEY HAD BEFORE. SO THAT'S A BIG PICTURE OVERVIEW. 
          LET'S JUMP INTO SOME OF THE DETAILS IF I CAN GET THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          SO AS THE FOLKS WHO PAID ENOUGH ATTENTION TO THE OUTREACH TO COME HERE TONIGHT, PROBABLY ARE AWARE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE COUNCIL ELECTION SYSTEM. 
          IT CURRENTLY IS AN AT-LARGE OR CITYWIDE SYSTEM WHERE YOU VOTE FOR AS MANY SEATS AS THERE ARE OPEN THAT YEAR AND THERE ARE OTHER SYSTEMS A FEW. 
          THERE ARE VERY FEW LEFT IN THE STATE THAT ARE WHAT WE CALL FROM DISTRICT OR RESIDENCE DISTRICTS. THAT'S WHERE THE COUNCIL CANDIDATES HAVE TO LIVE IN A GIVEN DISTRICT, BUT THE ELECTION STAYS AT LARGE. 
          THERE WERE ONLY A HANDFUL OF THESE TO BEGIN WITH, AND THE CALIFORNIA VOTING RIGHTS ACT SAID THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY AT LARGE. 
          SO THEY ARE JUST AS VULNERABLE TO CHALLENGES AS A REGULAR AT LARGE SYSTEM, WHICH IS WHY THEY'RE DISAPPEARING SLOWLY. 
          WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW IS A BY DISTRICT SYSTEM WHERE CANDIDATES HAVE TO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT AND ONLY THE RESIDENTS OF THAT DISTRICT WOULD VOTE IN THOSE ELECTIONS. 
          AND THIS IS REALLY THE FOCUS OF THE CALIFORNIA VOTER RIGHTS ACT. 
          A LOT OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY ASK AT THESE MEETINGS, WHY DIDN'T THE LEGISLATURE JUST IF IT'S GOING TO MAKE IT SO ONE SIDED IN FAVOR OF DISTRICTS? WHY DON'T THEY JUST ORDER EVERYONE INTO DISTRICT ELECTIONS? AND IT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW. 
          BUT THE [INAUDIBLE] HAS BEEN DRIVING, LIKE I SAID, HUNDREDS OF JURISDICTIONS ACROSS THE STATE INTO BY DISTRICT ELECTIONS. 
          THE NEXT SLIDE? NICK, THERE WE GO. 
          SO WHAT IS THIS CALIFORNIA VOTER RIGHTS ACT? I WON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON IT, BUT I DO WANT TO INTRODUCE IT. 
          SO MOST PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH THE FEDERAL VOTING RIGHTS ACT. 
          THAT'S BEEN AROUND SINCE 1965. 
          VERY WELL ESTABLISHED, VERY CLEAR. 
          WELL, RELATIVELY CLEAR LAW IN WHAT HAPPENS AND HOW YOU HAVE TO FAIL THESE DIFFERENT TESTS IN ORDER TO BE ORDERED IN DISTRICT ELECTIONS. 
          UNDER THE FEDERAL LAW, YOU HAVE TO FAIL FOUR DIFFERENT TESTS. 
          THERE HAS TO BE A PROTECTED CLASS. 
          THE LAW DOESN'T REFER TO MINORITIES. 
          IT REFERS TO PROTECTED CLASSES. 
          SO A LATINO, ASIAN-AMERICAN, AFRICAN-AMERICAN OR NATIVE AMERICAN POPULATION THAT'S LARGE ENOUGH TO BE A MAJORITY OF A DISTRICT. 
          AND THAT'S A FEDERAL REQUIREMENT, IF THEY'RE NOT THAT MANY MEMBERS OF PROTECTED CLASS, THEN YOU HAVE NO FEDERAL ISSUE. 
          THEN THE TWO MIDDLE QUESTIONS LISTED HERE, DOES THAT PROTECTED CLASS VOTE AS A BLOCK? DO THEY TEND TO SUPPORT A CANDIDATE? AND THOSE CANDIDATES TEND TO LOSE, SO THEY GET VOTED OUT BY THE BLOCK OF THE OTHER POPULATION GROUP. 
          AND THEN THERE'S A FOURTH TEST, THE TOTALITY OF CIRCUMSTANCES, DOES THE BIG PICTURE SITUATION IN THE JURISDICTION MEAN RACE IS A FACTOR IN ELECTIONS? ARE THERE SIGNS OF IT? IT CAN BE CLEAR, AS WE HOPEFULLY ARE ALL AWARE BACK IN THE FIFTIES, YOU KNOW, SEGREGATION AND THOSE KINDS OF OUTRIGHT RACIAL PLEAS, OR MORE SUBTLE COVERT THINGS THAT HAPPENED MORE RECENTLY SOMETIMES. 
          BUT THERE HAS TO BE SOME CONNECTION BETWEEN RACE AND VOTING MADE. 
          SO THOSE ARE THE FEDERAL TESTS, THE CALIFORNIA VOTING RIGHTS ACT SAID. 
          NOW LET'S MAKE THIS MUCH EASIER. 
          SO YOU SEE THE TWO CROSSED OUT. 
          THE NUMBER ONE THE PROTECTED CLASS NO LONGER HAS TO BE LARGE ENOUGH TO BE A MAJORITY OF A DISTRICT. AND NUMBER FOUR, THERE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ANY EVIDENCE THAT RACE IS A FACTOR IN ELECTIONS. ALL THAT'S LEFT NOW IS A SIMPLE STATISTICAL CORRELATION TEST. 
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AND IF THE CORRELATION SHOWS THAT THE PROTECTED CLASS VOTERS TEND TO SUPPORT A CANDIDATE AND THOSE CANDIDATES LOSE, THEN YOU'RE LIKELY IN VIOLATION OF CALIFORNIA VOTING RIGHTS ACT. SO IT'S MADE IT MUCH, MUCH EASIER FOR THE PLAINTIFFS, EVEN IF I SHOULD EMPHASIZE WHAT'S NOT LISTED HERE. 
          THERE'S NO NEED TO SHOW PREJUDICE. 
          THERE'S NO NEED TO SHOW DISCRIMINATION. 
          IT'S SIMPLY A STATISTICAL TEST THAT YOU FAIL AND THEN YOU'RE FOUND IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW. SO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          SO NOW THAT IT'S SO EASY FOR PEOPLE TO BRING THESE CHALLENGES THAT WAS PRETTY CLEAR, AND THEN WE HAD SOME EARLY DECISIONS WITH REALLY BIG DOLLAR SIGNS. 
          PALMDALE, YOU CAN SEE FOUR POINT SEVEN MILLION MODESTO CASE THE PLAINTIFFS ATTORNEYS GOT $3 MILLION DOLLARS. 
          YOU KNOW, THESE ARE SEVEN FIGURE CASES. 
          EVEN JURISDICTIONS THAT SETTLE ON THE DAY THEY'RE CHALLENGED ARE ENDING UP WITH SIX FIGURE SETTLEMENTS. 
          SO IT'S A TON OF MONEY. 
          SO YOU HAVE BOTH A REALLY EASY LEGAL STANDARD FOR PLAINTIFFS. 
          AND IF THEY GET INTO COURT SOME VERY GENEROUS DECISIONS AND THUS WE SEE IN THE TOP LEFT, THIS QUIET TSUNAMI. 
          TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE LAST COUNT. 
          THIRTY FOUR COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICTS, THE ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FOUR CITIES IS SOMEWHAT OUT OF DATE NOW IT'S WE'RE CLOSE TO ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY CHALLENGED. 
          ONE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY ONE COUNTY LEFT, THAT WASN'T BY DISTRICT. THE OTHER FIFTY SEVEN WERE ALREADY BY DISTRICT AND SAN MATEO COUNTY WAS THE LAST HOLDOUT. AND THEN, AS I MENTIONED, ALL THESE WATER, AIRPORT, HOSPITAL, PARKS AND RECREATION DISTRICTS ARE NOW GETTING SUED. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE ALL THOSE SETTLEMENTS, AND THEN WE HAD THREE RECENT TRIALS PALMDALE LOST SANTA CLARA, LOST AND EVENTUALLY GAVE UP THEIR APPEALS. 
          SANTA MONICA, WE'RE WAITING FOR THE SUPREME COURT TO HOLD A HEARING AND THEN RULE ON THEIR CASE. BUT NOTE AT THE BOTTOM, THE PLAINTIFFS IN SANTA MONICA HAVE ASKED FOR TWENTY TWO MILLION DOLLARS IN LEGAL FEES JUST FOR THE TRIAL PHASE OF THAT TRIAL. 
          SO THAT'S WE'RE TALKING SUCH HUGE DOLLAR FIGURES IS WHY YOU SEE THE NUMBERS IN THE TOP LEFT. IT'S NOT THAT TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE VIOLATING ANYONE'S CIVIL RIGHTS OR VOTING RIGHTS, IT'S JUST THE FINANCIAL RISK AND THE ODDS BEING SO STACKED AGAINST THEM THAT ARE DRIVING THESE JURISDICTIONS THESE DECISIONS. 
          QUICK QUESTION ON THIS. 
          SURE. IN THE KEY SETTLEMENTS COLUMNS, ALL OF THOSE COMMUNITIES LOST, RIGHT, NONE OF THEM PREVAILED AND PAID OUT. 
          IN EACH OF THE SETTLEMENTS, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THEY ALL FAILED TO PREVAIL AND THEY HAD TO PAY OUT THAT MONEY. 
          YES. SO PALMDALE LOST THE OTHERS AND MODESTO LOST ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION THEY RAISED. THE OTHERS ALL SETTLED PARTWAY THROUGH THE CASE, RIGHT? BUT STILL WENT DISTRICT [INAUDIBLE]. 
          IT WASN'T AS IF THEY PAID OFF, AND THEY SAID, OK, WE CAN KEEP THINGS AS THEY ARE. 
          OH, RIGHT, RIGHT. THAT'S ALL I MEANT TO SAY. 
          NOT NOT IN THE TRADITIONAL COURT SENSE, BUT THEY ALL MIGRATED TO DISTRICTING AND STILL PAID OUT THESE MONIES. 
          EXACTLY. THANK YOU. 
          YEAH. TODAY, NO ONE HAS WON A CASE IN THE STATE AT LARGE. 
          SO, YEAH, WE GET THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THIS IS WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, OH, IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO SEE ON THE SCREEN, BUT THE CITY LOOKED AT THIS ISSUE BACK IN DECEMBER 2020 AND STARTED THINKING ABOUT THE ISSUE. 
          OBVIOUSLY, SEEING WHAT WAS HAPPENING AROUND IT AND THEN IN JULY OF 2021, APPROVED THE RESOLUTION INTENTION BEGINNING THIS PROCESS. 
          AGAIN, AS WAS MENTIONED, THE FINAL DECISION WILL COME AT THE END OF THE PROCESS. 
          NOTHING IS DECIDED YET. 
          WE'RE SIMPLY EMBARKING ON THIS PROCESS. 
          BUT YOU CAN SEE POMONA AND RIVERSIDE KIND OF LIGHT RED ONES WERE BY DISTRICT BEFORE THE CALIFORNIA VOTING RIGHTS ACT BECAME LAW IN 2002. 
          ALL OF THE CITIES SHOWN IN ORANGE HAVE GONE TO BY DISTRICT ELECTIONS SINCE PASSAGE OF THE CALIFORNIA VOTING RIGHTS ACT. 
          SO YOU CAN SEE HOW THE LAW HAS REALLY SWEPT THROUGH THIS REGION IN PARTICULAR. 
          BUT IF WE ZOOMED OUT AND SAW THE STATE, YOU WOULD SEE A SIMILAR WAVE OF COLOR OF CHANGE IMPACTING THE REGION. 
          AND IT'S JUST THAT THE CASE. 
          ALL THESE JURISDICTIONS HAVE LOOKED AT IT AND EITHER THEY GOT A LAWSUIT OR THEY COULD READ THE WRITING ON THE WALL AND SEE THAT IT WAS LIKELY TO COME AND MADE THE MOVE ON THEIR OWN. SO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          SO QUESTION JUST A QUESTION ON THAT, YOU SAID ALL THE CITY'S EITHER GOT A LAWSUIT OR THEY SAW THE WRITING ON THE WALL. IT TAKES ONE PERSON THAT RESIDENT FROM THE CITY TO CALL THIS LAW FIRM OR ANY LAW FIRM TO SUE TO GET THIS STARTED CORRECT. 
          IT'S. 
          OR IS IT. OFFICIALLY YES. 
          IT'S EVEN WORSE WHERE WE ARE SEEING LETTERS SENT BY ATTORNEYS ON BEHALF OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT CLAIM THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE A RESIDENT IN THE JURISDICTION. 
          SO YES, UP [INAUDIBLE] WITH [INAUDIBLE] DESERT, THERE WERE A WAVE OF LETTERS FROM A 
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LAWYER ON BEHALF OF FRIENDS OF THE CALIFORNIA VOTING RIGHTS ACT. 
          YOU KNOW, IT WAS PROBABLY JUST THE LAWYER'S WIFE OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, WAS THE ONLY MEMBER OF THAT ORGANIZATION. 
          SO IT HAS REACHED THAT. 
          THE CHALLENGE THAT WE SEE IS THEY DON'T HAVE TO SAY WHO THEIR PLAINTIFF. 
          THEY'RE SENDING A LETTER ON BEHALF OF IS UNTIL THEY ACTUALLY FILED A LAWSUIT. 
          SO, THEY DON'T HAVE TO ADMIT THAT AHEAD OF TIME. 
          THERE ACTUALLY WAS AN ATTEMPT THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO CHANGE THAT, TO MAKE THEM NAME WHO THE [INAUDIBLE] WILL BE. AND OF COURSE, IT DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE. 
          SO, SO YES, ALL IT TAKES IS ONE DISGRUNTLED PERSON, AND IT MAY NOT EVEN TAKE THAT IT MAY JUST TAKE A LAWYER WHO THEN GOES AND FINDS SOMEBODY. 
          SO, YEAH, SANTA BARBARA IS THE MOST INFAMOUS CASE WHERE A COUNCIL CANDIDATE LOST HE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF AN UNUSUAL CHARACTER, SO HE THEN WENT AND FOUND ACTUALLY A FORMER CITY ATTORNEY WHO WAS VERY DISGRUNTLED BECAUSE HE'D BEEN FIRED. 
          THEY GOT TOGETHER. 
          THE DISGRUNTLED CANDIDATE WAS SUCH A WILD CARD THAT THEY ACTUALLY WENT TO. 
          THE FORMER CITY ATTORNEY EVENTUALLY WENT TO THE JUDGE AND SAID, I WANT TO SETTLE WITH THE CITY, BUT MY CLIENT WON'T. 
          I FOUND ANOTHER CLIENT, CAN YOU FIRE HIM? AND THE JUDGE REMOVED THE ORIGINAL PLAINTIFF FROM THE CASE BECAUSE HE WAS JUST ON HIS OWN VENDETTA. HE WASN'T ACTUALLY THERE FOR DISTRICTS, SO IT IS A VERY, VERY LOW HURDLE FOR POTENTIAL PLAINTIFF TO GET THROUGH. 
          IF YOU FOLLOWED, WAS IT ARCADIA, YEAH, ARCADIA. 
          THEY OVERTURNED A PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BUILDING DEVELOPMENT AND THE DEVELOPER'S LAWYER ACTUALLY WAS THE ONE WHO SENT THE LETTER. 
          THEY DIDN'T EVEN FIND A PROXY, AND HE WAS THE MAIN SPEAKER AT THE EVENTS AS WELL. 
          SO THE LEGAL STANDARD IS SO LOW THAT EVEN IN THOSE EGREGIOUS CASES, THE CITY STILL WAS FORCED TO DISTRICT ELECTIONS. 
          SO ENOUGH OF THE DEPRESSING SIDE. 
          LET'S GET INTO A LITTLE BIT OF THE DETAILS AND PROCESS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS WE BEGIN THIS PROCESS OF CONSIDERATION. 
          SO ON THE SCREEN, YOU CAN SEE OUR PLANNED SCHEDULE. 
          THIS IS THE SECOND INITIAL HEARING. 
          AND UNDER THE STATUTE, WE DO HAVE TO HOLD THESE TWO HEARINGS THAT ARE INFORMATIONAL TO GATHER INITIAL PUBLIC FEEDBACK FROM THE RESIDENTS BEFORE ANY DRAFT MAPS ARE DRAWN. 
          SO THIS IS A TIME WHERE WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT TO SHARE INFORMATION WITH THE PUBLIC AND TO GET ANY GUIDANCE THE PUBLIC WANTS. 
          THE DATA. YOU SEE, THE CENSUS DATA DID COME OUT AUGUST 12TH. 
          CALIFORNIA IS DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT. 
          WE ARE MODIFYING THAT DATA TO MOVE THE STATE PRISON POPULATION BACK TO THEIR HOME ADDRESSES TO COUNT THEM AT THEIR HOME ADDRESSES SO THAT DATA CAME OUT ON THE 21ST. 
          IT ACTUALLY WE FOUND SOME MISTAKES IN IT, SO IT WAS ACTUALLY JUST RERELEASED TODAY. 
          SO THAT'S THE DATA WE'LL PROCESS AND THEN DRAW DRAFT MAPS USING THAT AND THE PUBLIC'S INPUT, THEN WE'LL BE BACK IN NOVEMBER. 
          THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL HAVE REALLY THE DRAFT MAPS FOR PEOPLE TO REACT TO AND TO OFFER THOUGHTS ON. AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE REVISIONS AND EDITS TO THOSE AND THEN THE OPTION TO CHOOSE A MAP AND TO MAKE THE FINAL DECISION WHETHER TO PROCEED IN MAKING THIS CHANGE IS THE DEADLINE FOR THAT IS DECEMBER 15TH. 
          SO THAT WILL EITHER HAPPEN IN NOVEMBER OR IN A MEETING BETWEEN NOVEMBER 15TH AND DECEMBER 15TH. SO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          SO THE RULES FOR HOW THESE LINES ARE DRAWN, AND IF YOU HEARD TOM'S PRESENTATION BEFORE THIS IS PROBABLY YOUR SECOND TIME THROUGH, BUT THAT'S WHAT THE STATUTE CALLS FOR. 
          WE WANT TO BE SURE WE GET THIS WORD OUT AS WIDE AS WE CAN. 
          SO FIRST, WE HAVE THE FEDERAL LAWS ON THE LEFT EQUAL POPULATION. 
          IT IS AN EQUAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH A VERY SMALL MARGIN OF ERROR OR DIFFERENCE IN THERE TO KEEP NEIGHBORHOODS AND OTHER THINGS TOGETHER. 
          WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE FEDERAL VOTING RIGHTS ACT IN TERMS OF NOT DIVIDING UP ANY PROTECTED CLASS CONCENTRATIONS IN THE CITY IN A WAY THAT DILUTES THEIR VOTING STRENGTH. 
          AND AT THE SAME TIME, NO RACIAL GERRYMANDERING. 
          SO RACE IS ONE CONSIDERATION AND FACTOR IN PARTICULAR WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE A HEAVILY GIVEN RACE. 
          AND SO WE DON'T DIVIDE THEM AND VIOLATE THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT, BUT RACE CANNOT BE THE PREDOMINANT FACTOR. 
