[1. CALL TO ORDER]
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>> THANK YOU FOR BRINGING ASHEN AND OUR MICS UP. I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYBODY AT THIS TIME, AND CALL THIS MEETING TO
ORDER. >> AT THIS TIME, PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE UNITED STATES AND TO OUR
TEXAS FLAG. >> REPEAT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND
JUSTICE FOR ALL." >>> TEXAS FLEDGE FLEDGE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL." JUSTICE FOR ALL." TEXAS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL." WELL, THE TIME IS FOR OUR CLERK, 5:32 P.M. AND THE DATE IS NOVEMBER 10TH, 2021. WE'VE HAD A VERY EVENTFUL DAY IN NUECES COUNTY AND WE'RE HERE IN THE THIRD FLOOR OF THE NUECES COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT ROOM IN THE NUECES COUNTY COURT HOUSE. I CERTIFY THAT COMMISSIONER CHESNEY AND HERNANDEZ, CANALES, MYSELF ARE PRESENT AND THEREFORE A QUORUM HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED. I'LL MOVE ON AT THIS TIME TO ESTABLISH THAT THE PUBLIC HEARING HAS BEGUN AND WE'RE CONDUCTING THIS HEARING TO RECEIVE PUBLIC INPUT RELATED TO THE NUECES COUNTY 2021 REDISTRICTING PLAN. NICE TO SEE NEW FACES AND NICE TO WELCOME BACK THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN FANTASTIC IN THEIR PARTICIPATION THROUGHOUT THE LAST FEW WEEKS. AT THIS TIME, YOU KNOW, I DO HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. IT DOES SAY PUBLIX COMMENT AFTER. DON'T WE ALWAYS HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT DURING OR PUBLIC HEARING.
>> THAT'S THE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE MEETING PORTION.
>> OH, GOT IT. >> THANK YOU. THAT'S FOR THE NEXT PIECE. WELL, I'VE ASKED BELINDA TO SHARE WITH ME THE PUBLIC COMMENT ROSTER TO DO THAT AND WE HAVE JOE SAY GARZA REPRESENTING US HERE. BEFORE YOU DO THAT, BECAUSE IT MAKES MORE SENSE SINCE I THUMBED THROUGH THEM. I SIGNED MYSELF UP BECAUSE AS I LOOKED THROUGH ALL MY MAIL, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY THERE ARE BUT THEY'RE ALL VERY QUICK. AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE TO TAKE NOTICE THAT, I THINK WELE LISTENED TO THE PEOPLE. AND LET ME TELL YOU WHY. HI, BARBARA, PLEASE KEEP THE SOMETHINGS ON REDISTRICTING, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. PLEASE OPEN THE PROCESS TO THE PUBLIC, MAPS SHOULD NOT BE DRAWN BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. >HONORABLE, JUDGE CANALES, LET'S SHOW THE PEOPLE HOW IT SHOULD BE CONDUCTED.
THAT YOU CAN. >> HELLO, AS A LEADER, YOU HAVE THE POWER TO GIVE OUR COMMUNITY A FAIR PROCESS TO THE PUBLIC.
WE DESERVE A FAIR PROCESS FOR REDISTRICTING. LOVE, SANCHEZ WITH A BIG HEART. WE WAND A FAIR AND TRANSPARENT REDISTRICTS WITH PUBLIC INPUT. THIS ONE'S NOT SIGNED.
>>> PLEASE, WE NEED A FAIR AND TRANSPARENT IMPARTIAL PROCESS
WITH PUBLIC INPUT. >> DEER JUDGE CANALES THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING MAPS AND CONSIDERING, IIC.
>> IRC IN A TRANSPARENT REDISTRICTING PROCESS. PLEASE VOTE TO ESTABLISH. THIS ONE, HAS TO BE ONE OF MY FAVORITE, DEAR JUDGE CANALES I CAN'T VOTE YET BUT WHEN I CAN, I WANT IT TO BE COUNTED. MAPS SHOULD BE DRAWN IN PUBLIC. BRAVO, LEAORTIZ. I FEEL PUBLIC MEETINGS ARE IMPORTANT. WE IMMEDIATE PUBLIC INPUT HEARINGS FOR MAPS TO BE DRAWN, DECISIONS ABOUT US SHOULD NOT BE MADE WITHOUT US. WE NEED PUBLIC INPUT HEARINGS TO BE HELD. THE NEED FOR PUBLIC INPUT FOR MAPS TO BE HELD AND ADVERTISED THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY SO SIGNIFICANT, MAPS SHOULD BE DRAWN IN PUBLIC. WE NEED
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IMPARTIAL REDISTRICTS PROCESS WITH THE PUBLIC SO IT WOULD BE FAIR AND TRANSPARENT. THANK YOU. PLEASE CONSIDER A NONBIPARTISAN INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING FOR MAPS.>> JUDGE CANALES THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE THINGS YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY, PLEASE BE SURE THAT OUR REDISTRICTING IS FAIR
AND. >> THAT WAS OUT COUNTY NEEDS THE FOLLOWING, PUBLIC INPUT ADVERTISED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY WITH HEARINGS, MAPS DRAWN IN THE PUBLIC. I'M WRITING REGARDING REDISTRICTING, THE WAY REDISTRICTS HAS BEEN HELD IS NOT TRANSPARENT AND FAIR IN THE PAST, I ASK THERE BE AN IMPARTIAL FAIR REDISTRICTING PROHE IS IS. WE NEED TO HAVE PUBLIC INPUT FOR DRAWING OF MAPS NOT PRIVATE ENTITIES DRAW MAPS FOR US. MAPS SHOULD BE DRAWN IN PUBLIC WORK SESSIONS NOT BEHIND CLOSED DOOR, COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS ON MAPS. COUNT JUDGE CANALES AND COMMISSIONERS WE NEED AN INDEPENDENT NONBIPARTISAN REDISTRICTING FOR MAPS. AND ADVERTISED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, GERRYMANDERING IS EVIL AND MUST BE STOPPED.
>> I SHARE THESE WITH YOU AS AN IMPORTANT REFLECTION OF OUR COMMUNITY. PERHAPS SOME OF YOU ARE HEAR, I KNOW THAT FROM RECOGNIZING YOUR NAMES AND HAVING YOU BEEN A PART OF OUR PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS. AND SOME COULD NOT BE HERE WITH US, BUT THEIR VOICES WILL BE HEARD. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY PIECE OF MAIL THAT I RECEIVE AND I ALWAYS TRY TO FIND A WAY TO GIVE IT A FORUM AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE LISTENED, WE PROVIDED THE PUBLIC HEARINGS, ADVERTISED, AND GAVE ALL OF YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME OUT AGAIN TODAY. I WANT YOU TO KNOW OUR PEOPLE ARE LISTENING, WATCHING, AND HOLDING US ACCOUNTABLE. COMMISSIONERS, I WILL SHARE THESE WITH YOU, AND ASK THAT IF YOU HAVE ANY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, DO SO NOW OR AT ANY TIME DURING THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
CHRIS GARCIA, YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A
>> CAN YOU HEAR ME? >> YES, SIR.
>> THANK YOU, YEAH, THANK YOU, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THIS HEARING VIRTUALLY. I'M FROM BISHOP, AND I'VE LOOKED AT THE MAPS AND I NOTICED THAT MAP BB HAS A WEST SIDE OF BISHOP IN PRECINCT 1 WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN THE WAY IT CURRENTLY FALLS INTO PRECINCT TWO. IF I'M SEEING THAT CORRECT, I WOULD HOPE IN ANY KIND OF DISCUSSIONS, MAY BE YOU COULD PROVIDE INSIGHT AS TO WHY BISHOP HAS BEEN CRACKED LIKE THAT. I UNDERSTAND OTHER PARTS OF NUECES COUNTY ARE GETTING CRACKED AND PACKED, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHY MY TOWN'S GOING TO BE CRACKED. AND IF ANYONE OUT THERE ISN'T FAMILIAR WITH THAT TERM OR LANGUAGE, THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE DO WHEN THEY KIND OF GERRYMANDER, IS YOU CRACK AND PACK AREAS AND COUNTIES AND DESPITE SOME INSIGHT ON THAT IF POSSIBLE. NUMBER TWO, THE PRINCETON GERRYMANDERING PROJECT GRADED TEXAS REDISTRICT FROM C-F AND DEPENDING HOW YOU ANSWER MY FIRST QUESTION, I'LL COME IN WITH MY OWN GRADE, A-F FOR BISHOP FOR THAT CRACK. AND LASTLY, UNTIL YOU GET AN INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE, I WOULD BE MORE INCLINED TO GIVE A BETTER GRADE FOR YOUR REDISTRICTING. AND, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. SO MUCH. AND SO, NOW IF IT'S ALL RIGHT WITH
THE AUDIENCE -- >> JUDGE, MAY I COMMENT ON THIS
WOULD THAT BE APPROPRIATE? >> YOU'RE FINE. AND THAT WAY,
IN GARZA CAN GET READY. >> I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG HE'S GOING TO BE ON. I NOTICED THIS, AND I DON'T THINK BISHOP WILL BE SPLIT AND I DOUBT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'LL END UP DOING
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THAT. ME PERSONALLY, IN FACT, I LOOKED OUT THERE AND THOUGHT YOU COULD PUT DRISCOLL IN WITH BISHOP. THE LAST THING I WANTTO DO IS SPLIT BISHOP. >> THAT WASN'T MY BELIEF, I
DON'T THINK IT WAS SPLIT. >> WE'RE GOING TO LET MR. GARZA ANSWER THAT QUESTION FOR MR. GARCIA.
>> BUT, YEAH, I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE ANSWERED WHILE HE'S
ON. >> WE'LL BE CERTAIN. M MR. GARZA, I KNOW YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION TO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE MAPS, BUT ALSO IN THAT PRESENTATION, WOULD YOU PLEASE ADDRESS THE COMMENT THAT CAME FORTH RECORDING BISHOP?
>> ABSOLUTELY. >> THANK YOU, AND WE WANT TO REMIND YOU TO USE A MIC BECAUSE EVERYTHING ONLINE NEEDS TO HEAR
>> AND THEN AFTER MR. GARZA, MY INTENTION IS TO GO THROUGH OUR ROSTER HERE AND GOING TO BE ABLE TO VISIT WITH YOU, THE PUBLIC.
>>>. GOOD EVENING, SO, LET ME BEGIN BY RESPONDING TO THE QUESTION ABOUT BISHOP AND IT WASN'T DONE INTENTIONALLY, BUT IT IS NOTED IN THE LIST OF BISHOP IS DIVIDED AS NOTED. AND I THINK, THOSE OF YOU THAT KNOW THE COUNTY BETTER THAN ME, WHAT WE WERE DOING BETWEEN PLAN AA WHICH DOES NOT SPLIT BISHOP AND DOUBLE BB WHICH IN FACT DOES SPLIT BISHOP IS WE WERE BRINGING PRECINCT 36 TO BALANCE OUT THE POPULATION TO A LOWER LEVEL THAN WHAT PLAN AA HAD. ANDIBLE THAT BISHOP IS LOCATED IN TWO VOTING PRECINCTS. 36 AND 102. THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AA AND BB THAT WE MADE IN THAT REGION OF THE COUNTY. SO, I'M ASSUMING THEN, THAT BISHOP IS BETWEEN 36-102 BECAUSE 102 STAYS IN DISTRICT 2 BUT 36 MOVES INTO DISTRICT 1 OR COMMISSIONER PRECINCTS 1. SO, I BELIEVE THAT'S HOW THAT HAPPENED. WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT PUTTING PRECINCT 102 INTO PRECINCT 1 AND THAT MAY TAKE CARE OF BISHOP. AND MY GUESS IS THE POPULATION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THAT MOVE WILL NOT EFFECT AND MAY HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE OVERALL DEVIATION. AND WE CAN CERTAINLY TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND IF DIRECTED TO, WE CAN MAKE THAT FINAL MOVE. FOR THE PRESENTATION, I DON'T HAVE A LOT, JUDGE, AND COMMISSIONERERS FOR TODAY'S PRESENTATION, BUT WHAT I WANTED TO SAY IS THAT WE PRESENTED TWO ADDITIONAL PLANS AND EXPLAINED WHY WE PRESENTED THOSE TWO ADDITIONAL PLANS.
PLAN BB MODIFIED. BB SEEMED TO BE THE CONSENSUS CHOICE FROM THE FOLKS THAT SPOKE AT THE HEARING AND OTHER THAN THIS CRITIQUE THAT WE'RE GETTING NOW, THERE WASN'T REALLY ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT PLAN BB MENTIONED BY THE COMMISSIONERS OR THE FOLKS HERE.
SO, BUT, THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE THAT THE UNIVERSITY PRECINCT BE MOVED INTO COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 3. AND THAT SOME BALANCE FOR THAT BE DONE THE OTHER WAY. AND SO WE DID THAT WITH PLAN BB SO, THE UNIVERSITY WOULD NOW THEN BE IN COMMISSIONER PRECINCT THREE. I DID BRIEFLY LOOK AT TIM'S CRITIQUE OF PLAN BB MODIFIED IN WHICH HE POINTED OUT THAT THERE WOULD BE A LAND LOCK PROBLEM IF WE DID THAT. AND ACTUALLY IT WAS POINTED OUT TO ME AFTER THE MEETING YESTERDAY BECAUSE I HAD
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THE SAME CONCERN BY MR. SIENS THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY A ROAD THAT RUNS ALONG THE EDGE OF PRECINCT 91 ON THE SIDE THAT WOULD CONNECT THEREFORE, THERE WOULD BE NO LAND LOCK. THERE'S A ROAD THAT CONNECTS THOSE TWO AREAS OF PRECINCT 4. SO, THAT'S WHAT PLAN BB MODIFIED. PLAN CC MODIFIED WAS IN REACTION TO THE QUESTIONS THAT COMMISSIONER CHESNEY HAD ABOUT WHY PLAN CC HAD SUCH A LARGE DEVIATION. PRECINCT THREE AND MOVING SOME OF THE SOUTH SIDE PRECINCTS, 124 AND PART OF 32 BACK INTO FOUR WHICH IS WHERE THEY HAD BEEN ORIGINALLY. SO, THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THAT MOVE. WHAT THAT DOES IS IT RAISES THE DEMOCRATIC NUMBERS INCREMENTALLY IN PRECINCT 3 BY MOVING THE UNIVERSITY PRECINCT IN COMMISSIONER PRECINCT THREE AND REMOVING THE SOUTH SIDE PRECINCTS, AND PUTTING THEM BACK INTO COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 4. I KNOW THAT'S CONVOLUTED IN TERMS OF THE EXPLANATION BUT THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH THOSE TWO PLANS. AND AGAIN, I CAN LOOK QUICKLY TO SEE THE POPULATION, IF I'M CORRECT ABOUT 102, I CAN CHECK TO SEE THE POPULATION OF 102 AND I CAN DO THE MATH HERE TO SEE WHAT THAT WOULD DO IF WE PUT 102 TOGETHER WITH IN COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 1 TO UNIFY BISHOP. COMMISSIONER CHESNEY AND I SPOKE BEFORE THE MEETING AND HE WANTED TO SEE ONE OTHER ADJUSTMENT MADE IF POSSIBLE IN REGARD TO PLAN A. AND IN REGARD TO PLAN A, I HAVE MY OFFICE WORKING ON THE COMPUTER, I DON'T HAVE A RESULT BACK, BUT IN TERMS OF DOING PUTTING PENCIL TO PAPER, IT DOES WHAT YOU SUGGESTED IT WOULD DO. SO, THE DEVIATION -- AND WHAT THAT ENTAILS, IS MOVING 124 FROM 3 TO 4 THEREFORE INCREASING THE POPULATION OF FOUR, THERE WERE A FEW OTHER CHANGES THAT WE HAD TO MAKE BUT THEY'RE PRETTY MINOR, I THINK JUST IN TERMS OF KEEPING THE PLANS CONTIGUOUS ET CETERA, BUT THE TOTAL, TOP TO BOTTOM DEVIATION DROPS FROM THE 9.6 PRESENT THAT WE PRESENTED IN PLAN CC DOWN TO 6.13 SO SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN WHAT THE OTHER PLANS HAD FOR EITHER PLAN A OR PLAN CC.>> THANK YOU. >> AND THAT CONCLUDES MY
PRESENTATION. >> OKAY. GREAT, SO WE'RE GOING TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS HERE. I'M THINKING. I CAN SEE SOMEBODY THINKING. WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK HIM SOME QUESTION
IS? >> I'VE NEVER NOTICED THAT THE BISHOP AREA BEING DIVIDED. I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT POPULATION, 32 OR 102 HAS, I HATE TO, I WOULD HATE TO GET RID OF BISHOP, BUT IF IT MEANS PUTTING TOGETHER, I'M LIKE MR. GARCIA, I DON'T WANT TO SPLIT ANYBODY UP EITHER. IF WE PUT IT TOGETHER AND IT GOES TO PRECINCT ONE, LET IT BE. I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO SAY WE SPLIT THEM TO GET A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF VOTES.
>> LET'S ME ASK YOU, IF YOU KNOW, IF I'M CORRECT ABOUT VOTING PRECINCT 102 BEING THE REST OF BISHOP? DO YOU KNOW?
IS THAT CORRECT? >> I'M SORRY?
>> PRECINCT 102? >> HE'S ASKING IF THAT
REPRESENTS THE REST OF BISHOP? >> YEAH.
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>> SO PART OF IT IS IN PRECINCT 36 AND THE OTHER IS IN
>> JUDGE, IF I COULD GO BACK TO THE OFFICE SO I CAN LOOK AT THE DATA AND YOU CAN TAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
>> ABSOLUTELY, AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO USE MY OFFICE.
>> YES. LET ME MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT SIGNED UP OR ANYBODY ONLINE. JUST USE YOUR VIRTUAL ICON OF THE HAND IF YOU ALSO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT. AND MR. GARZA WILL BE BACK SHORTLY. AT THIS TIME THE FIRST PERSON I SEE IS MS. ELISA GONZALEZ. WELCOME.
