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>> THIS MEETING, THE NOTICE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE ST. PETER HERALD,
[Call Board of Commissioners Meeting to Order: Chair Dranttel ]
THE MANKATO FREE PRESS, AND THE LAFAYETTE LEDGER ON MARCH 31ST, APRIL 17TH, AND APRIL 14TH.WE ALSO CONDUCTED AN OPEN HOUSE ON APRIL 4TH.
WE HAD THAT HERE IN THE BOARDROOM.
WE HAD ALL THREE PLANS DISPLAYED FOR ANY PUBLIC TO COME VIEW THEM AND PUT IN ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT THAT.
THE PLANS WERE ALSO ON DISPLAY IN THE PUBLIC SERVICES OFFICE FOR ANYBODY TO COME IN AND PICK UP A PLAN, HAVE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR ANYTHING ON THAT NATURE.
NO PUBLIC COMMENTS WERE RECEIVED ON THE PLANS.
I'LL BE ASKING THE BOARD TO TAKE SOME ACTION TODAY ON A FEW ITEMS. WE WILL BE CONDUCTING THE PUBLIC HEARING,
[Public Services]
APPROVING THE REDISTRICTING PLAN FOR COMMISSIONERS DISTRICTS AS A RESULT OF THE 2020 CENSUS AND THESE PLANS WILL STAY IN EFFECT FOR 10 YEARS.THEN ESTABLISH THE ELECTION CYCLE TO COMPLY WITH THE TERMS STAGGERING THE YEARS OF THE DISTRICTS BETWEEN FOUR AND TWO YEARS.
THEN FOLLOWING THE BOARD'S ACTIONS TODAY, OUR DEPARTMENT WILL COMPLETE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO RECORD THE BOARD APPROVED 2022 NICOLLET COUNTY COMMISSIONER REDISTRICTING PLAN WITH THE OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF STATE, AND THEN ADDITIONAL NOTIFICATIONS AND ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITY DUTIES WILL BE DONE BY OUR OFFICE AS WELL.
IN YOUR PACKET TODAY, THERE'S QUITE A FEW DOCUMENTS, IN HERE IS THE FIRST ONE IS THE REDISTRICTING PLAN THAT WE SET FORTH THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
YOU ALL HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT.
I WON'T GO INTO IT IN COMPLETE DETAIL.
I WILL JUST COMMENT ON A FEW HIGHLIGHTS ON THAT.
LIKE I SAID, WE'RE THE THIRD IN THE LINE OF REDISTRICTING.
THE LEGISLATIVE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS DID THEIRS FIRST, AND THEN THE CITIES AND THE PRECINCTS DID THEIRS SECOND. WE'RE THE THIRD.
IT MAKES SOME CHALLENGES FOR US TO DO OUR REDISTRICTING WHEN WE HAVE THREE OTHER DISTRICT LINES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN DRAWN IN THAT WE HAVE TO COMPLY BY.
WE ARE AT THE END OF THAT PROCESS.
THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT REQUIREMENTS, JUST A REMINDER, THAT EACH COUNTY IS DIVIDED INTO AS MANY DISTRICTS AS THERE ARE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
COMMISSIONER DISTRICTS ARE BOUNDED BY PRECINCT LINES, WHICH I HAVE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT.
WE CAN'T CROSS PRECINCT LINES ON THAT, SO WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THOSE THAT WERE ALREADY ESTABLISHED.
COMMISSIONER DISTRICTS ARE COMPOSED TO BE CONTIGUOUS TERRITORY.
COMMISSIONER DISTRICTS ARE TO BE IRREGULAR INCOME PACKED AND FORMED, IMPRACTICABLE.
MOST IMPORTANT IS DISTRICT POPULATIONS CANNOT VARY MORE THAN 10 PERCENT FROM THE AVERAGE, AND THAT'S BY STATE STATUTE.
THAT'S WHERE OUR CHALLENGES COME IN.
NICOLLET COUNTY'S RESPONSIBILITIES, DETERMINE NUMBER OF COMMISSIONER DISTRICTS, AND ENSURE THAT THEY MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE POPULATION OF WITHIN 10 PERCENT.
WE HAVE TO DETERMINE WHICH DISTRICTS WILL RUN FOR RE-ELECTION AND VARY THE TERMS BETWEEN TWO AND FOUR YEARS.
NO PLAN WILL ALLOW GERRYMANDERING OR POLITICAL NATURE, THEY HAVE TO BE POLITICAL NEUTRAL.
SOME KEY DATES, I ALREADY WENT OVER THIS.
