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HomeMy WebLinkAboutExhibit 7 - Letters from the ChairpersonEXHIBIT 7 LETTERS FROM THE CHAIRPERSON BRONSTEN-GLENN KOSSOW Chairperson JAMES HUSTACE Vice Chairperson 2021 HAWAI`I COUNTY REDISTRICTING COMMISSION TO: Jon Henricks, County Clerk Diana Mellon -Lacey, Corporation Counsel FROM: Bronsten Kossow, Commission Chairperson DATE: December 23, 2021 SUBJECT: Inclusion for the final report. Aloha Mai Kakou, MEIZHU LUI DWAYNE YOSHINA LEHUA AH NEE JENNIFER YADAO STEPHANIE BATH AINA AKAMU STEPHEN LOPEZ The following notes are experiences for which the 2021 Hawaii County Redistricting Commission had faced. To resonate the similar tones from past commissions on learning curves as we complete the final plan, while also recognizing our ability to best serve our communities across Hawaii Island in an impartial manner. The commission had faced an unusual year that will be forever marked in our history. Due to the pandemic, much of our data had been delayed by as much as eight months by the United States Census Bureau. Most of the commission's work began in the month of September and progressed to complete by December 31s', along with mandated eleven public hearings. The commission found it a learning experience, especially to that within the Hawai `i County Code and Charter, the use of the software program platform, ESRI, and overcoming the Census Block irregularities. It was important for the commission to hear the community and with the help of the public hearings it gave the commission an opportunity to grow in intellect on the county's issues. However, the commissions concern stemmed toward the language of Hawaii County Charter Section 3-17 (e), which is an important section to go through the democratic process. The commission recommended that based off the language it be reversed, that the east Hawaii and west Hawaii meetings be first, and the nine public hearings at the council districts be after the completion of a single draft plan. Hawai `i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer Further Hawaii County Charter Section 3-17 (e) state: "Prior to completing a draft of the redistricting plan, the commission shall hold at least one public hearing in each of the nine council districts. Upon completion of a draft redistricting plan, the commission shall hold at least one public hearing in east Hawai `i and one in west Hawai `i. " Within the few months into the redistricting process, the commission was made aware from public testimony and community initiative groups that census blocks contained positive populations in regions where our county/state incarcerated facilities are located. Having conveyed that the State of Hawaii will be placing a criteria for the State Reapportionment Commission, the commission had appropriately requested the council to amend the charter and code to provide oversight for future commissions on adjusting incarcerated individuals based on their home address instead of the incarcerated facility. The ESRI software program initially had been clunky in terms of user experience, some commissioners relied heavily on other commissioners who were more technologically advanced. Understandably so, however, we would recommend that the training for the software be in an open session along with the public to understand the process of redistricting, census blocks, deviations, law binding requirements, and the ESRI-user software component. The lack of alternate plans from the public prior to the deadline had been frustrating due to only one submission. Due to the growing concern of census block irregulates the commission found that the blocks were troublesome at best. As an example, in North Kona there is a census block that includes portions of ranch and conservation lands and heads about 3 miles into lower portions of Loloa Dr, Ahikawa Dr, Ahulani Dr, and Kaiminani Dr. Another issue is north of Hilo, a census block that runs from mauka of Pi'ihonua and wraps toward the mauka portion down toward Honoli'i. There are active letters to the State Elections office to provide clarity on how the census block irregulates be adjusted by the United States Census Bureau. Another concern as chair, has been active / incumbent elected officials commenting on the process and deliberation to the redistricting commission. My worry is for our future commission work, as this important democratic process need to be held with a high regard and to ensure commissioners can discern and adjust changes to the maps without fear of retribution or interference from elected officials. Hawaii County Code Chapter 36-4 (6-7) "No council district shall be drawn to unduly favor or penalize an incumbent. Council district boundaries shall be drawn without regard to any incumbent's residential location, any incumbent's ability to run for re- election in that incumbent's current council district, or whether any incumbent faces another incumbent for re-election. " As chair, I appreciated the impartial -democratic process of ensuring our communities can be best represented, our nine commissioners worked hard on solving tough challenges throughout this year. I'm also thankful for all who have been able to attend the commission meetings/hearings from the public and the testimony they provided truly helped the commission make better judgement as we created the political boundary. I am indebted with gratitude to our community. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the staff at the Office of Elections, the Office of the County Clerk, and Corporation Counsel for the back -end assistance, preparations for our sessions, being able to answer all of questions, and assisting our public hearings. Thank you to Former Mayor Harry Kim and Mayor Mitchell Roth for providing quality commissioners who represented their community well and enthusiastically. I am especially grateful to Mayor Roth and his staff in assisting our needs throughout the process. `O au iho no me ke aloha pumehana, Bronsten Kossow Chair, 2021 Redistricting Commission County of Hawaii BRONSTEN-GLENN KOSSOW Chairperson JAMES HUSTACE Vice Chairperson 2021 HAWAI`I COUNTY REDISTRICTING COMMISSION DATE: December 15, 2021 TO: Scott T. Nago, Chief Elections Officer Office of Elections 802 Lehua Avenue Pearl City, Hawaii 96782 FROM: Bronsten Kossow, Commission Chairperson CC: Members of the Redistricting Commission Commission staff MEIZHU LUI DWAYNE YOSHINA LEHUANANI AH NEE JENNIFER YADAO STEPHANIE BATH AINA AKAMU STEPHEN LOPEZ SUBJECT: Requesting information regarding census blocks irregularities and incarcerated individuals. Aloha Mr. Nago, As chair of the Hawai'i County Redistricting Commission, I would like to thank you and your staff for providing information previously to our commission. Our commission requests more information regarding the process for the census block irregularities; this includes any pertinent information on the process of which the United States Census Bureau will take to justify and resolve matters of the census block irregularities, timelines of such changes that takes place, and any State or local officials to review the changes made by the Bureau. We have numerous census block irregularities that we will submit through our final report, however considering the 2011 Redistricting it seemed that the issues of such blocks had not taken place. (See Exhibit A) Further, the County Redistricting Commission is prepared to open communications with the County Council to amend its charter regarding the count for incarcerated individuals based off their home address versus the incarcerated facility. How will the elections office decipher the census data to the home address? (See Exhibit B) Mahalo Nui Loa, Bronsten Kossow Redistricting Commission, Chair Hawaii County Hawai `i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer Exhibit A Census Block Irregularities 0 r Exhibit B Incarcerated Census Blocks BRONSTEN-GLENN KOSSOW Chairperson JAMES HUSTACE Vice Chairperson 2021 HAWAI`I COUNTY REDISTRICTING COMMISSION DATE: December 15, 2021 TO: Maile Medeiros David, County Council Chair FROM: Bronsten Kossow, Commission Chairperson CC: Members of the Hawaii County Council Members of the Redistricting Commission Commission staff SUBJECT: Requesting charter amendments. Aloha Chair Maile David, MEIZHU LUI DWAYNE YOSHINA JENNIFER YADAO STEPHANIE BATH AINA AKAMU STEPHEN LOPEZ The 2021 Hawaii County Redistricting Commission is further providing the County Council information and request to review and amend the Hawaii County Charter. Further Hawaii County Charter Section 3-17 (e) state: "Prior to completing a draft of the redistricting plan, the commission shall hold at least one public hearing in each of the nine council districts. Upon completion of a draft redistricting plan, the commission shall hold at least one public hearing in east Hawai `i and one in west Hawai `i. " The Redistricting Commission found HCC Section 3-17 (e) problematic as the language require the commission to hold nine (9) public hearings prior to a draft plan, additionally to have two public hearings after the completion of the draft. The commission requests a swap to have the public hearing in east Hawaii and one in west Hawaii first, then one public hearing in each of the nine council districts after the completion of the draft, equally distributing public interests. Example language: "Prior to completing a draft of the redistricting plan, the commission shall hold at least one public hearing in east Hawai `i and one in west Hawai `i. Upon the completion of the draft redistricting plan, the commission shall hold at least one public hearing in each of the nine council districts. " The Redistricting Commission recognize the importance of providing equal representation across it's nine (9) districts. The commission found that incarcerated people(s) Hawai `i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer were counted based in the incarcerated facilities versus by their home addresses. This has been a longstanding issue across the United States as prison populations increase while prison towns are gerrymandered to have maximum deviations with low voter turnouts. In the State of Hawaii current incarcerated individuals are not allowed to vote while current prison area's such as Council District's 2 & 3 incorporate an extra few 100's of incarcerated individuals. The State of Hawaii Legislature will provide language for the State Reapportionment Commission to use home addresses over the incarcerated facilities. The County Redistricting Commission requests the Council to do the same and further adding language to HCC Section 3-17 that will provide necessary oversight and data to the next commission. Proposed Hawaii County Charter Section 3-17 (i) "Incarcerated individuals shall be counted by the address prior to being incarcerated. " It is understood that the Council would need to create a charter amendment and made available for a referendum, we highly support that initiative to provide our commission with clear oversight and protect our local democratic process. Mahalo Nui Loa, Bronsten Kossow Redistricting Commission, Chair Hawaii County