>> THANK YOU. >> DO I HAVE TO TURN ANYTHING
ON? >> NO, MA'AM, WE HEAR YOU JUST
FINE. >> OKAY. JUDGE CANALES, COMMISSIONERS, MY NAME IS ELISA GONZALEZ AND I LIVE IN PRECINCT 2. TO BEGIN WITH, I COMMEND YOU ALL FOR OPENING UP THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS IN NUECES COUNTY TO PUBLIC INPUT. I KNOW THAT Y'ALL HAD YOUR FIRST LOOK AT THE MAPS ALMOST AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE WERE SEEING THEM FOR THE FIRST TIME. SO, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO OPEN THIS UP TO INPUT. RIGHT OFF THE BAT, I SUPPORT MAP BB AS THE MOST WORKABLE ONE. I USED WORD WORKABLE BECAUSE I TRULY FEEL THAT PICKING A MAP IS NOT THE END GAME. THERE ARE TOO MANY VARIABLES IN THE PROCESS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. IN PARTICULAR, IS THE RUSHED PROCESS REALLY BOTHER ME. YOU ALL COULD DO NOTHING WITHOUT THE INFORMATION FROM THE LEGISLATORS WHO THEMSELVES RUSHED THROUGH ENORMOUSLY IMPORTANT DECISIONS BASED ON THE CENSUS, WHICH ALSO WAS RUSHED THROUGH DUE TO THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 AND AN ADMINISTRATION THAT DID NOT WANT TO COMPENSATE FOR THAT IMPACT BY EXTENDING THE DEADLINE. I WORKED FOR THE CENSUS. IT WAS CHA CHAOTIC AND THE PRESSURE TO DO IT QUICKLY DID NOTHING TO HELP AND ENDANGERED THOSE GOING DOOR TO DOOR. THE IMPACT. REDISTRICTING PROCESS OF ALL THAT RUSHING IS SERIOUS. THERE'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THERE'S AN UNDER COUNT AND THEREFORE THE INFORMATION WE HAVE IS FAULTY. 10 YEAR SUNSHINE TOO LONG TO BE STUCK WITH FAULTY MAPS THAT DON'T REFLECT THE ENORMOUS RAPID CHANGES THAT OUR SOCIETY IS UNDERGOING. CHANGING THE CENSUS IS NOT POSSIBLE, BUT WHAT IS POSSIBLE IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE FINDINGS OF LULACC VERSUS PERRY. IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT THE COURT BEGIN TO WORK ON THE PROCESS FOR FUTURE REDISTRICTING RIGHT NOW. CREATING AN INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION APPEARS TO BE A VERY VIABLE WAY OF DOING THAT. EL PASO HAS MOVED ADMIRABLY IN THAT DIRECTION. IN SUMMARY, I RECOMMEND THE COMMISSIONERS COURT BEGIN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW TO ESTABLISH AN IRS FOR FUTURE REDISTRICTING. THAT THE CHOSEN REDIRECTED MAP CONTINUES TO BE MONITORED AS TO EFFECTIVENESS, AND REVIEWED IN 2024, AND THAT THE COURT KEEP COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST IN TACT, KEEP CITYS AND TOWNS IN TACT, CONTINUE TO WELCOME PUBLIC INPUT TO HONOR TRANSPARENCY, AND CONTINUE TO BE A RESPONSIBLESIVE CO
RESPONSIVE COURT. >> NOW WE'LL HEAR FROM SYLVIA
CAMPOS >> AND JULIE RODGERS, YOU'LL
FOLLOW. >> GOOD EVENING, JUDGE CANALES, COMMISSIONERS, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME HERE TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE PRIVILEGE. I'M ALSO GRATEFUL TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE HERE. THIS, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO SAY PART OF THAT IS A TESTAMENT TO THE EVEN THOUGH, I'M A MEMBER OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTER'S, I DO NOT SPEAK FOR THE LEAGUE, BUT I BELIEVE A LOT OF THOSE COMMENTS THAT YOU RECEIVED WAS BECAUSE OF
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THE PROCESS THAT WE HOLD OUR ORGANIZATION, WHICH IS VOTING.VOTING IS SACRED. AND OUR ORGANIZATION WORKS EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO GET HEARD AND I KNOW IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT FOR THE RUSHED PROCESS. AND I THINK THAT'S OUR, I KNOW THAT'S MY MAIN OBJECTIVE, THE WHOLE THING, RUSH, RUSH, RUSH, RUSH, AND FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS, THAT IS JUST TOO LONG. SO, I'M HERE IN SUPPORT FOR MY FELLOW CITIZENS, AND MY COMMUNITY. I THINK WE ALL, HOPEFULLY, HAVE THIS IN MIND WHICH IS THE COMMUNITY COMES FIRST. THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, I KNOW BUSINESSES ARE IMPORTANT BUT PEOPLE, PEOPLE SHOULD COME FIRST. SO, I HOPE THAT YOU'LL KEEP OUR PUBLIC INVOLVED AND TRANSPARENT AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE WHAT'S BEEN DONE AT THIS POINT. WITH THE CITY TRANSPARENT, AND ONE OTHER THING I WOULD LIKE TO ADD IS THESE CHANGES WOULD BE GREAT IF WE HAD SOMEONE ACTUALLY MOVING SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE SUGGESTIONING AND TO SEE HOW IT LOOKS LIVE. I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED IS A SMART BOARD IN THE COURTROOM, THAT'S SOMETHING TO WORK ON. WE'LL HEAR FROM JULIE RODGERS NOW, AND FOLLOWING JULIE WILL BE LAMONT TAYLOR.
>> HELLO MY NAME IS JULIE RODGERS, AND I LIVE IN PRECINCT 1 IN DOWNTOWN. I AGREE WITH OTHERS THAT DEMOCRACY IS A PAR TIS PATORY SPORT AND WE ALL PLAYED WELL IN NUECES COUNTY BY TRYING TO MAKE THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS, OPEN, FAIR, AND TRANSPARENT. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING ALL THE MAPS AND HOW WE ALL SCORED ACCORDING TO THE FAIR MAPS RULES. GAME. FINAL MAPS SHOULD NOT VIOLATE THE U.S. CONSTITUTION AND THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT AND IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE THAT WILL HAPPEN. FINAL MAPS SHOULD SPLIT CITIES, TOWNS, AND COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST UP AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE BUT INCLUDE RURAL AREAS IN MORE THAN ONE PRECINCT FOR STRONGER REPRESENTATION. FINAL MAPS SHOULD NOT EXCEED A TOTAL POPULATION DEVIATION OF 5% TO MAKE UP FOR THE UNDERCOUNT. NONE OF THE PROPOSED MAPS WERE HORRIBLE, BUT NOT ALL FOLLOWED THESE SIMPLE RULES. FOR THAT REASON, THE MOST FAIR MAPS ARE PLAN BB AND PLAN BB MODIFIED.
AND THE WORST MAPS ARE THE ONES WITH THE LEAST CHANGE AND A POPULATION DEVIATION OVER 9%. THAT 9% WILL EASILY INCREASE TO 10% OVER 10 YEARS AND BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL. THEREFORE, PLEASE, DO NOT CONSIDER PLAN A OR PLAN CC. WE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PLAY THE GAME RIGHT HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE NUECES COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT STAFF WHO SUPPLIED US WITH ALL THE EQUIPMENT AND NECESSARY TOOLS TO PARTICIPATE AND I'M MOST GRATEFUL FOR THEM AND THEIR PUBLIC SERVICE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN REMARKABLE UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT YOU ALL WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND DURING ON ONGOING PANDEMIC AND THROUGH AN ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TIME CONSTRAINT. WE ALSO COULD NOT HAVE PARTICIPATED WITHOUT THE WILLINGNESS OF THE JUDGE AND THE COMMISSIONERS THAT TRIED TO INCLUDE GENUINE PUBLIC INPUT IN THE PROCESS TO ENSURE THAT IT WAS FAIR, EQUITABLE AND TRANSPARENT AND I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM FOR DOING THAT.
I ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO REPORTING IT TO OTHER FAIR MAPS ADVOCATES IN THE STATE AND COUNTRY. IT WAS BY FAR A BETTER PROCESS IN THE TEXAS STATE LEGISLATURE, AND IT WAS MUCH APPRECIATED. I HOPE THAT THE COURT WILL CONTINUE TO GET PUBLIC INPUT ON THE MAPS AND THAT YOU WILL STILL CONSIDER ESTABLISHING AN INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTS COMMISSION, THANK YOU.
>>> THANK YOU. MR. LAMONT TAYLOR FOLLOWED BY MR. TIM
>> GOOD EVENING, JUDGE, COMMISSIONERS COURT, MY NAME IS LAMONT TAYLOR AND I RESIDE AT 522 HANCOCK APARTMENT 109 IN
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PRECINCT 1. I'M HERE TODAY TO FIRST OF ALL COMMEND YOU AND STAFF AND THE COMMISSIONERS COURT FOR THIS EFFORT OF PROVIDING US AN OPPORTUNITY I'M OLE SCHOOL AND I CALL IT CITIZEN PARTICIPATION, SO GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZEN PARTICIPATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS THING WE CALL DEMOCRACY.SO, I'M GOING TO BE BRIEF AND I'M GOING TO BE GONE. FIRST, ARE I WOULD LIKE TO COMMEND THE STAFF IN IT'S WORK ON THE MODIFICATION ON BB. I'M WITH THE GENTLEMAN IN 102 WHO HAD NOTICED THE SPLIT OF THAT PRECINCT OUT THERE IN BISHOP.
AND I'VE SPOKEN TO YOU EARLIER ABOUT THE TWEAKING AND I KNEW THERE WAS BE TWEAKING OF THE MAPS AND THIS WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I TALKED ABOUT TWEAKING WHEN I PRESENTED THIS.
AND THE LAST THING I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IS BASICALLY, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PRESS FOR AN INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE AND HOPEFULLY YOU COULD PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA FOR JANUARY 2022. I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
>> THANK YOU. MR. TIM DOWLING. >> GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE, I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE PRINTED NOTES TO GO FROM AND I HAD JURY DUTY THIS MORNING THAT TOOK OFF HALF THE DAY AND I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE NEW MAPS, WELL, BUSY AFTERNOON. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO COMMEND THE COURT AND STAFF ON HOW YOU DID THIS, I WISH THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE WERE TAKING NOTES FROM YOU. I WANT TO VISIT WITH YOU ABOUT A COUPLE OF TOPICS, SO, THE QUESTION ON MY MIND AS I TOLD YOU ON MONDAY, THAT I THINK MAP BB IS THE BEST ONE TO GO, IT'S GOT THE SMALLEST DEVIATION, I THINK WE MIGHT MAKE AN ADJUST FOR BISHOP, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA. SO, I NOW COMPARED, MODIFIED BB TO BB AND MODIFIED BB INCREASES THE POPULATION, INCREASE 150% FROM 2.61 TO 3.92, AND YOU HAVE TO SAY, WHY IS THAT? AND THE OTHER THING IN REDISTRICTING IS YOU WANT OF THE THE BOUNDARIES CONTIGUOUS. THAT MAKES FOUR NOT CONTIGUOUS AND IT PUTS 65 SURROUNDED BY THREE BUT I HEARD THE COMMENT ABOUT A ROAD BEING THERE, BUT NOBODY LIVES ON A ROAD, SO I DON'T THINK THAT SOLVES IT. SO, I WOULD SAY COMPARING BB AND MODIFIED BB STICK WITH BB. SO, I SAID BB'S MY GUY AND HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO MODIFIED CC. THAT HAS A LARGER POPULATION VARIATION, IT'S 263% LARGER. AND MODIFIED CC VERSUS CC JUST MOVES EXISTING OVERPOPULATION IN THREE AND FOUR BUT DOES NOT ADDRESS AT ALL THE UNDER POPULATION IN 1 AND 2.
AND IT LEAVES PRECINCT FOUR THE MOST POP LACE. SO, IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A MOST POPULACE PRECINCT, DON'T MAKE THAT YOUR FASTEST GROWING ONE. AND THIS MAP ALSO MAKES ORPHANS OF PRECINCT 65 AND 94 A. I DID SAHH HAVE A MINOR SUGGESTION FOR IMPROVING MAP BB PRECINCT 125 IS ALREADY SPLIT. SO IF WE MOVE 13, 101 PEOPLE, I'M ASSUMING THAT'S FEASIBLE, BUT AS CLOSE AS WE CAN DO IT OUT OF FOUR TO TWO AND THEN TWO WILL HAVE A ZSIR DEVIATION AND FOUR WILL BE 200 PEOPLE. BUT, I REALLY COME TO RESPECT MR. GARZA'S OPINION. IN SUMMARY, WHAT I WOULD ASK YOU TO DO IS ADOPT BB POSSIBLY WITH THE BISHOP MODIFICATION AND MAY BE WITH THE SLIGHT MODIFICATION I JUST MENTIONED. AND IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT, I WOULD URGE YOU TO DO MODIFIED BB BECAUSE IT HAS THE NEXT SMALLEST POPULATION DEVIATION. AND I DON'T WANT TO FORGET WHAT I ASKED TO YOU DO MONDAY WHICH IS TO HOLD A HEARING ON JANUARY 26TH OR AS SOON AS POSSIBLY THEREFORE SO WE HAVE MORE TIME FOR COMMUNITY INPUT.
[00:35:02]
YOU COMPARE THE SIGN OF THIS CROWD TWO DAYS LATER TO WHAT WE HAD TWO DAYS AGO AND I THINK IT'S AT LEAST DOUBLED. YOU COULD EXPECT AS MORE TIME GOES BY YOU'LL GET MORE COMMUNITY INPUT AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WE DO THAT THAT WE HAVE OVERLAYS ON THE MAPS SO, I CAN'T TELL WHERE BISHOP OR DRISCOLL IS, THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF SOMEBODY PUT THOSE ON THE MAPS CANS THAT WOULD BE VERY, VERY, HELPFUL.SO WHETHER YOU'RE HAPPY WITH THE MAP THAT WE END UP THIS WEEK, LET'S GET THE INPUT. IF THE INPUT SAYS WE'RE HAPPY, GREAT WE'LL KEEP THEM FOR 10 YEARS, AND IF WE'RE NOT HAPPY WITH THE MAPS, WE'LL CHANGE THEM FOR 2024, BUT REGARDLESS, DON'T PUT THE 2031 COURT IN THE SAME BOX THAT WE'RE P IN LET'S ADOPT A PROCESS WITH THE ONLY QUESTION BEING DO WE IMPLEMENT THAT IN 2022 OR 2030? THAT'S ARE MY REMARKSES AND I'LL THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPEN TRANSPARENT PROCESS.
>> I'LL CALL ON MS. OLLER. >> THANK YOU. JUDGE CANALES, AND COMMISSIONER, GONZALEZ, MAREZ, AND CHESNEY, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AGAIN TO THE NUECES COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT. MY NAME IS CATHERINE OLER AND I'M PRESIDENT OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF CORPUS CHRISTI, DURING THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS I ON BEHALF OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF CORPUS CHRISTI AND CITIZENS OF NUECES COUNTY HAVE ADVISORY FOR AN INCLUSIVE TRANSPARENT FAIR REDISTRICTING PROCESS. WE HAVE SHARED THE IMPACT THAT THIS REDISTRICTING PROCESS CAN HAPPEN FOR AWFUL US. NOW, IN THE LAST SEVEN DAYS, YOU, ALL OF YOU, ALONG WITH MR. GARZA HAVE WORKED TO DRAW PRECINCT MAPS THAT ARE MORE FAIR AND REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR DEMOCRACY AND THAT ARE BEING ACHIEVED THROUGH A MORE TRANSPARENT AND INCLUSIVE PROCESS. THINK ABOUT IT, SEVEN DAYS TO ESTABLISH DISTRICT BOUNDARIES THAT MAY BE IN PLACE FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS. WE URGE YOU TO ADOPT AN INCLUSIVE, FAIR, AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS BY WORKING TOWARD THREE THINGS, IMPLEMENTING A REDISTRICTING TIMELINE THAT ALLOWS INFORMED BED AND IMPACTFUL PUBLIC COMMENT, YOU HAVE LAUNCHED THAT, CHECK.
>> PROVIDING GENUINE AND MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES FOR
PUBLIC COMMENT. CHECK. >>> ENSURING TRANSPARENCY THROUGHOUT THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS, YOU'RE GETTING THERE.
. >> WE HAVE SHARED OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING THESE THREE THINGS AND YOU HAVE SHOWN THEM TO BE ACHIEVABLE IN THE LIMITED NUMBER OF DAYS MANDATED FOR THIS PROCESS. WE COMMEND YOU, JUDGE CANALES, COMMISSIONER CHESNEY, COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ, COMMISSIONER MAREZ, AND COMMISSIONER HERNANDEZ AND MR. GARSA FOR MAKING THIS REDISTRICTING PROCESS AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLY GIVEN THE TIME RESTRAINT. WE BELIEVE THESE ACTIONS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO BETTER, FAIRER MAPS, ENGAGE CITIZENS AND IMPROVE PUBLIC TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN OUR DEMOCRACY. ONCE YOUR DECISION IS MADE, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONDUCT REDISTRICTING DEBRIEF TO NOTE WHAT WORKED, WHAT DIDN'T, AND WHAT COULD BE DONE BETTER. THIS DEBRIEF CAN SERVE AS THE FOUNDATION OF AN EVEN MORE TRANSPARENT, INCLUSIVE AND FAIR REDISTRICTING PROCESS FOR THE FUTURE, EITHER THIS DECADE OR IN 2031. AND IMPORTANTLY, IT CAN BE A PRELIMINARY ROAD MAP AND ONE THAT WE URGE FOR MOVING TO AN INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION. NOW, PARTICULARLY BEFORE THE NEXT REDISTRICTING CYCLE. THIS IS ALL BEEN HARD WORK, AND I THINK A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE WOULD HELP TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT. TODAY, WE'RE ASKING YOU TO VOTE YES ON PLAN BB BUT AGREE THAT BISHOP SHOULD NOT BE CRACKED. IT BEST SERVES THE CITIZENS OF NUECES COUNTY BASED ON THEIR'S AND OUR INPUT. IT HAS THE LEAST POPULATION DEVIATION, FEWER COUNTY TOWN SPLITS, AND BETTER SERVES OUR
[00:40:04]
RURAL COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST. WE BELIEVE PLAN BB ASSURES THAT NUECES COUNTY WILL BE AN EVEN BETTER PLACE TO LIVE FOR ALL OF IT'S RESIDENTS IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THIS>> AT THIS TIME, WE'LL HEAR FROM ORLANDO SIMMS. AND ORLANDO, WILL BE FOLLOWED BY MS. SANDY BOATWRIGHT.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE. I'M HERE TO PUT ON THE RECORD THAT I'M HERE TO SUPPORT PLAN AA. WE LIVE IN A GREAT COUNTRY AND IT'S GOOD THAT WE AIL HAVE A VOICE AND I APPRECIATE HAVING THE FREEDOM TO BE ABLE TO SAY MY CHOICE, BUT, I'M GOING TO MAKE IT SHORT AND SWEET, I SUPPORT PLAN AA.
>> THANK YOU, SIR. >> NOW WE'LL HEAR FROM MS.
SANDY BOATWRIGHT. THE >> MY NAME IS SANDRA BOATWRIGHT AND I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MYSELF. I'VE ATTENDED THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME AND I LEARNED A LOT. I HAVE TO TELL YOU I ADMIRE THE COURT AND EVERYBODY HERE BECAUSE OF WHAT HAS BEEN DONE SO QUICKLY, AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THE DEADLINES ARE CERTAINLY NOT YOUR FAULT AND YOU WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THEM EXTENDED EVEN MORE THAN WE WOULD I'M SURE, BECAUSE I SUSPECTS Y'ALL ARE PUTTING IN DOUBLE OR TRIPLE TIME AT THIS POINT. HOWEVER, I WANT TO APPLAUD WHAT YOU HAVE DONE I WAS HERE WHEN WE DISCUSSED THIS MEETINGS, AND OTHER THINGS, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU NOT ONLY SET THE MEETING AFTER HOURS THAT YOU GOT THE WORD OUT AND YOU'RE TAKING IN THE PUBLIC COMMENT WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT IN THIS PROCESS. WHILE I APPLAUD THESE EFFORTS, I WILL JOIN THE REST OF EVERYBODY WHO HAS SPOKEN AND UNFORTUNATELY I CAN'T SAY I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU ANY NEW INSIGHT OR INFORMATION, BUT, I DO THINK THAT ONCE THIS PROCESS IS COMPLETED, AND WE HAVE MAPS, A DELIBERATIVE RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF THE MAPS NEEDS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED. BECAUSE WE DO NEED TO MAKE SURE IS THAT IN THE RUSH THAT WE'VE BEEN PLACED IN THAT WE HAVE THE FAIREST MAPS POSSIBLE. UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES I WANT TO ADD MY VOICE TO MR. DOWLING'S BECAUSE I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THESE MAPS ARE. I WOULD LOVE OVERLAYS, I THINK THEY'RE EXTREMELY HELPFUL AND THERE ARE PARTS OF NUECES COUNTY THAT I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH, I CAN SEE THE SHAPES, BUT I CAN'T FIGURE OUT IF A COMMUNITY OF INTEREST IS BEING SPLIT. IN ESSENCE, I'M NOT GOING TO ADVOCATE A SPECIFIC MAP BECAUSE I HAVE A FEELING THAT BY THE WAY THE VOTE IS ACTUALLY TAKEN THERE'LL BE A WHOLE DIFFERENT MAP TO BE VOTED ON. BUT I DO WANT TO ADVOCATE THAT COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST ARE PRESERVED, I THINK THAT'S PRIMARILY IMPORTANT. IN CONJUNCTION WITH KEEPING THE POP PLACE DEVIATIONS DOWN. AND I WOULD SIMPLE ASK ALL OF YOU WHO ARE FAR BETTER AT THIS THAN I WILL EVER BE TO TAKE THOSE THINGS INTO ACCOUNT AND KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST PRESERVED AND TO, I THINK THE COMMENT ABOUT PRECINCT 4 WAS WELL TAKEN, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN TRY TO KEEP THESE AS CONSTITUTIONAL AS POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE 10 YEARS THAT THEY WILL BE IN PLACE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >> THANK YOU, SO MUCH.