THE REDISTRICTING HAS TO BE COMPLETED BY APRIL 26TH, WHICH IS NEXT TUESDAY.
BUT AFTER TODAY'S MEETING, WE WILL NOTIFY THE SECRETARY STATE'S OFFICE OF YOUR WISHES.
WE WILL ALSO PUBLISH IT IN THE PAPER.
THAT WILL NEED TO BE PUBLISHED BY MAY 3RD.
WE WILL PUBLISH THE RESOLUTION AND THE MAP OF THE NEW DISTRICTS.
ANYBODY THAT IS WITHIN DISTRICTS THAT ARE CHANGING COMMISSIONER DISTRICTS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY OUR OFFICE OF THEIR NEW DISTRICT.
THAT WILL ALL HAPPEN WITHIN OUR OFFICE.
I THINK WE'LL GO INTO THE OPTIONS NOW.
WELL, LET'S GO TO THE MAP OPTION 1. THERE WE GO.
I WILL GO THROUGH THE OPTIONS AND SOME NOTABLE FEATURES OF EACH OPTION.
OPTION 1, WHERE OUR CHALLENGE WAS IS THAT COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 5 WAS VERY LARGE, WHICH IS THE RURAL DISTRICTS.
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WE'LL TAKE ON NEW SWEDEN AND IN COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 2 THEY WOULD TAKE ON BERNADOTTE.THEY WILL ADD THOSE TO COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 1 AND 2.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE CITIES IN THE NEXT SLIDES COMING UP, BUT THE CITIES ALSO REDISTRICT.
SAINT PETER MOVED ITS LINE NORTH TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE POPULATIONS.
THOSE ARE HOW WE ADDED THAT INTO OPTION 1.
IN OPTION 1, DISTRICT 1 AND 2 TOOK ON AN ADDITIONAL TOWNSHIP, BASICALLY.
THE OTHER NOTABLE CHANGE IS IN NORTH MANKATO, COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 3 WAS 1, 2, AND 3 PREVIOUSLY, IT IS NOW WE'D BE PROPOSED AS 1, 2, AND 4.
COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 4, WHICH WAS 4, 5, AND 6 WOULD NOW BE 3, 5, AND 6.
PRECINCTS 3 AND 4 HAVE FLIP-FLOPPED THERE.
WE'LL SEE THAT IN THE NEXT, WHEN WE GET TO THE BREAKDOWN OF ST. PETER AND NORTH MANKATO, COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 5 REMAINS THE SAME EXCEPT FOR THE LOSS OF NEW SWEDEN AND BERNADOTTE TOWNSHIP.
THAT WENT TO DISTRICTS 1 AND 2.
ANY QUESTIONS ON OPTION 1 FROM THE BOARD?
>> I'M SURE [NOISE] THERE WAS LIKE 99 BORDERS IN MANKATO DISTRICT.
THERE'S ZERO VOTERS IN THAT MANKATO DISTRICT.
>> THERE ARE ZERO VOTERS THERE.
WE WORKED WITH THE CITY OF MANKATO ON THAT.
THEY DID MAKE A PRECINCT THERE TO MAKE IT OFFICIAL, BUT THERE ARE NO REGISTERED VOTERS IN THAT PRECINCT AND THERE HAVEN'T BEEN FOR YEARS, BUT IT IS ON THE MAP NOW.
THAT IS AN ADDITION TO THAT. THAT IS ON THE MAP.
IF THERE WERE EVER A REGISTERED VOTER IN THERE, IT IS NOW A PRECINCT.
THE OTHER TWO OPTIONS ARE VERY SIMILAR TO OPTION 1.
ONE OF THE OBLIGATIONS FROM OUR OFFICE IS THAT WE HAVE TO GIVE YOU MORE THAN ONE OPTION AND WE ARE LIMITED ON OUR OPTIONS.
THESE ARE OTHER OPTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER.
BASICALLY WHAT OPTION 2 DOES IS LEAVE DISTRICT 1 THE SAME.
IT ADDS NEW SWEDEN AND BERNADOTTE TO DISTRICT 2.
NORTH MANKATO DISTRICT STAY THE SAME AS WELL.
THERE WAS NO MOVING AROUND IN THAT AREA.
OPTION 2, THE ONLY REAL DIFFERENCE IS THAT DISTRICT 2 ADDS TWO TOWNSHIPS VERSUS SPREADING THOSE TOWNSHIPS OUT TO DISTRICT 1 AND 2.
