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2020 Redistricting Commission
2020 Redistricting Commission (RDC) Final Report and Recommendations
Recommendation: This report should be provided to the 2030 Redistricting Commission prior to its
inaugural meeting.
Introduction: The 2020 Chula Vista Redistricting Commission was the first commission charged with
adjusting district boundaries based on Federal Decennial Census information. (District boundaries initially
established in 2015).
It should be noted that the appointment of the 2020 Redistricting Commission occurred during the
COVID -19 pandemic which limited in-person interactions of the commission and public.
The bylaws (Article 4, section 3) adopted by the RDC on February 18, 2021, provide that the RDC prepare
a set of written recommendations based on the Commission’s experience, for the 2030 Redistricting
Commission. These recommendations will be kept with the records of the 2020 RDC’s work in the Office
of the City Clerk. In compliance with this provision, the 2020 RDC has prepared the current report on
behalf of the 2030 Redistricting Commission in order to assist with its mission.
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Background: The RDC was created by City Charter Section 300.5 and supplemented by CVMC Chapter
2.51. Public outreach and initial screening for eligible members was conducted by the Office of the City
Clerk. A total of 45 applications were received. The Chula Vista Charter Review Committee interviewed
sixteen applicants on October 7, 2020 and narrowed the list to ten. From that pool, four were randomly
chosen; those four selected three others from the remaining ten. The selections were based on
knowledge, experience and diversity of gender, ethnicity, and geography. The Oath of Office was
administered to the four commissioners selected by the Charter Review Committee on October 20, 2020,
and to the final three commissioners selected by these four on November 9, 2020.
RECOMMENDATION: City staff should conduct extensive public outreach to ensure the candidate pool is
diverse, as required by the City Charter. Contingent upon the candidate pool, commission membership
should be composed of at least one member from each Council District.
STRONG FOUNDATION:
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As part of the City Charter update approved by voters in November 2022 in the form of Measure K, the original
Districting Commission provisions contained in Charter Section 300.5 have been relocated and updated. These
provisions can now be found in Charter Section 903.
You will need a strong foundation upon which to build your commission including an orientation on roles
and responsibilities and the fundamentals of districting, including the City Charter, Voting Rights Act and
applicable laws and regulations.
RECOMMENDATION: A) Ask the City Attorney’s Office to provide a training session on the Brown Act,
Ethics , fundamentals of districting and other required training. B) Assign subcommittees to address
timelines, budget, bylaws, and Requests for Proposals (RFP) for the hiring of the consultants. C) Be
involved in the consultant selection process throughout the entire process. D) Request that the City setup
the Redistricting Commission web page as soon as possible to promote public access and transparency.
BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE:
The City of Chula Vista provided adequate funds for the redistricting process which included consultant
contracts for mapping and public outreach services.
RECOMMENDATION: Budget discussion should occur at the initial meeting of the RDC. Budget
Subcommittee should review and recommend any needed changes to the full RDC. Additional budget
requests, if needed, should go to City Council as early in the process as possible.
BYLAWS SUBCOMMITTEE:
Modifications to the bylaws were drafted by the Bylaws Subcommittee and approved by the full
Commission.
RECOMMENDATION: Update and adopt bylaws for the Redistricting Commission. For violations of
bylaws, include a penalty clause; for a grievous violation, recommend to the City Council removal from
the Commission. (Any action in this regard should be by majority vote and in compliance with existing
provisions of the Municipal Code.)
CONSULTANT RFP SUBCOMMITTEES:
The RDC appointed separate subcommittees for the selection of the mapping and public outreach
consultants, which aligned with the two RFP processes and contracts.
RECOMMENDATION: Use separate RFP processes to select the mapping and public outreach consultants.
In choosing the public outreach consultant, conduct a vetting process to ensure consultants have detailed
knowledge of Chula Vista and extensive public outreach experience. Efforts to address the digital divide
and communities of interest is essential. The mapping consultant should have extensive experience in
the districting process and provide interactive mapping opportunities for the commission and the
community at large.
STRATEGIC PLAN / TIMELINE:
Staff provided assistance and guidance in establishing a timeline and ensuring mandatory deadlines were
met. Due to delays at the Federal level with the release of 2020 Census data, the 2020 RDC worked within
a compressed timeline.
RECOMMENDATION: Work closely with staff to establish a schedule and timeline to allow for adequate
public outreach and engagement and to ensure deadlines are met.
2020 Redistricting Commission Final Report Page 2 of 4
PROCESS:
The RDC began its work during a world-wide pandemic which limited in-person contacts. Initial meetings
were held remotely. Public participation was also limited to viewing meetings remotely and submitting
comments through an established portal. When in-person meetings were permitted the RDC met in the
City Council Chambers. The Commission initially met on a monthly basis and during the final mapping
phase the Commission met bi-monthly.
RECOMMENDATION: Hold regular meetings in the City Council Chambers, if possible, start meetings at
6:00 p.m. to allow for greater public participation. Public should have option to attend meetings in-person
or remotely to encourage broader participation.
PUBLIC WORKSHOPS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH:
Southwest Strategies was awarded the contract for public outreach services. Southwest Strategies and
City communications staff developed and implemented a robust communications and public outreach
program that included:
Public Hearings/Workshops
Digital Advertising
Radio Advertising
Social Media posts
Redistricting Web page
Presentations to Boards and Commissions
Presentations to business and community organizations
News media outreach
Southwest Strategies coordinated logistics for four public workshops (one in each council district) to build
awareness about the redistricting process, secure initial input on potential changes to council district
boundaries, and request feedback on “communities of interest.” Translation services were made
available in Spanish, Filipino, Chinese, and Vietnamese at public hearings, meetings and workshops. The
dates, times and locations of the workshops are listed below:
July 28 City Council Chambers – District 2 @ 6:00 p.m.
July 29 Veteran’s Recreation Center – District 3 @ 6:00 p.m.
July 31 Salt Creek Community Center – District 1 @ 9:30 a.m.
August 2 Otay Recreation Center – District 4 @ 6:00 p.m.
Southwest Strategies also made 17 presentations to City Boards and Commissions; coordinated with
partner organizations to promote the redistricting effort; developed a variety of graphics for social media
and advertising; wrote copy used in press releases, digital, radio and print advertising, social media posts,
and the Redistricting web page.
The RDC held an additional three public meetings in October following receipt of the Decennial Census
data. Public input was received on four draft maps provided by the mapping consultant. The Commission
held two additional meetings in November to receive public testimony. Following public testimony and
Commission input the final map was unanimously approved for recommendation to the City Council.
2020 Redistricting Commission Final Report Page 3 of 4
RECOMMENDATION: Continue practice of holding community workshops in diverse locations throughout
Chula Vista. Encourage public participation throughout the process by providing multiple opportunities
for engagement.
RECOMMENDATION: Public outreach efforts should address the digital divide to ensure all residents are
able to actively participate in the redistricting process.
PUBLIC MAPPING TOOLS:
Online mapping tools were made available to allow the public to provide input on communities of interest,
how the district boundaries could be revised, and information about what was important to them about
their district. A paper participation kit was also available, allowing the public to draw on maps to identify
communities of interest, recommend district boundary lines, or provide other feedback. Along with the
map, data by census block including race/ethnicity and more was provided.
RECOMMENDATION: Require the mapping consultant to provide high-quality user-friendly mapping tools
that can be used by Commissioners and the public. Mapping consultant should be present at public
meetings to facilitate changes to draft maps based on public and commission input. Real time mapping
tools and data calculations should be accessible to the Commission and the public early on and regularly
throughout the process.
2020 Redistricting Commission Final Report Page 4 of 4