          THAT'S THE KEY WORD FROM THE SUPREME COURT. 
          IT CAN BE ONE FACTOR, BUT NOT THE PREDOMINANT FACTOR. 
          AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT WHEN WE SHOW A MAP IN A MOMENT. 
          SO THOSE ARE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS. 
          NOW CALIFORNIA HAS A NEW SET OF LAWS CALLED THE FAIR MAPS ACT THAT JUST TOOK EFFECT IN 2020. SO PEOPLE HAVE FOLLOWED SURROUNDING CITIES AND WENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS BEFORE 2020. THESE RULES WEREN'T IN PLACE BACK THEN. 
          SO AND THEY'RE PRIORITIZED. 
          FIRST OF ALL, IT'S CONTIGUOUS, ALL PARTS OF A DISTRICT MUST TOUCH ALL OTHER PARTS OF A DISTRICT. 
          THEN WE WANT AS MUCH AS PRACTICABLE AVOID DIVIDING ANY NEIGHBORHOODS OR COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST. WE WANT TO TRY TO FOLLOW EASILY IDENTIFIABLE BOUNDARIES LIKE MAJOR ROADS, YOU KNOW, WATERWAYS, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT ARE EASY FOR VOTERS TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THEIR 
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LINES ARE. AND THEN THE FOURTH CALIFORNIA REQUIREMENT IS TO BE COMPACT, AND THEY DEFINE THAT AS NOT BYPASSING ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE IN ORDER TO GET TO ANOTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE. 
          AGAIN, THAT'S THE FOURTH ONE, AND THESE ARE PRIORITIZED, BUT IT IS A REQUIREMENT. 
          AND THEN THE LAW PROHIBITS CONSIDERATION OF ONE THING, AND WE CANNOT FAVOR OR DISCRIMINATE AGAINST A POLITICAL PARTY, SO WE WON'T BE USING ANY POLITICAL DATA ABOUT REGISTRATION OR PAST ELECTION RESULTS IN THIS PROCESS. 
          IT'S MORE ABOUT NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES. 
          SO CALIFORNIA LAW BEING WHAT CALIFORNIA LAWS ARE TELLS YOU, YOU HAVE TO DO THOSE FOUR. 
          YOU CAN'T CONSIDER PARTIES, BUT IT DOESN'T MENTION THESE OTHER TRADITIONAL REDISTRICTING CONSIDERATIONS. SO THESE ARE THINGS IN KIND OF A THIRD POOL. 
          ONCE YOU MET THE FEDERAL STATUTE REQUIREMENTS AND ONCE YOU MET THE STATE STATUTE REQUIREMENTS, ONLY THEN COULD YOU BRING INTO THESE THINGS THESE CONSIDERATIONS, IF YOU WISH TO, THEY'RE NOT REQUIREMENTS. 
          SO NUMBER ONE. 
          WAS MORE OF AN ISSUE WHEN WE'RE REDISTRICTING, WHERE THEY TRY TO AVOID SHIFTING VOTERS WHO ARE EXPECTING TO VOTE IN THE NEXT ELECTION TO THE FUTURE VOTE. 
          SO WHEN YOUR REDISTRICTING, IF YOU'RE IN A 2022 SEAT, YOU DON'T WANT TO BE BUMPED TO A 2024 ELECTION. IT'S NOT REALLY A FACTOR WHEN WE ARE DISTRICTING, BUT IT IS ONE OF THE TRADITIONAL FACTORS. 
          THEN THE COURTS HAVE SAID IT IS OK TO CONSIDER, AS WE PUT IT, RESPECT THE VOTERS CHOICES, WHICH MEANS ESSENTIALLY TRY TO AVOID PUTTING TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE SAME SEAT. 
          AGAIN, IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT. 
          IT'S NOT A STATUTORY RULE. 
          IT'S MORE A TRADITIONAL PRINCIPLE AND A GOAL. 
          THE IDEA OF THAT IS REALLY FOR THE VOTERS. 
          IF WE HAVE EACH COUNCIL MEMBER IN A SEPARATE SEAT, THE VOTERS GET TO DECIDE WHICH COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE EARNED REELECTION. 
          IF TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS END UP IN THE SAME SEAT WHICH OFTEN HAPPENS, THEN IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THE VOTERS THINK BOTH DESERVE REELECTION, ONLY ONE OF THEM CAN GET REELECTED. 
          IT'S WORTH NOTING NONE OF THIS HAS ANY IMPACT ON YOUR CURRENT TERMS. DISTRICTS ONLY KICK IN WHEN YOU RUN FOR REELECTION. 
          AND THEN YOU CAN UNDER POPULATE A DISTRICT BY A COUPLE OF PERCENT, IF YOU KNOW THAT DISTRICT IS GOING TO GROW FASTER THAN THE REST OF THE CITY GOING FORWARD. 
          THIS IS RARELY MUCH OF A FACTOR BECAUSE THAT UNDER POPULATION MIGHT MEAN LEAVING A MAJOR ROAD OR DIVIDING A NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          BUT IT IS SOMETHING YOU CAN CONSIDER IF YOU WISH TO. 
          SO AGAIN, WE'VE GOT FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS, STATE REQUIREMENTS AND THEN OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OR GOALS THAT YOU MAY CONSIDER BUT DON'T HAVE TO AT THE END. 
          CAN YOU GO TO NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO DON'T WORRY, I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL THIS DATA, BUT THIS IS A VERY DATA INTENSIVE PROCESS. 
          SO FOR EVERY DISTRICT IN EVERY DRAFT MAP, WE WILL PRESENT THIS DATA. 
          THE KEY NUMBERS IN THE VERY TOP LEFT, YOU GET THE CENSUS POPULATION. 
          AND AGAIN, THESE ARE THE ACTUAL 2020 FEDERAL CENSUS NUMBERS, NOT THE CALIFORNIA ADJUSTED NUMBERS. SO THE DRAFT MAPS WILL HAVE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT NUMBER THERE. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT DETERMINES HOW MANY PEOPLE THERE ARE IN EACH DISTRICT, IT'S NOT AN EQUAL NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS. 
          IT'S NOT AN EQUAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS. 
          IT'S HUMAN BEINGS COUNTED BY THE CENSUS. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT. AND THEN EQUALLY DIVIDED. 
          THEN SLIGHTLY DOWN FROM THAT YOU SEE CITIZEN VOTING AGE, POPULATION AND HISPANIC, NON-HISPANIC, WHITE, NON-HISPANIC BLACK AND ASIAN PACIFIC OR ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER. 
          THOSE ARE THE KEY NUMBERS FOR THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT. 
          SO WE'LL PAY A LOT OF ATTENTION TO THOSE WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT A MAJORITY DISTRICT. 
          THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT DETERMINE THAT. 
          AND THEN THERE'S LOTS OF OTHER DATA ON REGISTRATION AND TURNOUT BY ETHNIC SURNAME. 
          NO, NOT BY PARTY, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT DOING POLITICAL DATA. 
          IT'S JUST BY ETHNIC SURNAME. 
          AND THEN ON THE RIGHT IS A LOT OF DATA FOR POSSIBLE COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST. 
          IF SOMEBODY FEELS THAT THEIR COMMUNITY OF INTEREST IS RENTERS, THEY WILL SEE IN EACH MAP THE PERCENTAGE OF EACH DISTRICT THAT IS RENTERS. 
          THEY'LL BE ABLE TO SEE, OH, THIS MAP HAS THREE DISTRICTS THAT ARE MAJORITY RENTERS. 
          THIS ONE ONLY HAS TWO FOR EXAMPLE. 
          THERE'S ALSO LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME INCOME LEVELS AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER DATA. 
          AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT REQUIREMENTS TO LOOK AT. 
          THEY ARE DATA THAT CAN BE USED TO EVALUATE WHICH MAPS BOTH BEST REFLECT A CERTAIN COMMUNITY OF INTEREST. 
          THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          SORRY, GOT TO TURN THE MIKE ON. 
          YOU SAID THAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SECOND GROUP, THE CITIZEN VOTING AGE POPULATION. 
          NO, WAIT. THE VOTER REGISTRATION ONE IS YOU SAID THERE WERE TWO. 
          THE FEDERAL ONE IS THE CENSUS AT THE TOP? AND THEN IS IT THE VOTER REGISTRATION THAT YOU SAID WAS THE THING WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT FROM THE CALIFORNIA PERSPECTIVE, OR. 
          IT'S PRIMARILY THE CITIZEN VOTING AGE POPULATION LINE? OH, OK, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. AND WE DO BACK IT UP WITH DATA FROM VOTER REGISTRATION AND VOTER TURNOUT LEVELS, BUT IT'S MAINLY THE CITIZEN VOTING AGE. 
          THE REASON FOR THAT IS THE COURT'S VIEW OF THAT IS THE ELIGIBLE VOTER NUMBERS. 
          GOTCHA. THANK YOU. 
          SO AND HERE I MENTIONED WE CAN SHOW SOME OF THE STUFF ON MAPS THAT THE LATINO CITIZEN VOTING AGE POPULATION OR CVAP NUMBER, YOU GET ONE NUMBER FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE, BUT 
          [00:25:03]
THEN WE WANT TO LOOK FOR THOSE CONCENTRATIONS. 
          REMEMBER, I TALKED ABOUT THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT. 
          THE FEDERAL VOTING RIGHTS ACT SAYS IF THERE IS A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S HEAVILY ONE PROTECTED CLASS, WE DON'T WANT TO DIVIDE IT UP. 
          YEAH. SO YOU CAN SEE ALONG ARROW HIGHWAY. 
          OH, SO IN THIS MAP, IT'S CALLED A HEAT MAP. 
          THE PURPLES AND BLUES ARE THE LOWEST PERCENTAGES. 
          THEY'RE BELOW 50 PERCENT. 
          THE GREENS ARE SLIGHTLY ABOVE 50 PERCENT. 
          AND THEN THE YELLOWS AND REDS ARE A BIT SIXTY FIVE OR MORE PERCENT LATINO. 
          AND YOU CAN REALLY SEE A LONG ARROW HIGHWAY. 
          THERE'S DEFINITELY A HEAVY CONCENTRATION OF LATINO POPULATION, SO YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO DIVIDE THAT AREA IN A WAY THAT DILUTES THEIR VOTING STRENGTH. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. ASIAN AMERICANS WHO DON'T HAVE ANYTHING COMPARABLE, THAT'S MAJORITY THAT GROUP, THESE ARE ALL ALL THE AREAS ARE BLUE OR PURPLE. 
          BUT THERE IS A LARGER CONCENTRATION UP IN THE NORTHEAST OF ASIAN-AMERICANS. 
          SO WE WOULDN'T WE WOULD TRY TO NOT DIVIDE THAT THAT AREA UP AS WELL. 
          WE ALSO DID LOOK AT AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND NATIVE AMERICANS, AND THERE WAS NO SIMILAR CONCENTRATION ANYWHERE IN THE CITY. 
          SO THOSE ARE THE TWO AREAS THAT ARE KIND OF VOTING RIGHTS, FEDERAL VOTING RIGHTS ACT SENSITIVE AREAS. SO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          AND THEN ALL THOSE OTHER SOCIOECONOMICS WE CAN MAP, SO JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, THIS ONE, WE ARE LOOKING AT INCOME LEVELS. 
          I BELIEVE I CAN'T READ IT FROM YOU, BUT YES, THIS IS INCOME LEVELS. 
          SO AGAIN, IT'S THE THE GREENS ARE LOWER HOUSEHOLD INCOMES. 
          A LOWER PERCENTAGE OF HOUSEHOLDS MAKE SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND OR MORE PER YEAR. 
          THE GREENS, YELLOWS AND REDS ARE HIGHER PERCENTAGES OF THE HOUSEHOLDS IN THOSE CENSUS TRACTS OR IN THIS CASE, BLOCK GROUPS MAKE SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR AS HOUSEHOLD INCOME. SO YOU CAN SEE THERE'S DEFINITELY A DIVIDE COMING IN ABOUT THE FREEWAY, WHERE IT'S HIGHER ABOVE AND LOWER BELOW. 
          SO IN ALL THOSE OTHER DATA, SO IF RESIDENTS ARE INTERESTED IN RENTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WE CAN MAP ALL THOSE THINGS FOR THEM. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO TURNING TO THE QUESTION OF THE COMMUNITY INPUT THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR AND HOPING FOR IN THIS PROCESS. 
          FIRST OF ALL, WE WANT TO DEFINE NEIGHBORHOODS. 
          WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT DO PEOPLE CONSIDER THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD? YOU KNOW, THE CITY MAY HAVE DEFINITIONS OR MAYBE DIFFERENT IDEAS. 
          BUT ULTIMATELY, THE DEFINITION OF NEIGHBORHOOD IS WHATEVER BOUNDARIES THAT PEOPLE IN THAT AREA CONSIDER THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          AND WE DO NEED GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES, BECAUSE THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO DRAW A MAP. 
          SO IN ORDER TO INCORPORATE A NEIGHBORHOOD INTO A MAP, WE NEED TO KNOW ITS BOUNDARIES. 
          BUT WHATEVER PEOPLE DEFINE CAN BE, WHATEVER WORKS FOR THEM COULD BE THE FREEWAY AND A MAJOR ROAD COULD BE, YOU KNOW, A CANAL WATERWAY, ANYTHING THAT MAKES SENSE OR AROUND A SCHOOL OR AROUND A PARK, WHATEVER PEOPLE IDENTIFY AS THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THAT. AND IF WE DON'T GET A LOT OF INPUT, THEN WE CAN TURN TO CITY DOCUMENTS, YOU KNOW, MASTER PLAN MAPS, THAT KIND OF STUFF TO DEFINE THEM. 
          AND THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, A LITTLE BIT BIGGER PICTURE IS COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST. 
          THIS IS A BIT OF A VAGUER TERM. 
          YOU KNOW, EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD IS, BUT WHAT'S YOUR COMMUNITY OF INTEREST? THEY'RE REALLY SIMILAR, BUT IT'S A GEOGRAPHIC AREA AGAIN, THAT HAS SOME SHARED ISSUE OR CHARACTERISTIC. 
          SO IT COULD BE SPANISH SPEAKERS. 
          IT COULD BE PEOPLE WHO HAVE A SPECIFIC CONCERN. 
          I KNOW IN GOLETA IT'S COME UP THAT PEOPLE UNDER THE RUNWAY THAT DEAL WITH AIRPORT NOISE, WELL, THEY HAVE A SHARED ISSUE THEIR COMMUNITY OF INTEREST BECAUSE THE CITY HAS THE TINY LITTLE SHRED OF INFLUENCE OVER THAT ISSUE. 
          NOT MUCH WITH THE FAA, BUT BUT IT CAN BE ANY ISSUE THAT TIES THEM TOGETHER. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS WHAT'S THAT COMMUNITY STORY? IF PEOPLE HAVE A STORY ABOUT WHAT TIES THEM TOGETHER, THEN THEY PROBABLY COUNT AS A COMMUNITY INTEREST. BUT THE LAW HAS ONE MORE TWIST, WHICH IS TO BE A COMMUNITY OF INTEREST, YOU NEED TO CONSIDER YOURSELVES BETTER OFF IF YOU'RE ENTIRELY IN ONE DISTRICT. 
          THERE ARE SITUATIONS WHERE WHAT WE NORMALLY THINK OF AS A COMMUNITY WANTS TO BE DIVIDED. 
          USUALLY IT'S ACTIVE SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITIES. 
          YEAH, IN CLAREMONT, IT WAS A PILGRIM'S PLACE, THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, WE TURN OUT AT NINETY NINE PERCENT FOR ODD YEAR APRIL ELECTIONS. 
          DON'T WASTE ALL OUR VOTES IN ONE DISTRICT, WE WANT TO BE IN TWO. 
          WE GET THAT A LOT IN THOSE KINDS OF DEVELOPMENTS. 
          IT ALSO COMES UP A LOT IN SCHOOLS WHERE THEY DON'T WANT THE TRUSTEES ELECTED ATTENDANCE ZONE BY ATTENDING ZONE BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO SET UP THAT BALKANIZATION WHERE I REPRESENT THIS SCHOOL AND YOU REPRESENT THAT SCHOOL. 
          SO EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD OR EVERY COMMUNITY HAS ITS OWN STORIES. 
          SO WHEN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT ARE WE A COMMUNITY OF INTEREST, IT'S WHAT'S YOUR GEOGRAPHIC AREA? WHAT TIES YOUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER? AND DO YOU WANT TO BE AN ALL IN ONE SEAT OR HAVE MULTIPLE SEATS? I WAS TRYING TO REMIND FOLKS, YOU MIND THIS ISN'T THE COUNTY SUPERVISORS. 
          THE ONLY THINGS THE DISTRICT IS THE COUNTY, AND EACH COUNTY SUPERVISOR REALLY CONTROLS EVERYTHING IN THEIR DISTRICT. 
          THIS IS STILL GOING TO BE THE CITY. 
          THINGS WILL STILL TAKE THREE VOTES AT THE COUNCIL. 
          [00:30:03]
NO COUNCIL MEMBER WILL HAVE THAT KIND OF CONTROL OVER THEIR DISTRICT THAT A SUPERVISOR HAS. SO THAT'S PART OF THE REASON SOMETIMES PEOPLE THINK MAYBE WE'RE BETTER OFF IN TWO SEATS SO THAT THEN WE HAVE TWO COUNCIL MEMBER YOU HAVE TO CAMPAIGN AND KNOCK ON DOORS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AS OPPOSED TO JUST ONE, AND THEN IT MAKES IT EASIER TO GET THE THREE. 
          SO THINGS TO THINK ABOUT. 
          THERE'S NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWER ON THIS. 
          IT VARIES FROM NEIGHBORHOOD TO NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          IT CERTAINLY VARIES WITHIN A GIVEN CITY AS WELL. 
          SO IN ORDER TO SHARE THESE THINGS WITH US, WE ALL HAVE BOTH THE HEARING TONIGHT AND THEN ON THE NEXT SLIDE. WE HAVE OUR MAPPING TOOLS, TODD WENT INTO CONSIDERABLE DETAIL IN THESE LAST TIME, I WON'T REPEAT ALL OF THAT, BUT IT REALLY IS THESE ARE EMPOWERMENT TOOLS THAT PEOPLE SHOULD NOT FEEL THEY HAVE TO USE THEM. 
          YOU KNOW, A SPOKEN MESSAGE HERE OR A WRITTEN LETTER IS JUST AS GOOD AS EVER. 
          BUT THESE ARE THINGS THAT CAN ADD TO THAT IF FOLKS WANT TO JUMP INTO IT. 
          SO THERE ARE PAPER TOOLS, JUST DRAW YOUR MAP ON AND ADD UP THE NUMBERS THAT WE'LL PUT ON THOSE PAPER TOOLS AND SUBMIT YOUR MATH AND WE'D LOVE TO GET THOSE. 
          THERE'S AN EXCEL FILE THAT PEOPLE CAN ENTER THE DISTRICT THAT THEY WANT TO ASSIGN EACH OF OUR LITTLE GEOGRAPHIC UNITS TO AND EXCEL WILL DO THE MATH. 
          I ALWAYS SAY, DON'T TRY TO USE LEARN EXCEL FOR THIS, BUT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE COMFORTABLE WITH EXCEL. 