IT STILL DOES MEET THE STANDARDS OF UNDER 10 PERCENT.
THAT'S WHY I'VE GIVEN YOU THIS OPTION.
ONE THING I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT IN ANY OF THESE OPTIONS, ALL COMMISSIONERS WILL BE UP FOR ELECTION BECAUSE OF THE FIVE PERCENT RULE.
THE FIVE PERCENT RULE IS IF THERE ARE FIVE PERCENT OF THE VOTER CHANGE IN THAT MEANING IN AND OUT OF THE COMMISSIONER DISTRICT, NOT JUST OUT, ANYBODY CHANGING IN AND OUT, THE FIVE PERCENT RULE AND ALL OPTIONS WOULD BE WITHIN THE FIVE PERCENT RULE UP FOR REELECTION ON THAT.
THERE WOULD NOT BE AN OPTION THAT NOBODY WOULD BE UP FOR ELECTION BECAUSE OF THE SHIFT IN MANKATO OR IN SAINT PETER WHEN THAT MOVED UP, THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE MOVING OUT OF A DISTRICT AND MOVING INTO THE DISTRICT AND THERE'S 600 AND SOME PEOPLE WITHIN THAT LINE CHANGE.
IN THE FIVE PERCENT RULE WOULD BE [NOISE] 346, I BELIEVE SO.
THEY ALL IT WOULD BE UP FOR ELECTION.
OPTION 3 IS VERY SIMILAR TO TWO, EXCEPT FOR IS THAT IT ADDS THE TWO DISTRICTS ONTO DISTRICT 1.
IT WOULD ADD NEW SWEDEN AND BERNADOTTE ONTO DISTRICT 1 LEAVING DISTRICT 2 THE SAME.
STILL DOES FALL WITHIN THE 10 PERCENT.
BUT WITH THAT OPTION, ALL COMMISSIONER DISTRICTS WOULD ALSO BE UP FOR ELECTION AS WELL.
I DO WANT TO POINT OUT BECAUSE I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CITY OF ST. PETER, I'VE INCLUDED THOSE TWO CITIES, THE TWO LARGEST CITIES, REDISTRICTING PLANS IN THE PACKET.
THE CITY OF ST. PETER MOVED ITS WARD LINE TO THE NORTH.
IT NOW GOES UP TO BROADWAY AND A BIT TO THE WEST OF SUNRISE THERE.
SAINT PETER NOW IS WARD 1, PRECINCT 1 AND WARD 2, PRECINCT 1.
THEY DID GET RID OF THEIR WARD 1 PRECINCT 1, WARD 1 PRECINCT 2.
NOW THEY ARE JUST TWO WARDS AND ONE PRECINCT.
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THAT DID EVEN THE POPULATION OUT IN SAINT PETER QUITE NICELY ACTUALLY.THEN THE NORTH MANKATO MAP IS ENLARGED OF WHERE THOSE COMMISSIONER DISTRICTS WOULD GO.
EVERYBODY IN THE YELLOW IS COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 5, 1, 2 AND 4 IS COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 3.
THE GREEN WOULD BE COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 4.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THOSE OPTIONS?
>> QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD BEFORE WE OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING? HEARING NONE, WE CAN OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IS THERE ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? HEARING NONE, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY OF THE HEARING.
>> ALL RIGHT. WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD.
I HAVE INCLUDED THREE RESOLUTIONS AND THEY ARE DRAFT OPTION 1, DRAFT OPTION 2, DRAFT OPTION 3.
EACH OPTION COINCIDES WITH THE MAP OF OPTION 1, 2, AND 3.
I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT ON EACH OPTION, COMMISSIONER DISTRICTS 1, 3, AND 5 WOULD BE A FOUR-YEAR TERM AND COMMISSIONERS 2 AND 4 WOULD BE A TWO-YEAR TERM.
THOSE WERE MY RECOMMENDATION, THE BOARD ABSOLUTELY CAN CHANGE THOSE IF THEY LIKE AT THIS POINT, BUT THAT WOULD BE UP FOR THE BOARD TO HAVE DISCUSSION ON WHICH OPTION THEY PREFER AND THE ELECTION CYCLES THEY PREFER.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO MOTIONS I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR.
THINKING OUT LOUD. NEVER A GOOD THING.
>> I'M SORRY. WHERE TWO AND FOUR ARE DOING THE TWO-YEAR TERM.
>> IF WE COULD, COULD WE FIRST APPROVE OPTION 1, 2 OR 3 FOR COMMISSIONER DISTRICTS, THE REDISTRICTING PORTION, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE THE TERMS TO GO WITH THAT.
