Public Access Plan

Purpose

The Los Angeles County (County) Supervisorial District Boundary Review Committee (Boundary Review Committee) will recommend to the County Board of Supervisors adoption of a Decennial Redistricting Plan which: 1) provides fair and effective representation for all the people of the County, 2) enhances the opportunity of all voters to elect candidates of their choice, and 3) otherwise meets all the requirements of applicable law.

Pursuant to the California Elections Code 21500, et seq., counties must redistrict after each Decennial Census, using that Census as a basis. Supervisorial district boundaries must be adjusted so that districts are “as nearly equal in population as may be.” The County must comply with the requirements of the Federal Voting Rights Act to ensure fair and effective representation for racial and language minority groups. The purpose of this Public Access Plan (Plan) is to promote and urge participation by the maximum number of Los Angeles County residents in this important task.

The Boundary Review Committee consists of 10 members and 10 alternates. Two members and two alternates are nominated by each Supervisor and appointed by the full Board of Supervisors. The Boundary Review Committee will be assisted in its work by County staff and technical consultants with expertise in managing and analyzing databases and proposed plans.

Public Access – Major Elements

Consistent with the commitment to promote public participation in the redistricting process, this Plan seeks to ensure the widest practicable participation and dissemination of pertinent redistricting information and materials. To accomplish this, the Plan includes the following major elements:

• Development of a County Redistricting Website;
• Community outreach, including public outreach meetings;
• Process for developing/submitting redistricting plans;
• Review process and public access to review submitted plans; and
• Timetable for adoption of a Supervisorial District Boundary Ordinance.

Development of a County Redistricting Website

The County Redistricting Website will be the primary source to disseminate all redistricting information and materials, including providing online redistricting software for the public to develop and submit redistricting plans for Boundary Review Committee consideration. The County’s Redistricting Website will include, but is not limited to, the following Information, materials, and tools:

• Redistricting background information
• Applicable redistricting law and redistricting principles
• Boundary Review Committee information
• Public Access Plan
• Meeting schedules, agendas, and minutes
• Summary of public comments/letters
• Timeline and schedule of important dates
• Current Supervisorial districts and data
• Glossary of terms/Frequently Asked Questions
• Resources

Community Outreach

To facilitate and encourage public participation, it is recommended that at least one Boundary Review Committee outreach meeting be scheduled in each Supervisorial District. Community outreach meetings are expected to be held in the month of April 2011 during the evening hours. These meetings will address legal requirements for redistricting, time frames, public access procedures and the role of the Boundary Review Committee. Further, they will provide an opportunity for the public to identify communities of interest and advise the Committee on issues of concern with regard to the redistricting process.

A listing of all scheduled community meetings, as well as summaries of those meetings already conducted, can be found on the Redistricting Website. In addition, Boundary Review Committee outreach will include the following:

• News advisories/press releases;
• Media advertising;
• E-mail notices publicizing meetings and public hearing to cities, neighborhood councils, and interested organizations, communities, and individuals;
• Pursuit of vehicles to promote accessibility to the redistricting process and activities of the Boundary Review Committee via languages beyond English; and
• Use of social network technology such as Twitter and Facebook.

Developing/Submitting Redistricting Plans

Members of the public will have the opportunity to submit proposed redistricting plans for consideration by the Boundary Review Committee. This will be facilitated in part, by providing free online redistricting tools on the Redistricting Website, as well as providing redistricting information and materials. However, proposed redistricting plans may also be submitted by mail or hand delivery. The following is proposed to be provided with the redistricting software to assist in developing redistricting proposals:

• A list of datasets
• The Boundary Ordinance from Los Angeles County Code, Chapter 1.08, Supervisor Districts
• Statutory and other legal requirements for County redistricting
• Instructions/requirements for submitting a redistricting plan

Plan Submissions and Review Process/Public Hearings of the Review Committee

The following are requirements/guidelines for plan submission and review process of the Boundary Review Committee:

• Proposed redistricting plans must be received by May 27, 2011, in order to be considered by the Boundary Review Committee. Plans may be submitted electronically using the County-provided redistricting software, or mailed/delivered to:

Executive Officer, Board of Supervisors
383 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Attention: Commission Services

Phone: (213) 974-1431
Email: Commserv@bos.lacounty.gov

Plans submitted to the County will be reviewed for accuracy of data and conformance with legal requirements. Unless there are unusual circumstances, County analysis of submitted plans using the County-provided redistricting software will be completed in three business days. Plans submitted not using the County’s redistricting software may take longer than three business days, but no more than ten business days, depending on submitted content.

• Proposers may resubmit plans that have been revised as a result of a County analysis. However, resubmittals are subject to the June 2, 2011 deadline. Therefore, original submissions must be received in sufficient time to allow for review, revision, and resubmission. Any initial plans submitted after May 30, 2011 may not be analyzed nor returned for resubmission because of time constraints.

• Plans submitted to the County are subject to the deliberations of the Boundary Review Committee and may be revised or modified as the Committee deems appropriate. Proposers may request to rescind submitted plans, which will be recorded and reported to the Committee. However, any plans submitted will remain available for Committee consideration.

• Plans must be submitted seven business days in advance of a scheduled Boundary Review Committee meeting in order to be properly noticed, reviewed, and placed on the Committee’s agenda. Plans submitted at a meeting of the Boundary Review Committee cannot be considered at the meeting.

• All plans submitted to the Boundary Review Committee will be made available for public review after a reasonable time following submittal.

• Public Hearings are scheduled for the month of June 2011 and will be for the purpose of public input on communities of interest, any submitted redistricting proposal(s), and the general goals of the redistricting process.

• Specific plans may be considered at Boundary Review Committee meetings. Proposers may wish to attend the meetings and testify on their plans. Attendance by proposers however, is not required.

Timetable for Adoption of Supervisorial District Boundary Ordinance

The timetable below represents the schedule for adoption of a Supervisorial District Boundary Ordinance. It may be revised by the Boundary Review Committee or the Board of Supervisors in order to meet the statutory deadline for implementing new boundaries by October 31, 2011. This is in compliance with Election Code Section 21506.

Adoption of the Ordinance by October 31, 2011, allows for the requisite 30-day period for the Ordinance to become effective. During this time, the public has the right to challenge the Ordinance by referendum.