>> STARTING THE RECORDING. >> GO AHEAD.
[Redistricting Public Input Meeting]
[00:00:04]
>> YES. >> WE'RE ON. GOOD EVENING, I'M TOM RAMSEY, COMMISSIONER OF PRECINCT THREE HARRIS COUNT.
WELCOME TO OUR PUBLIC MEETING TONIGHT ON REDISTRICTING. I'M GLAD YOU COULD JOIN US, WHAT FEW THERE MIGHT BE OUT THERE. LET ME START WITH A BIFIDA OF THE FACT THE AND DATA BEFORE WE GET INTO THE SOME OF THE DETAIL OF IT. WE DO THIS EVERY 10 YEARS.
SO, THE CENSUS IS EVERY 10 YEARS AND WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE CENSUS, WE COUNTY THE POPULATION, THE GOOD NEWS, I THINK FOR HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT THREE IS WE'RE THE FASTEST GROWING PRECINCT IN HARRIS COUNTY AND WE'RE THE MOST POPULACE PRECINCT IN HARRIS COUNTY. WE DO THIS EVERY 10 YEARS. THE LINES ARE GOING TO BE REDRAWN AT SOME POINT. LET ME TELL YOU THE BASIS OF THAT. THERE'S 4.7 MILLION PEOPLE IN HARRIS COUNTY TOTAL. THE EYE DELL PRECINCT WOULD BE 1.18 MILLION IN EACH PRESCENT. CURRENTLY THERE'S 1.27 MILLION IN PRECINCT THREE. I HAVE 85,000 TO 100,000 TOO MANY FOLKS THAT LIVE IN THE PRECINCT. OF COURSE, THEY ASKED ME WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO DRAWN THE LINES AND I SAID, I WANT TO KEEP EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE. THAT WOULD BE MY FIRST OBJECTIVE AND THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. AND AT SOME POINT THERE'LL BE A MAP DEVELOPED THAT WILL MOVE 86,000 PEOPLE WILL BE LOCATED INTO ANOTHER PRECINCT FOR PRECINCTS. THE OBJECTIVE IS LINES DRAW TO MEET ONE PERSON TO ONE BOTH. AT LEAST TO MY CHAIR, I WANT THESE POPULATIONS TO BE AS CLOSE TO EXACT AS POSSIBLE. I DON'T WANT 5% HERE AND 3% LESS OVER HERE. THAT MAY NOT BE WHAT HAPPENS, BUT AT LEAST, I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND FROM TOM RAMSEY'S CHAIR I WILL BE ADVOCATED THAT THE POPULATION IN ALL FOUR PRECINCTS BE AS EXACT IN EACH POPULATION. WHEN YOU END UP WITH A FEW MORE IN ONE OR A FEW LESS IN OTHERS, THE LAW ALLOWS IT, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD BE DOING BETTER IF WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, THEN WE AUTO MAKE IT AS CLOSE TO EQUAL AS POSSIBLY. MY PERSONAL GOAL IS TO KEEP COMMUNITIES TOGETHER.
I THINK WE OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS IN PRECINCT THREE AT LEAST OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES, WE'VE GOT A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP. WE'VE GOT EIGHT P COMMUNITY CENTERS THAT SERVE PRECINCT THREE. SO, THE FOLKS THAT LIVE IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS DEPEND ONNOUS OF US TO BE LOGICAL AND NOT POLITICAL IN TERMS OF HOW THESE LINES ARE DRAWN. SO, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT AS AN ENGINEER, I TEND TO BE VERY GEOGRAPHI GEOGRAPHIC IN TERMS OF HOW WE DRUJ THE COMMUNITIES. I'M ENCOURAGED TO KEEP THE COMMUNITIES TOGETHER AND HONESTLY DOT BEST WE CAN IN KEEPING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS VERY LOGICAL LOOKING. SO IF YOU LOOKED AT THE MAP, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU COULD LOOK AT THE CURRENT HARRIS COUNTY MAP AND SAY THAT MAKES IS LOT OF SENSE. I'LL START WITH, WE'RE STARTING WITH SOMETHING THAT LOOKS A LITTLE DIFFERENT, MAY BE SOME PEOPLE WOULD CALL IT ODD, BUT AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO CLEAN UP THESE LINES SO WHEN PEOPLE LOOK AT THINGS, THEY SAY THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSIOUS THAT'S LOGICAL AND MAKES SENSE. SO, THAT IS IS SOME OF MY OFFICIAL THOUGHTS.
