In 2012, Chula Vista voters approved Proposition B which changed the process for electing City Council members from an “at large” to a “district” system. This fundamentally changed our form of representative government: instead of councilmembers being elected City-wide and representing seats, councilmembers will now be elected by and represent geographic “districts” within the City. The purpose of this change was to make elected officials more connected, responsive and accountable to the communities they represent. By helping draw the first district maps, Chula Vistans have a historic opportunity to shape the long-term future of their City – beginning in the 2016 Elections!
The districting process called for the creation of a Districting Commission, working with the community, to create the City’s first set of district boundaries. Our Districting Commission was first seated in August 2014. Since then, along with securing the mapping and outreach consultants, we have been working diligently to learn about the legal requirements and “best practices” for this important endeavor. One of the main things we came to understand was how important it was to get input from the community.
That is why a major focus to date has been gathering public input on residents’ “Communities of Interest.” Communities of Interest tell the Commission what connects people in various areas of the city, what are the street boundaries that shape that community, and what shared characteristics, interests and goals make up certain communities. The goal of this effort is to identify all those Communities of Interest on a map to determine how the new Council District boundaries can be drawn to keep the Communities of Interest intact within each district as much as possible. Remember, the Commission does not define “Communities of Interest,” you do!!
The Chula Vista Districting Commission wants to hear from as many residents as possible in order to ensure future districts truly represent Chula Vista’s voice. The Commission just concluded five public workshops to learn about the Communities of Interest in our city. The next step is to view those areas on a map and start drawing lines to create four Council Districts of approximately 60,000 people each.
The line drawing meetings are public meetings and will be held April 24 at 6 p.m. and continue on April 25 at 10 a.m. They are at City Council Chambers and will be broadcast live on television (Cox Channel 24 and AT&T Uverse Channel 99) and webcast at www.chulavistaca.gov. It is the Commission’s goal that a Draft Districting Plan (map or maps) will be completed at the end of these meetings. After the Draft Plan is developed, it will be released for public review and comment. We will hold another round of workshops in May for people to provide input on the draft Council district lines. Based on this input, further refinements may be made to the maps.
You still have time to help the Commission learn more about your unique community! There are many different ways to make your voice heard. You can visit the website for more details at www.chulavistaca.gov/districting. You can provide input and comments by phone (619) 409-1946, email districting@chulavistaca.gov, or mail or drop-off comments at City Hall, 276 Fourth Ave, Chula Vista, 91910.
The Commission is committed to a transparent and inclusionary process so we can hear from all residents about how our new districts should be formed. All workshop documents have been translated and oral translation is being provided as a courtesy to residents. These languages include Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and Filipino. By providing input to the Districting Commission, the people, not the elected officials, have the power in this process to draw the district lines and to shape their own communities.
We on the Commission would like to thank the many organizations that have also been involved through a Community Coalition, dedicating time and resources to support Chula Vista Districting outreach. This is a really exciting time for Chula Vista and we’re trying to get as many people involved as possible. We can all make history in Chula Vista!
Torres is the chairperson Monzon is the vice-chairperson of the Chula Vista Districting Commission.