>> I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE, WE HAVE AN ONLINE COMMENT AND IT'S MS. BARBIE BAKER AND WE'LL INVITE YOU TO UNMUTE. YOU HAVE
THE FLOOR. >> GOOD EVENING, APOLOGIES I COULD BE THERE IN-PERSON, SO MANY ARE IN THE SAME SITUATION, WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK IS WHAT WE DO. SO, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY IT SHARE WITH YOU VIA ZOOM AND YOU HAVING THIS OPTION AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUALS. I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY INPUT THAT PLAN A IS MY CHOICE. MY VOICE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE. I THINK THAT THAT ONE IS GOING TO BE THAT WOULD BE THE EASIEST TO TWEAK IF NEEDED. THANK YOU FOR
[00:45:03]
YOUR TIME AND GOD BLESS YOU YOU WILL.>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, I DO WANT TO EXTEND THE OPPORTUNITY IF ANYBODY DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO SIGN UP, THIS WOULD BE YOUR CHANCE TO RAISE YOUR HAND AND LET ME KNOW YOUR NAME AND WE CAN FILL IS OUT FOR YOU. STEVE, RAY? I'M GOING TO TAKE THIS
BACK INTO THE AUDIENCE. >> COULD YOU? THANK YOU.
>> IN FACT, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, BUT WOULD YOU FILL IT OUT
FOR ME AS WELL FOR MR. RAY. >> STEVE, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND LET YOU PROCEED, AND THEN FOR THOSE OF YOU, MS. SANDS IS WALKING AROUND, PLEASE BE SURE TO SIGN UP.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO START BY SAYING HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'VE ALL DONE, BOTH THE COUNT JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS AND THE PERSON YOU HIRED TO DO THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS, AS YOU KNOW THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL PROCESSES TO HAVE WHETHER LOCALLY OR IN THE STATE.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I SUPPORT PLAN A AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT I THINK IT IS A MAP THAT COULD BE TWEAKED AND DOWN THE CORRECT WAY. THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD REQUEST ON THIS IS THAT TRYING TO GET INTO, ONE THING I LIKED ABOUT NUECES COUNTY IS THAT WE'RE KIND OF A PURPLE COUNTY AND WE HAVE DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WILL WORK TOGETHER. SO, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON THESE MAPS BY DISTRICT IS WHAT THE POLITICAL OUTLAY IS OF THAT AREA, I KNOW I SAW SOME ON ONE OF THE OTHERS THAT CAME TO ME BY E-MAIL, AND SO, BEFORE I THINK, WHAT WE WOULD LOOK AT IN THE FOR EACH OF THE PRECINCTS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, FOR EXAMPLE IN COMMISSIONER MAREZ'S PRECINCT, WHAT IS THE OUTLAY OF THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM THERE, I NOTICED THAT HE DID THAT ONCE ON THE BIDEN NUMBERS, AND SO, I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL TO ALL OF US TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT. I'M A UNT VERY BIG SUPPORTER OF MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE'S REPRESENTED. AND I THINK A MAP THAT SHOWS WHAT'S IN THOSE PRECINCTS IS GOOD. AND I'M SUPPORTIVE OF HAVING SOMETHING THAT, I'M HAPPY WITH TWO DEMOCRATIC PRECINCTS AND TWO REPUBLICAN PRECINCTS AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS IN THE COUNTY OVER THE LAST THREE OR FOUR CYCLE THE, IT'S BEEN CLOSE FOR ALL OF THEM. AND BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS, I THINK, OVER THE PAST FOUR CYCLES, DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN AHEAD ONE TIME, REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN AHEAD THREE BUT IT'S BEEN A VERY SMALL MARGIN EACH TIME. SO WHAT WE WANT IS A COUNTY THAT WILL WORK TOGETHER AND DO HE'S BEST FOR EVERYONE, BUT I THINK THAT WE ALSO HAVE TO HAVE A COUNTY WHERE WE COULD SEE HOW EACH OF THOSE PRECINCTS ARE
ALIGNED. THANK YOU. >>> THANK YOU.
>> I'LL CALL ON MIGUEL AT THIS TIME.
>> RENEE, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWING. >> THANK YOU, JUDGE, BARBARA CANALES AND HONORABLE COMMISSIONERS, PFELLOW PATRIOTS THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE IN THIS HIGHRY WILL DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
I'M A UNITED STATES NAVY VETERAN OF 20 YEARS, I SERVED HONORABLE, AND DEFEND OUR DEMOCRACY FOR THOSE 20 YEARS AND NOW I GET A CHANCE TO ENJOY IT BEING HERE WITH Y'ALL. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT PLAN A, I BELIEVE THIS IS THE LEAST COMPLICATED, THE LEAST PAINFUL, AND, FOR SOME REASON, IN MY MIND, YOU KNOW, IF I WAS ASSIGNED TO DO THESE MAPS, THE MOST COMMON SENSE THAT I WOULD START WITH WOULD BE A.
BEFORE I START PUTTING ANY OTHER LETTERS NEXT TO IT. SO, I THINK THAT PLAN A IS THE ONE THAT MAKES MORE SENSE TO ME. AND I
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. >> THANK YOU, SIR.
>> WE WILL HEAR NOW FROM RENEE SIENS. AND THEN, PEGGY WILL
FOLLOW. >> COMMISSIONER, JUDGE, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO SPEAK HERE ON THESE FINAL DAYS AS WE COME TO AN END. I REALLY WISH MY REPUBLICAN FRIENDS WOULD HAVE BEEN PASSIONATE ABOUT THOSE ISSUES WITH THE STATE
[00:50:01]
LEGISLATURE, THEY RIPPED US TO PIECES, YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST BEING RIPPED UP, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED THERE, BUT NOW IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT. THAT'S THAT PART.LAST TIME I HAD ADVISORY FOR AA, BUT AFTER LOOKING AT THE MODIFICATIONS, I THINK BB MODIFIED IS AN ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD PLAN. SO, FROM MY END OF IT, FROM BEING AN ADVOCATE FOR AA I'M FOR BB MODIFIED. I'M CERTAINLY APPRECIATIVE OF THE MAP MAKER HERE. FOR LISTENING, THE LAST TIME AND MAKING CERTAIN MODIFICATIONS AND I CAN SEE THEM NOW ON THIS MAP AND I'M VERY, VERY, GRATEFUL. AND I JUST THINK THAT IT THOUGHS ONE THING, WHEN PEOPLE BECOME ACTIVE AND INVOLVED, AND THEY STUDY, DO THEIR HOMEWORK, THEY CAN MAKE SOME CHANGES. EVEN IF IT'S SMALL CHANGES, THEY CAN MAKE THOSE CHANGES. AND I THINK BY COMING UP HERE THE LAST TIME, I WAS ABLE TO AT LEAST INFLUENCE ONE OF THOSE PRECINCTS, OR MAY BE TWO. SO, I WOULD HOPE WHEN YOU VOTE, THAT IT BE FOR BB MODIFIED. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. MS. PEGGY DURAN. >> GOOD EVENING, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS, I HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE EMAILS FLY BACK AND FORTH FOR THE PAST MONTH AND SEEING JUST HOW MUCH WORK HAS BEEN GOING ON, HOW MUCH THOUGHT HAS BEEN PUT INTO THIS, AND THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE BEEN RESPONSIVE IN A WAY THAT I FELT WAS JUST LACKING WITH SOME OF THE OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT PERIODS THAT HAVE HAPPENED WHERE I FELT IT WAS MORE LIKE, THE LINE FROM MY FAIR LADY, THEY LISTEN VERY NICELY AND THEN GO OUT AND DO PRECISELY WHAT THEY WANT. [LAUGHTER]
>> THIS HAS BEEN AMAZING TO SEE AND I'M SO GLAD TO BE A PART OF THIS. WE'VE SEEN THAT THE LEVEL OF FERVOR, OF THREATS TO TO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AROUND THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN DISMAYING. AND TO SEE US WORK THIS WAY HAS BEEN SO HOPEFUL. I'D LIKE TO SEE THIS COULDN'T. 21 STATES SO FAR HAVE ADOPTED THE INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMITTEES, AND SEVERAL AREAS ARE WORKING ON THEM, AND, SOME OF THEM ARE NON-PARTISAN AND SOME ARE BIPARTISAN, AND I KNOW THAT WE CAN MAKE THIS WORK. AND I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THAT HAPPEN. AS FAR AS THE MAPS GO, I'M KIND OF PARTIAL TO THE BB, AND HOPE THAT WE CAN GO FORWARD AND JUST PUT TOGETHER BISHOP SO THAT IS NOT DIVIDED.
AND THANK YOU, VERY MUCH. FOR THIS.
>> THANK YOU, MS. DURAN. >> WELL, I'LL JUST MAKE A FEW COMMENTS AND OPEN IT UP TO MY COLLEAGUES HERE. I JUST WANT TO SAY, I TOO RELISH THE MOMENT OF SEEING OUR COURTROOM FULL. I HAVE GONE THROUGH MANY PUBLIC HEARINGS, FOR INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT ISSUES, AND IT ALWAYS FEELS TERRIBLE WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY EMPTY SEATS. AND I ASK MYSELF WHAT MORE CAN WE DO.
COVID-19 HAD ONLY NOT EVEN A SILVER, BECAUSE WE DON'T SAY ANYTHING SILVER LINING ABOUT IT, BUT IT HAD A GRAY OVERTONE LIGHTING AND THAT IS THAT WE GO VIRTUAL, DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE ONLY HAVE A COUPLE OF ONLINE COMMENTS, PEOPLE CAN WATCH OUR PROCEEDINGS, IN A WAY THAT THEY COULDN'T BEFORE AN PARTICIPATE IN A WAY THAT THEY COULDN'T BE DONE BEFORE. AND I'M PROUD OF THAT. I WANT TO THANK STAFF NOT ONLY THE STAFF THAT YOU SEE HERE IN THE COURTROOM BUT THE STAFF THAT YOU DON'T SEE, BEHIND THE SCENES, AND ALSO, I WANTED TO COMMENT THAT I THINK THE OVERLAYS ARE A GREAT IDEA. AND I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT WHETHER YOUR A CORNACKI FAN OR THE OTHER GUY, WHOSE THE OTHER
>> JOHN KING, HE'S GREAT TOO. THE POINT IS IS THAT IT HELPS BECAUSE THE DETAIL IS VERY INSTRUCTIVE. SO, I WOULD SAY THAT I AGREE WITH YOU. AND THAT I'M ABSORBING EVERYTHING THAT YOU ARE SAYING SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE THE PROCESS
[00:55:03]
EVEN MORE TRANSPARENT AND WELL HELP US TO GET TO THAT LEVEL OF GRANULAR DETAIL THAT YOU ARE ASKING FOR. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MAKE COMMENTS BECAUSE I TOO AM LEARNING THIS PROCESS, AND I DO FAVOR THE EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE TO FARM AN INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE. I WILL SAY THAT I BELIEVE A WORKING GROUP IS PROBABLY NEEDED BEFORE WE ACTUALLY VOTE ON A COMMISSION, AND LET ME TELL YOU WHY. THE MORE I LEARN, THE MORE I UNDERSTAND THAT REAL IRC, LIKE THE ONE EL PASO HAS, ACTUALLY HAD A REAL FUNDING MECHANISM. THEY HAVE TO HAVE REAL SOFTWARE, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A REAL IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE THE COMMISSION HAVE ANY INTEGRITY AND ANY HOPE OF SUCCESS AT ALL, IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE FUNDED, THERE HAS TO BE STRUCTURE, IT'S NOT COMPLICATED IN THE SENSE OF YOU CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT, IT'S JUST COMPLY INDICATED IN THAT YOU JUST SHOULDN'T RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY YES WITHOUT ALL OF US UNDERSTANDING WHAT DOES IT MEAN, HOW WILL IT WORK, WHO'LL WE PLACE THERE AND HOW WILL WE FUND IT. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE REALLY REPRESENTED NUECES COUNTY BOTH FAR AND CLOSE BUY FROM COUNTRY TO COAST, I THINK WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN EXPERT, I ASKED JOSE GRAZA WHAT HIS KNOWLEDGE WAS ABOUT IRCS, HE HAS A TREMENDOUS KNOWLEDGE AS ONE WOULD EXPECT FROM HIS CV AND BACKGROUND. AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST WE DO OUR BUSINESS TODAY FIRST AND WE CONCENTRATE ON THAT BUSINESS AND QUICKLY, WE MIGHT CONSIDER FORMING A WORKING GROUP THAT MIGHT CONSIST OF SOME OF YOU IN THE AUDIENCE AND THAT THAT WORKING GROUP BRING BACK TO THE COURT FOR OUR NEW YEAR BY WORKING WITH MR. GARZA, THE DETAILS FOR OUR CONSIDERATION.I'M INTERESTED BUT I ALSO KNOW THERE'S TOO MUCH THAT WE DON'T KNOW YET ABOUT HOW THIS WOULD ACTUALLY WORK. SO, I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD STEP AND I'M A FAN OF CHECKING ALL THE BOXES. AT THIS POINT, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THE FLOOR WITH MY COLLEAGUES. YOU MAY ANSWER ANY OF THE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS THAT YOU'VE HEARD TODAY INCLUDING COMMENTS OR PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GO BACK TO M MR. GARZA'S MODIFIED MAPS, I THINK I COUNT NINE MAPS. THIS IS A CHOICE. EVERYTHING IN DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT CHOICES. I WANT TO SAY THE REASON YOU SAW SO MANY MAPS IS BECAUSE HE LISTENED, IT'S NOT THAT HE HAD AN AGENDA NOR EVEN THAT THERE WAS AN AGENDA UP HERE, IT'S THAT THERE WAS AN, HEY, WHAT ABOUT THAT, COULD YOU SHOW ME WHAT
THAT LOOKS LIKE. >> AND THAT WE'VE ALL DONE IN
PUBLIC. >> AND WE'VE DONE IT IN PUBLIC.
>> SUGGESTIONS WERE MADE ON THE PHONE WHEN EVERYBODY WAS HERE.
>> SO, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, THE MAPS ARE NOT LETTERED IN A WAY THAT REFLECTS ANYTHING BUT THE WAY THAT IT CAME ABOUT, RIGHT, IN ORDER OF TIME. SO, I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE COMFORT THERE, IF YOU SAW AA OR BB MODIFIED IS BECAUSE A COMMISSIONER MIGHT HAVE SAID, WHAT ABOUT IF WE MOVE THIS FOR A COMMENT FROM THE AUDIENCE. ANYWAY, WE HAVE A HOST MAPS AND WE PROVIDED THEM. AND OF COURSE, MR. GARZA IS GOING TO SHARE WHAT HE LEARNED WHEN HE STEPPED OUT OF THE ROOM.
COMMISSIONERS, WOULD YOU MAKE SOME COMMENTS?
>> I THINK IF YOU WILL REMEMBER TOO, EXCUSE ME COMMISSIONER, WE DID MAKE A MOTION TO BRING IT BACK IN JANUARY SO IT'S ALL BEEN PASSED BY THIS COURT TO BRING IT BACK IN JANUARY TO START TO DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID, BECAUSE I THINK WITH THE HOLIDAYS COMING UP, ALL DUE RESPECT ANY SOONER WOULD BE TOUGH. I WANT TO BE SURE EVERYBODY KNEW WE ALREADY PASSED THAT MOTION TO HAVE THAT
BACK IN JANUARY. >> MY ONLY TWEAK IS THAT A WORK GROUP BE ESTABLISHED AND THE WORK GROUP THAT LEADS YOU TO THE COMMISSION. AND THAT'S HOW YOU GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S GOING ON. AND THAT WAY, I DON'T THINK A WORK GROUP WOULD COST ANY MONEY. THAT WOULD BE A FREE LOOK AT HOW TO DO A COMMISSION WHICH IF YOU LOOK AT EL PASO, IS A MILLION DOLLAR FUNDING.
>> I'M JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE.
>> I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT'S GOING TO COME FROM.
>> AND I THINK THAT WE WOULD ALL AGREE THAT MR. DOWLING WOULD
SERVE ON THIS GROUP. >> THANK YOU, JUDGE, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL OF YOU FOR ARE BEING HERE AND TAKING
[01:00:01]
INTEREST IN THE WAY IT WORKS, THE WAY OUR COMMUNITY SHOULD WORK. AND LIKE I SAID, THE FIRST TIME, MAJORITY RULES AND I MYSELF LIKE THE BB MAP, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE CHANGE, I DON'T THINK BISHOP SHOULD BE BROKEN UP. LET IT BE THE WAY IT IS. IT'S WORKED FOR NUECES COUNTY AND WORKED FOR THE CITIZENS OF BISHOP. SO, YOU KNOW, WE COULD DO THAT, I WOULD BE HAPPY AS A BIRD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.>> COMMISSIONER MAREZ? >> THANK YOU, JUDGE. THIS IS DEFINITELY BEEN A PROCESS AND A LOT FASTER THAN I WOULD HAVE LIKED. I THINK WE ALL AGREED, WE WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO HAVE MORE TIME TO SPEND LOOKING AT THIS. THE NUMBERS HERE TONIGHT JUST PARTICIPATING JUST OBSERVING OR COMMENTING, IS ENCOURAGING AND I THINK SHOWS THAT HAD WE HAD MORE TIME WE DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE HAD MORE PEOPLE PARTICIPATING. BUT THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PROVIDED THEIR COMMENT TOSS ME DIRECTLY THROUGH EMAILS, PHONE CALLS AND OTHER MESSAGING. YOU KNOW, I THINK LIKE MANY THINGS IN POLITICS, THERE'S NOT ANYONE PARTICULAR THING I FAVOR OVER, AS FAR AS THE MAP VERSION. I THINK I FIND THE FAVOR OF A LOT OF THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE PUT IN THERE AND SOME ARE NOT WHAT I WOULD EXPECT, RIGHT, BUT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CHANCE TO PERHAPS MODIFY AND TRY TO GET US TO A MAP, I DON'T KNOW WHO MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS MAP VERSION MAY BE DIFFERENT BUT WE'RE DOING IT HERE IN THE OPEN AND NOT CLOSING SESSION FOR ANY REASON. WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR IT AND IT'S GOING TO BE BASED ON WHAT YOU'VE SHARED WITH US AND OTHER INPUT THAT WE'VE HAD. I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT THIS WOULD BE A QUICK MOTION AND I COULD GUARANTY THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE THAT SIMPLE BUT I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD.
BECAUSE EACH OF YOU ARE BRINGING A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, THERE MAY BE A PARTICULAR MAP YOU FAVOR THERE STILL MAY BE MODIFICATIONS THAT YOU INDIVIDUALLY WANT TO SEE. I DON'T THINK WE CAN DO THAT, I DON'T THINK THAT COULD HAPPEN BUT I DO THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO PUT TIME AND EFFORT IN THIS EVENING, A LOT OF MOTIONS TO MAKE AND AMENDMENTS TO MAKE ON THESE MAP VERSIONS AND THEN, ULTIMATELY, WE'LL END UP WITH SOMETHING. BUT, YOU KNOW, BEAR OUR PROCESS. BECAUSE THIS IS TRUE DEMOCRACY IN ACTION. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WE'RE WORKING IT OUT AS YOU ARE LISTENING, MAY BE WE'LL G. BY THE GASPS OR THE THUMB'S UP THAT WE'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION BUT WE WANT TO GET THIS RIGHT AS POSSIBLE THAT MEANS REPRESENTING AND REFLECTING THE COMMUNITY LIKE MR. RAY MENTIONED, WE'RE A PRETTY EVENLY SPLIT COMMUNITY WHEN YOU LOOK AT PARTISAN ELECTIONS AND HOW PEOPLE HAVE WON BY PARTY AND YOU LOOK AT THAT ON A COUNTY WIDE BASIS THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. THE PROCESS IN AUSTIN WAS VERY DIFFERENT, BUT I WANT TO SAY, IN THAT, THE TWO WRONGS DON'T MAKE A RIGHT, RIGHT? IF YOU FEEL THERE WAS A MOTIVATION IN AUSTIN TO BE PARTISAN, THEN DON'T ASK US TO DO THE SAME BECAUSE IT'S JUST BECAUSE YOU AGREE WITH IT IT'S OKAY? NO, I THINK WE NEED TO SEE A MAP REFLECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY. SO, I'M GOING TO LISTEN TO MY COLLEAGUES UP HERE. I'VE BEEN MAKING NOTES EVERY NIGHT THAT WE'VE BEEN UP HERE TO ACCOUNT FOR ALL OF YOUR CONCERNS AND INPUT I HOPE THAT WE HAVE A CHANCE FOR MODIFICATIONS, BECAUSE I STILL THINK THERE ARE COMMUNITIES THERE THAT NEED TO BE COMBINED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER WHETHER THEY'RE SHIFTED INTO ONE COMMISSIONER'S BOUNDARIES OR THE OTHER. BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL BEAR WITH US, I HOPE IT DOES NOT TAKE TOO LONG, BUT DEMOCRACY, I THINK IS WORTH IT. THANK YOU
ALL FOR YOUR TIME. >> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.
