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CC Resolution No. 2140 - RedistrictingCriteria RESOLUTION NO. 2140 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, TEXAS, ESTABLISHING CRITERIA FOR DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A VOTING PLAN FOR THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, TEXAS; AND PROVIDING FOR THE PUBLICATION AND THE EFFECTIVE DATE THEREOF. ******************************************************************************** WHEREAS, Article II, Sections 12 and 17 of the Charter of the City of Baytown provide that the City of Baytown shall be divided into districts according to the latest population figures; and WHEREAS, it is deemed advisable at this time, that the City of Baytown be redistricted to apportion the City into council districts, which reflect the new population figures for the City as determined by the Federal Census of 2010; and WHEREAS, it is the intent of the City that the apportionment be in full compliance with the Voting Rights Act and with all other relevant law; and WHEREAS, the City desires to afford all persons in the community an opportunity to participate in the redistricting process;NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, TEXAS: Section 1: That the City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas, in developing, evaluating and adopting a voting plan for the City, the City Council shall where possible, use easily identifiable geographic boundaries as district boundaries and maintain communities of interest in a single district and avoid splitting neighborhoods when drawing district boundaries. Additionally, the City Council shall utilize the following criteria: 1. use whole county voting precincts when drawing districts; 2. base the new plan, to the extent possible, on the existing council district; 3. draw districts that are relatively equal in size and that in no event exceed a ten percent top to bottom deviation; 4. draw districts that are compact and contiguous; 5. recognize incumbent-constituency relations by keeping existing members of the council in their districts; and 6. narrowly tailor the plan to avoid retrogression in the position of racial minorities and language minorities as defined in the Voting Rights Act with respect to their effective exercise of the electoral franchise. Section 2: This resolution shall take effect from and after ten (10) days from its passage by the City Council. The City Clerk is hereby directed to give notice hereof by causing the caption of this resolution to be published in the official newspaper of the City of Baytown at least twice within ten (10)days after passage of this resolution. INTRODUCED, READ and PASSED, by the affirmative vote of the City Council of the City of Baytown this the 9'day of June, 2011. IDVI &BRYSCH, ,k4&'�V ATT ST: ETICIA APPROVED AS TO FORM: r 1 ACIO RAMIREZ, SR., QY Attorney RW WilnlCq CmcihRaolmi .nW I V.e MWmm.,Cmmna d. 2