          AND THEN, OF COURSE, THERE'S AN INTERACTIVE REVIEW MAP WHERE PEOPLE CAN FOR FREE. 
          IT'S LITERALLY AS EASY TO USE AS GOOGLE MAPS AND YOU JUST WHEN THE DRAFT MAPS GO UP THERE, YOU CHECK WHICH MAPS YOU WANT. 
          YOU CAN ACTUALLY OVERLAY THEM TO COMPARE THEM EASILY TO. 
          IT'S A REALLY EASY USE TOOL, BUT IT DOESN'T DRAW ANYTHING, SO IT'S SUPER SIMPLE, BUT IT'S HOW YOU REVIEW MAPS. 
          YOU DON'T DRAW THEM THAT. AND FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO DRAW MAPS, WE ALSO HAVE A DISTRICT ARE OR DISTRICT OR WHICH IS LITERALLY A PAINTBRUSH. 
          IT GIVES YOU A MAP OF THE CITY AND A PAINTBRUSH TOOL AND AN ERASER TOOL, AND YOU CAN PUT ALL THAT SOCIOECONOMIC DATA ON THAT MAP TO SEE. 
          SO IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT SPANISH LANGUAGE AREAS, PUT IT ON THERE AND USE YOUR PAINT BRUSH AND COLOR IN THE DISTRICT YOU WANT AND THEN CHANGE COLORS TO DRAW ON THE OTHERS. 
          REALLY EASY TO USE TO DRAW BOTH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD OR A WHOLE DISTRICT MAP. 
          VERY PEOPLE ON. SO AGAIN, THESE ARE EMPOWERMENT TOOLS. 
          PEOPLE SHOULDN'T FEEL INTIMIDATED INTO USING THEM. 
          THEY ARE SIMPLY TO HELP PEOPLE THAT WANT TO TAKE THAT NEXT LEAP BEYOND JUST SPEAKING PODIUM OR WRITING A LETTER. 
          SO NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO THE GOAL TONIGHT IS I MENTIONED A COUPLE OF TIMES NOW IS TO GET COMMUNITY IMPACT INPUT ON WHAT ARE YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND WHAT ARE YOUR COMMUNITIES. 
          AND OBVIOUSLY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ANYONE HAS ABOUT ANY OF THIS PROCESS AS WELL. 
          SO AGAIN, TODD AND I ARE GOING TO BE TAG TEAMING THROUGH THIS OR DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE PROCESS. YOU'LL SEE DIFFERENT ONES OF US, BUT WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU AND FROM HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY. 
          THANK YOU, DOUG, APPRECIATE IT. 
          DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR DOUG BEFORE WE OPEN UP THE PUBLIC COMMENT? COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER I'D LIKE TO ASK A COUPLE OF THINGS BECAUSE I THINK SOME PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE MIGHT HAVE THE SAME, GOING THROUGH THIS WITH YOU, I WROTE DOWN SOME NOTES AND ONE OF THEM IS TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENT LAWSUITS TAKING PLACE WITH CITIES. 
          IS IT CORRECT? AND MAYBE OUR CITY ATTORNEY COULD ANSWER THIS, THAT IF WE DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL WE GOT SERVED WOULD THE MONEY TO DEFEND OURSELVES COME FROM OUR CITIZENS POT OR CITY OR WOULD INSURANCE COVER THAT OR JPIA, INSURANCE FOR THE CITY, COVER THAT? TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THE JPIA MEMORANDUM OF COVERAGE, WHICH IS IN ESSENCE THE INSURANCE POLICY IS NOT COVER SITUATIONS LIKE THIS. 
          OK, SO IT WOULD ALL BE THAT THE CITIZENS GENERAL FUND. 
          YES. OK, THANK YOU. 
          AND A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS. 
          I HAVE MY YELLOW TABS IN. 
          OK, THIS WAS A LITTLE CONFUSING TO ME NOW. 
          IF WE'RE GOING TO GO DISTRICTING, TWO SEATS WILL OPEN UP IN JUNE. 
          SO WE WILL DO DISTRICTING FOR THEM. 
          WE WILL HAVE THE DISTRICT MAP. 
          WHAT HAPPENS TO THE OTHER THREE? ARE THEY IN REPRESENTING JUST THEIR DISTRICT THEY'RE IN? OR WILL THEY BE IN THE WHOLE CITY AS FAR AS REPRESENTATION FOR THE CITY? IT'S A GREAT QUESTION. YOU'RE YOU'RE GUESSING CORRECTLY. 
          SO THE TWO SEATS THEY COME UP IN JUNE WILL BE FILLED BY DISTRICT ELECTIONS. 
          THE OTHER THREE OR I GUESS, THE MAYOR AND THE OTHER TWO, OR HOWEVER IT WORKS OUT, WOULD STILL BE AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          SO FOR TWO YEARS, YOU HAVE A TRANSITION WHERE YOU HAVE THREE AT-LARGE MEMBERS AND TWO BY DISTRICT MEMBERS. AND SO WE HAVE ONE OF THOSE THREE WHOSE TERMS THEN IN 2024 WERE TO RESIGN OR WHATEVER MOVE OUT OF TOWN, THEN THAT WOULD STILL BE AN AT-LARGE VACANCY. 
          SO THE THREE DISTRICTS THAT DON'T ELECT IN TWENTY TWENTY TWO ACTUALLY ARE REPRESENTED BY THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS, STILL THE AT LARGE MEMBERS UNTIL WE FINISH THAT TRANSITION IN 2024. OK, SO ONE OTHER QUESTION I HAD THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT. 
          [00:35:01]
WHAT HAPPENS IF FOR A DISTRICT, IF THE TWO THAT ARE GOING TO BE ELECTED IN JUNE 2022, THEY'LL BE REPRESENTING A DISTRICT, LET'S SAY THEY'RE NOT RESPONSIVE TO THE RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA. ARE THEY ALLOWED THEN TO GO OVER THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS HEAD TO TALK TO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT ISSUES OR DO THEY ONLY COMMUNICATE WITH THAT ONE COUNCIL MEMBER? IT'S COMPLETELY UP TO THE COUNCIL, HOW THEY'RE  GOING TO OPERATE? SO ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS WE WHEN WE FIRST STARTED WORKING WITH LOTS OF JURISDICTIONS BACK IN 2006, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A THOUGHT THAT DYNAMICS IN COUNCILS WOULD CHANGE INSTANTLY. PEOPLE WOULD START TO BE BY DISTRICT. 
          IT HASN'T WORKED OUT THAT WAY BECAUSE WHAT WE REALLY FOUND OUT IS THAT AT-LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVE FOR YEARS TAKEN PHONE CALLS FROM EVERYONE IN THE CITY ARE NOT GOING TO SUDDENLY STOP TAKING PHONE CALLS FROM PEOPLE THEY TALK TO YOU FOR YEARS. WHEN WE REALLY START TO SEE KIND OF THE CULTURE OF THE COUNCIL CHANGE IS WHEN THE WHOLE COUNCIL IS ALL BY DISTRICT PEOPLE. 
          SO WHEN PEOPLE WHO PREVIOUSLY RAN AT LARGE NO LONGER RUN AGAIN OR GET REPLACED. 
          SO THERE'S NO LAW ABOUT WHO TAKES CALLS FROM WHO. 
          IT'S COMPLETELY KIND OF COUNCIL TRADITION AND COUNCIL CULTURE. 
          SO ESPECIALLY IN A SMALLER TOWN, WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL STAY INTERESTED AND YOU'RE STILL GOING TO VOTE ON THINGS THAT IMPACT EVERYBODY. 
          SO HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW YOUR FUTURE COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE CALLS AND TALK TO EVERYBODY. OK, MY LAST QUESTION, TIM, IS YOU MADE ME WORRY AND WONDER ABOUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE PILGRIM PLACE SPLIT BECAUSE THEY VOTE SO HEAVILY. 
          I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PROTECTED AS FAR AS OUR HOA'S THAT THEY WILL NOT BE SPLIT BECAUSE THEY HAVE ONE COMMON INTEREST FOR WHEREVER THEY LIVE. 
          THEY SHOULD NOT BE SPLIT UP. 
          SO WE'LL HAVE A SAY IN THAT CORRECT, AND WHEN WE DO THE MAP THING? WELL, AND THE THING TO EMPHASIZE IS THAT IT WAS THEIR REQUEST. 
          THEY CAME IN AND SAID THEY HAD A LIST, A LETTER, I THINK IT HAD 100 SIGNATURES ON IT, SAYING WE ARE NOT A COMMUNITY OF INTEREST BECAUSE WE DON'T THINK WE BENEFIT FROM BEING KEPT IN ONE DISTRICT. SO YES, THE LAW IS VERY CLEAR. 
          IF THE RECORD IS THAT THERE ARE COMMUNITY OF INTEREST OR NEIGHBORHOOD, THEN THEY HAVE THAT PRIORITY TO KEEP THEM INTACT IN ONE SEAT. 
          OK. SOME OF THEM, YOU KNOW, THE REALITY IS THE POPULATION BALANCING THE FEDERAL LAW TRUMPS IT. SO A NEIGHBORHOOD OR TWO MAY HAVE TO BE DIVIDED FOR POPULATION BALANCING. 
          BUT WE HAVE TO AS MUCH AS PRACTICABLE AS POSSIBLE AS THE LAW. 
          WE DO HAVE TO KEEP IT EVERY IDENTIFIED AREA TOGETHER. 
          AND YES, IF IT WASN'T CLEAR WHEN I SAID IT, MY  APOLOGY, PILGRIM PLACE WAS DIVIDED AT THEIR REQUEST. THEY VERY SPECIFICALLY SAID, WE ARE NOT A COMMUNITY INTEREST, WE WANT TO BE DOING IT. AND THAT'S IT. 
          I HAD ONE QUESTION FROM RESIDENT AS WELL SAID, WHY DON'T WE PUT THIS TO A VOTE FIRST AND THEN SAID, BUT IT WOULDN'T MATTER IF THIS WENT TO A VOTE, AND LET'S SAY THE VOTE WAS TO KEEP IT AT LARGE. 
          IF WE GOT SUED, WE STILL WOULD HAVE TO GO AND CHANGE BACK CORRECT TO DISTRICT? CORRECT, AND EVEN WORSE, I'VE SEEN JURISDICTIONS THAT HAD FAIRLY STRONG ARGUMENTS THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE POLARIZED VOTING, AND THEY PUT IT TO A VOTE IN PART BECAUSE UNTIL 2016 CITIES HAD TO PUT IT TO A VOTE, YOU COULDN'T SWITCH BY ORDINANCE. 
          AND EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE A HISTORY OF DIVISION, THAT VOTE WAS DIVIDED, IN PART BECAUSE SOMETIMES OUTSIDE ACTIVISTS CAME IN AND MADE IT DIVIDED. 
          IN ORANGE COUNTY, WE HAD A COMMUNITY WHERE THE LATINO CANDIDATE LITERALLY ONLY CAMPAIGNED IN TWO PRECINCTS TO MAKE SURE THAT ELECTION WAS POLARIZED. 
          SO WHEN YOU DO HAVE THAT ELECTION, IT'S ALMOST ALWAYS POLARIZED, AND YES, IT DOES NO GOOD. THE LAW ACTUALLY IS INTENDED TO PROTECT A GROUP THAT'S LESS THAN A MAJORITY. 
          IT'S ALMOST BY DEFINITION THEY WOULD LOSE THAT VOTE EVERY TIME, AND IT JUST GETS YOU SUED IMMEDIATELY, USUALLY BEFORE THE ELECTIONS EVEN CERTIFIED. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER LAU. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE HAD OUR DECEMBER DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS. 
          BUT IN STARTING THIS, LET ME SEE HOW YOU PHRASED IT THE RESOLUTION. 
          THANK YOU, THE RESOLUTION OF INTENTION. 
          SO IN DOING THAT, WE ARE PREVENTING A LAWSUIT FROM THE NOTICE FROM EVEN BEING FILED AT THIS POINT AGAINST US BECAUSE WE ARE IN A PROCESS. 
          IF WE DECIDE AT THE END OF THE PROCESS FOR WHATEVER REASON, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, THEN WE SORT OF I GUESS CAN POTENTIALLY REOPEN THE DOOR. 
          SO IF FOR SOME REASON WE SAID WE'RE NOT GOING TO DISTRICT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO DOWN THAT PATH, THEN WE REOPEN THE DOOR FOR A PLAINTIFF OR, AS YOU INDICATED, AN ATTORNEY WHO CAN THEN FILE A SUIT AGAINST THE CITY FOR NOT BEING IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CVRA. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? YES. 
          OK, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. 
          I HAD A QUESTION THEN I LOST IT, SO I'LL HAVE TO RE-FIND IT AGAIN, PARDON ME. 
          I'VE HAD A LOT OF COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS I DID REVIEW THE LAST MEETING THAT YOU GUYS HAD, 
          [00:40:05]
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF QUESTIONS, A LOT OF CONCERNS. 
          THE BIG THING WAS SO QUICKLY, WE'RE COMING UP NOW. 
          YOU JUST SAID THAT THE CENSUS REPORT IS OUT, IS THAT CORRECT? SO WE WILL HAVE THAT FOR THE OCTOBER MEETING, IS THAT CORRECT? YES. OK, THAT WAS A BIG CONCERN BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH WE'RE STILL MOVING UP ON THIS, YOU KNOW, OUR RESIDENTS NEED TO DIGEST THIS AND TO SEE IF THIS IS REALLY WHAT THEY WANT TO DO AS A WHOLE. OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE THE BODY, BUT THE POINT IS THAT THE RESIDENTS NEED TO HAVE A SAY ON THIS, WHETHER WE GO TO A FIVE DISTRICT ROTATION MAYOR OR REDO A AS LAST TIME AS A FOUR DISTRICT WITH AN ELECTED MAYOR, WHICH HOLDS WATER IN THE COURT. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? YES. 
          OK. AND THEN YOU'RE SAYING ALSO THAT TWO THIRDS OF THE ROTATION MAYOR AND ONE THIRD IS ACTUALLY AT-LARGE MAYOR ON THE 170 OR SO CITY CITIES THAT ARE DOING THIS. 
          WELL, THAT WAS I THINK THAT'S A OF ALL THE CITIES STATEWIDE, IT'S NOT JUST THE VARIOUS CITIES, BUT YES, WHEN THAT STUDY WAS DONE, I THINK IN 2016, THAT WAS WHERE THE NUMBERS WERE AT THAT POINT YEAH. 
          AND THEN JUST TO CLARIFY THE THE AT THE TIME OF THE LAST HEARING, THE STATE DATA WAS NOT OUT YET, AND THE STATE HAD SAID IT WOULD COME OUT AT A CERTAIN DATE. 
          BUT OF COURSE, THE STATE WAS LATE SO... 
          THEY'RE ALWAYS LATE... 
          NOW IT'S ACTUALLY OUT SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE...YEAH, THAT WAS MY BIGGEST CONCERN BECAUSE I MEAN, LET'S FACE IT, WE I'M RUNNING FOR REELECTION. 
          I KNOW THAT ROBIN CARDER AND MAYOR PRO TEM MUIR DAVIS ARE UP ALSO. 
          HOW DOES THAT WORK? BECAUSE CAMPAIGNS ARE THREE MONTHS. 
          RIGHT. AND SO WE'RE ALL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DOES THIS WORK FOR US AND HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW, AND OBVIOUSLY THE BIGGEST THING IS A REPRESENTATION FROM OUR COMMUNITY. 
          YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE DONE THIS FOR A LONG TIME, NOT SAYING THAT DISTRICT VOTING IS NOT THE RIGHT THING TO DO. BUT IF WE DECIDE THAT DOWN THE ROAD, IF WE GET CLOSER TO THIS AND THE RESIDENTS HAVE SPOKEN AND WE WANT TO DO IT ON A BALLOT AS LONG AS WE'RE IN THE MOTION OF A REDISTRICT AND DRAWING THAT IS THAT AFFECT US, IF ANYTHING WAS TO COME IN, THEY COULDN'T SUE US OR ANYTHING BECAUSE OF THE FACT IF WE WENT INTO A VOTE IN JUNE AND THEN WE WOULD DO DISTRICT VOTING THE FOLLOWING, CAN'T DO THAT? IT'S NOT A PROTECTION. THEY WOULD THEY ACTUALLY COME IN AND THEY DON'T ALWAYS WIN ON THIS CLAIM, BUT THEY WOULD ASK TO CANCEL YOUR JUNE ELECTION. 
          OK, JUST LIKE YOU STATED BEFORE. 
          OK. IT'S IF YOU HAVE THE CHANCE THE PALMDALE APPEALS COURT RULING IS HAS THE GREATEST FOOTNOTE. IT SAID, YOU KNOW, SUPPOSEDLY THE AT-LARGE ELECTION IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL, WHICH IS WHY YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO CANCEL IT. 
          WHY THE JUDGE ORDERED TO CANCEL. 
          OF COURSE YOU'RE LEAVING IN PLACE THE COUNCIL THAT WAS ELECTED AT LARGE. 
          SO THE FOOTNOTE IS WE AGREE THAT THE JUDGE HAS THIS POWER. 
          WE DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHY HE WOULD USE IT, BUT FOR SOME REASON THEY DO REPEATEDLY. 
          SO YES, THAT'S AND I THINK TO YOUR POINT, MAYOR, IS THAT IF IT WAS, MY QUESTION WAS IF IT WAS PUT TO A VOTE AND THE VOTERS SAID, NO, WE WON'T KEEP IT LARGE, THAT WOULDN'T. 
          AND WE GOT A LAWSUIT THAT WOULD NOT STAY AT LARGE. 
          WE WOULD HAVE... WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO DISTRICT VOTING YES. 
          AND YOU REMINDED ME OF MY QUESTION, WHICH WAS THAT GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF DISTRICTING AND PROACTIVELY VERSUS RESPONDING TO A LAWSUIT GIVES US THE MOST TIME TO MAKE THESE DETERMINATIONS AND THESE DECISIONS AND GATHER THIS INPUT AS FAR AS WHAT IS MY NEIGHBORHOOD. AND ALL OF THAT VERSUS IF IT WAS IMPOSED ON US IN A LAWSUIT, WE'D HAVE TO WORK MUCH FASTER, IS WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY EARLIER, IS THAT CORRECT? IF YOU WERE TRYING TO BEAT THE NINETY DAY CLOCK BECAUSE YOU GOT A DEMAND LETTER, YES, YOU HAVE TO GO MUCH FASTER. 
          YOU SAID A 90 DAY CLOCK. 
          YEAH. SO WE'D HAVE TO DO IF WE GOT A DEMAND LETTER, WE'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS IN THREE MONTHS. 
          YES. OK. THERE IS A PROVISION FOR EXTENDING THAT, BUT WE HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF JURISDICTIONS THAT THE PLAINTIFFS HAS DENIED THAT EXEMPTION, EVEN THOUGH. 
          NO REASON TO DENY IT. SO, YES, YOU HAVE TO IT 90 DAYS. 
          AND AND IF YOU DIDN'T IF YOU ACTUALLY HAD A LAWSUIT, IF YOU DIDN'T RESPOND IN TIME, THEN THE PLAINTIFFS SIDE WOULD BE PART OF THIS AND THE JUDGE WOULD BE INVOLVED IN CHOOSING THE MAP AND OH WOW. 