COMMISSIONER CHESNEY? >> I JUST WANT TO SAY, REALLY, I NEED TO PROBABLY APOLOGIZE FOR NOT REALLY CATCHING THAT SPLIT ON BISHOP WHICH I SHOULD HAVE. I NEVER INTENDED THAT TO HAPPEN.
I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ON TOP OF IT. AND WHEN I KEPT SEEING THE MAPS, I THOUGHT IT WAS ALL FROM DRISCOLL ON DOWN.
BUT I APOLOGIZE TO MR. GARCIA, I'M GLAD YOU BOTH (INAUDIBLE)
[01:05:01]
>> AND, I THINK BY PUTTING THEM TOGETHER IN ONE DISTRICT MY DISTRICT OR SOMEBODY ELSE'S DISTRICT, LET IT BE BECAUSE THERE'S THE ONLY WAY THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A VOICE IN BISHOP.
AND AGAIN, I'LL PROBABLY VOTE MINE IS BB, BECAUSE I HEAR EVERYBODY ELSE SAYING IT, BUT IT WILL BE BB FOR THE FACT THAT WE PUT BISHOP, EITHER ONE OR THE OTHER, BUT ALL TOGETHER, NO SPLIT. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I DIDN'T KNOW MEAN FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, I DIDN'T SEE IT COMING. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE MORE THAN ONCE AND WE HEAR YOU, WE KNOW HOW YOU FEEL, THIS IS DEMOCRACY. I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE THING, WE COULDN'T HELP THE TIME, BUT I'LL TELL YOU WE COULD HAVE GONE OUT AND HIRED SOMEBODY REAL QUICK AND WE DIDN'T. WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS AND THE PROCESS PUT US A LITTLE FURTHER BACK BUT AT LEAST WE DID THE RIGHT PROCESS. AND THIS IS ALL BECAUSE OF MR. GARZA, HE WAS CHOSEN. AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT APPLIED FOR CONSIDERATION AND HIS COMPANY DID AN EXCELLENT JOB AND THEY CONTINUE TO DO AN EXCELLENT JOB. VERY RESPONSIVE, ALWAYS RESPONSIVE TO US, THAT I KNOW OF LIKE HEY, WHERE ARE WE, WHAT DO WE NEED, AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU MR. GARZA FOR BEING THERE. AND ESPECIALLY WHEN CONGRESSMAN CHESNEY SAYS I WANT ANOTHER MAP AND MR. GARZA WAS THERE TO DO ANOTHER MAP. AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND INPUT. GOD
BLESS YOU. >> COMMISSIONER CHESNEY?
>> I'M HAPPY TO DEFER IF YOU WANT TO TALK.
>> I FEEL LIKE I'VE. >> GO AHEAD.
>> THESE WERE JUST GENERAL COMMENTS FOR RIGHT NOW.
>> OKAY. >> I GUESS, GENERAL COMMENTS OBVIOUSLY, THE BISHOP THING IS SOMETHING WE ALL, I THINK THERE'S A CLEAR CONSENSUS THERE THAT'S JUST AN OVERSIGHT AND NOT INTENTION ALIBI ANY MEANS, THAT'S DEFINITE AND AS I WAS LOOKING, ACTUALLY AT THAT AS I SAID EARLIER, TO ME, YOU KNOW, DRISCOLL IS, I THINK NOT A IT'S KIND OF A COMMUNITY OF INTEREST WITH BISHOP. THEY WORK A LOT TOGETHER SO I WOULD THINK MAYBE A GENERAL COMMENT WOULD BE THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT PUTTING DRISCOLL AND BISHOP TOGETHER WHERE EVER THE COURT DECIDES TO DO BECAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD BE A POSITIVE COMMUNITY OF INTEREST, THAT'S GENERAL. AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I THINK MR. GARZA, AND I'LL BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU I WAS SCEPTICAL ABOUT THIS, THE ONE THING I'LL SAY ABOUT THIS COURT, WE HAVE
OUR FIGHTS, AND THEY ARE EPIC. >> POPCORN WORTHY.
>> THAT'S LIKE WATCHING A GOOD NOVELLA IS WHAT I'M TOLD. BUT OUR FIGHTS ARE NOT PARTISAN, THEY ARE ISSUED DOMINATED AND CERTAINLY AS THE ONLY REPUBLICAN ON THIS COURT I CAN BE THE ONE WHO SAYS THAT THE EASIEST, BECAUSE I'M DEFINITELY OUTNUMBERED BUT I'VE NEVER FELT THAT WAY AND I THINK THAT SAYS A LOT ABOUT THIS COURT AND A LOT OF THE QUALITY OF THIS COURT DOING JUST KIND OF WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THE COMMUNITY OR TRYING TO DO SO. AND TO COMPLIMENT MR. GARZA, HE'S FOLLOWED THE COURT'S LEAD AND THE PUBLIC'S LEAD IN A VERY FAST FASHION AND IF YOU HADN'T TALKED TO HIM, YOU AUTO HEAR WHAT THEY DID IN SAN ANTONIO TODAY, THAT WAS CRAZY UP THERE, I FEEL THAT WE'RE NOT GOING IN IN A DIRECTION, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THERE ARE ARGUMENTS FOR ALL OF THESE MAPS BECAUSE THEY ALL REFLECT WHAT WE'VE ARTICULATED WHICH IS TRY TO KEEP THEM SIMILAR IN DEMONSTGRAPHICS ALL THREE ARE MINORITY DOMINATED DISTRICTS, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S GOING A ARGUE WITH THAT. TO TRY AND ARIZONA SIMILAR AS WE CAN, FROM A PARTISAN STAND POINT, WE'VE BECOME A PURPLE COUNTY IN MY OPINION. AND I THINK THESE DISTRICTS, MIRROR, DEPENDING ON WHAT WE END UP, THE MAPS SEEM TO MIRROR THAT AND THAT'S A POSITIVE THING. THE DEVIATION, ANYTHING UNDER 10 IS LEGAL. I DIDN'T INTEND FOR HIM TO CREATE
[01:10:05]
THAT CC, I JUST ASKED FOR SOME DIFFERENT STATISTICS, BUT I GUESS WHEN YOU DO THAT, IT CREATES ANOTHER MAP, SO, I DIDN'T MEAN TO PUT HIM TO EXTRA WORK, BUT I DIDN'T LIKE THE DEVIATION ON THAT ONE AND THEREFORE THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE THE MODIFIED CC TODAY BASED ON THAT. A GENERAL COMMENT AND I REALLY ENJOYED MY DIALOG WITH EVERYBODY AND CERTAINLY WITH MR. DOWLING, AND ONE OF THE POINTS HE MADE IN HIS PAPER THAT HE SENT TO US WAS WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO MAKE PRECINCT 4 THE BIGGEST BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO GROW THE FASTEST, THERE'S ANOTHER ARGUMENT TO THAT AND THE ARGUE WAS, WHEN MR. GARZA STARTED THE CONVERSATION HE SAID, YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER THE UNDERCOUNT IN ALL OF THIS. YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER FOR ALL OF IT. AND IF IN FACT, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT UNDERCOUNT IN THE MINORITY PRECINCTS, WHICH THERE ARE THREE, THAT WOULD BE THE DEVIATION, EVEN THOUGH LEGALLY IT IS, AND WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT, BUT WHAT IT REALLY MEANS IS I DON'T THINK THE PRECINCTS ARE AS DIFFERENT IN SIZE AS SHOW TODAY. SO, JUST BECAUSE IF THE COURT KEEPS PRECINCT FOUR A LITTLE LARGER BECAUSE IT'S A LOT LARGER NOW, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A PROBLEM, ONE BECAUSE IT'S UNDER THE 10% AND WE COULD GET IT DOWN TO SOMEWHERE AROUND THE 5 5% RANGE. AND IN REALTY, I DON'T THINK THE DEVIATION IS ANYWHERE NEAR WHERE IT IS IF THE UNDERCOUNT IS WHAT IS REPRESENTED BECAUSE I DOUBT THERE WAS, NO ONE SAID THERE WAS ANY RURAL UNDERCOUNT IN PRECINCT 4, AND MINE'S PRETTY ACCURATE AND IF THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT UNDERCOUNT IN PRECINCT 3, THAT WOULD TIGHTEN YOUR DEVIATION. JUST A GENERAL POINT ON THAT.MY TENDANCESY WAS A, BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS THE EASIEST TO START FROM BECAUSE IT DID THE LEAST I THINK SHAH. BUT I'M NOT STUCK ON IT AND I'LL LISTEN TO OTHER PEOPLE, WHATEVER, I STILL THINK YOU CAN TWEAK A JUST A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, I THINK THE WAY THE NUMBERS ARE ON A, I GO FROM THE LARGEST PRECINCT TO THE THIRD LARGEST PRECINCT AND THEY'RE ALL PRETTY TIGHT SO YOU COULD LET'S SAY GIVE A PORTION OF 124, NOT ALL BUT A PORTION OF IT BACK TO PRECINCT 4 WHICH WOULD HELP COMMISSIONER MAREZ, BECAUSE PRECINCT 24 IS R LEANING. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TAKE, WHATEVER BACK. BUT 124 IS THE ONLY ONE OF THOSE THREE THAT WORK BECAUSE THE OTHERS ARE AREN'T CONTIGUOUS WITHOUT 124. BUT I'M OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS AND I THINK THE DRISCOLL BISHOP THING WE SHOULD LOOK AT. HOW THOSE TWO ARE NOT TOGETHER, IS BESIDE ME. WE HAVE THOSE IN THE SAME PRECINCT AND THIS ONE HAS IT SHIFTS FROM COMMISSIONER MAREZ TO COMMISSIONER HERNANDEZ AND WE'RE KEEPING THEM TOGETHER, AND WHOEVER WE DECIDE, I THINK IT WILL BE A GOOD ONE. THAT'S MY GENERAL COMMENTS, BUT I'M OPEN TO SUGGESTION. I WANT TO KEEP AS MUCH OF MY PRECINCT AS I CAN AS LONG AS IT'S LEGAL. SO, I'M GOING TO SAY IT THAT WAY. I'M NOT KEEPING MY PRECINCT BECAUSE IT'S ILLEGAL, I'M NOT VYING TO KEEP IT BECAUSE IT'S DEMOCRATICALLY UNBALANCED, BUT I ALSO THINK THERE'S A BIG PART OF PEOPLE WANTING TO HAVE COMFORT SO, EVERY TIME YOU CHANGE THEY ARE COMFORT AND PRECINCTS AND CHANGE WHO REPRESENTS THEM, THAT'S SOMETIMES GOOD, SOMETIMES NOT SO GOOD. I'M GOING TO STICK TO MY STORY ON THAT, I WOULD PREFER TO GIVE US AS LITTLE AS I CAN, AS LONG AS IT'S LEGAL AND AS LONG AS IT MEETS THE DEVIATION AND AS LONG AS IT'S DEMOGRAPHICALLY BASED AND AS
LONG AS IT'S PARTISAN. >> OKAY. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO MR. GARZA BECAUSE HE MADE A FEW TWEAKS WHILE WE WERE TALKING. AND YOU WERE GOING TO TELL US A BIT ABOUT BISHOP. WOULD YOU GO BACK TO THAT MAP. AND IT MIGHT HELP FOR CLARITY TO BE OVER ONCE MORE BB VERSUS BB MODIFIED.
>> OKAY. BUT, I CONCUR YOU HAVE HEARD THE WILL OF THE COURT
[01:15:05]
REGARDING BISHOP. >> LET ME BEGIN WITH WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE MOVE THE BISHOP PRECINCTS TOGETHER. ADS I MENTIONED THERE ARE TWO PRECINCTS THAT DIVIDE BISHOP AND IN THE BB PLAN THOSE TWO PRECINCTS WERE PUT IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS. SO, IF THE COURT WANTS TO GO WITH PLAN BB BUT WANTS TO MODIFY IS IT SO THAT BISHOP IS UNIFIED, THERE ARE TWO OPTIONS. EITHER YOU MOVE THOSE TWO PRECINCTS, 36 AND 102 SO THAT THEY'RE BOTH TOGETHER IN PRECINCT 1 OR MOVE THEM SO THAT THEY'RE BOTH TOGETHER IN PRECINCT 2. GIVE CONNIE A
CHANCE TO BRING THAT UP. >> SOUTHWEST CORNER.
>> OH. >> THERE YOU GO. FOR SHOWS OF YOU ON ZOOM, WE'RE SHARING SCREENS SO HE COULD SEE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHICH IS PRECINCT 36 AND 102.
>> SO, I RUN THE NUMBERS ON THOSE TWO PRECINCTS, SO, PRECINCT 102 IS MORE DENSELY POPULATED, IT'S 2,200 PEOPLE.
AND PRECINCT 36 IS A LITTLE LESS POPULATED, IT'S 1200 PEOPLE.
SO, IF YOU COMBINE THEM BOTH IN PRECINCT 1, I KNOW THAT THE COMMON CAUSE GROUP AND OTHER FOLKS HAVE BEEN VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE TOP TO BOTTOM DEVIATION, THAT WOULD IN FACT INCREASE THE DEVIATION IN PLAN BB FROM WHERE IT STANDS UNDER THE PLAN SUBMITTED AND RAISE IT TO 5.09. BUT IF YOU GO THE OTHER DIRECTION AND MOVE BOTH PRECINCTS SO THEY'RE BOTH CONTAINED IN PRECINCT 2. THEN THE DEVIATION STAYS ABOUT THE SAME. IT'S AT 2.7% IF YOU UNIFIED THEM IN PRECINCT 2 WHICH IS VERY CLOSE TO THE DEVIATION THAT'S PRESENTED IN BB.
>> AND I THINK YOU SAID WE COULD HAVE ALL OF THIS KIND OF LIKE NOT A LIFETIME BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THERE MAY BE OTHER TWEAKS, WHEN YOU WEREN'T HERE, THE DRISCOLL THING COMES UP. I WONDER IF YOU ENDED UP PUTTING DRISCOLL IN THERE TOO, WHAT WOULD THAT DO AND I KNOW THERE WOULD BE A BILLION QUESTION TOSS
COME UP. >> SO, THE CONCEPT ON THE BB PLANS, BOTH THE MODIFIED AND THE CURRENT ONE WAS COMMISSIONER HERNANDEZ NEEDED POPULATION, AND SO, IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN, SO WHEN WE BEGIN THIS PROCESS, WE TALK ABOUT THE TWO MAJOR LEGAL OBLIGATIONS OF THE COUNTY. YOU HAVE TO GET ONE PERSON ONE VOTE RICT AND THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HERE WITH THE DEVIATION BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO PROTECT, MINORITY VOTING AND YOU HAVE TO KEEP THE DISTRICTS IN CURRENT CONCENTRATIONS AS BEST YOU CAN. THEY CAN GO UP AND DOWN A LITTLE BIT BUT THREE DISTRICTS IN NUECES COUNTY ARE CONSIDERED MINORITY OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS. AND SO, THE POPULATION TO THE WEST, INTO THESE RURAL AREAS MAINTAINS THE COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 1 CONCENTRATIONS ON THOSE LEVELS AND THAT'S WHY WE TOOK THAT ROUTE WITH PLAN BB AND BB MODIFIED. BOTH TAKE COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 1 WEST INTO THOSE RURAL AREAS. THE OTHER THING THAT'S SORT OF CONJOINED WITH THAT PHILOSOPHY WAS TRYING TO CORRECT A NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE VOTING PRECINCTS AROUND COMMISSIONER MAREZ'S HOME PRECINCT AND SO WE DID THOSE THINGS AND THOSE WERE PRECINCTS THAT WE TOOK OUT OF CONGRESSMAN PRECINCT 1 IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. THAT'S SORT OF THE MINDSET ABOUT HOW THE BB PLAN AND THE AA PLAN SORT OF GOT FORMED. AND SO, I THINK IF YOU START MOVING TOO MANY OF THOSE
[01:20:02]
PRECINCTS IN THE WEST END OUT OF THE WEST END AND BACK INTO CONGRESSMAN PRECINCT 1 YOU START JEOPARDIZING THE MINORITY NUMBERS IN PRECINCT ONE. IN PLAN BB WE ACTUALLY TRIED TO EXPAND IT FURTHER INTO THE WEST TO TRY AND UNIFY THE RURAL COMMUNITIES TOGETHER IN ONE PRECINCT, BUT OBVIOUSLY, WE MESSED UP WITH THAT PRECINCT 102.>> BUT WE COULD COMBINE BISHOP? >> YES.
>> AND DRISCOLL'S IN THAT ONE, RIGHT?
>> NO. NO UNDER BB DRISCOLL WOULD BE COMBINED WITH ONE?
>> DEEP THAT DEVIATION IN A NICE SLOW NUMBER WHICH IS 2.7%, YOU CAN COMBINE BISHOP, BUT NOT INCLUDE DRISCOLL AND SINCE I WAS IN DRISCOLL TODAY AT CITY HALL FOR SEVERAL HOURS, I CAN TELL YOU THAT DRISCOLL IS AS CLOSE TO OUR PRECINCT AS IT IS TO BISHOP.
IT'S 10 MILES, WHAT I'M SAYING IS, AS LONG AS WE'RE ESPOUSING THEORYS AND PHILOSOPHIES, I'LL TELL YOU, I WISH EVERYBODY COULD HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF RURAL IN THEM. BECAUSE IT SCARES ME A LITTLE BIT WHEN YOU ONLY HAVE ONE COMMISSIONER THAT'S REPRESENTING THE RURAL COMMUNITY BECAUSE THAT RURAL COMMUNITY WILL NEVER GET THE VOICE THAT IT DESERVES. AND IT'S THE ONE THAT HAS THE MOST VULNERABILITY THROUGH OUR SOCIAL DETERMINANCE OF HEALTH Z NOW HE SAYS WE COULD STILL DO IT. THE ONE THING WE COULDN'T SATISFY AND I WOULD NORMALLY SAY, HEY, GREAT IDEA, PUT DRISCOLL AND BISHOP TOGETHER, BUT IN THIS CASE, BECAUSE OF THE SHIFTING POPULATION HAND HERNANDEZ NEEDING POPULATION, WE NEED DRISCOLL IN ONE IN ORDER TO
SATISFY, RIGHT? >> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> AND AGAIN, WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS, AND AGAIN, I'M SUPER FOCUSED IN THIS AREA RIGHT NOW AND JUST TODAY, YOU HAVE THREE COMMISSIONERS UNDER THIS PLAN THAT SHOULD ALWAYS CARE ABOUT REPRESENTING THE RURAL. WHY? BECAUSE UNDER THIS PLAN, THE ONE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW TWEAKING, MAREZ WOULD HAVE ROB'S TOWN HERNANDEZ WOULD HAVE DRISCOLL AND JAG WOULD HAVE
BISHOP. >> IN OTHER WORDS, THIS WOULD
ACTUALLY HAPPEN. >> I THOUGHT ABOUT MOVING LONDON BUT THEN DRAWING THE IRE OF CHESNEY.
>> NOW, WE ALL HAVE BALANCE, RIGHT? NOW THERE'S A REAL SENSE OF BALANCE AND WHAT'S IMPRESSIVE IS THAT THE TWEAK DIDN'T CHANGE THE DEVIATION. LET'S FACE IT, YOU WANT THAT NUMBER AS LOW AS IT CAN GO. THAT'S THE HOPEFUL IDEA. BECAUSE AND THE UNDERCOUNT IS AN INTERESTING CONCEPT AND IT SHOULD BE APPLIED EQUITABLE. BUT LET'S FACE IT WE ALL KNOW WHERE THE UNDERCOUNT IS AND WHERE IT'S NOT. AND IT'S GOING TO BE SUCH THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO MESS AROUND WITH THE AREA THAT WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE DOCUMENTED REAL ESTATE AND DEVELOPMENT GROWTH. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TAKE THE LANDFILL WAY HOME AND WE KNOW NUMBER FOUR IS GROWING AND IN A WAY THAT WE CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE. I THINK FOUR WILL BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL BEFORE THE 10 YEAR SUNSHINE OUT.