AGAIN, WE HAVE 85 THO,702 PEOPL OVER THE AVERAGE NUMBER HERE, SO WE WILL BE HAVING TO ADJUST OUR LINES TO BE SURE TO GET AS CLOSE TO EQUAL AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. SO, THOSE ARE SOME OF MY OPENING REMARKS. LET ME TURN IT OVER TO OUR CONSULTANT, WOULD THAT BE A
GOOD WORD. >> COUNT COUNTY ATTORNEY.
[00:05:04]
>> THE COUNTY ATTORNEY IS OBVIOUSLY LEADING THIS AND THAT'S A GOOD THING BECAUSE HE'S A FAIR ARBITER OF WHAT HAPPENS IN THE COUNTY BUT THERE IS CONSULTING SUPPORT PROVIDED TO THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WHICH WE ARE ALL ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO. SO, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU NOW.
>> THANK YOU, VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONER RAMSEY. AND THANK YOU FOR HOSTING THIS PUBLIC MEETING. AND THANK YOU TO THOSE ATTENDING IN-PERSON AND MANY WHO ARE APPEARING VIRTUALLY. I'M NEAL SARCAR REPRESENTING THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. I'M GOING TO WALK FOLKS THROUGH OUR PUBLIC INPUT PORTAL WHICH WE HAVE DESIGNED TO FACILITATE A PUBLIC PROCESS. BEFORE I GO THROUGH THIS, I DO WANT TO MAKE CLEAR, FOLKS WHO TESTIFY AT THESE MEETINGS, LIKE TONIGHT, THAT CONSTITUTES PUBLIC INPUT AND YOU WILL HAVE TWO MORE OPPORTUNITIES IN COMMISSIONER CAGLE'S DISTRICT TOMORROW NIGHT AND THURSDAY NIGHT, AND THERE'LL BE MORE MEETINGS AFTER THAT. REGARDLESS, IF YOU WOULD RATHER GIVE YOUR INPUT THROUGH THE PORTAL, IT'S THE SAME, ONE DOESN'T HAVE MORE VALUE THAN THE OTHER, IT IS OR WAY OF TAKING YOUR PUBLIC INPUT. WHEN YOU GO TO THE REDISTRICTING PAGE, YOU'LL SEE, YOU'LL SEE THE PICK YOUR LANGUAGE. I WOULD LIKE TO SHOW EVERYONE THAT, IF YOU WOULD RATHER READ IT IN SPANISH, YOU COULD VIEW THAT. BEYOND THAT, IF THERE'S ANOTHER LANGUAGE YOU WOULD LIKE, PLEASE LET THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE KNOW.
ON THE FIRST PAGE IS GENERAL INFORMATION TO HELP YOU THROUGH THE REDISTRICTS PROCESS, WE HAVE THE CENSUS DATA RELEASED, A REVIEW PRESENTATION GIVEN AT THE 8-31 MEETING, AND WE HAVE THE CRITERIA THAT WAS ADOPTED, ALL THE MAPS AND WHAT I CONSIDER GENERAL REDISTRICTING INFORMATION. THE SECOND TAB IS THE SUBMIT YOUR MAP IDEAS TAB. THIS IS WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER THE PORTAL. JUST TO BRIEFLY TAKE YOU THROUGH THIS, WE HAVE AN INITIAL SECTION WHERE YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF, IF YOU REPRESENT AN ORGANIZATION, YOU COULD SAY THAT. WE THEN GO TO THE "PROVIDE YOUR INPUT" SECTION.
