City Council

~AD HOC REPORT~ Reapportionment (2022) Meeting #2 Wednesday, January 25, 2023 Chairman Knapp called the meeting to order at 6:30p.m. on Wednesday, January 25, 2023. Present was Committee Members Nancy Cammisa and Fred Visconti. From the City were Les Pinter, Deputy Corporation Counsel, Joseph Mortelliti, Outside Counsel; and Joan Bielizna, Registrar of Voters; Ex-Officio members; Emile Buzaid, Duane Perkins, Joh Esposito III, Vinny DiGilio, Ben Chianese, Joe Britton, Paul Rotello, Warren Levy, Irving Fox, and Jay Eriquez. Also in attendance were several residents and unidentified individuals. Mr. Pinter and Mr. Mortelliti gave an overview of the reapportionment process and the results of the Reapportionment Advisory Committee (R.A.C.). The Committee was not able to recommend a plan to the Council. As a result, the City Council is tasked with preparing and approving a plan. This ad hoc committee was appointed to create that plan and present it to the City Council with final approval by March 1st. Mr. Knapp gave an overview of the ad hoc process and noted Proposal A presented by Mr. Chianese at the January 17, 2023 meeting. He discussed Proposal B’s intent of adding more representation to downtown. He confirmed that every ward in Proposal B is within 1% of the targeted population (12,360) and that guidelines presented by the state were followed. He identified an integrity test that was used to make sure that all criteria were met and he noted that as much as possible natural boundaries, including Interstate 84, were used to create ward boarders, however, he noted that thoroughfares could not be used for the downtown districts due to population numbers. Mr. Chianese presented Proposal A and noted that the intent was to make the least amount of change possible to each ward by using statistical figures. The plan also took into account the changes made to the state districts. Mr. Esposito III inquired about the integrity test that is provided by the mapping system and its results for both proposals. Mr. Rotello asked about the need for the mayor’s approval of the reapportionment ordinance and asked about census blocks and boundaries. He also asked about the system’s ability to record logins on the mapping site. Ms. Bielizna expressed her concern over Proposal B, and supports Proposal A so that representation will cover a wider area in each ward Mr. Esposito III explained that he supports more representation for the city’s downtown area (from 2 to 4). Mr. Perkins supports a “pie” distribution of the wards so that ward representation covers more area and is concerned about the affect of Proposal B on the community. Mr. Britton asked about the individuals who had input on the map for Proposal B. Mr. Knapp named Mike Safranek, Vinny DiGilio, John Priola and the Republican caucus as having reviewed the proposed map. He said the process took place in person and began in December and finished in January. Mr. Esposito III asked about the individuals who had input on the map for Proposal A. Mr. Chianese named himself and Duane Perkins, and said the process took place from August to September. Mr. Digilio discussed the Reapportionment Advisory Commission’s inability to appoint a fifth member which resulted in no final plan because a majority vote was not reached; the result is that the Council created the current ad hoc which has now been presented with Proposal A and Proposal B. He noted that the fundamental difference between the two proposals is downtown representation. He noted the recent City’s Plan of Conversation also created specific plans for various parts of the city based on the different needs in various parts of the city. He expressed his support for Proposal B. Mr. Rotello made note of various discussion that took place during the Reapportionment Advisory Commission’s process and expressed concerns with the creation of the maps for the proposals, and time constraints. Mr. Levy expressed his concern over comments that economic and racial classification were used to create the proposals. He discussed the outdated nature of the “pie” concept used in the past for ward reapportionment, noting that major growth has occurred in the city’s inner-city (downtown). Mr. Britton discussed ward representation and federal laws and rulings that discuss reapportionment of voting wards. Mr. Esposito III pointed out that there will continue to be seven at-large council members that represent the entire city and discussed a possible effect on wait times at the polls. Mr. Chianese clarified that the number of voters in each ward are not factored into the redistricting, it is based on total population. He discussed how representation of a wider area in the city encourages greater involvement, and he asked for more data from Proposal B. Mr. Britton asked counsel about the legal ramifications of jumps in minority populations in Ward 2 and 5 with Proposal B. Mr. Mortelliti indicated that he would need to do further research on majority and minority laws. Mr. Pinter discussed the benefits of talking through this process to gain an understanding of how the proposals were created. Mr. Rotello asked for more statistics to make an informed decision. Mr. Levy clarified his stance on a “pie” map configuration, noting that there are bursts of population growth in pockets of the city. Mr. Perkins reiterated his concerns with the development of Proposal B. Mr. Visconti asked about the state statutes of not meeting the deadline, Mr. Mortelliti indicated that the State Supreme Court could potentially decide on what happens with voting districts, and explained that it would be a Charter violation. Mr. Pinter explained that there is no precedent of violating the Charter regarding reapportionment in our city. Mr. Visconti asked about legal challenges to a plan that receives approval of the Council. Mr. Mortilleti reiterated that legal precedent would need to be reviewed. A motion was made by Councilman Visconti to vote on Plan (Proposal) A. There was no second. Motion Failed. A motion was made by Councilwoman Cammisa, and seconded by Councilman Knapp, to approve Plan (Proposal) B for the 2022 Reapportionment as presented.” 2 Yes Votes (Knapp, Cammisa), 1 No Vote (Visconti). Motion Passed. A motion was made by Councilman Visconti, and seconded by Councilwoman Cammisa, to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:26 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Jack Knapp, Chair Nancy Cammisa Fred Visconti, Jr.