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HomeMy WebLinkAbout15. (Handout) Summary of outreach as of 08-20-20 Item 15. (Handout) Public Outreach for August 20, 2020 Board of Directors Meeting RE: Possible Transition to Area-Based Elections danvillesanramon.com Dmv& T4 n News Central San petitioned to establish ' y-division' election system for Board of Directors Board to consider options during public meeting on Thursday by Ryan J. Degan / Danville San Ramon, Wed, Aug 19, 2020 The Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (Central San), the sewer service provider for most of the San Ramon Valley, has been hit with a petition to change its election method to by division voting after it received a letter claiming its current election method violates the California Voting Rights Act. Set to be discussed during a public meeting of Central San's Board of Directors on Thursday, agency leaders plan to publicly respond to the letter and will consider changing the district's electoral system from at-large to by-division -- also known as district-based voting. "The letter did not provide any evidence of a violation, but the district takes the assertions in the letter very seriously and is considering appropriate action. The letter threatens litigation if the district does not adopt a by-division election system," Central San staff said in a statement. Item 15. (Handout) It should be noted that if the board decides to proceed with approving by-division elections, the change would not go into effect until after the upcoming Nov. 3 election. This fall, six candidates are running for three at-large board seats: incumbents Paul Causey, Jim Nejedly and Tad Pilecki, and newcomers Barbara Hockett, Nathan Jaquez and Mariah Lauritzen. Under the current method of at-large voting, Central San residents are entitled to vote for every candidate for the Board of Directors. In a by-division election system, residents will only vote for a candidate who lives within their geographic district, essentially meaning residents can only vote for one board seat every four years, instead of all available board candidates every two years as is the case under at-large voting. While the exact violation was not listed out in the letter, several other Tri-Valley agencies have been petitioned to change their electoral method in a similar manner, with groups citing alleged violations of the California Voting Rights Act. Those petitions claimed that at large voting for elections cause racially polarized voting and limits the voting power of minority groups. When his city was transitioning to district based voting last year, San Ramon city attorney Martin Lysons said that the California Voting Rights Act is a particularly powerful provision of the state government and that no Californian municipality has ever successfully defended at- large elections when faced with litigation. Central San services the communities of Alamo, Danville and northern San Ramon, as well as Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek. Members of the public interested in providing public comment for the meeting can email sod@centralsan.org either before or during the meeting or can leave a voice message by calling 229-7303 at least one hour prior to the start of the meeting. Central San's meeting of the Board of Directors is set to be held at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday. Residents can view the meeting online at centralsan.org. Item 15. (Handout) East Bay Times Digital "top hat" ad (Aug 18) fYEAiHER TODAY Ads by G EAST BAY TINES MANAGE SII BSERIPTION E �oINhy Og�his ad- SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS NEWS LOCAL OPINION SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT OBITUARIES — TRENDING: Blackouts:What to know Safeway clerk k!Red Tahoe resident gets plague Inside Lands Lineup Michelle Obama's necklace PUBLIC MEETING : AUGUST 20, 1:30 P.m. LEARN - CENTRAL SAN is considering transitioning from at-large to area- MORE based elections for Board of Directors, and we invite your input. "> Print ad – 1/8 page (Aug 19) —A-V- 1 M Notice of PUBLIC MEETING Central San is considering transitioning from at-large to area- based elections for Board of Directors. We invite all residents of the District to join us for a public meeting to provide public comment on the options under consideration. Thursday, August 20, 1 :30 p. m . The meeting is being held via teleconference & will be livestreamed on our website. Learn more: centralsan.org/elections Item 15. (Handout) Twitter Impressions: 10,175 Engagements (clicks, likes, retweets): 79 � Central San LDCeritralSan • Aug 17 .' Central San is considering transitioning from at-large to area-based elections for Board of Directors.Join us for a public meeting this Thurs., Aug. 20, at 1;30 pm to give your input. The meeting will be livestreamed on our website. Learn more: CENTRAL :S CENTRAL SAN 0 SANITARY DISTRICT Area-Based Elections - Central Contra Costa Sanitary District Transitioning to an area-based election system centralsan,org t , D 7 L SII Item 15. (Handout) Instagram = I Notice of PUBLIC MEETING Central San is considering transitioning from at-large to area- based elections for Board of Directors. We invite all residents of the District to join us for a public meeting to provide public comment on the options under consideration. Thursday, August 20, 1:30p.m. The meeting is being held via teleconference & will be livestreamed on our website. lop. Learn more: centralsan.org/elections Item 15. (Handout) Facebook Reach: 5,162 Engagements (clicks, reactions, comments, shares): 263 M+ Central Contra Costa Sanitary District ... Published by Hoasuite i +?