          OK, SO IT ONLY GETS UGLIER, IS WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING. 
          EXACTLY. OK, THANK YOU. 
          YEAH, PALMDALE ULTIMATELY HAD THE COUNCIL CHOSE THE MAP IT WANTED. 
          THE PLAINTIFF CHOSE THE MAP IT WANTED. 
          THEY WENT TO THE JUDGE AND THE JUDGE CHOSE THE PLAINTIFFS MAP. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER LAU, YEAH, SO THEN MY QUESTION IS, IF YOU WERE MENTIONING THE EXTENSION, THAT ISN'T ALWAYS GRANTED BY THE PLAINTIFF THAT JUST ALL THAT DOES, THOUGH, IS INCREASE THE FEES THAT THEY'RE ALLOWED TO RECOVER, ISN'T THAT RIGHT, OR IS THAT NOT? IT'S  OFTEN PART OF THEIR DISCRETION IN GRANTING THE EXTENSION IS GIVE ME MORE MONEY KIND OF THING. SO IT BECOMES PART OF THE NUMBER THAT TURNS INTO A SETTLEMENT IF WE DON'T GO TO TRIAL. SO. 
          IT CAN, DEPENDING ON WHO THE PLAINTIFF IS. 
          SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR, SO THREE OF THESE ACTUALLY WENT TO TRIAL, PALMDALE, SANTA CLARA AND SANTA MONICA, CORRECT. 
          AND THE REST OF THESE ARE JUST SETTLEMENTS OUT OF HAND WITHOUT EVEN HEADING TO TRIAL. 
          [00:45:04]
YEAH, MODESTO WENT TO TRIAL ON THE WHETHER THE LAW WAS CONSTITUTIONAL. 
          OK. BUT THEY DIDN'T FIGHT WHETHER THEY WERE IN VIOLATION OF LAW, SO THEY WERE ALSO A COURT CASE, JUST A DIFFERENT TYPE OF CASE. 
          SO THE REASON I ASKED THAT IS BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS AND AT SETTLEMENT AT ONE POINT THREE MILLION, HAD IT GONE TO TRIAL, IT WOULD EASILY HIT  HAVE MUCH LARGER THAN THAT, SIMILAR TO THE ONES THAT ALSO WENT TO TRAIL, OK. 
          YEAH, AS A RULE OF THUMB, WE HAVE NOT SEEN SO EVEN ON JURISDICTIONS THAT KIND OF WAIT, WELL, MAYBE THE LETTER IS A BLUFF. 
          LET'S SEE IF THEY ACTUALLY SUE US. 
          AND SO THE DAY THAT THE THAT THE LAWSUIT IS SERVED ON THEM, THEY SETTLE. 
          I'VE NEVER SEEN A SETTLEMENT IN THAT CASE OF LESS THAN TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, EVEN WHEN THEY SETTLE ON THE KEY ON THE DAY THE LAWSUIT IS SERVED. 
          SO YOU'RE STARTING AT TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND AND GOING OUT, YOU'LL SEE IN THERE THE ONE SETTLEMENT, THAT'S FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. 
          THAT WAS MALDEF AND THE ACLU AND THE HISTORICAL VOTING RIGHTS GROUPS UM CHARGE MUCH LESS THAN THE PRIVATE ATTORNEYS WHO ARE BLANKETING THE PLACE, AND SO THAT WAS, I THINK MALDEF SENDING A SIGN TO THE JUDGES OF SOME OF THESE AWARDS MIGHT BE A LITTLE CRAZY. 
          BUT THAT WAS EIGHT YEARS AGO, AND IT HASN'T SLOWED DOWN THE SETTLEMENTS AT ALL UNFORTUNATELY. 
          THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS FROM RESIDENTS THAT BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF OUR CITY BEING 30 TO THREE OR FOUR THOUSAND, JUST PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF SMALLER CITIES THAT ARE DISTRICT VOTING ALSO RIGHT NOW. 
          CAN YOU PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE WITH OUR SIZE OF OUR CITY AND WITH THE MAKEUP THAT WE ARE, WE'RE VERY A DIFFERENT CITY. 
          WE HAVE A VERY, A MAKEUP THAT'S JUST DIFFERENT. 
          YEAH, YEAH, THERE IS A LAW THAT SAYS YOU CAN'T HAVE DISTRICTS IF YOU'RE SMALLER THAN A CERTAIN SIZE. THE PROBLEM IS THE SIZE IS ONE HUNDRED REGISTERED VOTERS, SO IT DOESN'T DEPEND ON ANYONE. SOME PEOPLE MAY KNOW BRADBURY DOWN THE STREET. 
          THEY'VE ACTUALLY HAD DISTRICT ELECTIONS SINCE THEY INCORPORATED IN THE NINETEEN THIRTIES. 
          AND THEN WE HAVE WORKED, WE WORKED WITH BIG BEAR YOU KNOW THEY'RE FIFTY FIVE HUNDRED PEOPLE OR SOMETHING. RIGHT NOW, WE'RE DRAWING DISTRICTS FOR [INAUDIBLE] ARROYO GRANDE. 
          YOU KNOW A LAWYER JUST WENT RIGHT UP THE 101 AND PCH AND JUST HIT EVERYBODY. 
          SO YES, THERE'S A YOU'RE TOO SMALL, BUT IT'S AT A HUNDRED REGISTERED VOTERS. 
          AND POLICY WISE, YES, THERE COULD BE A QUESTION, BUT THERE'S NO LEGAL DEFENSE. 
          I THINK THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS JUST THE RESIDENTS INPUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH THIS, HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, TO MAKE SURE THEY FEEL REPRESENTED, WE FEEL REPRESENTED AS ELECTED OR EVEN NOT ELECTED BACK INTO THE RESIDENT POOL LIKE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. 
          SO I THINK THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, THE SENSITIVITY WITH OUR RESIDENTS TO GIVE THEM THE TIME LIKE WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW. 
          SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS COUNCIL, MR. RUSSI, IF I MIGHT JUST SUGGEST AS WE MOVE INTO THE COMMENT PERIOD, I THINK WE HAVE, WE'LL TAKE A LIST OF THE QUESTIONS RATHER THAN HAVE QUESTIONS AND THEN COMMENTS, AND THEN SOME WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER TONIGHT. 
          SOME WE MAY HAVE TO TAKE BACK AND WE CAN GET RESPONSES BACK TO THEM. 
          VERY GOOD, VERY GOOD. 
          WE'RE GOING TO START WITH PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          WE'RE GOING TO OPEN A CLOSED, I'M OPEN TO PUBLIC COMMENT NOW FOR OUR COUNCIL CHAMBERS. 
          I DO HAVE SOME PEOPLE ON HERE. 
          I JUST WANTED SOME GROUND RULES, PLEASE, IF YOU COULD KEEP YOUR MASKS ON WHEN YOU'RE SPEAKING. ALSO, KEEP IT CIVIL, IF WE COULD, PLEASE. 
          WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. 
          WE'RE ALL RESIDENTS HERE. THIS ALL AFFECTS HOW WE VOTE AND OUR HOW WE ARE ELECTED. 
          SO IF WE COULD DO THAT, PLEASE, AND WE ARE GOING TO KEEP TO THE THREE MINUTE TIME FRAME UNLESS THERE'S SOME, UNLESS YOU'VE GOT A, YOU KNOW, REALLY SOMETHING'S GOING ON, YOU NEED A LITTLE EXTRA TIME. PLEASE ASK ME, I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE EXTRA TIME. BUT IF WE COULD TRY TO KEEP BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE, WE HAVE PEOPLE ON THE PHONE LINE TO THEN VIRTUAL THAT NEED TO DO THIS. 
          SO THE FIRST PERSON TO COME UP IS DENITA BEAUCAMP. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          I KNOW THERE ARE TWO COUNCIL PEOPLE HERE THAT ARE MAIN PROPONENTS OF THIS DISTRICTING. 
          BUT I MEAN, AT LEAST THEY'VE MADE IT OPENLY IN FAVOR OF IT. 
          THEY'RE CONSTANTLY ENGAGING THEMSELVES IN ACTIVITIES AND MEMBERS OF GROUPS THAT ARE ON BOARD, SUCH AS USING THE WORDS INCLUSIVE AND DIVERSE, WHICH THEY CONTINUALLY GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO MENTION EVERY TIME THEY HAVE THE CHANCE. 
          YET THEY SEE TO FAIL THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH DISTRICTING IS THIS IS A 100 PERCENT COMPLETE CONTRADICTION TO WHAT THEY CLAIM TO BELIEVE AND PARTICIPATE IN. 
          DISTRICTING WILL CERTAINLY SEGREGATE PEOPLE BY AREA. 
          YOU WOULD HAVE PEOPLE OF SPECIFIC SOCIOECONOMIC AND EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND ENVIRONMENTS IN EACH OF THESE DISTRICTS. 
          YOU WOULD HAVE ELDERLY RESIDENTS WHO ARE IN RESTRICTIVE BUDGETS, WHO RESIDE IN ONE OF THE 
          [00:50:02]
MANY MOBILE HOME COMPLEXES THAT ARE IN LA VERNE ALONG FOOTHILL OR ARROW HIGHWAY. 
          NOW COMPARE THOSE TO LIVING IN THE MARSHALL CANYON AREA NORTH OF GOLDEN HILLS ROAD, RESIDING IN MULTIMILLION DOLLAR HOMES, DRIVING PORSHE SUVS THAT COST MORE THAN A MOBILE HOME COST ON ARROW HIGHWAY. 
          THE INTEREST AND CONCERNS OF THESE RESIDENTS WOULD BE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT BASED ON THEIR EDUCATION LEVELS, DISPOSABLE INCOME ASSETS AND THEIR SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS. 
          HOW WOULD THEY BE AFFECTED ACCORDINGLY? DEPENDING ON THE TOPIC OF THE AGENDA ITEM FOR FUTURE CITY COUNCIL ADDRESSING. 
          THE THOUGHT OF STRIPPING AWAY THE RESIDENTS GOT GIVEN FREEDOMS TO VOTE FOR A MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS SHOULD BE A CRIME. 
          ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS SHOULD HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE CITY AND TO THE RESIDENTS FOR THEIR DECISIONS AND BE LIABLE FOR THAT. 
          SHOULD THE RESIDENTS FIND CAUSE, THEY SHOULD ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE. 
          NOT HAVING THE OPTION TO VOTE FOR A MAYOR REMOVES THAT LIABILITY AND GOES ALONG WITH SUCH POSITION, PROVIDING THE OPPORTUNITY TO EACH OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TAKE TURNS BEING MAYOR IS DOWNPLAYING THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS FUNDAMENTAL CRUCIAL POSITION OF OUR CITY GOVERNMENT. THIS ISN'T LIKE LITTLE LEAGUE, WHERE EVERYONE GETS A PARTICIPATION MEDAL AND EVERYBODY GETS A TURN. 
          THESE ARE POSITIONS IN OUR CITY GOVERNMENT WHERE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE AFFECT PEOPLE'S LIVES AND BUSINESSES. 
          HAVE WE NOT LEARNED ANYTHING FROM THE AUDIT TAKING PLACE IN ARIZONA? WE MUST HAVE FAIR ELECTIONS THAT REPRESENT EVERYONE IN THIS CITY. 
          HE MENTIONED MORE THAN ONCE THAT HE WAS DISCUSSING RENTERS, THAT'S LIKE GOING BACK TO EARLY CONSTITUTIONAL DAYS WHEN ONLY LANDOWNERS COULD VOTE. 
          WE ARE GOING BACKWARDS, NOT FORWARD WITH REPRESENTING PEOPLE OF THIS CITY. 
          THERE'S NOTHING FAIR ABOUT THE FACT THAT ONE SPECIFIC DISTRICT WOULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY A PARTICULAR PROJECT OR AGENDA ITEM AND THEIR REPRESENTATIVE WOULD VOTE AGAINST IT. YET THE REMAINING THREE WOULD HAVE NO RECOURSE BECAUSE THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET VOTED OUT BY THOSE PEOPLE. 
          BREAKING CITIES UP INTO DISTRICTS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE POINT OF NO RETURN. 
          THIS IS LIKE CITIES LIKE BALTIMORE, CHICAGO, LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK HAVE BEEN PERMANENTLY RUINED. MS. BEAUCAMP, IF YOU COULD FINISH UP.  ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS, THESE CITIES HAVE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE, AND HERE WE ARE, LA VERNE WITH THIRTY FOUR THOUSAND. 
          WE ARE NOT A MAJOR METROPOLIS CITY. 
          WE SHOULD NOT BE RUNNING OUR CITY AS SUCH BY SEPARATING THEM BY DISTRICTS. 
          FINAL, I KNOW THAT THERE IS FINANCIAL BACKING FROM ASSEMBLYMAN CHRIS HOLDEN'S, RIGHT HAND MAN, DEPUTY DISTRICT DIRECTOR OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY MATT LYONS, AS WELL AS OTHERS THAT ARE FUNNELING MONEY THROUGH THESE FOUNDATIONS DIRECTLY CORRELATED WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE AND THE CHURCH OF BRETHREN. 
          AND THEY ARE REALLY PUSHING THIS PROJECT TO MOVE FORWARD, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE ATTORNEYS THAT ARE REPRESENTING THESE LAWSUITS TO FORCE THIS TO HAPPEN. 
          FOR THE RECORD, THIS IS ALONE THE LARGEST CLUSTER FLUB OF A PUBLIC HEARING AN ITEM HAS EVER BEEN ON THIS AGENDA FOR THIS CITY. 
          IF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE RESIDENTS, THEIR FAMILIES AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE, BUT ONLY ABOUT THE CITY'S FINANCIAL BOTTOM LINE, THEY'RE PUTTING PROFITS BEFORE PEOPLE, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU MS BEAUCAMP. ERIC SIMONSON. 
          HIS WIFE. GOOD EVENING, ERIC SIMPSON ON GOLDEN HILLS ROAD. 
          BEEN A RESIDENT OF LA VERNE NOW FOR WELL OVER FOUR DECADES. 
          I RAISED MY CHILDREN HERE. 
          THEY'VE ALL MOVED OUT OF TOWN. 
          THEY ALL MOVED BACK INTO LA VERNE. 
          THEY'RE RAISING THEIR CHILDREN, MY GRANDCHILDREN ATTENDING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HERE. 
          AND THERE'S ONE REASON THIS IS A COHESIVE COMMUNITY. 
          I MOVED HERE BECAUSE OF THAT. 
          MY CHILDREN MOVED BACK BECAUSE OF THAT. 
          I HAVE TO AGREE WITH DANITA. 
          THE MOVE TO DISTRICT IS DIVISIVE. 
          I SEE THE STATISTICS ON THE BOARD HERE. 
          I SAW EXAMPLES OF SETTLEMENTS. 
          INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, WHAT I SAW WAS APPROXIMATELY 400 DISTRICTS, MUNICIPALITIES THAT WERE LOOKING TO GET INTO THIS DISTRICTING, AND 13 SETTLEMENTS. 
          I THINK THAT EQUATES TO ABOUT FOUR PERCENT. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS A SKEW THAT WAS ACCIDENTAL, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE. 
          BOTTOM LINE IS, EVEN IF THE DISTRICT, I DON'T KNOW TORT LAW IN EXISTENCE THAT WOULD PREVENT FRIVOLOUS SUITS, WE COULD STILL GET SUED FOR DISCRIMINATION. 
          AS A VOTER, I EXPECT I BELIEVE, TRULY THAT ALL OF YOU ON THE COUNCIL REPRESENT ME. 
          YOU DO. I WANT YOU HERE. 
          YOU MAY HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS, BUT YOU WERE PUT HERE BY MY VOTE AND MY COMMUNITY MEMBERS VOTED. WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME IS NOW I GET TO VOTE FOR ONLY ONE OF YOU. 
          [00:55:03]
EFFECTIVELY, THAT PUTS ME AS SECOND CHOICE TO THE OTHER FOUR. 
          I'M NOT HAPPY WITH THAT. I DON'T THINK THAT'S FAIR. 
          WE ARE A COHESIVE COMMUNITY. 
          LAST ELECTION, I THINK WE HAD LESS THAN THIRTY FIVE HUNDRED VOTES OUT. 
          WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME IS IF MY DISTRICT DOES NOT HAVE SOMEONE TO RUN AS A CANDIDATE, I'M OUT OF A VOTE. I CANNOT VOTE, I GET APPOINTED A REPRESENTATIVE. 
          I HAVE FRIENDS, GOOD FRIENDS, I HAVE VOTED FOR PEOPLE THROUGHOUT LA VERNE IN MY TIME HERE AND I'M BEING PREVENTED TO DO THAT. 
          I VOTE FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE SHOWN COMMUNITY SUPPORT, HAVE SHOWN DEDICATION, NOT WHO, WHO ARE REPRESENTING PEOPLE, BUT REPRESENTING OUR TOWN AND SHOWN IT IN THEIR HISTORIC REPRESENTATION AND THEIR HISTORIC PARTICIPATION. 
          I'LL BE PROHIBITED FROM DOING THAT. 
          THAT'S NOT FAIR. LA VERNE WAS ESTABLISHED AS A COMMUNITY LAWRENCEBURG IN 1887, ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX YEARS AGO. 
          WE BECAME INCORPORATED IN 1906. 
          A HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS LATER, WE DECIDE THAT WE'RE NOT A COHESIVE COMMUNITY. 
          THAT'S REALLY SAD. I BELIEVE WE ARE. 
          I BELIEVE THIS KIND OF DISTRICTING GOES AGAINST THAT. 
          I WOULD ASK THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THAT. 
          WE'RE PREEMPTIVE. 
          WHY BE PREEMPTIVE? IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE AFRAID OF THE FUTURE, WHY NOT EMBRACE THE FUTURE . CHALLENGE THOSE WHO WOULD FIGHT OUR COHESIVENESS? THE LAST NOTE. IF THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH A ROTATING MAYOR IN ANYBODY'S MIND, THIS IS NOT THE SAME ISSUE. 
          THAT SHOULD NOT BE IN ANYBODY'S HEAD AT THIS POINT BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE SAME. 
          THIS IS ABOUT KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY COHESIVE. 
          PLEASE LOOK AT US AS CITIZENS, ALL OF US WHO ALL WANT ALL OF YOU. 
          ON THE COUNCIL, IT'S NOT ONE, IT'S ALL THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. SIMONSON. JENNIFER SIMONSON, THE PERSON THAT DID THAT TO HIM, COME ON UP . 
          SO WE HAVE A LOT OF THE EXACT SAME OPINIONS WHY WE'RE STILL MARRIED FOREVER. 
          BUT I HAD A QUESTION ON THE LAW FIRM. 
          I WANT TO KNOW, DO THEY JUST REPRESENT TRYING TO DISTRICT CITIES OR DO THEY ALSO SUE CITIES? DO THEY ALSO ARE THEY ANYBODY IN THEIR WHOLE LAW FIRM? DO THEY TAKE THE OTHER STANCE AND GO AFTER A CITY? WE'LL, WE'LL PUT THAT IN. 
          I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THEY'RE FULL ON TO THIS. 
          WE'LL GET THAT FOR YOU BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THE LAWYERS ARE DOING US IN. 