THERE'S TWO WAYS TO PROVIDE YOUR INPUT, FIRST IS A PAINT YOUR INPUT FEATURE, YOU CLICK ON IT, YOU COULD HAVE A TEXT BOX OR DRAW A LINE AND YOU CAN PROVIDE INPUT ABOUT THE MAP. AND THIS IS A PLACE THAT COMMISSIONER RAMSEY WAS SAYING AT THE BEGINNING TO TELL US ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY. THE TWO THINGS TO CONSIDER TO TELL US ABOUT, IS THAT YOUR COMMUNITY IS, WHAT ISSUES ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU, WHAT ARE WHAT SORT OF MAKES YOUR GROUP UNIQUE AND SEPARATE AND APART FROM THAT THERE'S A GEOGRAPHIC COMPONENT, AS COMMISSIONER RAMSEY MENTIONED, WHAT ARE THE HIGHWAYS, ROADS, PLACES OF WORSHIP, HOWEVER YOU DEFINE YOURSELF PHYSICALLY. THIS IS YOUR PLACE TO TELL US THAT PIECE OF IT. WE HAVE A SECOND OPTION, SO, IF YOU WOULD RATHER NOT USE THE PAINT FEATURE, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD A PDF MAP, PRINT IT OUT, MARK IT UP, SCAN IT IN AND WE'LL GET IT.
FINALLY WE HAVE A COMMENTS SECTION. FIRST HERE YOU COULD SAY ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE ABOUT REDISTRICTING. BUT ONE OTHER THING I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION, IF YOU HAVE ANY TECHNICAL ISSUES WITH THIS WEBSITE, I'LL PERSONALLY READ EVERY COMMENT THAT GOES THERE IT, IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS, GET IT IN AND I'LL BE SURE WE GET YOUR INPUT. WE HAVE THE CALENDAR BUILT OUT SO IT HAS ALL THE MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD. YOU COULD SEE THE PRIOR MEETINGS AND THE RECORDINGS AND YOU CAN CLICK ON THOSE, HERE ON OCTOBER 5TH, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER RAMSEY'S AND THE NEXT TWO COMING UP. AND AS MORE MEETINGS, GET SCHEDULED WOMEN ADD THEM TO THIS CALENDAR. THIS IS YOUR CENTRAL HUB TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE TAKING IT. THE LEARN MORE ABOUT REDISTRICTING PAGE, THIS IS A RESOURCE LIBRARY, SO IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT REDISTRICTING, YOU COULD CLICK THROUGH HERE AND HELP TO EDUCATE YOURSELF. AND FINALLY, WE HAVE A SUBPUBLIC SUBMISSIONS PAGE. AS FEEDBACK COMES THROUGH THE PORTAL OR TO THE EXTENT FOLKS PRESENT VISUAL AIDS AT THESE MEETING, WE PUT THEM UP, SO IF YOU SUBMIT SOMETHING WE WILL PUT IT ON THE WEBSITE AND FOLKS CAN CLICK THROUGH IT AT THEIR LEISURE.
WITH THAT, THAT'S THE PORTAL AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO COMMISSIONER RAMSEY TO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT.
[00:10:02]
>> THANK YOU. WE HAVE SOME FOLKS THAT ARE HERE PERSONALLY.
SO, IF YOU CARE TO OFFER COMMENT, I'LL GIVE YOU THAT OPPORTUNITY NOW TO SIMPLE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND LET US
KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. >>> AND THE MIC IS UP HERE. IF ANYBODY WOULD CARE TO SPEAK, WE HAVE SOMEONE COMING UP NOW.
>> COMMISSIONER, THIS IS LUCIENDA, JUST A REMINDER I WILL START THE TIMER WHEN THE COMMISSIONER ANNOUNCES THEIR
NAMES. >> WE HAVE THREE MINUTES, SO YOU MAY START. I'M AT # 407 MERRYMOUNT COURT. IN THE BEGINNING WE STARTED THIS AS PRECINCT 362, I GUESS 547 DEVELOPED AND 751 TODAY. SO, WE GREW. SO, WE'RE AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE COMING TO THE POLES SOMETIMES WE GET DOWNRIGHT SCARED.
(INDISCERNIBLE) NOT ONLY ON THE THINGS LIKE THAT CANS BUT WE'RE FOCUSED ON ELECTION, WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM WITHOUT TAKING A MONTH OF ELECTION DAYS. THANK YOU.