• Id •0 Central San is considering transitioning Irom at-large to area-based elections for Board of Directors. Please join us for a public meeting this Thursday, Aug. 20, at 1:30 p.m. to give your inprlt.The meeting is being rleId via teleconference & wilI be Iivestrearned on our website_ Learn mare: https:IAvww.centralsan.org)elections CENTRAL SAN CENTRAL CONTRACOSTA SANITARYDISTRICT ATk CENTRALSAN.QRG Area-Based Elections - Central Contra Costa Lea-) ?Acre Sanitary District See the following pages for public comments on our Facebook post. Item 15. (Handout) OsAw 8 13 Comments 2 Shares Like Comment share Most Relevant - Comment as Central Contra Costa Sanitary .._ Diva Chaffee what is that"received letter, "that prompts this division, all about? Like Reply - Message - 1d Marylee Lamont Martinez Exactly -who was the "certified letter" from? I could send a certified letter_ Like - Reply - Message - 1d } Author Central Contra Costa Sanitary District Marylee Lamont Martinez Diva Chaffee Thank you tar your interest and your willingness to be part of the discussion_The certified letter is from attorney Kevin Shenkman of the Malibu- based law firm of She nkman & Hughes_A copy of the letter is included in the agenda item (see page 7)for Thursday's Board of Directors meeting, available at: h ftp=Jfwebli n k.centra is an.o rgfW eb Li n W DocView.as px? id=795109 Like - Reply - 1d Diva Chaffee thank you for the information. Like - Reply - Message - 231h Marylee Lamont Martinez Central Contra Costa Sanitary District Thank you Like • Reply • Message • 231h Titus Fouts That law firm, Shenkman &Hughes, threatens to sue public government entities who hold elections without same type of redistricting process. That's why you have seen towns and cities go to by- district elections, rather than at large elections_ It's just all about money for this law firm_ Big bucks money. This firm acts in the same manner as law firms who sue for ADA reason s, when not one customer has complained about ADA issues_ Really sick_ No wander the disdain for attomeys in this state. Mary Fouts Like - Reply - Message - 211h 1 Item 15. (Handout) 40 Marylee Lamont Martinez"Certified letter"????From whom??? Like - Reply - Message - 1d 119 Beth Weilenrnan Marylee Lamont Martinez - Malibu attorney Kevin Shenkman,who sent similar letters to the city of Martinez and Martinez Unified School District a few years ago. Which is why voters in bath areas now vote by district_And the letter suggests he:s representing the same San Antonia, Texas, client.A link to the letter is in above comments. Like • Reply • Message • 141h 1 Greg Sampson Where the S ewer Meets The-Sea.__. Like - Reply - Message - 15h Jack Weir There can be advantages; lower campaign costs for candidates,theoretically closer access by constituents, etc. Like - Reply - Message - 13h 1 Beth Weilenman Jack Weir-One argument is that lower casts would attract more candidates. But our Council and our MUSD Board of Education elections in 2018 did not play out that way_ One Councilmember and one MUSD trustee were elected unopposed. We'll see about 2020. Like - Reply - Message - 13h Beth Weilen man There are certain attorneys-this announcement doesn:t identify the source of this letter-who write letters that an agency that has at-large elections is violating the California Voting Right Act, which strongly urges but does not require by-area or by-district voting_ covered the times Martinez and the Martinez Unified School District received virtually identical demand letters from a Malibu attorney, Kevin Shenkman, who said he represented a San Antonia,Texas, client_ although some Martinez residents say differently. o rarely had Mr_ Shenkman list a case, and so costly were his wins or settlements that neither the Council nor MUD fought back. Look up what happened to Palmdale when it fought Mr. henkman_ The district appears to be following that path, denial of the accusations but pursuing a voting change_ Under California Legislative protection, unless the rules have changed, the District has 90 days to adopt voting maps with the new areas drawn. The person who wrote the letter may not sue{usually; in Martinez's case, a fallow-up suit was filed, resolved in favor of the city) during the 90 days. Item 15. (Handout) In that time, demographics experts usually are hired to make sure the districts comply with one person, one vote laws and a list of other requirements. The letter writer is allowed compensation for up to$30,000 for expenses_And the letter writer likely will be able to submit bills that justify that payment. The limit was set by the Legislature after attorneys began submitting much larger expense sheets for compensation against agencies that chose not to fight_ A certain number of public hearings must take place before voting areas are adapted_The public may submit voting maps, but usually the do not comply with the one person-one vote requirement. Each area must have virtually the same number of voters as any of the others_ Without a consultant,that's hard to accom p fish_ Like - Reply - Message - 1d 1 Beth WeRenman I have no more knowl 9dge about this than what is in the posted announcement, but I wrote extensively about the Martinez Council and MUSD experience_ Even without a suit, this is an expensive process not included in the budget_The public has a say at the public meetings;just not on the same level as if it were a grass roots effort by affected voters and taxpayers_ Costs of 5150.400 to $300,000 are not surprising in these cases,just to get the process accomplished.