HomeMy WebLinkAboutReportCounty of Hawaii
2021
1RIa.11ISTItI("PIN(;
COMMISISON
ItH71'OItT
BRONSTEN-GLENN KOSSOW
Chairperson
JAMES HUSTACE
Vice Chairperson
2021
HAWAI`I COUNTY
REDISTRICTING COMMISSION
REPORT
MEIZHU LUI
DWAYNE YOSHINA
LEHUANANI AH NEE
JENNIFER YADAO
STEPHANIE BATH
AINA AKAMU
STEPHEN LOPEZ
The Hawai' i County Redistricting Commission consists of nine members representing each of
the current County Council Districts. Commission members are appointed by the Mayor and
confirmed by the County Council.
District 1 Commissioner:
Meizhu Lui
District 2 Commissioner:
Dwayne Yoshina
District 3 Commissioner:
Lehuanani Ah Nee
District 4 Commissioner:
Jennifer Yadao
District 5 Commissioner:
Stephanie Bath
District 6 Commissioner:
Aina Akamu
District 7 Commissioner:
Bronsten Glenn-Kossow (Chairperson)
District 8 Commissioner:
Stephen Lopez
District 9 Commissioner:
James Hustace (Vice -Chairperson)
The Commission is required to follow the provisions of both Hawaii County Charter, Article III,
Section 3-17 and Hawaii County Code, Chapter 36 (2016 Edition, as amended). Copies of these
Charter and Code sections are attached as EXHIBIT 1.
Commission proceedings adhered to the 2021 Hawaii County Redistricting Commission Rules
of Procedure, a copy of which is attached to this report as EXHIBIT 2.
Pursuant to Hawaii County Code Chapter 36, Article 6, Section 36-10, along with transmitting
its final redistricting plan, the Commission reports the following:
Hawai `i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer
2021 Redistricting Commission Report
(1) FINAL VOTE OF THE COMMISSION AS TO CHOICE OF FINAL PLAN.
The final vote of the Commission as to the adoption of the Final Redistricting Plan was
unanimous, 9-0.
(2) TOTAL PERMANENT RESIDENT POPULATION BASE USED BY THE
COMMISSION.
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The total permanent resident population used by the Redistricting Commission was 200,090.
This resident population number was determined by using the Total Population for Hawaii
County as determined by the United States Census of 2020 (200,629) and deleting 499
nonresident students and 40 nonresident military.
The criteria for the total permanent resident population base used by the Commission is set forth
in Hawaii County Code Chapter 36, Article 3, Section 36-4(2).
(3) TOTAL DEVIATION OF THE FINAL PLAN.
The total deviation in the final plan is: 9.98%.
(4) EACH PROPOSED COUNCIL DISTRICT'S POPULATION AND ASSOCIATED
DEVIATION.
As defined by Hawaii County Code Chapter 36, Section 36-1, the "ideal council district's
population" is 22,232 (the total permanent resident population divided by nine council districts).
COUNCIL DISTRICT
TOTAL POPULATION
DEVIATION
District 1
20,954
-5.75%
District 2
23,172
4.23%
District 3
23,120
3.99%
District 4
23,084
3.83%
District 5
23,147
4.12%
District 6
21,256
-4.39%
District 7
21,707
-2.36%
District 8
21,236
-4.48%
District 9
22,414
0.82%
(5) MAPS OF EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT AND WRITTEN DESCRIPTION OF
EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT'S BOUNDARY.
Maps of each Council District are attached as EXHIBIT 3.
Written descriptions of each Council District are attached as EXHIBIT 4.
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2021 Redistricting Commission Report
(6) MAP OF THE ISLAND WITH ALL PROPOSED COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
A map of the County of Hawai' i showing all Council Districts is attached as EXHIBIT 5.
(7) JUSTIFICATION FOR ANY DIVERGENCE FROM REQUIREMENTS OR
CRITERIA.
The Commission did not diverge from any requirements or criteria.
(8) MINUTES OF ALL MEETINGS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS.
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Completed minutes of the 2021 Redistricting Commission Meetings are attached as EXHIBIT 6.
Meetings and hearings were conducted as follows:
MEETINGS
PUBLIC HEARINGS
PUBLIC HEARINGS ON
DRAFT PLAN
March 1, 2021
October 11, 2021 District 2
December 14, 2021 West Hawai' i
September 9, 2021
October 14, 2021 District 1
December 16, 2021 East Hawaii
September 23, 2021
October 18, 2021 District 3
September 30, 2021
October 21, 2021 District 4
October 14, 2021
October 25, 2021 District 5
October 28, 2021
October 28, 2021 District 6
November 12, 2021
November 1, 2021 District 7
November 23, 2021
(recessed and reconvened
November 29, 2021
November 4, 2021 District 8
December 9, 2021
November 8, 2021 District 9
December 17, 2021
December 21, 2021
Hawai'i Revised Statutes Chapter 92, Section 92-9 allows for minutes to be made available
within forty days after a commission meeting. In addition to complying with this requirement, to
accommodate the availability of timely public review of its proceedings, the 2021 Commission
utilized a YouTube channel. Beginning with its September 23, 2021 session, all meetings and
public hearings were livestreamed for the public. Archived videos were posted for playback of
sessions, in its entirety, within 24 hours of the meeting. The Commission intends to maintain its
YouTube channel through at least calendar year 2022 for public access in viewing all sessions.
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2021 Redistricting Commission Report Page 4
(9) DOCUMENTATION FOR ACCEPTING OR REJECTING ALTERNATE PLANS.
The deadline for submission of an alternate plan was October 14, 2021.
Pursuant to Hawaii County Code Chapter 36, Article 5, the Commission determined this
deadline during its September 9, 2021 session, prior to the fourth meeting. The deadline was
publicly announced during an open session of the Commission and on the September 23, 2021
agenda.
As defined by the Code, the Commission received one Alternate Plan.
The plan adopted by the Redistricting Commission includes, in large part, portions of the
alternate plan recommended to the commission.
In addition, testimony and public input received from various community members throughout
the redistricting process were taken under consideration by the Commission within the extent of
its requirements to act within the parameters of the Charter and Code.
(10) ANY OTHER DATA USED BY THE COMMISSION.
The Commission did not use any other data or criteria in adopting the Final Redistricting Plan.
In addition to the required components for its report, the following are recommendations of the
2021 Redistricting Commission:
1) Amend Hawaii County Charter Section 3-17(e) to reverse the current order of public
hearings in such that there be one each in east and west Hawaii prior to completion of a
draft plan and nine hearings be held in each council district after the Commission selects
a draft plan. This would allow for more constructive feedback from the public. (For
further rationale, see Exhibit 7 — letters from Chairperson.)
2) Explore and enact applicable legislation that would provide oversight for future
commissions to adjust incarcerated individuals based on their residential address instead
of the incarcerated facility. (For further rationale, see Exhibit 7 — letters from
Chairperson.)
3) The County work with the State Office of Elections and United States Census Bureau to
address problematic census blocks identified by the Commission that result in data
irregularities and issues in applying boundary map lines. (For further details and
information, see Exhibit 7 — letters from Chairperson, Exhibit 8 — Census Block Issue
List, and Exhibit 9 — New District Boundaries and Communities of Interest,
additional comments section in submission by Vice -Chairperson Hustace.)
Supplemental to this report, Commissioners representing council districts 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, and 9
provided individual rationale statements for their respective areas. See: Exhibit 9 — New District
Boundaries and Communities of Interest.
F.