          I CAME UP HERE FIRST AFTER LISTENING TO EVERYTHING HERE AND ALL YOUR STATISTICS, AND WE'RE GOING TO GET SUED AND YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO GET SUED IF I HAVE SOMEBODY OVER AND THEY TRIP ON MY ROCK, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE WORLD OF LIVING IN CALIFORNIA. 
          BUT I STARTED. I CAME HERE FOR ITS FIRST TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT HOW COHESIVE OUR COMMUNITY IS. WE'VE BEEN IN PTA. 
          YOU KNOW, WE MOVED HERE IN SEVENTY NINE AND I WAS IN PTA FOREVER, FOREVER WITH OUR COMMUNITY. WE'VE BEEN IN SPORTS, WE'VE BEEN AROUND OUR COMMUNITY, WE'VE BEEN IN ACTION COMMITTEES. WE'VE BEEN. 
          AND I HAVE NEVER ONCE SEEN OUR COMMITTEE, OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY, NOT COHESIVE. 
          NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE, IT'S NOT WHERE YOU LIVE, IT'S WHO YOU ARE. 
          AND IF YOU WANT YOUR OPINION AND YOU WANT YOUR VOICE AND YOU GET INVOLVED, THERE IS SO MANY THINGS IN OUR CITY TO BE INVOLVED IN TO GET YOUR VOICE DONE AND TO GET YOUR COMMUNICATION AND TO MAKE THINGS BETTER. 
          THE THINK THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SINGLE PERSON VOTE FOR YOU ON CITY COUNCIL, IT'S GOING TO MAKE ALL THE WORLD OF DIFFERENCE IS WRONG. 
          IT'S WHAT YOU DO. 
          IT'S WHO YOU ARE THAT MAKES A COMMUNITY. 
          AND I WOULD I WOULD RATHER FIGHT THAN SWITCH TO DISTRICT BY DISTRICT VOTING. 
          AND I KNOW THE LAW AND THE SCARINESS OF EVERYTHING THAT THEY PRODUCE. 
          WE CAN'T LIVE WITH THAT. 
          SO I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I LOVE LA VERNE. 
          I'VE LOVED IT FOREVER. 
          WE ALL DO. AND I DON'T SEE WHY I CAN'T VOTE FOR ANYBODY I WANT TO, I ONLY CAN VOTE FOR ONE PERSON. AND I HOPE YOU CONSIDER THAT. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JENNIFER. 
          JOE GABALDON. 
          FIRST, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TONIGHT. 
          I JUST WANT TO START BY SAYING FOR FOR THE BETTER PART OF THIS MEETING THIS EVENING FOR 45 MINUTES, WE HEARD ONE SIDE OF THE STORY. 
          WE HEARD THIS SIDE OF THE STORY THAT TELLS US THAT WE HAVE TO GO TO DISTRICT VOTING WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE UP AGAINST WHAT IT IS THE COSTS WILL BE. 
          WE HAVEN'T HEARD REALLY IS WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO THIS CITY? 
          [01:00:03]
AND GENERALLY THE PEOPLE OVERALL, I BELIEVE THAT A LOT OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM ARE HERE TONIGHT, NOT BECAUSE THEY'RE RACIST OR BECAUSE THEY HAVE SOME BIAS. 
          MR. GABALDON. IT'S BECAUSE IF THE CITY. 
          THANK YOU. AND THE FACT THAT THIS CITY HAS EVOLVED. 
          I HAVEN'T LIVED HERE FOR 130 SOMETHING YEARS THAT IT'S BEEN AROUND. 
          I HAVEN'T LIVED HERE FOR 100 YEARS, RIGHT? BUT I'VE, I'M 54 YEARS OLD, I'VE LIVED HERE FOR THE BETTER PART OF MY ADULT LIFE. 
          I'M AN EDUCATED INDIVIDUAL. 
          I'M HISPANIC BY NATIONALITY. 
          AT THE END OF DAY, I DON'T GIVE A RAT'S BUT WHAT YOUR BIASES ARE. 
          BUT WHAT I DON'T LIKE IS THAT YOU'RE FORCING THIS UPON US. 
          AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE IN THIS PROFESSION, ONE BAD APPLE RUINS IT FOR THE BUNCH. 
          YOU GIVE THEM AN INCH, THEY TAKE A MILE. 
          THAT'S WHAT THIS IS. WE, AS VOTERS, HAVE LET OURSELVES DOWN BY ALLOWING THE STATE, AS YOU HAD EXPLAINED, PUT US IN THIS POSITION OF, WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW IT IS, THAT'S CALIFORNIA. EVERY SINGLE SLIDE I SAW UP THERE TOLD US ALL THE DOWNSIDES TO WHAT THIS IS. 
          YET WE'RE STILL DOING IT. 
          WE'RE ALL WALKING THROUGH THE DOOR, OPENING IT AND SAY, WELCOME IN BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT IS. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST. 
          THAT'S HOW LIFE IS IN CALIFORNIA NOW, AND WE WONDER WHY PEOPLE ARE LEAVING WHY OUR FRIENDS ARE LEAVING, WHY THEY'RE LOOKING IN OTHER STATES WHERE THE WHERE THEY'RE NOT MAKING THEM DO THINGS LIKE THIS. 
          I WANT TO BE A NEIGHBOR WITH ALL THESE PEOPLE. 
          I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO FEEL LIKE I HAVE SOME SELFISH INTERESTS, AND THEN I HAVE TO GO TO ONE OF YOU. NOT ALL FIVE OF YOU. 
          I'D RATHER BE ABLE TO WALK IN THIS ROOM AND SAY HEY, WE HAVE A PROBLEM AS A COMMUNITY. 
          BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. 
          IF YOU ARE ALL REALIST, YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. 
          THERE'S GOING TO BE FIVE PEOPLE IN TOWN AND THERE BETTER BE ONLY ONE MAYOR. 
          VOTE AT LARGE, BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU CREATE THE LEADERSHIP THAT IS REQUIRED TO CONTROL WHAT IS GOING TO COME OF IT. 
          YOU ALL LIVE TO LIVE IN DIFFERENT PLACES, AND YOU ALL MIGHT THINK THAT TODAY YOU'RE GOING TO SIT IN A DISTRICT THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT IN AS THAT REPRESENTATIVE FOREVER. YOU WILL NOT. 
          SOMEBODY WITH MORE MONEY, MORE INFLUENCE, MORE OF AN INTEREST IN TRYING TO UNDO SOMETHING THAT THIS CITY HAS DONE FOR YEARS. 
          THEY'RE GOING TO COME IN AND THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS. 
          THIRTY SECONDS ON THE CLOCK, HE GOT 45 MINUTES. 
          OK AT THE END OF THE DAY, ALL OF US WANT TO SAY SOMETHING. 
          YOU GUYS OPEN THE DOOR TO THIS COLLECTIVELY, AS ONE TEAM, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DOESN'T GO OFF THE RAILS AND THAT WE HAVE SOME SENSE OF WHAT LA VERNE HAS BEEN FOR YEARS, WHICH IS AT LEAST ONE MAYOR AND FOUR REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CITY THAT WORK TOGETHER TO COME TO SOLUTIONS, NOT TO CREATE ANIMUS, NOT TO CREATE DIVISIVENESS, NOT TO REPRESENT ONE CATEGORY OF VOTERS TO VOTE US ALL IN. 
          SO I HAVE QUESTIONS. 
          DO WE HAVE TO MOVE TO DISTRICT VOTING? IF THE ANSWER IS YES, WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR THIS REQUIREMENT? I WOULD LIKE ANSWERS TO THESE PUBLICLY. 
          OF THE CALIFORNIA VOTERS WRITING ACT AS IT WAS WRITTEN ON THE VERY FIRST SLIDE SPECIFICALLY TO ENCOURAGE BY DISTRICT ELECTIONS. 
          DOES THAT MEAN THAT THIS IS MANDATORY? AND IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN GET OUT OF IT IF WE MEET THE CRITERIA UNDER WHICH WE CAN PROVE IT AS A CITY FOR HISTORIC AS IT'S BEEN WITH OTHER HISPANIC MEMBERS ON THIS BOARD THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN RACIST OR, YOU KNOW, KEEPING PEOPLE OUT OF THE COUNCIL BECAUSE OF THEIR GENDER OR THEIR THEIR RACE. 
          AND THEN HOW DOES LA VERNE MEASURE NUMERICALLY QUANTITATIVELY AGAINST THE CRITERIA FOR PASSING THOSE TESTS AS OF TODAY, HISTORICALLY? ARE WE FAILING BECAUSE THEN WE HAVE WORK TO DO? IF WE'RE NOT FAILING, THEN WHY AREN'T WE FIGHTING BACK? AND THEN ALL THOSE CITIES THAT WERE LISTED ON THE SIDE, WHO IN THIS CITY, WHO IN THIS CHAMBER WANTS TO LIVE IN THOSE CITIES? I WANT TO LIVE IN LA VERNE. 
          I WANT LA VERNE TO BE WHO IT'S BEEN. 
          I DON'T WANT TO CHANGE IT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. GABALDON. ANYBODY ELSE IN THE CROWD WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND SPEAK? IF YOU COULD JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND YOU CAN FILL OUT A CARD AFTER JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND YOU COME UP TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE NAME AND ADDRESS. 
          YES, SURE. ANNA, PLEASE COME UP. 
          I'M SHORT, ANNA ANDERSON, I LIVE IN LA VERNE ON SALONE DRIVE. 
          OK, SO WHAT THIS DISTRICT VOTING IS IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DIVIDED INTO GROUPS AND THEN SOMEBODY'S GOING TO RUN IN OUR I'M GETTING THIS RIGHT, RIGHT? SOMEBODY'S GOING TO RUN IN OUR DISTRICT AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO VOTE. 
          MAYBE TWO PEOPLE ARE RUNNING OR MAYBE JUST ONE PEOPLE PERSON'S GOING TO RUN AND WE'RE GOING TO VOTE FOR HIM. OK, NOW LET'S LOOK AT THIS LOGICALLY. 
          IF I DON'T LIKE THE PERSON RUNNING IN MY DISTRICT OR ANYBODY ELSE DOESN'T LIKE THE PERSON RUNNING IN A DISTRICT AND THEY HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON WITH THAT PERSON, THAT PERSON MIGHT BE SOMEBODY WHO WANTS SOME STACK AND PACK HOUSING'S ALL OVER THE CITY, OK? 
          [01:05:05]
OR THEY MIGHT WANT THE CALIFORNIA DREAM OF NOT HAVING ANY MORE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE IN OUR CITY. SO WHAT THIS DOES IS IT FORCES ME AND OTHER PEOPLE TO EITHER NOT VOTE FOR THAT PERSON OR HAVING TO VOTE FOR THAT PERSON THAT WE DON'T LIKE. 
          OK, NOW THAT'S SO FAR HOW THIS IS RIGHT. 
          ALL RIGHT, SO WHAT IS THAT? WHAT EXACTLY IS THAT? THAT'S VOTER SUPPRESSION. 
          I CAN'T VOTE FOR THE PERSON IN ANOTHER DISTRICT WHO ALIGNS WITH ME BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IN MY DISTRICT. THAT IS VOTER SUPPRESSION FOR EVERYBODY HERE. 
          OK, NOW I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING ELSE. 
          SANTA MONICA DID WIN, JULY OF LAST YEAR, THEY WENT TO THE COURTS OF APPEALS AND THEY WON. 
          AND I RECOMMEND THAT ALL OF YOU LOOK AT WHAT THE COURT SAID, WHY THEY WON. 
          NOW THEY MAY BE GOING TO THE SUPREME COURT, BUT AS OF TONIGHT, THEY WON. 
          SO THAT IS NOT TRUE. 
          AND I KIND OF RESENT THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING, WELL, SANTA MONICA, YOU KNOW, THEIR CASE IS PENDING. AND NO, THEY WON JULY OF 2020, THEY WON. 
          OK, SO MY SUGGESTION IS, WHY DON'T WE HIRE AN ATTORNEY THAT KNOWS THIS EVEN IF WE HAVE TO HIRE THE SANTA MONICA ATTORNEY WHO ACTUALLY WON A CASE RIGHT NOW AND HAVE THEM EVALUATE OUR CITY? OK, LOOK AT EVERYTHING IN THE CITY BECAUSE AN ATTORNEY LIKE THAT WOULD KNOW WHAT HE'S DOING, WHO'S BEEN THROUGH THIS ALREADY, AND LET US KNOW, ARE WE IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW OR NOT? TAKE HIS ADVICE NOW IF HE SAYS, YES, WE ARE IN VIOLATION OF THIS, THIS AND THIS, OK, CAN WE WORK TOGETHER AND TRY TO FIX THIS? CAN WE GET ADVICE FROM THE ATTORNEY AND SAY THE ATTORNEY WILL SAY, YOU CAN DO THIS, THIS AND THIS, AND MAYBE YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR OUTCOME IN THE CITY. 
          OR IF HE SAYS, NO, YOU'RE NOT IN VIOLATION, THEN WE WOULD WIN IN COURT. 
          BUT UNTIL WE HIRE SOMEBODY THAT KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE DOING, OK, AND HAS BEEN THROUGH THIS BEFORE. TO LOOK AT OUR CITY AND GIVE US ADVICE BEFORE WE GO INTO A DISTRICT ELECTION, THIS IS THIS IS SUPPRESSION. 
          WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO VOTE FOR WHO WE WANT. 
          YOU KNOW THAT I LIVE UP THERE IN NORTH LA VERNE AND WE'VE GOT A GOLF COURSE OPEN. 
          OK, NOW WHAT IF SOMEBODY COMES IN A DEVELOPER AND DECIDES THAT HE'S GOING TO PICK SOMEBODY IN OUR GROUP TO TO REPRESENT AND GIVE HIM MONEY FOR ELECTION BECAUSE HE WANTS THAT PERSON IN THERE TO BUILD ON THAT GOLF COURSE? STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED IN VOTING. 
          SO NOW I HAVE TO AND NOW HE WANTS, HE'S TELLING EVERYBODY, YEAH, I WANT TO, I WANT TO BUILD SOME I CALL THEM PACK AND STACK HOUSES ALL ALONG THE GOLF COURSE. 
          AND WE DON'T WANT IT, WE DON'T WANT IT. 
          WE CAN HAVE NO RIGHT TO GO AND VOTE FOR SOMEBODY ELSE. 
          SO MOST PEOPLE JUST WON'T VOTE. 
          AND THAT AND HE'LL GET ELECTED, AND WE'LL END UP WITH STACK AND PACK HOUSING AND BE STUCK IN [INAUDIBLE] WITH TWO ROADS DOWN, AND IF THERE'S EVER A FIRE OR ANYTHING ELSE, WE'RE KNOCKING DOWN THE HILL BECAUSE OF ALL THAT, ALL THAT DEVELOPMENT UP THERE. 
          THIS IS RIDICULOUS. 
          I MEAN, YOU CAN JUSTIFY IT. 
          YOU CAN SPIN IT ALL YOUR WAY, YOU WANT, BUT THIS IS VOTER SUPPRESSION, AND I'M SURPRISED NOBODY IN CALIFORNIA HAS EVEN REALIZED THAT. 
          EVEN KOREATOWN RIGHT NOW, THEY HAVE DISTRICT VOTING AND THEY'RE TRYING TO GET OUT OF IT. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT IS NOT BEING SAID UP ON ON THIS SCREEN. ANNA IF YOU COULD FINISH UP PLEASE. 
          PARDON ME. IF YOU COULD, PLEASE FINISH UP. 
          THAT'S IT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK TONIGHT ON THIS? JOE, COME ON UP. JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS. 
          WE KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE. JOE WETIN, FOOTHILL TERRACE, I HAVE ABOUT SIX WORDS NOT ORIGINAL WITH ME. 
          UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL. 
          THANK YOU, JOE. ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK. 
          AND WE DO HAVE HANDS UP IN THE OTHER. 
          WE'RE GOOD, OK, PLEASE. 
          I WILL LET J.R. 
          WHEN YOU'RE READY. 
          [01:10:21]
 HELLO ELENA, GOOD EVENING. 
          WE CANNOT HEAR YOU. 
          JUST TO WE CAN'T HEAR YOU, SO JUST WE'RE GOING TO TRY SOMETHING REAL QUICK. 
          HELENA. 
          ELENA, WE STILL DON'T HAVE YOUR SOUND YET, IF YOU COULD JUST WAIT FOR A SECOND. 
          WE'LL BRING IN WE'RE GOING TO BRING IN ON THE DAIS JUST I'M GOING TO TURN ALL THE MIKES OFF. ARE YOU READY? HOW? WHAT THE HECK IS THE PROBLEM, THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING. 
          ALINA, WE CAN HEAR YOU NOW. 
          GO AHEAD. I CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING I COULD HEAR, BUT THANKS, ELENA. 
          WE CAN HEAR YOU. I'LL TRY A HEADSET. 
          AND KNOW, ELENA, WE CAN HEAR YOU GO AHEAD. 
          OK, NOW I CAN HEAR YOU. 
          CAN YOU HEAR ME? YOU CAN HEAR ME. 
          OK? GOOD. LET'S START AGAIN. 
          SO SORRY, EVERYBODY, OK? TECH ISSUES. I WAS SAYING HELLO, MR. MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN TO RESIDENTS. 
          I'M A VERY BUSY HR DIRECTOR AND MOM, AND I LIVE IN THE CITY OF LA VERNE. 
          I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 11 YEARS AND I FEEL STRONGLY. 
          I LIVE ON DAMION AVENUE JUST FOR YOUR RECORDS. 
          I FEEL STRONGLY THAT THIS REDISTRICTING SHOULD BE LEFT TO THE RESIDENTS TO DECIDE. 
          THIS IS A BACKDOOR MANEUVER TO DISSEMINATE THE VOTES AND WE NEED A SPECIAL ELECTION ON THIS. AND IF WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH THIS AUCTION, IT SHOULD BE LEFT UP TO VOTERS, NOT COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          I GUARANTEE YOU'RE GOING TO GET A LOT OF PUSHBACK. 
          I'LL BE ONE OF THEM THAT ARE GOING TO MAKE THIS INTO A LAWSUIT. 
          IF YOU PROCEED WITH THIS, I MEAN, REALLY, THIS COULD DO A DISSERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND THE VOTERS, THE VOTERS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR VOTING RIGHTS. 
          I MOVED TO LA VERNE TO BUY A HOUSE IN A SAFE HAVEN WITH OLD SCHOOL CONSERVATIVE VALUES, AND IT'S LIKE A CAMELOT HERE. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT I BOUGHT INTO. 
          AND MY HOPE AND GOAL IS THAT ONE DAY MY KIDS WILL ALSO BE RAISING THEIR FAMILIES HERE IN LA VERNE CLOSE TO ME. 
          BUT THIS MANEUVER PUTS OUR CAMELOT AT RISK, AND WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES STAYS COHESIVE. 
          I LOVE WHAT THE LADY PREVIOUSLY SAID. 
          TOGETHER WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL. 
          PLEASE, UNITED WE STAND. 
          PLEASE DON'T TRY AND SEPARATE US WITH THIS REDISTRICTING PLAN. 
          WE NEED TO PUSH BACK ON THIS AND STAND OUR GROUND AND KEEP LA VERNE THE CAMELOT THAT IT IS. THAT'S MY TWO CENTS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          CAN ANYBODY HEAR ME? YEAH. HELLO. 