AND THAT'S JUST THE WAY THESE THINGS, THAT'S WHY YOU GOT TO GO AS LOW AS YOU CAN GO BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CUSHION. AND THAT'S WHAT WE SEE. THAT'S THE TREND.
>> MAY BE WE JUST HAVE TO COUNT BETTER NEXT TIME TOO, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO DETERMINE THE DEVIATION.
>> AND YOU KNOW COVID HURT US. >> WE'LL, BISHOP IS A WHOLE 2.7 DEVIATION, IF WE PUT IT WITH PRECINCT 1, IT'S A 5 POINT
DEVIATION. >> AND HOW MUCH DOES AA AND BB CHANGE? BECAUSE AA DOES MEET THAT FULL BISHOP NEED AND BB
[01:25:01]
ALSO, MY COPY IS CUT OFF SO I CAN'T GET A BETTER VIEW THAN MAYBE WHAT YOU HAVE ON BB NOW. >> BB OR BB MODIFIED?
>> I HAVE BB MODIFIED. >> THAT'S THE CONFUSING PART.
I'M LOOKING AT WHATEVER WE HAD SHARED ONLINE FOR TODAY'S AGENDA. SO, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S BB OR BB MODIFIED.
>> BB MODIFIED. >> OKAY, I'M LOOKING AT THE RIGHT ONE AND IT'S THE ONE THAT Y'ALL HAVE UP THERE. SO, A LOT OF AA AND BB LOOK SIMILAR BUT I KNOW THERE ARE PRECINCTS THAT
CRUNCH DOWN THE NUMBERS BETTER. >> THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AA AND BB IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD AROUND YOUR VOTING PRECINCTS, THOSE PRECINCTS ARE NOT JOINED IN AA. BB JOINS THOSE
PRECINCTS. >> YOU GET YOUR COMMUNITIES OF
INTEREST IN BB. >> AND THE MODIFIED IS JUST THE
TWEAK BETWEEN THE COLLEGE. >> THE COLLEGE.
>> JUST TO KEEP EVERYBODY, BECAUSE IT DOES GET CONFUSING,
>> I'M VERY CONFUSED. >> WELL, MODIFIED MEANS TODAY, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED, IS THAT EVERYTHING THAT DOESN'T SAY THE WORD MODIFIED IS WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN, TODAY YOU'RE SEEING MODIFIED, BUT WE CAN IDENTIFY IT VERBALLY. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BB AND BB MODIFIED IS THAT PRECINCT 91.
THAT'S YOUR COLLEGE, RIGHT, THAT'S THE UNIVERSITY.
>> THE UNIVERSITY. >> THANK YOU, THE UNIVERSITY.
>> STUDENTS. >> THE LAST THING I WOULD RAISE WITH THE COURT, AND I KNOW FROM SPEAKING TO ALL FIVE OF YOU THAT THIS HAS NOT BEEN A BIG CONCERN BUT DISCUSSED OVER AND OVER AGAIN, THE POLITICAL FALLOUT FROM THIS IS NEGATIVE NEGLIGABLE. AND PRECINCT FOUR REMAINS AT.
>> OKAY. IN AD INDICATING FOR THE COMMUNITYS INTEREST, THAT'S WHAT IT IS. MY NEIGHBORHOOD IS IDENTIFIABLE NEIGHBORHOOD IS LITERALLY CUT IN TWO. SO ONE SIDE IS ONE COMMISSIONER PRECINCT AND THE OTHER SIDE THAT I LIVE IN IS MINE. IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT, IT CAN STAY THAT WAY. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY THAT'S ELUDED TO. MY BIGGEST CONCERN WITH BB IS THAT THE TRUE COMMUNITY OF INTEREST, WHICH IS CITY OF ROB'S TOWN LOSES OUT THE COUNTY PART OF ROBS DOWN. ROBSTOWN, I THINK IT SHOULD BE INCLUDED INTO THE CITY PROPER BUT UNTIL WE GET TO THAT POINT, IT'S STILL CONSIDERED SEPARATE. THAT PRECINCT 105 IS IN BB. SO IF WE DID GO WITH BB THAT WOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION FROM ME THAT WE ADD OR MODIFY THAT, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY VOTES THAT IS, AND IF THAT MEANS I NEED TO TRADE OFF THE EASTERN EDGE WITH COMMISSIONER CHESNEY, LIKE 124, BUT THEN IT TAKES AWHAT FROM COMMISSIONER HERNANDEZ. THAT WOULD BE MY CONCERN IS THAT WE DON'T CHIP AWAY AT THAT WHOLE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY OF ROBSTOWN. WE'RE ALL MISSING AREAS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN COMFORTABLE WITH IN THE LAST 2-8 YEARS OR MORE THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN HERE. SO, I DON'T HAVE
[01:30:08]
HEARTBURN IN SOME AREAS, BUT I'M REALLY LOOKING AT THE COUNTY SERVICES, WHERE THEY'RE REALLY USED AND UTILIZED IS OUTSIDE THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, RIGHT, WE DO REPRESENT CORPUS CHRISTI, BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING SERVICES AND RESOURCES IT'S TYPICALLY GOING TO BE OUTSIDE AND THAT'S WHEN LOOKING AT THIS, THAT THAT ONE IS JUST REALLY HARD FOR ME AND THAT WOULD BE A MOTION THAT I WOULD MAKE. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THOSE NUMBERS OR IF YOUCOULD HELP ME WITH THOSE. >> IF WE TAKE A BREAK, I CAN GO
SEE WHAT MOVING 105 WOULD DO. >> I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT IMPACTS PRECINCT FOUR OR ONE, IT DOESN'T IMPACT PRECINCT 2 AT ALL. IF WE COULD LOOK AT HOW IT IMPACTS, COMMISSIONER HERNANDEZ THE NUMBERS YOU WERE MENTIONING. AND ON THE OTHER HAND, COMMISSIONER CHESNEY TALKING ABOUT LOSING A LOT. AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PRECINCT FOR ME, IF THAT COULD BE TRADED OFF WHERE I TAKE ON ONE AND GIVE ONE ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE BOUNDARIES WHICH IS 124, AT LEAST IF WE COULD DO THAT, THAT WOULD MAKE.
>> AND YOU WOULD STILL KEEP BISHOP TOGETHER?
>> THAT'S ALREADY DONE. THAT'S NOT IMPACTING.
>> WHY DON'T WE TAKE A 10-MINUTE BREAK.
>> THE COMMENT ON 91, ALSO CONCERNS ME A BIT TOO, BECAUSE OF THIS ROAD AS TIM SAID BECAUSE REALLY AND TRULY IS WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS BOXES ME IN. I HAVE NOTHING AROUND ME. I HAVE THE ONE ON THE WATER, 19, I'M NOT SAYING YOU, I'M SAYING THIS.
AND SO, I'M A LITTLE UNCLEAR OR UNCERTAIN ON THIS.
>> THAT'S JUST MODIFIED, COMMISSIONER, IF YOU GO TO BB THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN. OKAY. AND BY THE WAY, I'M RIGHT THERE,
YOU REPRESENT ME. >> SO YOUR'S IS ON BB.
>> I'M GOING TO HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT.
>> AT THE END OF ALL THIS, BEFORE WE VOTE, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A BREAK AND PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER TO SHOW EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY GETTING, NOT ON YOUR FAULT BUT IT'S GETTING CONFUSING TO ME SO IT PROBABLY IS TO OTHER'S AS WELL, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE FINAL THING.
>> SURE, WHY DON'T WE TAKE A LITTLE BREAK. LOOK, THE IDEA IS THE CONSENSUS OF THE COURT AND ACTUALLY, THE PUBLIC IS YOU'VE HEARD ON BISHOP. SO, THAT'S ALREADY A LITTLE BIT OF HELP TO YOU, MR. GARZA. AND NOW YOU'VE HEARD THIS ONE TWEAK AND WE NEED TO SEE IT'S RAMIFICATIONS AND THAT'S 105.
>> EXCUSE ME, JUDGE, I JUST WANT TO ASK, AM I TAKING
DRISCOLL? >> WELL, IF WE VOTE ON IT. BUT THAT'S UNDER BB. THAT WOULD BE CORRECT. YES.
>> OKAY. >> LET'S LOOK AT THE OUTCOME THAT HE BRINGS BACK. IT'S GOING TO DEPEND ON WHAT HE BRINGS
BACK. >> NO, BUT HE NEEDS DRISCOLL, THE OUTCOME WOULDN'T THING ON DRISCOLL, BECAUSE HE NEEDS
POPULATION. >> LET ME GO TO BB, BB IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FROM MINE, RIGHT? IT'S TAKING THREE AND-A-HALF PRECINCTS AND GIVING ME ONE AND-A-HALF NEW ONES, BUT THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE. COMPARED TO AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A, BUT THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FOR MY PRECINCT WHEN IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT SIGNIFICANCE AS FAR AS CHANGING PRECINCTS AND GETTING WITHIN THE DEVIATION. SO, THE BB, THAT'S WHAT MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT BB, IS THAT I'M GIVING UP A LOT AND HAVING TO TAKE STUFF THAT I'VE NEVER REPRESENTED BEFORE, WHEN THIS PROCESS COULD BE DONE AND I
DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT. >> YOU AND ME BOTH, I'M LOSING DRISCOLL AND LUCY, AND THOSE ARE BIG AREAS AS WELL. I WISH WE COULD KEEP THE MAPS BECAUSE WE HAVE MADE SO MANY INROADS AND PROGRESS IN THE AREAS THAT WE REPRESENT. AND I HEAR THAT AND I AGREE, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THAT MEANS TO MIX ALL THAT UP. THAT'S WHY I SAID, THESE MAPS, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF SOMETHING THAT I LOVE ABOUT ALL OF THEM BUT THERE'S A WHOLE LOT I DON'T LIKE EITHER. AND IF WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THAT APPROACH, WHICH I DON'T MIND SPENDING TIME LOOKING AT THAT.
I KNEW COMING IN, THERE WOULD BE GIVE THAT I HAD TO GIVE AWAY.
AND I'M TAKING, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT'S BEING GIVEN OR TAKEN, COMMISSIONER CHESNEY, 119, 32, AND 124, THOSE ARE JUST ONES THAT I CAN PICK OUT AND I KNOW THERE ARE A FEW OTHERS, 92 THAT I'M TAKING ON THAT THOSE ARE NEW AREAS THAT I'VE NEVER
[01:35:02]
REPRESENTED EITHER, I DON'T MIND DOING THAT. BUT IF THERE ARE AREAS THAT WE CAN WORK THROUGH, I WOULDN'T MIND WORKING THROUGHTHOSE AND MAKING THAT HAPPEN. >> LET ME MAKE ONE QUICK COMMENT BEFORE, PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYBODY THAT THE REASON CHANGE HAS TO OCCUR IS IT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL. AND IT'S NOT UNCONS UNCONSTITUTIONAL BY ONE TIME OR TWO TIMES, BUT THE UNCOMFORTABLENESS NEEDS TO BE
FELT. >> EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE MEETS THE LEGAL STANDARD, PERIOD. THE ONE THAT'S THE LEAST IMPACTING WHICH ALSO MEETS THE LEGAL STANDARD, IT'S COMPLETELY BECAUSE IT'S SO MUCH CHANGE. THE CHANGE IS COMING, I GET IT. BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE BASED ON THE 7 OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE BB IS ONE OF THE ONES THAT CHANGES MINE THE MOST WITH
NO. >> BUT THAT'S BECAUSE YOUR POPULATION IS SO OVER. POPULATED.
>> BUT IF YOU GO BACK TO A, IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. I'M NOT TAKING ON ANYTHING NEW, I'M JUST GIVING UP ONES I KNOW I HAVE TO GIVE UP, THAT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE.
>> MY RESPONSE FOR COMMISSIONER MAREZ AND CHESNEY, IS THE REASON THERE'S MORE DRAMATIC CHANGE IN BBR IS BECAUSE WE WANT TO GET AS CLOSE TO ZERO AS WE CAN AND WE ALSO WANT TO TRY AND AVOID SPLITTING VOTING PRECINCTS BECAUSE WE'RE ON THE EVE OF THE BEGINNING OF THE MARCH PRIMARY. AND SO, IF YOU GIVE ME UNLIMITED TIME AND YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT SPLITTING VOTING PRECINCTS, I CAN GO IN AND CARVE UP THIS PLAN SO YOU GET ZERO DEVIATION AND YOU HAVE THE APPEARANCE OF HAVING LITTLE CHANGE. BUT IT'S GOING TO REEK HAVOC ON THE ELECTION SYSTEM. ALL OF US TALKED ABOUT HOW WE WANTED TO TRY AND AVOID THE CONFUSION FOR VOTERS, IF YOU KEEP VOTING PRECINCTS IN TACT, THAT'S ONE WAY TO AVOID CONFUSION AMONG THE VOTERS, THEY KNOW THE VOTING PRECINCT THEY'VE BEEN VOTING IN FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS, THEY STILL GO THERE AND VOTE. NOW, IT MAY NOT BE COMMISSIONER
HERNANDEZ ON THE BALLOT. >> BUT TODAY IN NUECES COUNTY
WE VOTE ANYWHERE. >> BUT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS.
>> LET ME SHARE WITH YOU, SO, WHEN I TOOK OVER PRECINCT 3 WHEN I WAS SWORN IN THIS 2017 AND I WENT OUT TO THE COMMUNITIES IN THE WESTERN PART WHICH I'M LOSING, IT THEY SAID YOU KNOW YOU'RE LIKE OUR ALREADY THIRD COMMISSIONER IN LESS THAN 10 YEARS, THIRD. SO, I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AS FAR AS WANTING TO GO WHERE THEY NORMALLY GO TO VOTE BUT I THINK REPRESENTATION AND REPRESENTATIVES MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE TOO. I'LL TELL YOU, THEY WENT FROM COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ WHEN HE USED TO REPRESENT THAT AREA RIGHT BEFORE THE LAST CENSUS AND THEN COMMISSIONER ORTIZ, BUT WHETHER YOU HAVE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE BECAUSE WE GET TO KNOW THEM AND HELP TO WORK WITH THEM IN THE COMMUNITIES. I DON'T WANT PEOPLE OUT THERE TO THINK I'M THROWING THEM OUT WITH THE BATH WATER. I LOVE THOSE COMMUNITIES I DEVOTED A LOT OF BUDGET AND COUNTY TAX DOLLARS TO THOSE AREAS AND A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT OUT THERE. THIS IS A TIME FOR ME TO REALLY MOURN BECAUSE I'VE BUILT UP SO MANY PARTNERSHIPS OUT THERE. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD THINGS OUT THERE, IF THEY CHANGE AS PROPOSED, I STILL WANT TO BE INVOLVED AND HELP OUT COMMISSIONER HERNANDEZ WITH. I WANT THE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND AND I GET WHAT COMMISSIONER CHESNEY IS SAYING. WE'VE PUT SO MUCH TIME INTO WORKING THE COMMUNITIES, IT'S LIKE, GOSH, NOW WE GOT TO TRY AND BUILD THEM UP AGAIN. SO, I'M NOT AGAINST THAT AND I'M NOT AGAINST WANTING TO KEEP AS-IS BECAUSE I AGREE WHAT YOU'RE SEEING ABOUT THE NUMBERS. I WANT THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE NOT GIVING IT UP BECAUSE WE WANT TO.
AND ESPECIALLY IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT IN ANOTHER AREA WE OPEN IT UP OR BE HERE HOURS OR COME
[01:40:04]
BACK ON FRIDAY TO RESOLVE THIS. THAT'S A CONCERN FOR ME AS WELL.>> AND I'M HERE AT YOUR COMMAND.
>> MR. GARZA WILL YOU REMIND EVERYBODY I ASKED YOU A QUESTION ABOUT EXPLAINING, I MEAN, HE WOULD STILL REPRESENT A AQUA DULCE, AND BANGETE UNTIL HE'S DONE AND SERVED HIS TIME ON
THE COMMISSION. >> I THINK IN NOVEMBER, THERE'LL BE ELECTIONS, FINAL ELECTIONS FOR NUECES COUNTY, AND THERE MAY BE A NEW COMMISSIONER THAT REPRESENTS THOSE AREAS DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU ADOPT TODAY.
>> WELL, IT NO, THE DAY THAT WE VOTE ON THESE WE CHANGE. LIKE
TODAY TO TOMORROW THEY CHANGE? >> NO.
>> WELL, YOU GOT A FILE FOR ELECTION 2022 STARTING SATURDAY FOR A BOUNDARY THAT'S GOING TO BE RAH WE DECIDE TONIGHT. SO IT DOES CHANGE FROM TODAY TO TOMORROW Z WE GO OVER THERE AND WE'RE NOT WELCOMED TO GO OUT OF TOWN. BUT THAT'S WHAT'S
HAPPENING. >> NO, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY
>> YOU'RE RIGHT. >> AND IF I HAD SAID THAT BEFORE, JUDGE, I MISSPOKE, IT HAPPENS TODAY.
>> I WAS JUST GOING TO OFFER THE RECESS THAT I SPOKE ABOUT JUST A FEW MOMENTS AGO. LET US TAKE AT LEAST 15 MINUTES, MR. GARZA? YES. AND I'LL LOOK AT PRECINCT 105.
>> AND FOR OUR CLERK, 7:13 WE'RE ON RECESS, IF YOU TAKE THE MICS OFF COMPLETELY. FOR THOSE OF YOU ONLINE, YOU WON'T HEAR ANYTHING YOU'LL JUST SEE A
(RECESS) >> OKAY, I'M GOING TO GAVEL US BACK IN FOR OUR RECORD KEEPING, IT'S 7:40 P.M., AND WE HAVE TAKEN OUR BREAK, AND WE'RE BACK ON THE RECORD. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DO WANT TO DO JUST BECAUSE IT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROCESS IS THAT WE'VE BEEN IN PUBLIC HEARING AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH MR. GARZA AND YOU'LL GIVE US AN UPDATE AND THEN I'M GOING TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING OFFICIALLY AND WE'LL REOPEN INTO OUR REGULAR AGENDA MEETING. AND THEN WE'LL ADDRESS THE AGENDA ITEM. IT'S NOT A DIFFERENCE FOR YOU AND I BUT IT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE HOUSEKEEPING. SO,
MR. GARZA. >> OKAY. SO, WHEN WE BROKE, COMMISSIONER MAREZ ASKED FOR US TO EXAMINE WHAT WOULD HAHN IN TERMS OF ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE IF WE MOVE PRECINCT 105 BACK INTO PRECINCT 3. AND, I'VE LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS, AND OF COURSE, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT OTHER CHANGES ON THE WESTERN END OF THE COUNTY BETWEEN COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 1 AND 2, WHAT I DID IS I LOOKED AT TWO OPTIONS, RIGHT, IF WE PUT ALL OF BENEFICIARY IN COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 1 WHAT DOES THAT DO WHEN WE REMOVE PRECINCT 105? IF WE LEAVE ALL OF BISHOP IN COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 2, WHAT DOES THAT DO TO THE DEVIATION IF WE SHIFT 105 INTO 3? AND SO, WHAT THE NUMBERS SHOW IS THAT IF WE MOVE 105, BY, BY THE WAY IS 2,081 PEOPLE, OUT OF COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 1 AS IT IS IN PLAN BB AND MOVE IT BACK TO COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 3, THE POPULATION OF PRECINCT 1 DROPS FROM 87912 TO 85, 831 WITH BISHOP IN 2. AND THE POPULATION OF 3 JUMPS TO 91,057 AND THE TOP TO BOTTOM DEVIATION JUMP TOSS 5.9.
COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 3 NOW BECOMES THE LARGEST PRECINCT IN THE PLAN. IF WE LEAVE, OR IF WE PUT ALL OF BISHOP IN PRECINCT 1, THEN THE DEVIATION THE CHANGE IS A LITTLE BIT SMALLER. THE POPULATION OF PRECINCT 1 DROPS TO 87,831, AND BECAUSE WE BEGAN
[01:45:04]
AT 89,000 BECAUSE WE PUT ALL OF BISHOP IN ONE, BUT PRECINCT 3, OF COURSE IMPOSE TO 91,057 AND CITY IS THE LARGEST ONE. AND THE TOP TO BOTTOM DEVIATION DOING THAT SCENARIO IS 4.6, SO BOTH OPTIONS PRODUCE HIGHER DEVIATIONS THAN WITH THE PLAN BB, THE WAY IT WAS WHEN WE STARTED, AND EVEN PLAN BB WITH THE PRECINCT CHANGE FOR JOINING BISHOP.>> TURNS OUT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING? AND IT REALLY, SEEMS SO EASY, RIGHT, JUST ONE LITTLE CHANGE AND IT REALLY
>> TAKES THAT DEVIATION UP. >> HOW ABOUT GIVEN THAT INFORMATION, LET ME ASK THE AUDIENCE IF YOU NEED MORE TIME, TAKE YOUR TIME BUT IF THERE'S ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT, LET ME OFFER THAT OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW.
>> HOW ABOUT COMMISSIONERS? >> JUDGE, ARE YOU ASKING FOR
>> I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I THOUGHT THE WHOLE PROCESS WAS SUPPOSED TO HELP ME KIND OF BRING UP MY POPULATION, YOU KNOW, I THINK I'M UNDER POP PATE LATED AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO
KEEP IT AS IS, BB. >> OKAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
COMMENTS. >> AND JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, THE BC BB, THE ORIGINAL BB, RIGHT?
>> CORRECT. >> NOT THE MODIFIED?
>> SO, THERE SHOULD BE A TABLE THAT GIVES YOU THE BB MODIFIED, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS PLAN BB.
>> NOT THE MODIFIED? >> NOT THE MODIFIED.
>> WITH THE EXCEPTION OF BISHOP.
>> IT'S GOING TO BE MODIFY BECAUSE OF THE BISHOP.
>> IT'S CALLED BBB. >> I GIVE UP.
>> IF YOU DO WHAT YOU SAID YOU ARE DOING, WHAT THE COURT'S ASKED YOU TO DO, THEN NONE OF THE PERCENTAGES WOULD CHANGE, MINORITY, REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT, IN ANY OF THE FOUR PRECINCTS?
>> SO, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE MINORITY NUMBERS IF WE MAKE THE 105 CHANGE, SO HERE'S THE DEAL --
>> IT WOULD INCREASE. >> IT WOULD INCREASE MAREZ AND DECREASE HERNANDEZ, BECAUSE THE PRECINCT WE WOULD BE PULLING OUT OF COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 1 IS 70% HISPANIC AND 2,000 PEOPLE.
AND IT'S LIKELY TO DROP IT A LITTLE BIT.
>> A 10TH OR SO, PROBABLY NOT. >> IT WILL DROP IT A LITTLE
BIT. >> I DON'T KNOW. OKAY, FINE.
BUT IN OTHER WORDS, WHATEVER AND THE COURT SEEMS LIKE IT'S GETTING CLOSE TO A DIRECTION, IF THE COURT SAYS OKAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT YOU TO GO DRAW UP, RIGHT, IN OTHER WORDS, I WOULDN'T WANT TO VOTE ON ANYTHING AND I WOULD HOPE NOBODY WOULD UNTIL WE SAW THIS AGAIN. I MEAN, CAN WE DO THIS TONIGHT?
>> SO, THE POLITICAL DATA IS DIFFICULT FOR US TO MANUFACTURE BECAUSE WE WORK OUT OF TWO WORK STATIONS, ONE IS OUR MAPPING WORK STATION AND THE OTHER ONE WE HAVE ACCESS TO POLITICAL DATA. AND THEY'RE AT FAR ENDS OF THE CITY. SO, WE COULD GET THE POLITICAL DATA TO YOU IN THE MORNING. I MEAN, SO, NONE OF THE PLANS THAT WE'VE WORKED ON, COMMISSIONER, HAVE ANY SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT ON THE PARTISAN NATURE OF THESE DISTRICTS. THEY'RE ALL IN THOSE RANGES, ALL SIX PLANS. SO, YOU'RE UNDER A DEADLINE FOR FINISHING UP THIS WORK TO GET IT DONE BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE PRIMARY FILING PERIOD. THAT'S WHAT THE SECRSECRETARY OF STATE TOLD US AND NO DEADLINES HAVE BEEN MOVED. SO, THAT'S WHY I HAVE URGED THE COURT TO FIND A DATE AT WHICH IT WILL ADOPT A PLAN. AND SO, YOU CAN ADOPT THE PLAN TODAY. ONE OF THESE PLANS, IF YOU HAVE TIME TO DO A COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETING TOMORROW, YOU COULD DO THAT. OR FRIDAY YOU COULD DO THAT. BUT I THINK THOSE DATA.
>> WE COULD RECESS BUT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE TOMORROW. BUT THE COURT COULD PASS A PLAN SUBJECT TO THE FINAL NUMBERS MATCHING UP
[01:50:03]
TO WHAT I'VE INDICATED? >> RIGHT.
>> YES. >> AND IF THEY DON'T WE COULD RECESS THE MEETING UNTIL TOMORROW.
>> WELL, THE COURT HOUSE IS CLOSED TOMORROW, WE WOULD HAVE TO ROUND TABLE ON THAT FOR STAFF PURPOSES TO BE ABLE TO HAVE
SUPPORT STAFF. >> WE ARE POSTED FOR FRIDAY.
>> OKAY. WE ARE POSTED FOR FRIDAY.
>> I WON'T BE HERE FRIDAY. >> AND I THINK IT'S REALLY, WHATEVER THE WILL OF THE COURT IS, I THINK AS LONG AS THOSE NUMBERS MATCH UP, I DON'T THINK WE'LL HAVE TO COME BACK.
>> WHAT I THINK MR. GARZA'S SAYING IS HE FEELS GOOD ABOUT
THAT. >> BUT, YOU'VE BEEN PRETTY DEAD ON ON YOUR NUMBERS, AND SO, IF YOU'RE TELLING US, I HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF FAITH IN THAT, AND I MEAN THAT WITH THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF COMPLIMENT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME THIS IS A BIG DEAL AND I WANT TO BE SURE THAT THE NUMBERS MATCH UP. SO IF WE'RE POSTED FOR FRIDAY, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO FOR COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ? COULD YOU ZOOM.
>> I DON'T THINK HE'S GOING TO BE OFF. I'M JUST SAYING AS A
PRECAUTION. >> LET ME JUST ACTUALLY CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING RIGHT NOW. AND I'M GOING TO MOVE RIGHT INTO PUBLIC COMMENT. SO YOU COULD STAY RIGHT WERE YOUR. I JUST WANT TO NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT WE'VE HEARD ALL OF THE INFORMATION THERE MR. GARZA HAS AND WE TOOK OUR RECESS FOR THE
[1. Discuss and consider adopting an Order establishing new Commissioner Precinct Boundaries for the purposes of redistricting related to the 2020 U.S. Census.]
RECORD, AND HE CAME BACK AND GAVE US HIS ANSWERS. BUT NOW WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND NOW I'M RECONVENING THE REGULAR MEETING AND THE TIME IS 7:49 P.M. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT ON OUR REGULAR MEETING WHICH GOES TO THE HEART OF WHY WE'RE HERE WII IS THE AGENDA ITEM WHICH IS CONSIDERING ADOPTING THE ORDER FOR THE PURPOSE OF REDISTRICTING RELATED TO THE 2020 U.S. CENSUS. SO, HAVING SAID THAT, MMR. DOWLING. >> YOUR HONOR THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT PROCESS AND I WOULD RECOMMEND THE COURT, BASED ON MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE FOLLOWING, IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND IS DO BB WITH THE BISHOP MODIFICATION, WHICH I UNDERSTAND MEANS YOU WOULD PUT PRECINCTING 36 AND 102, FIX THAT PROBLEM AND IF I HEARD CORRECTLY THAT MOVES THE DEVIATION A SMALL AMOUNT. AND THEN, I THINK COMMISSIONER HERNANDEZ'S COMMENT WAS RIGHT ON TARGET. HE SAYS, I DON'T WANT TO BE GIVING UP PEOPLE, I'M UNDERPOPULATED ALREADY. I WOULD SAY, LEAVE 105 WHERE IT IS, AND I'M PLEASED TO HEAR FROM MR. GARZA THERE'S NO PARTISAN OR VOTING RIGHTS ISSUES IMPLICATED BY ANYTHING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
YOU WOULD URGE THE COURT TO VOTE ON BB WITH THE BENEFICIARY MODIFICATION AND LEAVE 105 WHERE IT IS. AND VOTE TONIGHT AND IF YOU WANTED TO GET CONFIRMATION THAT MR. GARZA HAS HAD TO DO THIS UNDER GREAT STRESS AND DIFFICULTY, JUST CONFIRM THE NUMBERS IF THAT'S WHAT THE COURT IS, IF I WERE IN YOUR SPOT, I HAVE ENOUGH CONFIDENCE AND SAY, JOSE, I TRUST YOU, YOU'RE A GREAT PERSON TO HAVE IN THIS JOB, AND I WOULD VOTE NOW.
THAT'S JUST WHAT I WOULD DO. BUT I URGE YOU TO VOTE FOR THE BB WITH THE BISHOP MODIFICATION BUT LEAVE 105 IN.
>> LE I HAVE A QUESTION. SO, MR. GARZA, CAN YOU ALSO IN BB CAN YOU TELL ME WHY I'M GETTING PARTIAL 120 AND LOSING PARTIAL 125 AND NOT JUST KEEPING ALL OF 125 AND NOT TAKING 120?
>> IT WAS ABOUT POPULATION AND GETTING THE POPULATION DOWN.
SO, WE WENT IN AND CARVED UP THAT PRECINCT TO DO THAT. AND WE TRIED IT WITH THE WHOLE PRECINCT AND IT JUMPED THE NUMBERS UP TOO HIGH. AND WE TRY IT HAD WITHOUT DOING ANY OF THE PRECINCT, AND IT JUMPED THE NUMBERS TOO HIGH.
>> WHY, THOUGH, WOULDN'T YOU JUST LEAVE 120 ALONE AND GIVE ME MORE PARTIAL ON 25? I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I'M TAKING A PARTIAL OF 120, WHY DON'T I JUST TAKE MORE OF A PORTION OF 125 WHICH IS MY PRECINCT. LIKE THE EQUAL AMOUNT, WHATEVER YOU TOOK FROM 120 COULDN'T YOU JUST GIVE BACK IN 125?
[01:55:15]
>> SO, WE COULD DO THAT. AND I THINK THE REASON WE DID THAT IS BECAUSE WHERE WE CUT OFF 125, SO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IS COMPACTNESS, RIGHT, AND THERE WAS A STREET THERE THAT GAVE US THE NUMBERS THAT WE WANTED. AND AFTER WE DID THAT IS WHEN WE NOTICED THAT WE NEEDED TO MOVE MORE POPULATION IN OR MOVE MORE POPULATION OUT, SO WE WERE
CARVING PRECINCT 32 OUT. >> IS IT TO KEEP STREETS
TOGETHER? >> TO MAKE IT MORE COMPACT, THAT'S RIGHT, TO HAVE A LINE THAT RUNS ALONG A STREET SO THAT IT'S NOT JAGGED, ET CETERA. AND 32 WAS ALL IN THE PRECINCT 4 AND WE NEEDED TO REMOVE MORE POPULATION.
>> I UNDERSTAND, 32, AND I GET THOSE TWO. SO, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS WHAT IS THE NUMBER IN 120 THAT YOU HAD TO TAKE AND I WOULD ASK FOR THE COURT TO AT LEAST CONSIDER TAKING THAT 120 NUMBER AND PUTTING IT BACK IN 125 SO THAT I'M ONLY TAKING ON ONE NEW PRECINCT, WHICH IS, I GUESS OKAY.
>> I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THAT NUMBER WAS, I WOULD HAVE TO GO
IN AND ADD UP THOSE BLOCKS. >> SO, IF I COULD MAKE A --
>> I DON'T SEE MY STAFF OR MY CO-COUNSEL AND I DON'T KNOW IF I
HAVE THAT REPORT HERE. >> SO, THEN, I WOULD THINK, SAME THING, THERE WOULD BE A WAY TO WHATEVER THE NUMBER IS IN 125 JUST SUBSTITUTE IT TO WHERE I DON'T HAVE TO TAKE A PARTIAL PRECINCT AND PUT IT BACK IN 125 AND IT SHOULDN'T MESS WITH THE BALANCE AND YOU COULD TWEAK IT TO WHERE IT DOESN'T.
>> SO, THAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE. AND I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, IF, I KNOW THEY WERE TRYING TO GET ON, IF THEY GET ON AND CAN PUT UP THE MAP, WE CAN CHECK THAT. I DON'T HAVE THE
HARD NUMBERS WITH ME HERE. >> OKAY.
>> BUT WHAT'S THE, I MEAN, PLAYING DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, IF WE DID IT, OBVIOUSLY, I JUST HEARD WHAT THE UPSIDE IS, WHAT'S THE NEGATIVE? I MEAN, IS IT NOT KEEPING THE STREETS TOGETHER?
>> SO, YOU KNOW, AS I WAS TALKING TO COMMISSIONER MAREZ AT THE BREAK IS THAT EVERY CHANGE THAT YOU MAKE MAKES A DIFFERENCE. SO THE DIVISION THAT WE HAVE IN 125 IS BETWEEN COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 4 AND COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 2. BUT THE BREAK THAT WE HAVE IN 32 IS BETWEEN 4 AND 3.
>> NO, 120, WE DIDN'T BREAK 32 IN THIS ONE. UNLESS I'M LOOKING AT THE WRONG ONE. I THOUGHT THE BREAK IS ON 120. 32 GOES OUT.
>> 32 GOES OUT COMPLETELY. >> 32'S OUT, 125 IS THE ONE.
>> I WOULD AT LEAST LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT, AND I WOULD THINK THERE'S GOT TO BE A WAY TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING -- THERE'S GOT TO BE A WAY TO DO THAT.
>> I WAS LOOKING AT MODIFIED. >> WHILE WE LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS AND IN LOOKING AT THEM AGAIN, I DO HAVE SOME HEARTBURN, I WANT TO BE SURE WE'RE ON THE RIGHT MAP AND SEE IF THERE WAS ANYONE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT BECAUSE THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS AND I THINK WE NEED TO HEAR FROM THEM AS WE'RE TALKING
OUT LOUD AS WELL? >> ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS PLAN?
>> SO, ONE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT, THOUGH, AS BETWEEN 120 AND 125, THE EXCHANGE WOULD BE BETWEEN THREE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS. SO THERE WOULD BE A RIPPLE EFFECT. SO, 125 IS BETWEEN 2 AND 4, AND 120 IS BETWEEN 3 AND 4.
>> SO THAT WAS THE REASON? >> THAT WAS THE REASON.
>> SO, YOU'RE RIGHT THAT THE POPULATION IN PRECINCT 4 WE CAN
CONTROL. >> THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY, I DON'T THINK THAT'S ACCURATE BECAUSE I'M NOT SAYING, YEAH, IT WOULD REDUCE IT, OH, YOU'RE SAYING BECAUSE I HAVE TO GO UP THERE, BUT AND GIVE SOME BACK TO TWO DIFFERENT PRECINCTS, RIGHT?
>> THAT'S RIGHT. >> IT'S GOT TO BE A SMALL
NUMBER. >> ACTUALLY, IT'S A PRETTY
DENSE POPULATION IN THAT AREA. >> WELL, I WOULD STILL LIKE TO LOOK AT IT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE -- RESPECTFULLY, I THINK IT
[02:00:05]
WOULDN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN THIS WAY IF I WOULD JUST KEPT 125, BECAUSE OF THE JAGGED STREET. THE RIPPLE EFFECT HAPPENED BECAUSE, IN THIS CASE YOU MADE A DECISION HOW TO DO THE RIPPLE, SO, IN OTHER WORDS IF WE STARTED WITH WE GOT TO GET RID OF SOME OF 125 BECAUSE IT'S TOO MUCH OR WHATEVER, BASED ON THIS, AND ME TAKING A NEW ONE. IF WE HAD DONE IT THE FIRST WAY THAT WAY SO I WOULD AT LEAST LIKE TO LOOK AT IT, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE WOULD SPLIT A PRECINCT IF IT'S NOT 100% NECESSARY TO SPLIT A PRECINCT AND WE'RE SPLITTING TWO WHEN I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO.WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE AND SUCH DETAILED SOFTWARE, THERE'S NO REASON TO BE ABLE TO HAVE TO SPLIT ANYMORE PRECINCTS THAT WE DO, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO I
THOUGHT. >> SO, THOSE ARE THE TWO PRECINCTS THAT ARE SPLIT IF WE MAKE THOSE MODIFICATIONS IN 125,
IT'S GOING TO IMPACT PRECINCT 3. >> I MEAN, THE PROBLEM IS IT'S A DENSE PRECINCT. SO, THEORETICALLY, YOU WOULD LOVE ALL OF YOUR PRECINCTS TO BE HOMOGENOUS BUT THEY'RE NOT. THE WHOLE THING IS TO BRING THE STANDARD DEVIATION DOWN SO SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE HERE. THE TRUTH IS, IT'S --
>> IT'S ABSOLUTELY NOT. >> THE CRITICAL ISSUE THOUGH --
>> AGAIN, GOING BACK TO A THAT'S SUCH THE EASIER ROUTE TO
>> AND THERE'S NO REASON TO SPLIT PRECINCTS, IT KEEPS THE NUMBERS, DEVIATION AND MY SIZE DOWN. NOW, GOT TO TAKE AN A PARTIAL NEW ONE AND SPLIT ONE, THAT'S NOT TO ME IN THE SPIRIT OF THE EASE OF WHAT WE SPOKE ABOUT.
>> HANG ON A SECOND, WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM A FEW PEOPLE, WE HAVE SOME FOLKS HERE. FIRST I'LL RECOGNIZE RENEE.
>> OKAY, SINCE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST, AND I KNOW THAT BISHOP WAS A CONCERN, NOW IS BISHOP GOING
WITH COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ? >> YES.
>> SO, THEN, WHY ARE WE NOT CONCERNED WITH PRECINCT 105 BECAUSE THAT'S ROBSTOWN, WHY IS IT OKAY TO SPLIT UP THAT LITTLE PIECE WHICH IS 105, YOU'RE LOOKING AT OVER 2,000 RESIDENTS THAT WILL BE PULLED OUT OF ROBSTOWN AND PLACED IN A
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PRECINCT? >> I THINK THE EXPLANATION THAT MR. GARZA GAVE COULD BE REPEATED, BUT THAT WAS COMMISSIONER MAREZ'S QUESTION AND HIS ANSWER WAS THAT IT'S TOO BIG. IT DOES NOT HAVE THE EFFECT IT, YOU CAN NOT KEEP ALL OF IT TOGETHER, PRECINCT 3 WIND UP BEING THE MOST POPULATED ALREADY OR THE SECOND MOST POPULATED. AND IT WASN'T POSSIBLE IT HAD A RIPPLE EFFECT. EVERY TIME WE MOVE THE MAP ONE PRECINCT, IT'S GOING TO HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT. BUT WE DID LOOK AT IT AND MR. GARZA WOULD YOU REPEAT THE ANSWER?
>> RIGHT NOW, WITH THE CURRENT MAPS THAT WE HAVE, I'M THE LEAST POPULATED. SO, WITH THIS THESE CHANGES, I GO TO THE SECOND
>> RIGHT? SO, I DON'T MIND, BUT LIKE YOU SAID, I MEAN, LOOKING AT THE STANDARD DEVIATION AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF, SHOULDN'T THERE BE A MORE UNIFORMED PLAN OF GROWTH? I MEAN TO GO FROM FOURTH ALL THE WAY TO SECOND, THAT'S A LOT OF CHANGE. AND SO, THAT'S A BIG CONCERN AND I AGREE, I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, WE SPLIT UP ANY COMMUNITY THAT WE DEFINITELY WANT TO AVOID THAT. LIKE I SAID, I MEAN, I THINK GOING BACK TO WHAT I HAD IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, I WOULD RATHER KEEP 59 WITH PRECINCT 1 AND MAINTAIN 105 IF THE NUMBERS WERE SIMILAR THAN LOSE THAT WHOLE COMMUNITY OF INTEREST OUT THERE.
