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Following a brief public hearing, the City Council voted unanimously to re-adopt the current council district map to serve as the district map for the next 10 years.
This was the fourth city hearing on the subject, the minimum number of hearings required by law.
The redistricting process isn’t quite over. On March 14, the council is scheduled to introduce an ordinance to officially re-adopt the existing council district boundaries. On March 28, the council is scheduled to hold the second-reading (approval) of the ordinance.
The council’s job at this week’s meeting was to select the final map. The ordinance to approve the map is expected to be introduced at the March 14 council meeting. The legal deadline for Seal Beach to adopt the map of district boundaries is April 18.
The hearing
After the city clerk presented the staff report on redistricting (see below), District One Councilman/Mayor Joe Kalmick asked the council if they had questions.
There were none.
Kalmick opened the public hearing.
City Clerk Gloria Harper said no one was on call wishing to speak.
Kalmick closed the public hearing.
He requested council comments.
There were none.
District Four Councilwoman Schelly Sustarsic moved to re-adopt the district map for the next 10 years.
District Five Councilwoman Sandra Massa-Lavitt seconded the motion. Both councilwomen served on the Redistricting Subcommittee.
Background
The redistricting issue comes up every 10 years, thanks to the U.S. Census. “As the City Council is aware, after every federal Census, jurisdictions with district-based election systems, like the City of Seal Beach, must review voting district boundaries to ensure that the districts are still legally compliant,” according to the staff report by City Clerk Gloria Harper, City Attorney Craig Steele and Assistant City Attorney Chelsea Straus.
“The most basic requirement is that each district must be substantially equal in population, in order to protect the concept of ‘one person, one vote,’” according to the report.
“On February 22, 2022, the Redistricting Subcommittee held the third redistricting public hearing to take public input on the composition of City Council voting districts and to determine whether to recommend that the City Council adjust the existing boundaries of City Council election districts or re-adopt the existing City Council boundaries which comply with all applicable laws,” according to the report.
“The Redistricting Subcommittee voted to recommend that the City Council re-adopt the current District Map as the new City Council District Map,” according to the staff report.
About the districts
Seal Beach is divided into five council districts. “The ideal population for each district is approximately 5,056,” according to the staff report.
The report also said that a deviation of 10% is considered constitutionally acceptable. “The City’s total deviation from the ideal population is 7.18%, so the City’s current District Map is acceptable under the law,” according to the report.
The council also received and filed the 2020 Census Data.
In alternating Seal Beach elections, held every two years, different council districts are in play.
In 2022, Districts One, Three, and Five will be in play. District Three Councilman Michael Varipapa and District Five Councilwoman Sandra Massa-Lavitt have termed out.