          [01:15:02]
WE CAN HEAR YOU GREAT. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES. OK. 
          SOMEHOW, I'M GETTING FEEDBACK, BUT I'M GOING TO SPEAK, AND I AND MY NAME IS MARLENE CARNEY. I LIVE ON KENT AVENUE AND I'M A 17 YEAR, 18 YEAR RESIDENT OF LA VERNE. 
          I'M ALSO HISPANIC, AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT LA VERNE DOES NOT NEED DISTRICT ELECTIONS AT THIS TIME. THIS PROCESS IS MOVING WAY TOO FAST. 
          I DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT OR FAIR TO RESIDENTS, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU REALLY WANT TO GO THAT ROUTE. 
          IT'S IMPORTANT FOR A CITY TO ALSO HAVE A CLEAR, IDENTIFIABLE LEADER AS THEIR MAYOR, AND NOW I'M TALKING MORE ABOUT THE FOUR DISTRICTS. 
          MAYOR AT LARGE OR FIVE DISTRICTS ROTATING MAYOR, THE MAYOR IS THE PERCEIVED LEADER WHO, ALTHOUGH MAY NOT HAVE MORE POWER THAN THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, THEY ARE THE PERSON WHO REPRESENTS THE CITY AT COMMUNITY EVENTS IN TIMES OF CRISIS AT LOCAL, COUNTY, STATE AND FEDERAL EVENTS. 
          I WOULD BE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS REPRESENTING SPECIFIC DISTRICTS BECAUSE THEN WHO WOULD BE THE VOICE TO REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, NO MATTER WHAT DISTRICT ELECTED COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY SAY, HUMAN NATURE IS GOING TO DICTATE THAT THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE SOME ALIGNMENT WITH THEIR DISTRICT NEEDS AND THEIR CONSTITUENCY, AND MAY NOT NECESSARILY NECESSARILY LOOK AT THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. A MAYOR ELECTED BY THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE WILL BE PERCEIVED AND VIEWED AS THE PERSON THAT REPRESENTS THE INTERESTS OF THE TOTAL COMMUNITY, NOT JUST ONE DISTRICT. 
          A COMMUNITY NEEDS TO HAVE THAT LEADERSHIP. 
          I BELIEVE THAT A CITY WITH FIVE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS AND A ROTATING MAYOR PROVIDES AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE CITY STAFF END UP WITH MOST OF THE POWER. 
          I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR OUR CITY STAFF. 
          I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 18 YEARS AND I HAVE ALWAYS HAD A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE WITH STATHAM. 
          BUT I THINK THAT A CITY COUNCIL AND A MAYOR ELECTED BY THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE BALANCES THE POWER STRUCTURE. 
          THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO PERFECT SYSTEM, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE DISTRICT ELECTIONS, WHICH I HOPE WE DON'T HAVE TO LET THERE BE A MAYOR AND AND COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE HAS VOTED FOR. 
          I THINK IF YOU GO DISTRICT ELECTIONS, YOU'RE GOING TO CREATE A VERY DIVISIVE SITUATION IN THIS COMMUNITY AND THAT WOULD BE VERY SAD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          [INAUDIBLE] HI [INAUDIBLE] CAN YOU HEAR ME ? YES. OK, THANK YOU. 
          I TAKE NOTES. OKAY, SO THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I COMMENT ON THIS TOPIC, DISTRICT VOTING AND I HAVE VERY BIG CONCERN AFTER I DID MORE RESEARCH, ESPECIALLY I FEEL MY VOTING RIGHT WILL BE TAKEN AWAY. 
          BUT SINCE THE LA VERNE IS A VERY SMALL CITY, ACTUALLY, I LIVE HERE, I LIVE HERE MORE THAN 15 YEARS. I MOVE FROM A BIG CITY FROM CHINA, A BIG CITY. 
          WHEN I COME HERE, I REALLY LIKE THIS SMALL TOWN. 
          AND THEN I MOVED HERE BECAUSE HE HAS THE LA VERNE, BUT BUT NOT A CORNER. 
          THE SMALL, SMALL BLOCK OF MY HOUSE. 
          SO THAT'S WHY I OPT TO DO MORE RESEARCH. 
          AND THEN, OK, SO IT'S NOT EASY TO PARTICIPATE. 
          SO I FEEL SOMETHING WRONG ABOUT THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN I LEARN ABOUT IN THE FUTURE. 
          FIVE PERCENT, VERY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF VOTE IN THEIR DISTRICT, SO I WILL HAVE TO VOTE FOR SOMEBODY I DON'T LIKE. 
          I MEAN, NOT IN FAVOR TO SEND MY VOLUME TO CITY COUNCIL IN MY AREA. 
          AND THEN ALSO, I PUT IT FOR SOMEBODY NORTH OF 210 OR WEST OF DAVIS BECAUSE I LIVE SOUTH OF LA VERNE. 
          SO THAT MEANS THAT THE PEOPLE I KNOW WE GET ALONG LIKE IN 15 YEARS, WE ARE NO LONGER IN THE SAME COMMUNITY AND ALSO SO ALL THE COUNCIL WILL PRESENT THEIR CERTAIN GROUP, THEIR CERTAIN AREA, NOT ME AND ONE OF THEM COULD BECOME OUR MAYOR BECAUSE OF THE ROTATING 
          [01:20:06]
MAYOR. SO I'M JUST THINKING MAYOR SHOULD BE THE LEADERSHIP VOTE BY LARGE, BY MOST CITIZENS, BUT NOT FEELS. 
          FEEL VOTERS STILL VOTE FOR ONE CITY COUNCIL IN THE FUTURE, IF IT COULD BE VERY FEW, MAYBE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE VOTE FOR THE CANDIDATE, BECOME CITY COUNCIL AND THEN HE OR SHE WILL BECOME THE MAYOR TO PRESENT US. 
          I THINK THAT IT WILL BE TERRIBLE. 
          SO I LISTEN TO AS MANY TIMES TALK ABOUT, OH, WE WILL GET SILLY IF WE DON'T FOLLOW THIS, THE VOTING ACT. 
          BUT THIS? GUESS WHO'S GOING TO SELL? SO IF I AM A CITIZEN, I FEEL MY VOTE RIGHT, GET TAKEN AWAY. 
          COULD I STILL? SO IT'S MY RIGHT TOO, SO THIS IS SOMETHING WRONG IT'S REALLY WRONG? AND THEN I SAW THIS HEARING ON NEXTDOOR AND FACEBOOK AND THEN LOTS OF PEOPLE IN LA VERNE, THEY ARE ALL RESIDENTS. THEY ARE NOT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. 
          THEY DON'T EVEN VISIT THE WEBSITE. 
          HOW TO KNOW HOW DID THEY KNOW THIS BIG CHANGE IS GOING TO HAPPEN? AFTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS, SOMETHING I WILL LA VERNE IS EXCELLENT CITY, SMALL CITY BECAUSE OUR CULTURE IS VERY GOOD NEIGHBOR, CITY AND UNITED TOGETHER. 
          BUT THIS DISTRICT GOLDEN IS DEFINITELY WILL SEPARATE US, DIVIDES US. 
          I AM TOTALLY 100 PERCENT AGAINST THAT. 
          IF WE HAVE TO FORCE TO DO THAT IS ENCOURAGED TO STOP MANDATE. 
          OK? I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S A DONE DEAL. 
          IF IT MAKES A HEARING, THAT MEANS OUR VOICE MATTER. 
          I HOPE YOU GUYS WILL LISTEN TO US A LITTLE BIT. 
          I DIDN'T HEAR ANYBODY SAY YES, EVERYBODY HAD NO, I ASKED ABOUT THAT. 
          NO WAY RIDICULOUS. 
          WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN? SO PLEASE LISTEN TO CITIZENS VOICE. 
          I DEFINITELY THINK I WAS BETTER LAST YEAR IN ONE HOUR. 
          SO MANY PEOPLE CALL IN AND THEN TALK ABOUT US. 
          THAT'S THE FIRST TIME WITH A LITTLE MORE DETAIL. 
          SO IT'S PRETTY RIDICULOUS. 
          SO I'M 100 PERCENT AGAINST THAT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
           CAN YOU HEAR ME. YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU MA'AM. 
          LET ME KNOW WHEN IT'S OKAY TO GO. 
          YOU'RE GOOD TO GO NOW. 
          HI, PAM BARRY, I'M JUST BASICALLY I WANT TO SAY ONE THING ABOUT LA VERNE IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN A VERY COHESIVE TOWN, A SMALL TOWN, AND I JUST DO NOT WANT TO SEE US BROKEN INTO PIECES. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF ANTAGONISTIC DISTRICTS. 
          I DON'T WANT ALL OF THE I DO NOT WANT A ROTATING MAYOR. 
          WE NEED TO HAVE, AS MARLENE SAID, I THINK VERY MUCH IS GREAT POINT THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A. AND SOMEBODY WHO IS THERE FOR THAT, THE CITY AT LARGE, WE NEED ALL OF YOU REALLY, WE NEED ALL OF YOU. WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE JUST ONE PERSON REPRESENTING US. 
          WE NEED ALL OF YOU. 
          I WOULD SAY, PLEASE FIGHT IT. 
          AND I HAD A GREAT POINT OF OF HIRING AN ATTORNEY WHO KNOWS THIS. 
          AND IF WE COULD ALSO, YOU KNOW, PUT IT TO THE CITIZENS FOR A VOTE, I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. 
          BUT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING. 
          I JUST LOOKED AT THAT PRESENTATION AND IT WAS, I THINK IT JUST SEEMED LIKE IT WAS JUST DESIGNED TO PUSH US DOWN A DOWN A PATH WITHOUT REALLY EVEN GIVING US ANY OTHER OPTIONS. 
          AND I'M NOT OKAY WITH THAT. 
          SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU'RE GOOD. 
          OK, GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. 
          CYNTHIA GABALDON, I COME FROM A FAMILY WHO'S ACTUALLY FROM BACK EAST. 
          [01:25:05]
I HAVE ACTUALLY LIVED HERE FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS NOW, BUT MY FAMILY'S FROM BACK EAST AND IT WAS ALREADY POINTED OUT BALTIMORE, CHICAGO. 
          MOST OF THE BIG CITIES RUN THROUGH DISTRICTS, AND I CAN TELL YOU FROM VERY PERSONAL FAMILY EXPERIENCE THAT DISTRICTS IS NOT THE END ALL BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT AT LEAST IN A LOT OF THE BIGGER CITIES, ESPECIALLY IT TURNS INTO, THEY ACTUALLY CALL THEM ELDERS AND IN QUITE A FEW OF THOSE AREAS. 
          AND WHAT THESE ELDERS END UP HAVING IS THE ULTIMATE POWER IN THEIR AREA, AND IT ENDS UP BEING HANDED DOWN THROUGH THE FAMILIES. 
          AND IT'S IT'S BASICALLY CORRUPT MOB BOSSES, BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY THE ELDERS ARE THE DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS. 
          AND I MEAN, I'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK ON A LOT OF PLACES AND I SAID, AND MY FAMILY'S ALL FROM BACK EAST. 
          AND AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS RAMPING DOWN CALIFORNIA RIGHT NOW. 
          AND THERE'S A LOT OF CITIES THAT ARE PUSHING BACK. 
          BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY A REASON WHY THAT THEY'RE PUSHING BACK AND IT'S AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY BREAKING MY HEART. 
          WHAT IS GOING ON TO THESE SMALL COMMUNITIES BETWEEN THIS DISTRICTING, BETWEEN AB NINE OR SB NINE AND SB 10 BETWEEN, I MEAN, THE OTHER TAX THINGS THAT ARE COMING DOWN THE PIKE, THINGS THAT ARE COMING DOWN IN THE SCHOOLS TO LUMP ALL THIS TOGETHER RIGHT NOW. 
          THE PEOPLE OF THE CITIES, THE TRUE RESIDENTS, WE'RE LOSING, WE'RE JUST LOSING PERIOD. 
          AND FOR THE CITY OF LA VERNE AND FOR MANY OF THE CITIES ALONG THE OF FOOTHILLS, CONSIDERING THEIR VERY SPECIAL HISTORY, CONSIDERING THE REASONS THAT THESE CITIES WERE ACTUALLY ORIGINALLY FOUNDED AND THE RISKS THAT ALL THOSE FOUNDERS TOOK TO. 
          TO ACTUALLY COME TO THE CITY OF WARRENSBURG, TO COME TO WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS THE ANDRE'S PARTY, WHICH IS ACTUALLY WHERE I GREW UP TO GO OUT TO REDLANDS TO FOUND ALL THESE OLD CITIES AND TO SEE US JUST BACK DOWN BECAUSE WE GET A CONSULTANT WHO'S BEEN DOING THIS EVERYWHERE IS JUST FLABBERGASTING TO ME AND TO I DON'T EVEN KNOW. 
          I MEAN, I, THERE'S ONLY 15 PEOPLE IN THAT ROOM, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, WHY IS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GIVING UP? AND I SAID THIS AT THE LAST PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING. 
          THE RESIDENTS ARE GIVING UP AND YOU GUYS ARE THE LEADERSHIP THERE. 
          AND I DIDN'T VOTE FOR QUITE A FEW GUYS. 
          I MEAN, YOU GUYS PROBABLY ALL FIGURED THAT OUT A LONG TIME AGO, BUT THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY HAVE GIVEN UP OR THEY DON'T EVEN SHOW UP ANYMORE. 
          AND WE WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME GETTING THE WORD OUT ABOUT THIS TONIGHT. 
          AND WE'VE SPENT WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO SHOW UP AT THE MEETINGS. 
          AND I GET FLAT OUT TOLD IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE ANYMORE BECAUSE NOBODY WHO SITS AT THAT DIAS CARES. 
          NOBODY GETS US. 
          IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 
          IT'S ALREADY A DONE DEAL. 
          THAT'S WHAT I HEAR ALL THE TIME. 
          TAKE A STAND. 
          THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX. 
          FIGURE SOMETHING OUT AND STAND UP FOR THE PEOPLE OF LA VERNE. 
          THIS IS THIS, IF WE GO THIS ROUTE, WE NEVER, EVER, EVER GO BACK. 
          IT NEVER GOES BACK. 
          AND WHEN ALL OF YOU ARE ABOUT 20 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, YOU WILL NOT HAVE THE SAME CITY. 
          AND WE HAVE THREE NEW THREE OTHER NEIGHBORS IN OUR BLOCK THAT ARE LEAVING AND THEY'RE MOVING OUT. AND YOU'RE LOSING THIS CITY. 
          THIS IS VERY, VERY, VERY SERIOUS. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW. 
          DISTRICTING IS THE WORST THING. 
          IT IS JUST THE ABSOLUTE WORST. 
          IT DOES NOT, EVERYBODY ELSE HAS SAID IT DOES NOT PROMOTE COHESIVENESS, IT JUST DIVIDES US UP. GOOD LUCK WITH THIS. 
          THANK YOU. IF THERE ARE ANY OTHERS THAT ARE ATTENDING BY ZOOM. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON OR GOOD EVENING, CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? MY NAME IS ALISON. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FOR HAVING THIS DISCUSSION. 
          I'M NOT EVEN I'M NOT REALLY SPEAKING UP FOR OR AGAINST THE DISTRICTS BECAUSE, QUITE 
          [01:30:05]
HONESTLY, THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS. 
          I WILL SAY THAT WE ARE NOT A COHESIVE CITY WHEN OUR GENERAL PLAN ALLOWS FOR ONE PART OF THE CITY TO HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS AN OBLIGATION FOR DEVELOPERS AND NONE OF THE REST OF THE CITY DOES. 
          WE ARE NOT A COHESIVE CITY WHEN SOME PARTS OF THE CITY HAVE ACCESS TO PARTS OR BETTER ACCESS TO BETTER PARTS AND WALKABLE SPACES THAN OTHER PEOPLE DO. 
          WE ARE NOT A COHESIVE CITY WHEN THE SOCIAL AND CITY LIFE FOR EVERYBODY IN LA VERNE IS NOT THE SAME AS IT IS FOR OTHERS. 
          THE MAP ITSELF SHOWED THAT THERE IS VERY CLEAR CLASS DISTINCTIONS HERE IN THIS CITY, AND WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT A COHESIVE CITY WHEN THERE'S A LARGE SWATH OF THE CITY THAT IS INTIMIDATED FROM ENGAGEMENT BECAUSE OF THE VITRIOL THAT IS SPEWED AT COUNCIL AND OTHER PUBLIC MEETINGS. 
          WE ARE NOT A COHESIVE CITY AND JUST CLAIMING THAT WE WERE A COHESIVE CITY TO PREVENT DISTRICT DOESN'T MAKE US A COHESIVE CITY. 
          NOW AGAIN, I'M NOT SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF DISTRICTS BECAUSE AS SOMEONE WHO'S VERY WELL VERSED IN HISTORY, PARTICULARLY AS IT CAME TO DEEP FRAGMENTING THE VOICE OF MINORITIES IN POLITICAL OFFICE THROUGH DISTRICTING, I KNOW THAT THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THIS IS GERRYMANDERING OR ANYTHING LIKE IT, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT IF THOSE LAWS, IF THOSE LINES ARE NOT DRAWN APPROPRIATELY, THEN THE PENDULUM OF JUSTICE MAY NOT SWING THE WAY THAT WE'RE TOUTING IT TO. 
          SO I THINK THE COUNCIL FOR GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, I UNDERSTAND IT'S A LEGAL ONE. 
          I APPRECIATE IT BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS A DISCUSSION THAT NEED TO BE HAD. 
          BUT I WILL NOT SAY, AND I DO NOT ADVOCATE FOR OR CLOSING THE CONVERSATION JUST OUT OF THE SIMPLE FACT THAT THIS IS A FUNDAMENTALLY BAD IDEA WHEN WE HAVEN'T FULLY ASSESSED HOW PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIVE. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, LONG IN THIS PARTICULAR CITY, THERE'S A DOMINANT VOICE IN THE CITY, BUT IT'S NOT THE ONLY VOICE AND I THINK OTHERS NEED TO BE HEARD. 
          AND AGAIN, I'M GRATEFUL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 
          ANY OTHERS VIA ZOOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. 
          MR. MAYOR, WHILE WE'RE AWAITING A MOMENT, WE DID HAVE ONE REQUEST TO BE CALLED, BUT THEY ACTUALLY PARTICIPATED VIA ZOOM ALREADY, SO. 
          LAST CALL, ANYBODY VIA ZOOM, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE. 
          AND I'LL CHECK EMAIL ONE LAST TIME. 
          WE GOT SOME QUESTIONS THAT WERE RAISED BY SOME OF THE PEOPLE SPEAKING, IF THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE WHO I'M GOING TO SEE ANY OTHER PUBLIC, PLEASE. 
          CATHY, COME ON UP. STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS, PLEASE. 
          WELL, I'M, I'LL BE HAPPY TO LOOK INTO IT, BUT I KNOW OF NO CASE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT POWERS INSURANCE AUTHORITY. 
          THAT IS OUR INSURANCE POOL. 
          I KNOW THAT IT'S NEVER COME UP. 
          THEY'VE NEVER PROVIDED ANY ADVICE. 