AND FOR PERSPECTIVE ALSO, RIGHT. I KNOW THIS IS NOT PART OF THE DISCUSSION, BUT, MY CONCERN IN COMING IN AS COMMISSIONER IS THAT I HAD FOUR OUT OF THE SIX COMMUNITY SERVICE BUILDINGS IN THE COUNTY FOUR OUT OF THE SIX WERE IN PRECINCT 3. IF WE APPROVE THIS MAP TODAY, AA, THAT ALL SHIFTS OUT OF ME AND GOES
[02:05:03]
DIRECTLY TO COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ.>> ROBSTOWN GO TO ONE PRECINCT, THAT'S NOT WHAT I WAS ADVOCATED FOR IN THE BEGINNING. I HAD LET'S SPREAD IT OUT A BIT. SO, NOW MY PRIORITY ARE DIFFERENT AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE ALL SHIFTED TO COMMISSIONER HERNANDEZ. I MEAN THAT'S A BIG CHANGE, RIGHT? THAT'S A BIG DEAL WHITE HOUSE 105 INCLUDES THE ROBSTOWN COMMUNITY CENTER AND THE PARK OUT THERE. SO, WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL OBVIOUSLY MOVING FORWARD THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY, LEGAL BASIS ON HOW TO DETERMINE OUR MAPS, BUT AS I'VE BEEN ADVOCATED, OUR RESOURCES, RIGHT, WHAT WE'RE REQUIRING FOR ONE PARTICULAR COMMISSIONER TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, AND SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY IT WILL BE STRETCHED OUT A LOT MORE FOR PRECINCT 1. ALL WE'RE DOING IS SWITCHING OUT MY PRECINCT FOR PRECINCT 1. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COUNTY ROADS AS WELL, THAT'S ALL BEING SHIFTED OUT. SO, THAT'S JUST A WHOLE OTHER PROBLEM WITH ALL OF THIS. SO, IF WE COULD SWITCH 105, FOR 59, I WOULD NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF 59'S NUMBERS MATCH
>> IF WE COULD DO THAT, I THINK THAT SOLVES A FEW PROBLEMS.
>> SO, THE POPULATION NUMBERS ARE PRETTY CLOSE, I THINK THERE'S -- 59S 200 PEOPLE MORE THAN 105, BUT THE MINORITY CONCENTRATION IS SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT, 105 IS 70% HISPANIC AND 59 IS 55% HISPANIC. AND COMMISSIONER HERNANDEZ HAS THE LOWEST OF THE THREE HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS, IT IS THE ONE THAT IS THE LOWEST IN THAT PERCENTAGE.
>> WELL, I'M JUST TRYING TO THROW OUT OPTIONS.
>> AND WE COULD DO THAT, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT WOULD MAKE THE PLAN UNCONSTITUTIONAL, I'M JUST SAYING EVERY ONE OF THESE TWEAKS HAS CONSEQUENCES AND IF YOU'RE WILLING TO LIVE WITH THOSE CONSEQUENCES FOR ANOTHER GOAL, YOU COULD DO IT, ABSOLUTELY, YOU COULD DO IT. AND THAT SEEMS LIKE IN TERMS OF POPULATION, A SWAP THAT YOU COULD MAKE, THE IMPACT THAT BE IT MIGHT HAVE IN TERMS OF THE MINORITY NUMBERS, I THINK COMMISSIONER CHESNEY IS CORRECT, IT WOULD HAVE A SMALL EFFECT.
SO, INSTEAD OF BEING 65% HISPANIC, HE WOULD BE 64%, INSTEAD OF BEING 69%, YOU WOULD BE 70%. IF YOU GUYS ARE WILLING TO LIVE WITH THAT SORT OF D DIFFERENTIAL.
>> ARE THEY SPLIT NOW? >> SO, 59 IS IN ONE, AND 105 IS IN 3. SO, UNDER THE BENCHMARK, UNDER THE CURRENT PLAN. SO WHAT COMMISSIONER MAREZ IS SUGGESTING IS THAT IN PLAN BB, AND REMEMBER WE MOVED 59 INTO 3 BECAUSE IT WAS IN COMMISSIONER MAREZ'S NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE WANTED TO PUT THAT NEIGHBORHOOD BACK TOGETHER. COMMISSIONER MAREZ IS SUGGESTING MAY BE WE SWAP THOSE,
59 AND 105 IN PLAN BB. >> LET ME ASK THE QUESTION, SO IN THE CITY THE SIZE OF ROBSTOWN, WE'RE TALKING BISHOP, HOW BIG IS BISHOP VERSUS ROBSTOWN?
>> THIS IS 11,000. >> IT'S ABOUT 3,000.
>> BUT BISHOP IS? >> ROBSTOWN IS 11? ROBSTOWN IS
BIGGER? >> ASK THEM, THEY MIGHT WANT TWO COMMISSIONERS, THAT'S NOT A BAD DEAL ON SOME OCCASIONS, BUT, I MEAN, I JUST, IF YOU WANTED TO LOOK AT THAT, JOHN, AND IT WORKS, I WOULD ASK THE SAME THING.
>> IF YOU GAVE ME ALL OF 120, I WOULD BE HAPPY WITH 120, THAT'S A GREAT THING FOR ME. THE SPLIT THING IS, THE SPLIT THING.
>> THE PRECINCT 120, IT'S A GREAT PRECINCT TO ADD TO MY
[02:10:06]
>> NO, IT IS. I'M NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT THE NUMBERS OR THE GROUP OF PEOPLE, IT'S THE SPLIT PRECINCT THING BOTHER ME.
HOW DOES THAT WORK, IF YOU SPLIT IT, DOES THAT BECOME ANOTHER
PRECINCT? >> SURE. I MEAN, I GUESS WE COULD CHANGE THAT TOO, IF WE WANTED TO AT SOME POINT.
>> THINK ABOUT BIG URBAN COUNTIES, THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. IT'S A STRANGE BUT GOOD SITUATION. THAT IT MEAN SUNSHINE THAT YOU HAVE A GREAT POPULATION THERE AND THAT IT'S DENSE ENOUGH THAT IT CAN BE SPLIT, I MEAN IN THE PERFECT WORLD, YOU WOULD HAVE THE PERFECT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY TIME, WE'VE SAID IT A MILLION TIMES, YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY YOU NEED TIME? IT'S FOR THIS. OKAY. AND THE TRUTH IS EVEN THOUGH WE POST IT ON FRIDAY, I MEAN, YOU'RE JUST GOING TO COME UP WITH FIVE OTHER ITERATIONS THAT YOU THINK WILL WORK. WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS CHOOSE THE BEST ONE RIGHT NOW AND MAKE SOME OF THESE TWEAKS, BY THE WAY, SOMEONE NEEDS TO GO AND THANK ALL THESE WONDERFUL PEOPLE ALL OVER AGAIN BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE SAID HAS HELPED TO MAKE THE PROCESS BETTER. BUT ONE LITTLE PIECE IS MOVING A DOMINO EFFECT. THE ONE THING MR. GARZA HAS DONE EFFECTIVELY HAS SHOWN YOU, THE POPULATION, THIS IS THE ONE MAN ONE VOTE IN THE HIERARCHY OF WHAT IS GOLDEN, THE GOLDEN RULE IS ONE MAN ONE VOTE, YOU START THERE. AND SECOND, IN MY MIND AND BY THE WAY, THAT ONE MAN ONE VOTE GETS
YOU THE DEVIATION. >> AND THE SECOND THING YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IS MINORITY POPULATION, WHY, BECAUSE IN THE OLD DAYS THEY CARED TO BE SURE THEY'RE NOT BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST. WE DO NOT HAVE THAT ANYMORE, IT'S INCUMBENT ON US TO DO THAT. WE'VE DONE THAT. WE'RE RIGHT, 70-70-70-AND 44.
AND THE LAST THING IS TO BE SURE THAT WHILE HE'S CREATING THE MAPS THERE'S MINIMAL CHANGE WITH REGARDS TO THE POLITICAL AFFILIATION. UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOT ILLEGAL TO LOOK AT A POLITICAL AFFILIATION, OKAY. THERE ARE SOME COMMUNITIES THAT SHUT THE DOOR AND SAY, WE ARE A DOMINANT X-PARTY AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE DOMINANT X-MAPS AND THAT'S PERFECTLY LEGAL IN OUR COUNTRY, MAY BE INSANE BUT LEGAL. WE DIDN'T DO THAT HERE, WE CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RESTRICTING WHERE THERE WAS DEMINIMOUS CHANGE. IT'S REDISTRICTING, OKAY. THAT'S WHY YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE IT THE SAME WAY THAT YOU WANT IT. I LOVE THAT YOU'RE ADVOCATED FOR, I RUN COUNT WIDE, BUT THE PANGS OF THIS, IT'S AN IMPORTANT PRECINCT TO ME, I HEAR YOU AND FEEL IT, BUT THERE'S NO WAY TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOAL NUMBER ONE AND GOAL NUMBER TWO AND EVEN THE CHERRY ON TOP WITH GOAL NUMBER THREE LITTLE POLITICAL CHANGE WITHOUT CHANGE. WITHOUT CHANGE,
NO CHANGE EQUALS NO CHANGE. >> I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.
>> I HAVE THE HIGH SCHOOL AND COMMISSIONER MAREZ HAS THE JUNIOR HIGH. I WISH I COULD HAVE ALL OF THEM BUT I DON'T.
>> BUT, THE 105, JUST TO FINISH THAT UP AND WE'LL HEAR FROM MS. RODGERS. BUT TO RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER MAREZ'S CONCERN THAT MIGHT BE A SWAP THAT DOES NOT EFFECT POPULATION, VERY SMALL IF THE COMMISSIONERS ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT IT. ONE%
MINORITY DIFFERENTIAL. >> IT'S MORE CRITICAL TO
>> OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE THAT ON THE TABLE, RIGHT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, WE'RE DISCUSSING.
>> JUDGE, CAN WE MAKE, MY MOTION WOULD BE IF COMMISSIONER MAREZ IS OKAY, JUST TO PUT 105 BACK IN HIS PRECINCT AND SEE WHAT THAT DOES Z HOLD ON JUST FOR ONE SECOND WHILE I HEAR FROM MS. RODGERS. I'LL HAVE YOU HOLD THAT THOUGHT.
>> I'M SORRY. NO, NO WORRIES. MS. RODGERS?
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NOW, I THINK WE SEE WHY WE WERE SO ADAMANT ABOUT HAVING PUBLIC INPUT AND WHY THE TIMELINE YOU KNOW, WHY WE REALIZED HOW DIFFICULT OF A PROCESS THIS IS.
[02:15:05]
AND Y'ALL HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB AND WE'RE STICKING WITH THAT BUT WE'RE ON A SLIPPERY SLOPE HERE, I HAVE TO AGREE WITH THE JUDGE AND COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS HOLISTICALLY AND WHAT'S BEST FOR THE COUNTY AND FOR THE DEMOCRACY WHICH IS REALLY, REALLY, HARD, BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I LIKE BEING A LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS MEMBER BECAUSE WE ORGANIZE OURSELVES ON ISSUES, WE'RE NONPARTISAN AND WE TRY TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE PICTURE AND WHAT'S BEST FOR EVERYONE. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO REMIND YOU TO DO THAT FOR THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS.THERE WAS ANOTHER REASON WE KEPT SAYING YOU COULD CHANGE THE MAP ONE TIME OVER THE 10 YEARS, AND WE SUGGESTED THAT YOU PASS MAPS AND IF THEY'RE NOT SUFFICIENT OR THOSE SHOULD BE GOOD BUFFERS ABOUT GETTING A MAP TONIGHT THAT'S GOOD FOR ALL OF NUECES COUNTY AND NOT JUST INDIVIDUAL PRECINCTS. THANK YOU.
>> JOSE, DO YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE EVERYBODY TO ORLANDO
RIOS? >> SO, ROLADO IS ON ZOOM AND HE'S MY PARTNER ON THESE EFFORTS. MR. RIOS HAS A LONG HISTORY OF FIGHTING FOR VOTING RIGHTS. HE STARTED OUT AS THE COUNSEL FOR THE SOUTHWEST VOTER REGISTRATION COUNCIL AND REPRESENTED HUNDREDS OF LOCAL JURISDICTIONS AND MANY COUNTIES
IN THE REDISTRICTING EFFORTS. >> WELCOME, WE JUST WANTED TO GREET YOU AND THEY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE EFFORTS. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, THESE GUYS HAVE BEEN BURNING THE MIDNIGHT
OIL IN BEXAR COUNTY AS WELL. >> HI, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU ON THIS, MARTY IS HANDLING THE COMPUTER RIGHT NOW, AND SO HE'LL BE DIRECTING THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS PURSUANT TO YOUR DIRECTION. OKAY?
>> COMMISSIONER MAREZ? >> I HEAR WHAT EVERYONE'S SAYING AND I UNDERSTAND THE NUMBERS, BUT, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST AND WE DON'T SEE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO KEEP 105 WITH THE REST OF ROBSTOWN, THEN, I'M GOING TO
VOTE AGAINST THIS MAP. >> I AGREE.
>> SO, THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS BBB. AND I SAY THAT TO REMIND US ALL ABOUT THE BISHOP PIECE OF IT. WITH THE MODIFICATION THAT 105 BE KEPT IN COMMISSIONER MAREZ'S PRECINCT AND THE SUBSTITUTION BE MADE FOR 59. I WANT TO TRIPLE CHECK MY
RECOLLECTION. >> EXCUSE ME JUDGE, MAY I SAY
SOMETHING? >> I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I HAVE THE RIGHT WONES AND I'LL CALL ON YOU, IS THAT RIGHT?
>> YES. >> COMMISSIONER, GO AHEAD.
>> DID YOU SAY 59 WAS IN COMMISSIONER MAREZ'S PRECINCT?
>> IT'S PROPOSED TO BE. >> SO, THAT'S RIGHT.
>> AND SO, THE SWAP ON BB WOULD BE 105 BACK INTO COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 3 AND 59 BACK INTO COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 1.
>> WHAT DID YOU SAY WAS THE DIFFERENCE IN POPULATION?
>> SO, THE POPULATION BETWEEN THOSE TWO IS
(INDISCERNIBLE) >> 59 HAS 2355 PEOPLE, AND 105 HAS 2,081 PEOPLE. SO, APPROXIMATELY 250 PEOPLE DIFFERENCE WITH 105 BEING A LITTLE SMALLER.
[02:20:01]
>> SO, YOUR'S WOULD BE PLUS 200.
>> I'LL GO AHEAD AND CONCEDE TO THAT.
>> OKAY. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND COMMISSIONER MAREZ WOULD YOU
REFLECT THE SECOND? >> SECOND.
>> I'VE GOT A MOTION -- >> WOULD THIS INCLUDE BISHOP?
>> YES. >> IS THAT PART OF ONE MOTION.
>> ONE MOTION. >> I'M CALLING IT THE TRIPLE B BECAUSE IT REMINDS US ALL ABOUT THE BISHOP PIECE OF IT AS WELL.
SO, THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR FOR THE CLERK WHOSE DOING A GREAT JOB FOLLOWING THIS PING-PONG GAME IS BBB WHICH IS BASICALLY PLAN BB WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT BISHOP BE KEPT IN IT'S ENTIRETY, THE TWO PRECINCTS REFLECTED. AND BY THE WAY, FOR THE RECORD,
THAT'S 36 AND 102. >> YES, MA'AM.
>> AND ALSO, THAT THE MAP REFLECT THE CHANGE THAT WE WISH TO MAKE WHICH IS THAT 105 BE RETURNED TO COMMISSIONER MAREZ WHILE 59 STAYS? COMMISSIONER HERNANDEZ? AND I HAVE A MOTION
YES? >> YES, TO HERNANDEZ, 105 TO MAREZ AND THE MOTION IS ON THE FLOOR WITH A SECOND. IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE VOTE. I'M LOOKING TO COUNSEL, MAY I CALL JUST A REGULAR VOTE OR DO I NEED
A RECORD VOTE FOR REDISTRICTING? >> I'LL TAKE A RECORD VOTE.
>> I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S REQUIREDED BUT IT'S ALWAYS A
GOOD IDEA. >> SO COMMISSIONER HERNANDEZ
>> COMMISSIONER MAREZ? >> AYE.
>> COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ? >> AYE.
>> COMMISSIONER CHESNEY? >> THIS IS JUST ON THE AMENDMENT, OR IS THIS THE OVERALL? IS I WAS JUST MAKING THIS AS AN AMENDMENT TO BB AND I WAS GOING TO VOTE ON BB SEPARATELY AND I WAS GOING TO TRY TO ADD 125 ALSO AND I DIDN'T KNOW HOW THAT WAS GOING TO GO. I JUST HAD A MOTION AS AN
AMENDMENT TO BB. >> WELL, FORGIVE ME BECAUSE WE INTERPRETED THIS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, IF YOU DON'T WISH TO MAKE THAT MOTION, I'LL HAVE THAT WITH DRAWN.
>> I MADE THE MOTION AS AMENDED AND IT WAS MY MOTION BECAUSE I THINK BISHOP SHOULD BE TOGETHER AND ROBSTOWN SHOULD BE TOGETHER.
I WAS TRYING TO LET IT GO THAT WAY. I MADE IT AS AN AMENDMENT, TO BB IS ON THE TABLE, I MADE IT AS AN AMENDMENT TO BB. THAT'S
HOW I MADE IT. >> OKAY. I'LL TAKE THIS.
>> SECOND. >> FOR THE PLAN BB.
>> TO AMENDMENT PLAN BB TO INCLUDE THE BISHOP RECONSTRUCTION AND THE ROBSTOWN RECONSTRUCTION BUT I WOULD LIKE TO VOTE ON THE OVERALL PLAN SEPARATELY.
>> OKAY. I THINK YOU HAVE THE CLERK UPSET.
>> >> LET'S JUST DO IT. JUST SO THAT, OKAY. LET'S JUST DO IT. IT WILL BE A TWO-STEP PROCESS.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT, I APPRECIATE IT. I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE IT. WE'LL MAKE IT A TWO-STEP PROCESS. LET'S GO AHEAD AND SAY ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
>> I CAME THROUGH HERE, COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ, AYE.
>> ON THE AMENDMENT? >> COMMISSIONER CHESNEY?
>> NOW WHAT WE HAVE, AUDIENCE AT HOME AND THOSE OF YOU HERE IS THAT WE HAVE A NEW PLAN BB, OKAY. AND THAT NEW PLAN BB IS JUST REFLECTED IN EXACTLY WHAT WE JUST SAID.
>> AND I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ANOTHER MOTION TO AMEND BB TO PUT ALL OF 125 BACK INTO PRECINCT 4. THE NEW BB. THIS IS A SECOND AMENDMENT TO WHAT WE AMENDED.
>> I GOT YOU, AND IS THERE A SECOND FOR THAT.
>> OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO >> FOR DISCUSSION, I NEED TO KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE OR NOT?
>> IT PROBABLY WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE DEVIATION FOR
THE PLAN IF WE PUT ALL OF 125. >> NOT ALL, WHATEVER REPLACES
THAT IN 120. >> SO, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YOU TOOK OUT OF 120, OR GAVE ME FROM 120, OR HOW MANY YOU TOOK
[02:25:01]
OUT OF 125, THAT WAS WHAT I WAS THINKING YOU WERE GOING TO GETNUMBERS FROM YOUR PARTNER. >> IF MR. RIOS CAN PUT UP THE REDISTRICTING MAP ON THE SCREEN, WE CAN TRY IN REALTIME TO SEE WHAT THAT CHANGE WOULD DO. BUT LET ME JUST EMPHASIZE THAT WE'RE MAKING AN EXCHANGE BETWEEN THREE DISTRICTS, NOT TWO.
>> AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE.
>> YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL HERE, I GUESS WE'RE ALL READY TO STAY A LITTLE LONGER, LET'S SEE IT. NO HARM HERE IN TAKING A LOOK AT IT. AND NOW YOU ARE ACTING LIKE KORNACKI, LET'S LOOK AT IT.
