| | | | | | | | Agenda Item - 3.f.
City of Garden Grove
INTER-DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM
| To: | Scott C. Stiles
| From: | Maria Stipe
| | Dept.: | City Manager
| Dept.: | Assistant City Manager
| | Subject: | Approval of an agreement with Compass Demographics, and budget appropriation, for professional redistricting consultant services. (Cost: $47,000) (Action Item) | Date: | 5/25/2021 |
|
| | | | | | | | OBJECTIVE
For the City Council to approve an agreement with Compass Demographics, and budget appropriation, for professional redistricting consultant services. |
| | | | | | | | BACKGROUND
State Elections Code Section 21601 requires that the City Council district boundaries be adjusted following each decennial U.S. census, using that census as a basis, so that districts shall be as nearly equal in population as possible. This process called “redistricting” requires review of the recent 2020 Census population data and, if necessary, adjustment of voting area boundaries to keep them as nearly equal in population as possible, allowing for certain variances due to geography, topography, communities of interest, etc., all as required in federal and California law. |
| | | | | | | | DISCUSSION
In order to meet applicable deadlines, the redistricting process should be started as soon as possible after the 2020 Census data is made available to cities. Presently, Census data that would typically be available to local agencies by March 31, 2021 is delayed due to COVID-19. The Census Bureau has indicated the data is now scheduled to be available to local agencies on July 31 or possibly even later. Once the data is available, agencies can start the statutory process of looking at their voting areas to determine whether their electoral maps must be updated. It is especially important to begin the process now since an increasing number of local agencies now elect officers by voting area compared to 10 years ago and will also be redistricting in 2021.
Staff has received a redistricting proposal from Compass Demographics, the professional consulting and database management firm used by the City to establish the current by-district system for the election of City Council Members. In addition to specializing in projects involving census and election data, redistricting projects, demographic analysis, and analysis of voting behavior, Compass Demographics is very familiar with the City of Garden Grove and has already established data and mapping tools that can be updated and used for this project, which will result in time and cost efficiencies. Consequently, it will be beneficial for the City to let the sole source contract to Compass Demographics.
The proposed redistricting process, is based on a three phase process referred to as Information, Districting, and Adoption and will include a series of community engagement sessions and public hearings to obtain community input before finalizing the updated district maps. See attached agreement for full scope of work. Compass Demographics is highly referred and qualified to provide these services. |
| | | | | | | | FINANCIAL IMPACT
The estimated cost for Compass Demographics services is $47,000. An additional General Fund appropriation is required to cover the full cost since this project was not included in the FY 2020-21 City budget. |
| | | | | | | | RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council:
- Approve a General Fund appropriation of $47,000 to complete demographic work to assist in the redistricting of single member districts for the election of City Council Members, based on 2020 Census data and as required by California law; and
- Authorize the City Manager to enter into the attached sole source agreement with Compass Demographics for the related redistricting services.
|
| ATTACHMENTS: | | Description | Upload Date | Type | File Name | | Agreement | 5/18/2021 | Agreement | 5-25-21_Compass_Demographics_Inc._2021.pdf |
|
|