          I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY COVERAGE. 
          PLEASE COME UP AND STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS, PLEASE, SIR. 
          THANK YOU FOR SERVING. [INAUDIBLE] 
          [01:35:20]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM TO SPEAK ON THIS MATTER. 
          WELL, WE'LL HAVE TO ASK OUR DEMOGRAPHER ON THAT ONE AND SEE WHAT THAT ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO COME UP TO THE DAIS. 
          THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S IF WE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENT WE NEED TO COME UP THE DAIS. 
          I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, BUT THE DAIS IS WHERE WE MAKE OUR COMMUNICATION. 
          ANY OTHER BODY LIKE TO COME UP TO THE DAIS TO SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE. 
          DO WE HAVE ANYBODY ELSE, J.R. 
          FROM THE GROUP? WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE'LL BRING IT UP TO THE DAIS FOR THE QUESTIONS IF WE GET THOSE ANSWERED BY THE DEMOGRAPHER OR THE CITY, PLEASE. YES. AND I THINK THERE WERE ROUGHLY A HANDFUL HERE. 
          DOUG, I'LL LET YOU TRY AND GO THROUGH THEM AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY, ANY MISSED.. 
          FIRST. SO HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM LOTS OF GOOD QUESTIONS. 
          MS. SIMONSON ASKED, DOES NBC SUE CITIES? NO, WE DO NOT WORK ON THE PLAINTIFF'S SIDE AT ALL. 
          OFTEN THE PLAINTIFF'S SIDE IS MUCH MORE LUCRATIVE [INAUDIBLE] BUT NO, WE DON'T DO ANYTHING. I THINK YOU GOT ACCUSED OF BEING ATTORNEYS AS WELL. 
          OH, RIGHT. THANK YOU. 
          YES. NOW I WILL CLARIFY WE ARE DEMOGRAPHERS, NOT ATTORNEYS. 
          WE'RE NOT, NO ONE AT THE FIRM IS A LAWYER, SO WE ONLY WORK WITH ATTORNEYS. 
          AND SO WE DON'T BRING THESE CHARGES OURSELVES, NOR DO WE WORK FOR THE ATTORNEYS WHO BRING THE CHALLENGES. THERE WAS A GOOD POINT ABOUT WE DIDN'T INCLUDE WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF DISTRICTS? SO, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO THE CPRA, WE USED TO DO A LOT OF WORK WITH CITIES THAT WERE CONSIDERING BY THEIR OWN CHOICE AND PUTTING IT TO VOTERS BECAUSE BACK THEN YOU WEREN'T GOING TO GET SUED FOR IT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT TO GO TO DISTRICTS. 
          AND WE DO A LOT OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS FOR THOSE RESIDENTS. 
          AND OBVIOUSLY, BOTH SYSTEMS HAVE THEIR PLUSES AND MINUSES. 
          ONE PERSON POINTED OUT, I HAD MENTIONED ANY OF THE PLUSES, SO LET ME TOUCH ON A COUPLE OF THEM THAT ARE OFTEN MENTIONED WITH AN EMPHASIS THAT EVERY CITY IS UNIQUE, YOU KNOW? SO THESE ARE GENERALIZATIONS BASED ON ARE NOW FIFTY TWO YEARS OF WORK IN THIS FIELD? CERTAINLY, THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO EVERY RULE, BUT A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT HAPPEN WITH DISTRICT ELECTIONS. NUMBER ONE, ACTUALLY, MONEY PLAYS LESS OF A ROLE, TYPICALLY IN ELECTIONS, PRIMARILY BECAUSE THE DISTRICTS ARE SMALL ENOUGH THAT THE CANDIDATES CAN GO DOOR TO DOOR. AND WHAT THAT DOES IS, AGAIN, THIS IS SPEAKING GENERALITIES, NOTHING'S UNIVERSAL, THAT REDUCES THE ROLE OF MAIL AND OF TV ADS IN THE CAMPAIGNS, BECAUSE IF YOU SHOOK HANDS AND TALK TO A CANDIDATE, YOU'RE LESS LIKELY TO BE SWAYED BY PAID ADVERTISING. 
          SO THAT'S ONE PLUS IS ALSO YOU'RE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO BE ABLE TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND GET AN ANSWER BECAUSE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER HAS FEWER CONSTITUENTS THAT THEY ARE THE FIRST CONTACT FOR. 
          NOW LA VERNE MAY BE SMALL ENOUGH THAT ALL OF YOU PROBABLY PICK UP THE PHONE ON THE FIRST GOLFER ALREADY, BUT THAT IS SPEAKING GENERALITIES THAT SOMETHING COMES UP A LOT. 
          IT ALSO DOES LEAD TO MORE EFFORTS OF BUILDING COALITIONS ACROSS THE CITY BECAUSE AS SOME OF THE SPEAKERS ACCURATELY SAID, THEY CAN ONLY VOTE FOR OR TRY TO RECALL ONE COUNCIL MEMBER. AND SO YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH PEOPLE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY TO PASS YOUR ISSUE IDEA. SO THOSE ARE EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE ADVANTAGES OF DISTRICT ELECTIONS THAT ARE SPOKEN ABOUT, NOT SAYING IT'S BETTER OR WORSE. 
          THE OTHER QUESTION THAT WASN'T REALLY ASKED BUT HINTED AT IS WE ACTUALLY DO WORK WITH JURISDICTIONS GOING BOTH WAYS. 
          SO WHEN GOLETA WENT FROM DISTRICTS TO AT-LARGE, OR WHEN RANCHO MIRAGE WENT FROM DISTRICTS TO AT-LARGE, WE ASSISTED IN THOSE PROJECTS. 
          THOSE WERE ALL PRIOR TO PASSAGE OF THE CALIFORNIA VOTING RIGHTS ACT. 
          NO ONE HAS GONE THAT WAY SINCE THE LAW KICKED IN THE LAW BECAUSE THEN THEY WOULD LIKELY IMMEDIATELY FACE A CHALLENGE. 
          [01:40:03]
AND SO I DID WANT TO COVER THOSE PLUSES OF DISTRICTS, SO THE TIMELINE WE COVERED. 
          I WON'T GO THROUGH IT ALL AGAIN, BUT WE WE DID HAVE THE SLIDE WITH THE TIMELINE. 
          WE'RE LOOKING AT DRAFT MAPS BEING CONSIDERED BY THE COUNCIL IN NOVEMBER, IN TWO HEARINGS IN NOVEMBER FOR THAT. 
          THE THERE WAS A GOOD QUESTION ABOUT IS LA VERNE FAILING AND HOW IS THE CITY FAILING TO MEET THE THRESHOLDS IN THE LAW? THE PROBLEM IS IS THAT NO ONE HAS WON A CASE. 
          AND SO WE HAVE NO THRESHOLDS SET FOR HOW YOU WIN A CASE WHICH LEADS INTO THE FOLLOW UP QUESTION. SANTA MONICA DID WIN ON APPEAL, BUT YOU CAN'T GO READ THAT RULING BECAUSE THE SUPREME COURT HAS PUBLISHED IT. 
          SO THE MR. KRESS CAN PROBABLY ADDRESS WHAT THAT MEANS BETTER THAN I CAN, BUT ESSENTIALLY THAT RULING HAS BEEN VOIDED. AND AND SO, YEAH, IT'S NO. 
          YES. RIGHT. 
          ONCE THE SUPREME COURT TAKES THE CASE, THE COURT OF APPEAL DECISION IS LIKE, I SAID, GONE, YEAH. AND AND I WOULD ADD TO THAT TOO, THAT THE SANTA MONICA HAS STOPPED REPORTING THE AMOUNTS. BUT THE LAST AMOUNT THEY REPORTED PAYING THEIR LEGAL TEAM WAS SIX MILLION DOLLARS, AND IT'S NOW BELIEVED THAT THEY HAVE PAID THEIR LEGAL TEAM SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SEVEN AND NINE MILLION DOLLARS. 
          FOR THAT JUST TO DEFEND THEMSELVES, THAT'S MONEY THEY WON'T GET BACK IF THEY WIN. 
          THAT'S NOT THE PLAINTIFFS FEES THAT THEY WOULD PAY IF THEY LOSE, THAT'S SIMPLY FEES THEY PAID TO THEIR LEGAL TEAM. 
          SO. NICE TO HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY, BUT VERY FEW JURISDICTIONS, DO. 
          SO THAT IT GOES AT THAT POINT AND AGAIN, THEY WON ON APPEAL. 
          AND SO IT WASN'T A TRIAL, SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT TRIAL MEASURE WOULD BE. 
          OTHER QUESTIONS? OH, THERE WAS THE QUESTION OF HOW WILL THE DISTRICTS AFFECT THE VFW? DIRECTLY IT DOESN'T. 
          DISTRICT ELECTIONS REALLY ONLY HAVE REAL MEANING ON ELECTION DAY. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, THE DAY AFTER AND THE DAY BEFORE DISTRICTS MAKE NO RELEVANCE UNLESS THE COUNCIL STARTS PUTTING IN AS THEY TALKED ABOUT CHANGES THE CULTURE. 
          SOMETIMES CITIES WILL SAY COMMISSIONERS HAVE TO BE FROM A CERTAIN DISTRICT AND THAT KIND OF THING, BUT THOSE ARE ALL COUNCIL CULTURE DECISIONS. 
          THE ACTUAL MOVE TO DISTRICTS ONLY MATTERS ON ELECTION DAY. 
          NOW THERE ARE PRACTICAL IMPACTS, OBVIOUSLY, OF DISTRICT ELECTIONS AND HOW DIFFERENT COUNCILMEMBERS VIEW THEIR JOBS. 
          BUT THOSE WOULD BE UP TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT DIRECTLY HAS NO IMPACT ON THE VFW. 
          UM, I THINK I COVERED ANY OF THE, DID I MISS ANY? WELL, ONE POINT SOMEBODY WAS TRYING TO MAKE IS THAT THERE'S ONLY A FOUR PERCENT HIT RATE AS FAR AS HOW MANY CITIES VERSUS THE 16 THAT WERE SHOWN ON THE SLIDE. 
          RIGHT, SO THE LIST THAT WERE SHOWN ON THE SLIDE WERE ACTUAL LEGAL SETTLEMENTS. 
          SO THOSE HAD ACTUAL LAWSUITS FILED AS WE TALKED ABOUT CBRE. 
          THANKFULLY, HE HAS A PREDECESSOR STEP OF FIRST THE PLAINTIFFS ATTORNEY HAS TO SEND A LETTER THREATENING TO FILE A LAWSUIT. 
          AND THAT'S WHEN ALL THE JURISDICTIONS ACT. 
          NOW IT'S IT'S UNUSUAL AND THAT THE LAWYER GETS UP TO THIRTY TWO THOUSAND JUST FOR SENDING THAT LETTER. IF YOU MOVE TO DISTRICT ELECTIONS SO YOU'RE NOT, YOU DON'T GET ALL FOR FREE BY RESPONDING ONCE YOU GET A LETTER. 
          BUT ALL OF THOSE SETTLEMENTS LISTED WERE JUST FOR THE ONES THAT HAVE HAD AN ACTUAL LAWSUIT FILED IN COURT AND HAD TO RESOLVE THE CASE IN COURT. 
          THE OTHERS, A COUPLE OF HUNDRED HAVE ALL MOVED WHEN EITHER THEY GOT THE LETTER OR AS THE COUNCILS HERE SAW THE WRITING ON THE WALL AND GOT AHEAD OF THE CURVE IN ORDER TO NOT HAVE TO PAY ANY FEES. CAN YOU SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME, BECAUSE THIS IS I I'M GOING THROUGH WITH MY OWN EMPLOYMENT, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, IF YOU RECEIVE THE LETTER BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT I FIND IT TRUE. BUT I THINK THAT IT GOT BYPASSED IN ALL THE OTHER COMMENTS YOU MADE. 
          SO IF YOU CAN JUST RE-SAY THAT AND SPEAK ABOUT THAT TO A LITTLE BIT, YES. 
          SO IF AN ATTORNEY SENDS A LETTER SAYING YOU SHOULD GO TO DISTRICT ELECTIONS OR I'LL BRING A CALIFORNIA VOTER RIGHTS LAWSUIT BEFORE YOU ADOPT THE RESOLUTION OF INTENT. 
          SO THAT'S WHAT I COUNCIL MEMBER LAU WAS MENTIONING EARLIER, BY ADOPTING THAT RESOLUTION, YOU PROTECTED YOURSELF FROM THIS LAWSUIT OR FROM THIS LETTER, REALLY. 
          SO IF THE COUNCIL IS NOT ADOPTED THAT RESOLUTION AND YOU GET A LETTER AND THEN YOU SAY, WE'RE GOING TO GET SUED, SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO DISTRICT ELECTIONS. 
          THE LAWYER GETS UP TO THIRTY TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR SENDING THAT LETTER. 
          THAT'S THE REFERENCE TO IT'S MORE LUCRATIVE ON THE THE OTHER SIDE. 
          ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS SEND THE LETTER AND THEY GET THAT MUCH MONEY. 
          SO AND OFFICIALLY, THE LAW IS UP TO THIRTY TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THEY HAVE TO SHOW 
          [01:45:03]
THAT THEY'VE EARNED THAT MONEY THROUGH THEIR WORK. 
          THE LETTERS WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN COLLECTING THEM, THE LETTERS ASKING FOR THE MONEY ARE SOMEWHAT ENTERTAINING THEY SAY I DID SIXTY THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF WORK ON THIS LETTER, BUT BECAUSE OF THE LAW, I WILL ACCEPT THE STATUTORY TAX OF THIRTY TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS, SO ALMOST EVERY CASE. 
          AGAIN, SPEAKING OF THE PRIVATE ATTORNEYS, IF THE LETTER COMES FROM MALDEF OR THE ACLU OR ONE OF THE TRADITIONAL VOTING RIGHTS GROUPS, IT'S ALMOST ALWAYS LESS BUT THOSE. 
          I SUSPECT THAT WELL OVER 90 PERCENT, MAYBE OVER NINETY FIVE PERCENT OF THE LETTERS HAVE COME FROM THE PRIVATE ATTORNEYS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE DEMOGRAPHER COUNCIL? I'M STILL TAKING IN THAT WHOLE BIT ABOUT THE THIRTY TWO THOUSAND JUST BECAUSE THEY SEND A LETTER TO YOU. PEOPLE ARE JUST PAYING IT OUT, THEY DON'T TRY TO QUESTION THE LETTER AND YOU KNOW, THE CONCEPT THEY SPENT. 
          THE ATTORNEY, YOU'RE SAYING, SPENDS ALL THIS TIME CREATING THIS LETTER, AND CITIES ARE PAYING OUT THIRTY AROUND THIRTY TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE TIME HE PUT IN TO THE LETTER. YES. 
          BARSTOW, I FORGET IF IT WAS BARSTOW OR BARSTOW UNIFIED. 
          ONE OF THEM SUCCESSFULLY FOUGHT THE AMOUNT BECAUSE THE PLAINTIFF'S ATTORNEY SENT THE LETTER ON BEHALF OF THE SOUTHWEST VOTER EDUCATION PROJECT AND AT THE TIME, SOUTHWEST VOTER HAD FAILED TO FILE THE REGISTRATION FEES, SO THERE WEREN'T A LEGAL ENTITY. 
          IT'S THE ONLY ONE THAT'S WELL, AND THEN MADERA UNIFIED FOUGHT THE AMOUNT, BUT THAT WAS A REQUEST FOR ONE POINT TWO MILLION DOLLARS THAT GOT DOWN TO TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. 
          THE TRICK IS, IS THAT IF YOU FIGHT THE LETTER SAYING THEY DIDN'T DO ENOUGH WORK TO JUSTIFY THE THIRTY TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS, THEY'RE THEN GOING TO BOOK THE HOURS DEFENDING THEIR LETTER AND THEY WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY GET UP TO THIRTY TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS BY THE TIME YOU FIGHT THEM. 
          SO COUNCIL MEMBER LAU, YEAH, NO, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT'S ONE OF THE NOT GREAT THINGS ABOUT THE LEGAL SYSTEM. 
          THERE ARE SIMILAR INSTANCES IN EMPLOYMENT LAW. 
          SO IN EMPLOYMENT LITIGATION, PLAINTIFFS FIRMS CAN SEND A LETTER AND SAY MY PLAINTIFF WAS YOUR EMPLOYEE AND DID NOT DO YOU KNOW YOU DIDN'T DO X, Y AND Z OR YOU HARASS THEM, YOU DISCRIMINATED WITH THEM AGAINST THEM. 
          AND BASED ON THAT LETTER, THEY YOU HAVE TO BASICALLY END UP YOU END UP SETTLING AHEAD OF TIME BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T, THEN IT TURNS INTO A LAWSUIT. 
          SO IT'S NOT UNSIMILAR, I DON'T LIKE IT, THIS IS WHY I DID DEFENSE WORK. 
          BUT THAT'S THE SIMILAR SITUATION IS THAT THEY WILL ARGUE THAT THEY DID THE WORK AND THEY'RE ENTITLED UNDER THE STATUTE FOR THAT AMOUNT. 
          AND YOU CAN TRY TO FIGHT THEM ON IT, BUT THEN THEY'LL FILE SUIT. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY, ANY LAST QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ARE WE COMMENTING NOW? YOU CAN, YOU CAN COMMENT NOW, YES, OK, I GUESS I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS TO SHARE THEM AND I AND THAT IS THAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE IN THIS PROCESS BY FILLING OUT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD RESPONSE BY WHAT IS YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD OR WHERE IS YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? AND AND YOU KNOW, IF THE ENTIRE CITY IS YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THEN PLEASE STATE THAT. 
          PLEASE ENGAGE IN THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE GOT FOR YOU TO ENGAGE ON. 
          OOPS, I JUST MISSED IT. 
          ON SLIDE 15, WHAT OTHER NOTABLE AREAS ARE IN YOUR CITY AND UTILIZE THE MAPPING TOOLS THAT YOU TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN TO SHOW YOUR INTEREST AND YOUR PREFERENCE? THIS IS A PROCESS THAT WE'RE ENGAGED IN TO MOVE THROUGH. 
          I DON'T CARE FOR THE SOME OF THE ACCUSATIONS THAT WERE MADE THAT ARE UNBIASED. 
          IT WAS ACTUALLY COUNCIL MEMBER, CARDER AND I THAT BROUGHT THIS ISSUE TO THE COUNCIL AND WE DON'T NEED TO BE DISPARAGING DURING THIS PROCESS. 
          BUT AS WE CAN SEE, A COMMENT BY RICK BOWEN IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, FOLLOWED UP BY ANOTHER RESIDENT, ZACK GIBSON, COULD BE FOLLOWED UP BY ANOTHER PERSON WHO ACTUALLY WOULD HAVE FILED THE THE DEMAND LETTER THAT WOULD HAVE COST US $32000. 
          I WASN'T INTERESTED IN PAYING THE $32000 FOR A LETTER THAT MAY OR MAY NOT COST $32000 TO PRODUCE, BUT WOULD COST OUR CITY THIRTY TWO THOUSAND. 
          I'M NOT INTERESTED IN SPENDING MILLIONS TO DEFEND IT IF THE LAW IS CHANGED IN THE FUTURE. 
          LA VERNE CAN ADAPT. 
