By Hannah Lester
hlester@
opelikaobserver.com
The city of Auburn postponed its vote on the redistricting plan for the city during its Tuesday night city council meeting last week.
A public hearing was held, during which three members of the local NAACP branch, branch #5038, and a hired cartographer, spoke against the city’s current plan in favor of a plan that includes a second minority-majority ward and provided a presentation to the city.
Recently, the Census data was released which showed the growth in the city of Auburn. The population grew by more than 22,000, with more than 1,500 acres added to the city.
Auburn’s total population is 76,143 and the goal is for each district to have about 9,518. In 2010, Auburn’s population was 53,380 with each district ideally having about 6,672 residents.
“Redistricting occurs after each decennial census so that political representation reflects population growth and change,” the city of Auburn website said. “The Code of Alabama 1975, Section 11-43A-33 sets forth redistricting procedures that include a process where the City must review and, if needed, redraw the district (ward) boundaries based on the 2020 census population with the purpose of gaining equal representation for each district by having as nearly as possible equal population in each.”
Redistricting must be completed within a set time frame. It occurs six months after receiving Census data and six months before the next municipal election, which for Auburn is on Aug. 23, 2022.
Redrawing city lines to hopefully reach the population goal of 9,518 residents per ward has to be within 5%.
The local NAACP branch had prepared a presentation about the process, which they presented during the public hearing to the council.
The branch’s goal is the create a second majority-minority district, which the group said is feasible.
The presentation included a packet of information with eight sections: census data analysis, map criteria information and application, process to develop a map, proof of concept map, timeline of process, observations, alternative map and demographics and alternative map analysis.
“Our goal is to redraw the wards to totally reflect the 2020 census demographics,” said Billy Allen, president of NAACP.
The minority population in the city of Auburn grew from 26.5% of the total population to to 36.8% of the total population, said Laticia Khalif, vice president of the NAACP branch.
Tabitha Isner, a hired cartographer from Montgomery for the NAACP branch, took time to explain the Thornburg v. Gingals court case which established the intervention of a court to create a minority-majority district based on three requirements.
The first of these requirements is feasibility based on minority-population, which generally is over 50%, she said.
The second is cohesion within the minority group. The third is that the majority group votes in “a block manner” against minority-preferred candidates, Isner said.
Isner said that the first requirement is feasible, while the second can’t be proven given the low amount of voting districts and non-partisan seats. There are other ways to evaluate this, but that research has not been completed.
“But we do think, that based on what we know about voting patterns across Alabama that both the Hispanic and Asian populations tend to vote largely similar to the way that the Black population votes,” she said. “And so there is good reason to believe that that coalition of minority groups does function as a politically-cohesive block.”
Isner said that in designing a map with a second minority-majority district, the group attempted to keep the map largely the same shape as the one the city of Auburn proposed.
“Take away is, please take a look at this map,” she said. “Let us know what it is you like and don’t like about it. We can make changes.”
There were other members of the public who gave opinions and asked the council to postpone the vote to consider the information.
Ward 2 Council Member Kelley Griswold asked what exactly the council would be voting on when the time came, whether it would be a singular map presented by the city.
City Manager Megan Crouch said that the city will evaluate data and should the map change, she would advise the council, however, the city’s map is still, as of this point, the one that would be voted on. If legal council advises a change, Crouch said, the staff would let the council know.
The vote was postponed to Jan. 4.
OTHER BUSINESS:
– The council approved a tax abatement extension for ATS Alabama Corp.
– The council approved annual updates to the Engineering Design and Construction Manual.
– The council approved annual updates to the Water Resources Management Design and Construction Manual.
– The council approved a renewal contract with Cisco Smartnet for cSpire Business for hardware and software.
– The council approved a contract with Davis Architects, Inc. for design services for the Boykin-Donahue Campus Splash Pad and Recreation Center Project for $1.091 million.
– The council approved a contract with Donohoo Chevrolet, LLC for a 2021 Chevrolet Equinox Crossover LT for the Police Department for over $22,000.
– The council approved a contract with ETC Institute for the city’s Biennial Citizen Survey for $16,000.
– The council approved a contract with Floyd Service Company, Inc. for the Thach Avenue Traffic Signal Improvements Project on South Gay Street for over $379,000.
– The council approved a contract with the Foresite Group, LLC, for design services for the Boykin-Donahue Campus Development for over $700,700.
– The council amended a professional services agreement with Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, Inc. for the Environmental Services and Public Works Departments Relocation Project for over $751,500.
– The council approved a contract with Hoar Program Management, LLC, for planning and budget development services for the Boykin-Donahue Campus Project for over $553,700.
– The council approved a contract for architectural design and engineering services with McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture for $37,400 for the Boykin-Donahue Campus Cultural Center Project.
– The council approved a PSA Amendment #2 with Hoar Program Management, LLC, for the Environmental Services and Public Works Departments Relocation Project for over $290,800.
– The council approved a contract with McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture for programming, architectural design and engineering services for the Boykin-Donahue Campus Public Library Project for over $231,100.
– The council approved a contract with Spain Associates for traffic engineering services for the Webster Road and SR 14 Traffic Signal Project for $19,800.
– The council approved a contract with SHI International Corp for a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement Renewal for over $234,500.
– The council approved a permanent sanitary sewer force main easement for the Capitol Vial of Alabama, Inc., for the Highway 14 Force Main Replacement Project.
– The council approved a permanent sanitary sewer force main easement and approve compensation of $4,400 for Hamre Investments, LLC, for the Highway 14 Force Main Replacement Project.
– The council approved a permanent sanitary sewer force main easement and approved compensation of $6,700 for James Robert Wilson and Linda Ann Wilson for the Highway 14 Force Main Replacement Project.
– The council approved a board appointment to the Auburn Water Works Board.
– The council approved an annexation for Kevin and Dawn Flanagan for property on the east side of Beehive Road, south of Wimberly Road.
– The council approved an annexation for the Industrial Development Board of the city of Auburn for property on the south side of Corporate Parkway, east of Riley Street and north of Lee Road 868.
– The council rezoned over 49 acres from Rural to Development District Housing for Brett Basquin for the Dawson Limited Partnership for property at the southwest intersection of Cox and Wire Roads. The council then approved an application of the planned Development District designation for the same property. The council then approved institutional uses, office use, road service use, commercial support uses and commercial and entertainment uses for the property.
– The council rezoned over 5 acres from rural to industrial for Arendt Siepmann on behalf of the Industrial Development Board of the city of Auburn for property on the south side of Corporate Parkway, east of Riley Street and north of Lee Road 868.
– The council approved institutional uses (assisted living facility and nursing home) for property at 350 Samford Village Court for Brett Basquin on behalf of DGM Financial, LLC.