PUBLIC HEARING 6:00 P.M.:  Receive and hear all persons desiring to be heard on proposed Single Member City Council District Boundaries and Redistricting Plan.

FIRST CONSIDERATION:  Consideration of and action on CITY OF SUGAR LAND ORDINANCE NO. 2140: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SUGAR LAND, TEXAS, ADOPTING A REVISED PLAN FOR THE CITY'S SINGLE MEMBER CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS; PROVIDING FOR RELATED MATTERS AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

State and Federal law require single-member council districts to have substantially equal population. As a result of the annexation of Greatwood and New Territory, the populations in Districts 2 and 4 were significantly larger than those of Districts 1 and 3. To remedy the imbalance, the City Council appointed a Redistricting Advisory Committee to formulate and recommend a revised Plan that would result in four single-member council districts with substantially equal population.

The Redistricting Advisory Committee held three public meetings (July 31, August 3, and August 14) and considered seven draft plans. At the conclusion of the third meeting, the Redistricting Advisory Committee voted to unanimously recommend a revised Plan 6 to City Council for their consideration.

At the August 21, 2018 City Council Meeting, the Redistricting Advisory Committee presented their report and recommended Plan for City Council Consideration.

At the August 28, 2018 City Council Meeting, City Council held a workshop to review the recommended Plan and ask the consultants questions related to the Plan and its implementation. At the conclusion of the workshop, City Council directed staff to place both the Plan recommended by the Advisory Committee and the Plan revised by City Council during the workshop on the September 4, 2018 meeting for public hearing and first reading.

Attached is Ordinance 2140 and exhibits showing maps, demographics, and census geography reports for both Plans.

Application of the Revised Apportionment

The new Single Member Council Districts will be effective for the 2019 election and continuously thereafter. The new Districts will be effective for all purposes related to the 2019 election – campaigning, residency for filing, voting, canvassing and swearing in. These are all future actions.

The new Districts do not apply to current Single Member Council representation and District boundaries. Current boundaries and representation do not relate to the 2019 election. These boundaries and representatives are the results of the 2017 election.

In summary:

• The new Districts are effective for filing and running for office in 2019.
• The new Districts define the boundaries for candidate residence requirements/eligibility.
• Once the 2019 election is held, the new Districts are effective for canvassing and swearing in new District Council Members.
• Swearing in a Council Member finalizes the 2019 election. Until that occurs, the incumbent District Council Member remains in office.
• After Single Member District Council Members are sworn in, the new Districts are applicable for all District matters.