          LA VERNE INITIATED THE MAYORAL POSITION AND THE FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE EARLY 70S, SO IT'S BEEN A SHORT 50 YEARS OUT OF OUR 126 YEAR OR ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN YEAR HISTORY. 
          LA VERNE ADAPTS AND CHANGES AS OUR NEEDS CHANGE. 
          I'M NOT INTERESTED IN HAVING A SWORD OF DAMOCLES OVER MY HEAD, BUT I'M INTERESTED IN ENGAGING IN A PROCESS THAT WE CAN WORK THROUGH THAT WE CAN DEFEND. 
          [01:50:02]
THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER. 
          YES FOR ME, LIKE MUIR SAID, HE AND I TALKED AFTER WE KEPT HEARING COMMENTS FROM SOME RESIDENTS SAYING THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, FELT WE SHOULD DO DISTRICTING SO WE WERE AFRAID THAT SOMEBODY WOULD FILE. 
          AND AM I CRAZY ABOUT THE IDEA? NO, BUT IT COMES DOWN TO IT'S NOT IF WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, IT'S MORE WHEN IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO US BECAUSE IF NOT, THE, YOU KNOW, LAWYERS ARE GOING TO COME IN NOW THAT WE'VE OPENED THE GATES TO, THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING IT. 
          AND SO IT'S OUT THERE. 
          GLENDORA, I TALKED TO ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS OVER IN GLENDORA AND THEY WERE APPROACHED. NOW THEY WERE SUED AND THEY ARE NOW MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS SAME THING DISTRICTING, AND THEY'RE GIVEN A SHORTER TIME FRAME THAN WE HAVE. 
          SO UNFORTUNATELY, I'M NOT CRAZY ABOUT IT, AND I WISH YOU HAD FIVE MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO GO TO ALL OF US BECAUSE WE ALL LIVE HERE. 
          WHEN WE'RE OFF THIS, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO GO TO MY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO GET THE INFORMATION I WANT, BUT I FEEL AT THIS TIME, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO LOOK AT GOING FORWARD. 
          SO THANKS TIM. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY I'M LISTENING TO ALL THE RESIDENTS AND REALLY HEAR WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYONE HAS ALL THE INFORMATION. I'M NOT ONLY GOING THROUGH THIS THROUGH THE CITY THROUGH HERE, I'M ALSO GOING THROUGH THIS THROUGH MY EMPLOYMENT AND GOING THROUGH EVERY STEP WHERE WE RECEIVED THE LETTER AND PART OF OUR PIECES WHERE THE PLAINTIFF GOT TO DO PART OF THE MAPPING ON THERE, WHERE THE DISTRICT DIDN'T GET ALL THE CHOICES IN THERE AS WELL. 
          I KNOW OUR OWN SCHOOL DISTRICT HERE IN BONITA UNIFIED IS HAVING AN INFORMATIONAL MEETING ON THIS AS WELL BECAUSE THEY ARE RECEIVING THIS AS PARTS TWO. 
          SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET THAT OUT THERE, THAT IT'S BECAUSE PEOPLE SAY THEY'RE NOT HEARING ALL INFORMATION. 
          THIS IS GOING ON EVERYWHERE. 
          NOW, IF WE LOOKED AT THE MAP EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION TOO, OF WHO HAS DISTRICTS AND WHO DOESN'T. YOU LOOK AROUND. 
          WE'RE SURROUNDED BY THAT AS WELL. 
          MOST OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY HAS DISTRICTS, MOST OF RIVERSIDE COUNTIES, DISTRICTS L.A. 
          COUNTY IS GOING TO SWARM THROUGH OF RIGHT NOW, OF CITIES AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND MUNICIPALITIES THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THAT. 
          DO I AGREE WITH THIS? I AGREE WITH A LOT OF THE MESSAGES WANT TO FIGHT, BUT I ALSO KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE IN OUR COFFERS TO FIGHT AS WELL AND WORRIED ABOUT THAT. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT, I'M SORRY IF THAT'S ME WORRIED ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE OUR CITY SERVICES AS WELL AND WHERE OUR MONEY SHOULD REALLY GO INTO WHERE IF WE HAVE CHANCES TO WIN OR NOT WIN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO ROLL THE DICE AND GAMBLE OUR CITY MONEY AWAY, EITHER. 
          AND SO LISTENING TO ALL THE CASES WILL MAKE MAKE A DECISION, BUT THAT'S WHAT IS HEAVY ON MY HEAD RIGHT NOW. WE DID HAVE SOME RESIDENTS BACK IN BEFORE DECEMBER, SAY IN OUR MEETINGS THAT THEY FELT THEY WEREN'T REPRESENTATIVE. 
          SO WHY AREN'T WE LOOKING IN DISTRICTS? AND THAT'S WHAT STARTED THIS CONVERSATION, AND I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE IF IT'S JUST AS I QUESTIONED EARLIER, IF IT'S JUST ONE RESIDENT, THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO TO START THIS. AND IT EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE MULTIPLE MULTIPLE PEOPLE AGAINST IT, IF IT GOES TO A VOTE, EVEN IF IT GETS VOTED TO TO STAY AT LARGE, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE LAWSUIT WON'T HAPPEN. NOW I UNDERSTAND NOT LIVING IN FEAR BECAUSE TRUST ME, WE'RE ALL REALLY TIRED OF LIVING IN FEAR RIGHT NOW. 
          WE'VE BEEN LIVING IN FEAR AND THINGS FOR FOR A YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS NOW, AND THERE'S TIMES TO STAND UP, BUT TIMES TO ALSO LOOK WHERE WHERE WE NEED TO KEEP OUR OUR MONEY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING GOOD CHOICES. 
          AND SO I DON'T KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS. 
          I NEVER CLAIM TO TO KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE AND LOOK AT ALL SIDES AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR WITH OUR MONIES AS WELL. 
          AND WHAT'S WHAT'S WINNABLE AND WHAT'S NOT? COUNCIL MEMBER LAU, I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR SOME OF THE POINTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN 
          [01:55:02]
MADE BECAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD THEM. 
          YOU KNOW, THERE A FISCAL COMPONENT TO THIS THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH MONEY TO BE ABLE TO SPEND. 
          AND AS COUNCIL MEMBER CROSBY INDICATED, HE'LL DOUBLE CHECK WITH THE JPIA TO SEE IF THEY WOULD ACTUALLY EVEN COVER A LAWSUIT. 
          BUT I HIGHLY DOUBT IT, BUT WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK. 
          BUT I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT EVERYONE TO BE AWARE OF IS THAT I THINK ALL OF US THIS IS NEW TO ALL OF US. 
          WE'RE NOT EXACTLY CRAZY ABOUT IT. 
          I THINK IN HAVING FRIENDS IN OTHER CITIES THAT ARE ON COUNCIL THAT ARE IN DISTRICTS, I HEAR THE PROS AND THE CONS. 
          AND TO MANY OF YOUR POINTS, THERE IS CONCERN ABOUT DOES IT MAKE IT MORE DIVISIVE? DOES THIS RESTRICT VOICES? I THINK I GUESS THE COUNTERPOINT TO THAT OR THE COUNTER WAY TO LOOK AT THAT IS DOES THAT HAPPEN ALREADY EVEN WITHOUT DISTRACTING? AND SO IS THIS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REFRAME WHO WE ARE AND WHAT OUR COMMITMENT IS AS A COUNCIL AND TO ANY CITIZENS WHO WANT TO RUN FOR COUNCIL IN THE FUTURE? HOW WILL YOU ENGAGE? HOW WILL WE ENGAGE WITH EACH OTHER, WHETHER WE ARE AT LARGE OR IN DISTRICTS? AND I THINK THIS COUNCIL, WHICH IS PRESENTLY AT LARGE, HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT EFFORTS IN TRYING TO BRING THINGS TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PAST. SOME OF THIS MAY BE VISIBLE TO YOU. 
          SOME OF IT MAY NOT BE. 
          BUT I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD TO TRY TO BE MORE COHESIVE FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR CITY AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER WE STAY AT LARGE OR WHAT LOOKS TO BE, AS THE DEMOGRAPHERS HAVE INDICATED, THE WRITING ON THE WALL. 
          WE'RE GOING TO BE PUSHED TO DESTRUCTING ONE WAY OR ANOTHER BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE FRAMEWORK IS SET UP IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, THE WAY THE FRAMEWORK IS SET UP LEGALLY. 
          THEN HOW WILL THIS COUNCIL AND EVERY COUNCIL THAT COMES AFTER US, IF WE ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF DISTRICTS, HOW WILL WE WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF YOU ARE REPRESENTED? BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I'VE TALKED TO MY FRIEND ABOUT WHO'S IN THE NEIGHBORING CITY, AND HE SAYS HE HAS TO GRAPPLE WITH THAT EVERY DAY THAT HE HAS TO LISTEN TO THE VOICES OF HIS CONSTITUENTS WHO VOTED HIM IN. 
          BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, HIS DECISION MAKING HAS TO BE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE WHOLE. 
          HIS ROLE IS TO BRING THE PERSPECTIVE OF HIS DISTRICT TO THE TABLE SPECIFICALLY. 
          SO WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AND THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN ENGAGE IN THAT FRAMEWORK AND MAKE IT WORK. I THINK THAT IN PREEMPTING THE NOTICE FROM ANY ATTORNEY OR ANY PLAINTIFF PREEMPTING THE LAWSUIT DOES GIVE US A LONGER TIMELINE AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF US TO ENGAGE. 
          SO LOOK AT THE MAP. 
          GREAT, HOW DO WE WANT TO DO THIS? HOW CAN WE DO THAT? BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU STILL WANT POLICE, YOU STILL WANT FIRE, WE STILL WANT WATER. WE'RE USED TO ALL THESE THINGS, THESE ARE THINGS THAT CONCERN ALL OF US AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THAT AND WE DON'T HAVE THE COFFERS THAT SANTA MONICA DOES. 
          I GET IT, I USED TO WHEN I USED TO DO EMPLOYMENT LAW, MY CLIENTS WOULD ALWAYS ASK ME, WHY CAN'T WE FIGHT? I CAN'T FIGHT ANYMORE, SAYS WE CAN'T. 
          DO YOU HAVE A GOLDEN GOOSE? THAT'S UNFORTUNATELY THE RUB, RIGHT? AND AS MUCH AS IT GALLED SOME OF MY CLIENTS TO HAVE TO SAY, FINE, WE'RE GOING TO SETTLE OR WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GIVE THIS UP AT THIS POINT AND CONCEDE AND FIND ANOTHER WAY. 
          THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CONSTRAINTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS A COUNCIL. 
          SO I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT WE'RE TAKING THIS LIGHTLY, THAT WE'RE NOT HEARING YOU. 
          I GET IT. I DON'T WANT US TO BE ANY MORE DIVIDED. 
          I STAY OFF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR A REASON, OFF CERTAIN SOCIAL MEDIA FOR A REASON BECAUSE IT IS DIVISIVE AND I DON'T WANT US TO BE THAT. 
          I SEE A PLANNING COMMISSIONER I USED TO WORK WITH. 
          I SEE TWO PLANNING COMMISSIONERS I USED TO WORK WITH THREE, IF YOU COUNT OUR GOOD MAYOR. 
          YOU KNOW, AND IT'S GOOD TO BE ABLE TO BE IN A COMMUNITY THAT CAN DO THAT. 
          SO LET'S FIGURE THIS OUT TOGETHER. 
          WE MAY NOT ALWAYS BE IN SITUATIONS THAT WE LIKE BUT CAN TRY TO DO THE BEST WE CAN TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE THE BEST OUT OF A SITUATION THAT WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE CONTROL OVER. 
          SO I ASK YOU TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE, CONTINUE TO COME. 
          CONTINUE TO SEND YOUR COMMENTS, CONTINUE TO USE THE TOOLS AVAILABLE TO YOU. 
          THAT'S ALL I CAN ASK. THANK YOU, COUNCIL. 
          VERY GOOD POINTS, I JUST WANT TO SAY I'LL KEEP THIS SHORT. 
          I DON'T NECESSARILY LIKE THIS IDEA AT ALL, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY COMING UP THROUGH THE RANKS AS I HAVE AND SOME OF THE OTHER COUNCILMEMBERS LIKE ROBIN CARDER, COUNCIL MEMBER CARDER. BUT WE'RE WE'RE WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS MAKING A DECISION. 
          MY PREFERENCE, I'LL BE HONEST, I'VE SAID IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT I DO PREFER A IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS A FOR DISTRICT COUNCIL WITH AN ELECTED MAYOR SO THAT WE HAVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE WHOLE CITY. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND I DO THINK AS IF WE DO THESE DISTRICTS AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THAT WE ALL AS ELECTED OFFICIALS. 
          LA VERNE IS NOT JUST NORTH SOUTHEAST WEST, IT'S ALL OF THOSE COMBINED INTO ONE BIG CITY THAT WE ALL HAVE TO KEEP OUR EYES ON WHEN I FIRST GOT ON THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WAS IF THERE'S AN ISSUE, YOU ADDRESS IT. 
          WE ADDRESS IT AS A COUNCIL, WHETHER IT BE WHITE AVENUE, WHETHER IT BE, YOU KNOW, MARSHALL CANYON GOLF COURSE, WHETHER IT BE CANTORE WOOD WITH THE SEWAGE ISSUE OR ANY OF THE ISSUES 
          [02:00:02]
THAT WE'VE HAD. AND NOT ONLY THAT BEEN GOING THROUGH COVID AND MORPHING THROUGH THAT AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO KEEP OUR CITY RUNNING WITH OUR STAFF AND PUBLIC WORKS AND FIRE AND POLICE AND US GIVING THEM INCENTIVES TO BUSINESSES TO GO THROUGH THIS. 
          WE'RE A VERY STRONG COMMUNITY. 
          I DO BELIEVE THAT IF WE GO THROUGH THIS CHANGE, THAT WE CAN MAKE THIS A POSITIVE THING THAT WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER ON THIS. 
          WE WILL STILL GET OUR REPRESENTATION. 
          WE WILL STILL BE THAT WONDERFUL CITY THAT WHERE WE'VE HAD. 
          I'M ON THE SAN GABRIEL COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS AND MOST OF THE CITIES ARE DISTRICT VOTING. 
          IT'S JUST A WAY THINGS ARE GOING. 
          DO I LIKE IT? NO. 
          LIKE I SAID, DO I LIKE IT? NO, I DO NOT. 
          BUT I THINK WE'RE ON THE RIGHT PATH. 
          I THINK WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF YOU ARE ENGAGED LIKE YOU ARE NOW. 
          I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE. 
          WE NEED TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE DOING THIS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE DRAWING UP THE MAPS. 
          MORE INPUT FROM EVERYBODY. 
          YOUR OPINIONS REALLY COUNT. 
          I TAKE IT TO HEART. BELIEVE ME, SOMETIMES THE DECISIONS WE HAVE TO MAKE ARE DIFFICULT AT BEST, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS IN ORDER TO PROTECT OUR CITY AND ALSO PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS AT THE SAME TIME. 
          SO, BUT NOVEMBER IS COMING. 
          I'M VERY GLAD TO HEAR THAT, THAT WE HAVE OUR NUMBERS. 
          THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO SEE HOW THAT LAYS OUT NOW SO WE CAN GET THOSE NUMBERS OUT. 
          MY BIGGEST CONCERN WAS THE TIME FRAME WAS VERY SHORT. 
          I DON'T WANT TO FEEL LIKE WE'RE JUST JAMMING THIS DOWN, YOU KNOW, JAMMING IT IN EVERYBODY'S FACE AND SAYING, YOU'VE GOT TO DO THIS, YOU GOT TO DO THIS. 
          BUT WE KIND OF ARE AHEAD OF THE GAME. 
          WE DID THIS LAST YEAR. 
          LIKE I SAY, NOT, DO I AGREE WITH IT? NOT NECESSARILY. BUT THIS IS THE PATH WE'RE GOING AND WE NEED TO FOLLOW IT THROUGH AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS A VOICE IN THIS. 
          IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU ALL HAVE A VOICE. 
          VERY IMPORTANT. 
          WE'RE NOT ALWAYS GOING TO AGREE ON EVERYTHING, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS STAY ENGAGED. TELL YOUR NEIGHBORS, PLEASE, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM ALL OF YOU. 
          IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. 
          MR. RUSS, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS JUST WE WENT OVER IT A COUPLE OF TIMES, BUT THE PROCESS COMING FORWARD THAT YOU REFERRED TO MR. MAYOR AND THE MONTH OF OCTOBER WILL BE A KEY COMPONENT OF THIS INPUT PROCESS. 
          SO JUST THIS IS ON THE PRESENTATION. 
          WE WILL PUT IT OUT FOR THE COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY CAN SEE. 
          AND ALSO, THERE IS A NEXT SLIDE THAT ALSO HAS THE MAP LA VERNE.ORG, WHICH IS WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO TO ASK ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR TO FIND THOSE MAPPING TOOLS THAT HAVE BEEN REFERENCED IN THE PRESENTATION. 
          YOU SPOKE ABOUT SOME HAND DRAWN ONES AS WELL THAT PEOPLE CAN DO RIGHT THERE. 
          WHERE CAN THEY GET THAT IN CASE THERE SOMEONE IS NOT COMPUTER SAVVY OR THINGS LIKE THAT SO THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS MAYBE WANT TO BRING OR GET THAT INTERVIEW? THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE I DID GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK THAT SOME PEOPLE DON'T HAVE COMPUTERS AND PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ACCESS. 
          THEY DON'T, YOU KNOW, SMARTPHONES, THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          SO THAT IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION. 
          YEAH. SO, TWO ANSWER IS THAT THE FIRST IS THE EASIEST IS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMPUTERS AND A PRINTER AT HOME WHO MAY NOT WANT TO DRAW ONLINE, BUT IT CAN GET TO A PDF ON THE [INAUDIBLE] PAGE LINKED TO SUBMIT A LINK THERE. 
          THEY CAN GO THERE AND THEY CAN GET THE PDF AND JUST PRINT IT. 
          SO IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE DOING THAT, YOU CAN GET THE PDF AND THE WEBSITE. 
          OF COURSE, YOU CAN ALSO JUST CALL CITY HALL AND COME BY CITY HALL, AND THEY'LL PRINT IT FOR YOU. YOU KNOW, WE CAN HAVE MAPS AVAILABLE IF PEOPLE WANT TO PICK THEM UP. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE DEMOGRAPHERS, TOO, FOR COMING IN AND ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS. 
          WE DO APPRECIATE IT. THIS WAS A MUCH BETTER MEETING. 
          WE HAD THE FIRST ONE WAS WAS VERY GOOD, BUT I THINK THIS ONE KIND OF NAILED IT DOWN AS FAR AS WHERE WE'RE AT, HOW WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD. 
          SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BEING HERE. 
          ON THAT IF THERE'S NO OTHER BUSINESS, NO OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF. 
          WE'RE GOING TO ADJOURN AT 8:33 EIGHT THIRTY THREE P.M. 
          OUR NEXT. WE'RE GOING TO ADJOURN TO MONDAY, OCTOBER 4TH, 6:00 O'CLOCK P.M. 
          FOR A POLICE BADGE PINNING. 
          MEETING IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU ALL. 
          IF YOU CAN READ MY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.