ADOPTED FINAL MAP
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HEARING SCHEDULE

The City Council will be holding hearings to receive public input on where district lines should be drawn. Those hearings will be held on:

• August 3, 2021, 6:00 p.m., at Grogan Park Community Center, 1155 West Rancho Verde
• September 7, 2021, 6:00 p.m., at Veterans' Memorial Building, 313 West Tunnell Street
• March 2, 2022, 5:30 p.m., at Minami Community Center, 600 West Enos Drive
• March 15, 2022, 6:00 p.m., at Maramonte Community Center, 620 East Sunrise Drive

Due to the offsite locations of these meetings, live broadcasting of the hearings will not be available on the City’s YouTube Live Channel or on Comcast Cable Channel 23.  Additionally, Zoom will not be offered for these offsite meetings.  A video recording will be made of each hearing and posted on the City’s redistricting webpage the following day.

To request an interpreter (other than Spanish) or an accommodation pursuant to the American Disabilities Act for public comment, contact the Records/City Clerk Division at least 72 hours prior to the Public Hearing at (805) 925-0951 extension 2307.  A Spanish interpreter will be available at all City Council Redistricting Public Hearings.

You can also submit public comments, including suggested draft maps by emailing: redistricting@cityofsantamaria.org.

DISTRICTS

The City has four distinct districts for the City Council. Under the district-based method, voters may elect City Council candidates only from their district.  The first two Districts (3 and 4) became effective starting in December 2018 after the County Elections office certified results of the November 6, 2018, election for Districts 3 and 4. The Mayor's position is still elected at-large by all voters. The incumbent City Councilmembers who were not up for election in November 2018 continued to serve all of the City until after the November 2020 election results were certified for Districts 1 and 2.  From the "Look-up your Council Voting District" link above, you may change the layers view (at the bottom of that page) to show the prior City Council Districts established in 2017.

The City Council in March 2018 decided to continue its practice of governing with a Citywide perspective following the shift to elections of Councilmembers by Council Districts. See the adopted Resolution for Governance.

REDISTRICTING PROCESS

Every ten years, local governments use new census data to redraw their district lines to reflect how local populations have changed. Assembly Bill 849 (2019) requires cities and counties to engage communities in the redistricting process by holding public hearings and/or workshops and doing public outreach, including to non- English-speaking communities.

What is redistricting?

Every ten years, districts must be redrawn so that each district is substantially equal in population. This process, called redistricting, is important in ensuring that each City Councilmember represents about the same number of constituents. In Santa Maria, the City Council is responsible for drawing Council Districts. Redistricting is done using U.S. Census data. For the City of Santa Maria, the redistricting process must be completed by April 17, 2022.

Why does redistricting matter to me?

Redistricting determines which neighborhoods and communities are grouped together into a district for purposes of electing a Councilmember.

The City Council will seek input in selecting the next district map for the City Council. This is an opportunity to share with the City Council how you think district boundaries should be drawn to best represent your community.

You can contact the Chief Deputy City Clerk at cityclerk@cityofsantamaria.org or (805) 925-0951 ext. 2307 to find out more about how the process works.

What criteria will the City Council use when drawing district lines?

To the extent practicable, district lines will be adopted using the following criteria:

1. geographically contiguous districts (each city council district should share a common border with the next),
2. the geographic integrity of local neighborhoods or communities shall be respected in a manner that minimizes its division,
3. geographic integrity of a city shall be respected in a manner that minimizes its division,
4. easily identifiable boundaries that follow natural or artificial barriers (rivers, streets, highways, rail lines, etc.), and
5. lines shall be drawn to encourage geographic compactness. In addition, boundaries shall not be drawn for purposes of favoring or discriminating against a political party.

How will the City Council notify the public about redistricting?

The City Council will reach out to local media to publicize the redistricting process. Also, the City will make a good faith effort to notify community groups of various kinds about the redistricting process. The City’s public hearings will be provided in applicable languages if residents submit a request in advance. The City Council will notify the public about redistricting hearings, post maps online before adoption, and create a dedicated web page for all relevant information about the redistricting process.