MR. RIOS YOU PUT 59 BACK INTO ONE?
>> CORRECT. >> THAT ONE'S PASSED.
>> THE REASON I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE IT CHANGES THE NUMBERS, THE POPULATION NUMBERS AS WE PROCEED.
>> NOW, IF YOU WOULD, COMMISSIONER CHESNEY JUST SO I UNDERSTAND, YOU'RE GOING TO WANT ALL OF 120 INTO 3?
>> DID IT COME FROM THREE? >> RIGHT NOW IT'S DIVIDED BETWEEN THREE AND FOUR, IT USED TO BE ALL IN FOUR. 120.
>> SO WE WOULD MOVE ALL OF 120, MR. GALONDO INTO PRECINCT 3.
>> RIGHT NOW IT'S DIVIDED. >> I JUST WANT TO SEE.
>> ACTUALLY, I THINK IT'S PRETTY NEAT.
>> IT'S KIND OF NICE TO DO ONE OF THESE LIKE THIS. IT MAY NOT
>> 120 IS THE ONE THAT'S SPLIT, CORRECT?
>> 120 IS THE ONE SPLIT UP NEAR THE BAY.
>> SO, YOU'RE MOVING ALL OF THAT INTO 3, CURRENTLY IT'S
SPLIT. >> IT'S REALLY COOL HOW THEY DO
THIS. >> AND CAN YOU SHOW US WHAT THE NEW POPULATION IS FOR PRECINCT 3?
>> CAN YOU SEE THAT? >> SO, IT'S NOW AT 1.6.
>> 1.16. >> 1.16, I'M SORRY, YES.
>> THE TOP TO BOTTOM DEVIATION WOULD BE 2.6. RIGHT? NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO PRECINCT 125. AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND MOVE THAT LINE UP AS MUCH AS WE CAN. SO, WE MINE AS WELL START WITH
PUTTING IT ALL BACK IN FOUR. >> AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YOU TOOK, BUT SURE, AND THEN WE CAN BACK
IT DOWN. >> BUT, IT WILL STILL BE SPLIT?
>> IF WE BACK IT DOWN. >> BUT I'LL KEEP MORE AND I
WON'T GET 120. >> OKAY, WE'LL SEE.
>> ONE SPLIT VERSUS TWO SPLITS? >> RIGHT. WITH YOU WE'LL SEE
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WITH 125. >> THAT'S 125, CORRECT?
>> AND, CAN YOU SHOW US THE POPULATIONS OF 2 AND SO OUR DEVIATION IS NOW 12%. BY DOING THAT.
>> SO, LET'S, MARTY, IF YOU COULD START TAKING POPULATION, START SPLITTING 125 AGAIN STARTING AT THE TOP PART OF THE
PRECINCT AND MOVING IT BACK. >> AND WHILE HE'S DOING THAT, YOU COULD SEE WHY ONE PRECINCT MAKES SUCH A BIG DIFFERENCE.
SO, WE'VE ANSWERED THE QUESTION OF WHY CAN'T IT STAY TOGETHER.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO SEE WHAT SLICE, IF YOU KNOW, COULD MAKE A
DIFFERENCE. >> RIGHT, BECAUSE YOU COULD DEFINITELY, I WOULD THINK, TAKE A SLICE OUT OF THAT AND AGAIN
[02:30:04]
END UP WITH ONLY ONE SPLIT PRECINCT. THERE'S GOT TO BE AWAY TO DO THAT. >> SO, YOU NEED TO GO TO THE BLOCK IN 125 AND START MOVING THE NORTHERN BLOCKS INTO 2.
>> I UNDERSTAND. >> THANK YOU.
>> START AT THE MOST MORN NORTHERN END THAT YOU CAN.
>> YES, SIR. >> MR. GARZA YOU'RE JUST WAITING TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO, AREN'T YOU?
>> I'M JUST PLAYING. >> NO, HE REALLY UNDERSTANDS
>> CAN YOU SHOW US WHAT THE POPULATION IS WHEN YOU DID THAT.
>> WELL, WE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN DOWN THE NUMBERS. WHATEVER YOU PUT BACK IN 120 SHOULD BE THE GROSS NUMBER FOR 120.
>> SO, NOW WE'RE WE'VE REDUCED IT TO 4.3 AND STILL RIGHT AT
10%. SO, WE NEED TO ADD MORE. >> AND BY THE WAY, DID YOU GUYS SAVE THIS PLAN BEFORE YOU STARTED MAKING CHANGES?
>> SO, EXCUSE ME, SO, BRENT YOU SEE THE DEVIATION AT 3803, SO, BEFORE WHEN WE PUT IT ALL IN, IT WAS LIKE 4900.
>> WELL, THE PROBLEM IS -- >> I'M JUST SAYING IF YOU WERE
WRITING DOWN THE NUMBERS. >> THE PROBLEM IS IT'S TOO SHRUNK, THE REST OF THEM WERE EVEN.
>> THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SAYING IT EVERY TIME YOU MOVE THAT ONE, IT'S GOING TO MOVE TWO AND THREE. EVERY TIME YOU MOVE THAT PRECINCT EVEN A SLIVER, IT'S CHANGING THIS ONE AN THIS ONE.
THAT'S WHY THE HOLISTIC APPROACH IS THE BEST, IT'S TOUGH IN THE SENSE THAT THAT'S WHY YOU KNOW THE DENSITY IS HIGH. YOU TONIGHT HAVE TO ASK THE POPULATION BECAUSE THAT MAP JUST SHOWED IT TO YOU. IT WENT FROM 4900 TO 3900 WITH A PRETTY BIG.
BUT, YOU'RE GOING TO ALMOST BE BACK TO A SPLIT ON THE THIRD
SLICE. >> IT WILL BE A SPLIT ALL
RIGHT. >> BECAUSE YOU TOOK ALL OF 120.
>> BUT YOU'RE PUTTING STUFF BACK INTO 2 RIGHT NOW WITH THE
>> THOSE NUMBERS WILL BUILD BACK UP.
>> IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HOW MANY.
>> I GOT YOU. >> SO, AND JUST SO YOU KNOW FOR THOSE OF YOU KNOW WHERE 125 IS, THAT'S AIRLINE,'S THE AREA YOU
KNOW IS DENSE. >> SO, MARTY, WE'RE NOW AT 8%
DEVIATION. >> LOOKS LIKE IT, YES, SIR.
>> SO, LET'S ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE TO 2.
>> YOU PRETTY MUCH WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THIS WHOLE BLOCK.
>> THAT'S THE OTHER THING IS THE CENSUS GEOGRAPHY?
>> I THINK THIS IS COOL. >> I THINK THAT HAD WE NOT DONE THIS, THEN YOU LEAVE HERE GOING, HEY, CHESNEY ASKED FOR SOMETHING REASONABLE AND WE DIDN'T GIVE IT. BUT THIS INDICATES THAT THAT PARTICULAR PRECINCT HAS TO BE SPLIT IN ORDER TO MAKE THE
POPULATION UNDER THAT 10%. >> IT'S A HUGE PRECINCT, I GET
IT. >> BUT THAT'S ONLY SEEN RIGHT
HERE. >> AND ONCE WE GET THE NUMBERS RIGHT. WE STILL HAVE TO MAKE SURE THE REST BALANCES TOO.
>> MR. CHESNEY, YOU WERE CORRECT AND NOW WE HAVE A DEVIATION OF 2.6%. BUT WE HAD TO GO DOWN.
>> AND YOU ONLY HAVE 1 PRECINCT SPLIT.
>> AND THE REST OF IT BALANCES THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO AS
WELL. >> THE FOUR PRECINCT ARE UP AND THE TOP TO BOTTOM DEVIATION IS 2.63, WHICH IS WHERE WE WANTED
>> AND THEN DO THE REST OF THE NUMBERS ADD UP?
>> SO, NOW WE CAN SEE BECAUSE WE HAVE THESE TABLES UP, WE
[02:35:01]
COULD SEE THE MINORITY NUMBERS WHEN WE MADE THE CHANGES THAT WE DID. AND, THE MINORITY NUMBERS ARE FOR PRECINCT 1 IT'S 67%, FOR PRECINCT 2 IT'S 71%, FOR PRECINCT 3 IT'S 68% AND THAT'S HISPANIC NUMBERS, EACH OF THEM HAS SOME NUMBER OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS, AND WHAT'S FOUR?>> 39.3%. AND UNDER BB YOU WERE AT 43%.
>> SO WITH THESE CHANGES. >> THAT'S JUST THE HISPANIC NUMBERS, WHAT'S THE TOTAL NUMBER?
>> THE TOTAL NUMBER IS SO, YOU'RE AT 43% OR SO MINORITY.
AND THE MINORITY DISTRICTS ARE ALL OVER 70% MINORITY.
>> AND THEN, THE REPUBLICAN DEMOCRAT?
>> THAT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE. THE CHANGES THAT WE MADE, WE CAN'T SEE IT ON THIS PROGRAM, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RUN THAT IN THE MORNING AND GET IT TO YOU, BUT MY GUESS BASED ON ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE IS THAT IT'S GOING TO BE IN THE SAME RANGE THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT. BUT IF THESE ARE THE CHANGES THAT THE COMMISSIONERS WANT, YOU WILL HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL PLAN AND IT WILL BE ONE THAT'S FAIR TO
THE MINORITY COMMUNITY. >> DID BISHOP GET PUT TOGETHER?
>> YES. >> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. SO, MARTY, IF YOU COULD GO TO THE WESTERN END OF THE PLAN, WE NEED TO PUT WE NEED TO MAKE ONE MORE CHANGE. AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT
>> 102. >> NO, 36 GOES INTO PRECINCT 2.
>> 36 GOES INTO PRECINCT 2. >> YOU'RE GOING TO BRING 36
BACK TO YOU. OKAY. >> SEE WHAT THAT DOES. THE TOP TO BOTTOM DEVIATION IS 1.16 PLUS 1.49 SO, 2.64.
>> THAT'S PRETTY SOLID. >> PRETTY CLOSE.
>> I MEAN. IS THAT RIGHT, MARTY?
>> YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. >> SO, THIS PLAN THAT'S UP ON THE SCREEN HAS AGAIN INCORPORATED ALL THE CHANGES THAT YOU'VE ASKED US TO MAKE ON PLAN BB. AND THOSE, YOU SEE THE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF YOU HAVE WHAT THAT DOES, WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE IS THE POLITICAL DATA. WE'LL GET THAT TO YOU IN THE MORNING, BUT, BET YOU DOLLARS TO DONUTS, IT'S GOING TO BE JUST
LIKE ALL THE OTHERS. >> CAN YOU HOLD IT UP AND LET ME LOOK AT IT, BECAUSE I WANT TO BE SURE ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE
PUBLIC GETS TO SEE THIS TOO. >> JUST KEEP IT UP ON THE
SCREEN. >> WE HAVE APPLAUSE FROM CHRIS
>> AND JUST SO THAT WE'RE CLEAR, 105 WAS MOVED INTO 3, 59 WAS MOVED BACK INTO 1, CORRECT, MARTY?
>> YES, SIR. >> AND WE JUST MADE THE CHANGES ON THE WESTERN END OF THE COUNTY AND WE MADE THE CHANGES WITH
REGARD TO PRECINCT 125 AND 120. >> 59 GOES INTO 1, CORRECT?
>> 59 GOES INTO 1. >> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> AND YOU'VE DONE THAT, IT'S THERE.
>> THANK YOU. >> SO, YOU COULD SAVE THIS
>> MODIFIED. >> PLAN BBB MODIFIED.
>> DO I MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE PLAN?
[02:40:02]
>> HOLD ON, I THINK I NEED TO DO THE ONE LIKE THE LAST TIME.
>> YOU CAN, WE HAVE A PLAN NOW. >> I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE
MOTION TO CHANGE -- >> SECOND.
>> SORRY, SAY THAT YOU'RE AMENDING THE PLAN AGAIN, PLAN BB. ONE MORE TIME TO DO WHAT HE JUST DID, NO, TO,
>> YEAH, THAT'S FINE. >> TO GO BBB. SORRY, I WAS UP AT 3:00 A.M. GUYS I'M BRAIN DEAD. TO AMEND THE PLAN AGAIN TO PUT 120 WHOLE AGAIN AND TO TAKE A PORTION OF 125 OUT OF 4
AND INTO 2. THAT CLEAR? >> CLEAR.
>> SECOND. >> AMAZING PROCESS, RIGHT?
>> IT 120 BACK INTO 3. >> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> THAT'S RIGHT. >> BACK INTO 3, SORRY.
>> SO, LET'S, IF YOU DON'T MIND WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK THAT AGAIN.
BUT I THINK THAT'S CORRECT. TO GO OVER THE LAST MODIFICATION, 120 STAYS WHOLE IN PRECINCT 3 AND 125 IS MODIFIED AS SHOWN.
>> SO, YOU DO HAVE SOMEWHAT OF A SPLIT THERE.
>> SO, WE END UP WITH ONE SPLIT PRECINCT INSTEAD OF TWO.
>> ALL RIGHT. SO, I'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND. AND AGAIN, I'M GOING TO TAKE THE RECORD VOTE BECAUSE THIS HAS TO DO WITH CHANGING THE PLAN ONE MORE TIME SO THAT WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING TO VOTE ON, OKAY. AND I SAY, A PLAN, I MEAN A MAP.
COMMISSIONER CHESNEY? >> WHAT ARE WE VOTING ON THIS
TIME. >> YOU MOTIONED TO CHANGE PLAN
>> YES. >> COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ?
>> YES. COMMISSIONER MAREZ? >> YES.
>> AND MYSELF, YES. >> AND SO, WITH THAT, COMMISSIONERS, WITH YOUR INDULGENCE, AFTER HAVING OVER THREE HOURS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT INCLUDING A PUBLIC HEARING HELD AND A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF DISCUSSION, AS WELL AS ITERATIONS FROM THE TEAM FROM SAN ANTONIO, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IF THERE'S A MOTION TO ADOPT AN ORDER AND A PLAN AS REFLECTED HERE TONIGHT ON ESTABLISHING NEW COMMISSIONER PRECINCT BOUNDARIES AND IF SO COULD YOU MAKE THE MOTION AS TO
WHAT THAT IS. >> I WOULD ACCEPT THE PLAN BBB.
>> IS THERE A SECOND FOR THE NEW BBB?
>> SECOND. >> A MOTION AND A SECOND, I'LL TAKE THAT RECORD VOTE, COMMISSIONER HERNANDEZ?
>> AYE. >> COMMISSIONER MAREZ?
>> AYE. >> COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ?
>> AYE. >> COMMISSIONER CHESNEY?
>> AYE WITH EXPLANATION, I JUST WANT TO PUT ON THE RECORD THAT I THINK THAT WAS A FASCINATING PROCESS, IT WAS INCREDIBLY OPEN AND CANDID, NONE OF US GOT WHAT WE WANTED. I ACTUALLY SAT HERE AND THOUGHT ABOUT HOW TO VOTE SERIOUSLY, BUT I THINK IT WAS AN EASIER WAY BUT BECAUSE I FEEL THIS WAS A PRETTY DARN FAIR PROCESS AND I APPRECIATE THE COURT ALLOWING ME TO DO WHAT I WAS ABLE TO DO. I DON'T LOVE IT BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT EVERYBODY ELSE DOES EITHER. BUT I'M OKAY WITH IT. AND I THINK, THE IMPORTANT PART HERE IS WE MAINTAINED WHAT WE SET OUT TO MAINTAIN, WHICH WAS A MINORITY DISTRICTS, AND DEMOGRAPHICS IN THE THREE MINORITY WHICH WAS REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT, BREAKDOWN AND WHICH WAS A CONSTITUTIONAL DEVIATION, I THINK THESE ARE EXTREMELY SOLID MAPS AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THESE FINAL NUMBERS, AND I KNOW WE HAVE A MEETING SET FOR FRIDAY IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS TO BE SURE THEY MIRROR WHAT YOU JUST SAID, AND I KNOW THEY WILL BUT I WOULD STILL LIKE TO SEE THEM. THAT'S IT.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO VOTE AYE, MS. SANDS. AND IT PASSES 5-0.
YOU HAVE MAPS, NUECES COUNTY, YOU SHOULD BE VERY HAPPY.
>> (APPLAUSE). >> I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT IT'S
[02:45:03]
MY JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET EVERYTHING THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT ON OUR WEBSITE. I'LL GET NEW WE'RE CLOSED TOMORROW, SO, I WON'T BE ABLE TO DO IT UNTIL FRIDAY, WE'LL GET NEW POSTERS DOWNSTAIRS, I WOULD EVEN LIKE TO SEE IF THE COURT WOULD ALLOW I'M CERTAIN WE HAVE THE DOLLAR TOSS DO IT, WITH WE TAKE OUT AN AD IN THE PAPER THAT SHOW CASES THE MAPS.>> (APPLAUSE). >> AND, I'LL THINK OF AS MY BRAIN CONTINUES TO MOVE ON MESSAGING, WE'LL WORK TOWARDS THAT AND REMEMBER THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER AGAIN VERY SOON. SO, THERE'S ALWAYS COMMENTS THAT CAN BE MADE. BUT, YOU KNOW WHAT'S INTERESTING IS EVERYONE ALWAYS THINKS THIS IS SO HARD, I THINK WE JUST PROVED THAT IT'S REALLY NOT. NOT IF YOU'RE WILLING TO LISTEN AND NOT IF YOU'RE WILLING TO COMPROMISE FOR ONE MAN ONE VOTE OR ONE WOMAN AND ONE VOTE AS SYLVIA WOULD WANT ME TO SAY, IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT EXERCISE IN HIRING GOOD PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE RIGHT EXPERIENCE AND CREDENTIALS, AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU SAY YOU CARE ABOUT AND WE DID IT ALL. IT MAY BE IMPERFECT, BUT IT IS IT'S A VERY GOOD MAP GOING FORWARD. AND AGAIN, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING ALL OF YOU THAT CAME HERE TODAY. IN ESTABLISHING OUR FUTURE PATH FOR YOUR WORKING GROUP AND A ROBUST DISCUSSION ON AN IRC. I WANT TO THANK THE DEPUTY WHOSE BEEN HERE REALLY LATE. THANK YOU, DEPUTY, AND ALSO THANK YOU TO ALL THAT WERE ONLINE INCLUDING MR. RIOS AND CHRIS GARCIA, I'VE NEVER MET YOU, SIR, BUT, MAY BE IF THERE WAS A GOLD STAR, TONIGHT MAY BE YOU WOULD GET IT. THANKS FOR BRINGING THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE OF BISHOP HERE TONIGHT. THANK
YOU. >> AND JUDGE, ONE LAST THING WHILE WE'RE STILL ON THE AIR, I KNOW WE ALL WANT TO EXPRESS OUR SENTIMENTS, TOMORROW IS VETERAN'S DAY AND I WANT TO THANK ALL WHO HAVE SERVED BECAUSE TRULY WE WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT THE VETERANS WHO HAVE MADE SURE THAT WE HAVE FREEDOMS TO ENJOY. SO, I HOPE EVERYONE WILL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO ONE OF THE REALLY WONDERFUL CEREMONIES THERE ARE. WE HAVE ONE IN ROBSTOWN AND PART ARANSES, AND WE ADDED VETERAN'S DAY AS AN ADDITIONAL HOLIDAY, I HOPE OWL THE EMPLOYEES WATCHING WILL NOT JUST TAKE THE DAY OFF BUT TAKE THE TIME TO GO TO A CEREMONY LIKE WE ALL WILL BE TOMORROW.
IN FACT, I JUST HOPE THEY WILL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALIZE
IT'S NOT JUST A DAY OFF. >> WE DO INVITE THE PUBLIC TO JOIN US AT 9:00 A.M. IN ROBERTOTOWN AND THE 4:30 P.M. AT THE FIELD OF HONOR, THE FRS EVER, WE'LL HAVE THE VETERAN'S
BAND PLAYING. >> I DO NOTE THAT WE DID POST FOR AN ADJOURNMENT IN MEMORY. SO I ASK THE COMMISSIONERS IF THEY HAVE ADJOURNMENT IN MEMORIES. IN THAT CASE, WE'RE
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.