>> EXCELLENT POINT ON, THIS IS A LOT INVOLVED HERE, VOTING PRECINCTS AND OTHER THINGS. THANK YOU FOR REMINDING US OF
THAT, THAT'S GOOD INFORMATION. >> ANYONE ONLINE THAT WOULD
LIKE TO COMMENT. >> STEFANI VILLANOVA, I AM A CONSTITUENT OF PRECINCT 3, I LIVE IN CYPRUSS REALLY CLOSE TO THE HOUSTON AND KV LINES AND I WANTED TO CALL AND LET YOU KNOW I THINK THIS PROCESS IS REALLY IMPORTANT WHICH IS THE REASON WHY I WANTED TO SPEAK TODAY AND I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO SPEAK. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO COMMENT ON WAS, (INDISCERNIBLE)
>> ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS THAT WE KNOW THAT THE TEXAS REDISTRICTING IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE HAS BEEN GOING ON, RIGHT, AND IT HAS BEEN CONTROVERSIAL BECAUSE THE WAY THAT THE DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN SPLIT OR THE PROPOSED SPLITS HAVE BEEN CRACKING OR PASSING COMMUNITIES. AND I JUST HOPE THAT WITH THIS PRECINCT REDISTRICTING, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN THE WAY IT'S BEING DONE IN THE TEXAS HOUSE, BECAUSE IT'S NOT RIGHT. I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU CAN KEEP COMMUNITIES TOGETHER.
I KNOW THIS AREA IS VERY DIVERSE, THERE ARE PEOPLE OF ALL RACES OF ALL BACKGROUNDS. AND I THINK THAT IT IS BEAUTIFUL AND IT IS GROWING, AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO EMBRACE THAT. AND KEEP THE AREA IT HAVE KATIE, CYPRUSS TOGETHER, I THINK THAT
WOULD BE GREAT. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, STEPHANIE, GOOD FEEDBACK. WE'RE GETTING AN ECHO HERE.
>> THANKS, STEPHANIE, YOU MADE A COUPLE OF GOOD POINTS. THIS SOMETIMES CAN GET CONFUSING BECAUSE THE STATE OF TEXAS IS REDRAWING ALL OF THE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS, THE STATE SENATE, THE STATE REPS, SO, Y'ALL ARE THE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE GETTING A LOT THROWN AT THEM, AND I'VE GONE THROUGH THE MAPS ON THE STATE LEVEL, AND THAT'S CONFUSING UNTO ITSELF. AND THERE'S A LOT OF INPUT THAT'S COMING IN ON THAT.
SO, THIS IS A SEPARATE PROCESS, IT DOESN'T DEPEND ON THAT, IT JUST HAPPENS TO BE GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME. AND I'LL TELL YOU, I'M VERY PROUD THAT PRECINCT THREE IS THE MOST DIVERSE PRECINCT OUT THERE. AND I SAY THAT WITH GREAT CONFIDENCE BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF COUNTRIES THAT ARE REPRESENTED HERE, OVER 140, I THINK, SO, WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THAT. WE THINK WE HAVE SHOWN LEADERSHIP IN PRECINCT THREE IN GETTING ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES TO WORK TOGETHER FOR A COMMON GOOD, AND BASICALLY THAT'S WHY, I THINK WE'RE THE FASTEST GROWING PRECINCT IN HARRIS COUNTY, THAT'S AN OPINION, NOT
[00:15:02]
NECESSARILY A FACT. BUT. IN TERMS OF WHAT MAKES THAT GOOD,GOOD INPUT. >> ANYBODY ELSE OUT THERE?
>> NO, SIR. WE HAVE NO OTHER SPEAKERS SIGNED UP.
>> WELL, IT IS A TUESDAY NIGHT. AND, I THINK THE BASEBALL PLAYOFFS START. I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE THEIR PRIORITIES. AND CERTAINLY BASEBALL'S A LOT LESS CONFUSING MAY BE THAN WHAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH HERE. BUT, I THINK AS NEAL SAID, PLEASE GIVE US YOUR INPUT. WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. Y'ALL LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. YOU KNOW WHAT MATTERS. THE GOOD NEWS IS IF YOU SUBMIT YOUR INFORMATION, IF YOU SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS, YOU'RE GOING TO BE ONE OF VERY, VERY, FEW THAT DO. SO, WHATEVER YOU SAY IS GOING TO CARRY A LOT OF WEIGHT. LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET THAT INPUT IN. AND WE'LL CEREMONY LISTEN TO YOU.
>> IN, NEAL, WHAT DO YOU THINK? >> THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR COMING OUT. AND WITH THAT, I THINK
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.