>> I'M SURE BEFORE WE GET THERE, JACKIE, THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT ON THE OVERVIEW PAGE DOWN AT THE BOTTOM KEY DATES, YOU'RE LISTING MAY 10TH AS THE LAST DAY TO APPEAL REDISTRICTING PLAN.
IN YOUR HISTORY AND PREVIOUS HISTORY, HAVE THERE EVER BEEN ANY APPEALS TO REDISTRICTING PLAN THAT TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND NICOLLET COUNTY AFTER BOARDS HAVE MADE RECOMMENDATIONS?
>> ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?
>> WELL, NOTHING'S GOOD BUT YOU COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT ANY BETTER, I DON'T THINK.
>> WELL, I MEAN, MADAM CHAIR, THIS IS HOW DEMOCRACY WORKS.
PEOPLE MOVE FROM ONE DISTRICT TO ANOTHER.
SOME DISTRICTS GET BIGGER, SUM GETS SMALLER.
THIS IS AN EVEN SPLIT OF THE FIVE COMMISSIONER DISTRICTS DUE TO OUR 34,000 FOLKS THAT LIVE IN NICOLLET COUNTY.
CERTAINLY THE FOLKS ON THIS BOARD, CURRENT BOARD, PAST BOARDS.
I THINK HAVE DONE WELL TO SERVE NICOLLET COUNTY RESIDENTS AND THIS FUTURE BOARD, WHATEVER SHAPE IT TAKES AFTER THE ELECTION.
THAT'S THE CHALLENGE TO CONTINUE TO SERVE OUR RESIDENTS WELL.
>> MADAM CHAIR, DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE? DO YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION?
>> YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALL PRETTY EVENLY SPLIT POPULATION WISE.
>> YES AND HE WANTS THE CLEAREST SPLIT IN TERMS OF THE PERCENTAGE INCREASE,.
>> I'M FINE WITH WHATEVER THREE, I THINK THAT BOTH.
>> BUT I THINK BECAUSE 3, 4, AND 5 DON'T CHANGE UNDER ENDINGS.
>> THREE FOUR AND FIVE DON'T CHANGE UNDER ANY OF THESE THREE OPTIONS.
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I DON'T MEAN TO [OVERLAPPING], BUT ONE DIVIDES THE POPULATION INCREASE EVENLY.>> EVENLY. IT DOES A NICE DIVIDE ON GEOGRAPHY ALSO.
>> YEAH. IF WE'RE MOVING FROM A MOTION ON OPTIONS, I'LL MOVE OPTION 1.
>> THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE A SECOND FOR THAT?
>> THANK YOU. FURTHER DISCUSSION.
>> OPTION 5 IS STILL GOING TO BE 45 MILES LONG, BUT WE REALLY CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
DISTRICT 5. UNLESS YOU WANTED TO SUCCEED TO REDWOOD OR SOMETHING LIKE JOHN.
>> I THINK IT'S A GOOD CHOICE.
>> OKAY. SIR, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL?
NEXT, WE NEED THE MOTION FOR THE STAGGERING OF THE TERMS.
>> NOW YOU CAN YES. [LAUGHTER].
>> THE STAGGERING OF THE TERMS. I HAVE SUGGESTED IN MY RESOLUTION THAT THE FOUR-YEAR TERMS ARE 1, 3, AND 5 IN TWO YEARS FOR TWO AND FOUR.
AND IF THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED WITH THAT OR HAVE DISCUSSION OF THEIR OWN, WE CAN HAVE THAT AS WELL.
>> I'M GOING TO MOVE THAT WE DO TWO AND FOUR AS BEING THE TWO-YEAR TERMS.
>> AND THEN HAVE A COMMENT AFTER A SECOND.
>> OKAY. DO WE HAVE A SECOND TO THE MOTION?
>> THANK YOU. I THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO BECAUSE I DON'T THINK ANY DISTRICT SHOULD HAVE TO RUN THREE CONSECUTIVE ELECTIONS.
I THINK SPACING IT UP THIS WAY, THIS IS THE WAY IT'S HAPPENED SINCE 2000, IS THAT DISTRICT 2 HAS RUN A TWO-YEAR TERM AFTER THE ELECTION BECAUSE I THINK DISTRICT 1 AND ST. PETER CASES.
ALWAYS HAD THE ELECTION RIGHT BEFORE THE REDISTRICTING, AND IT WAS ALWAYS ALL FLOP NO, SINCE 2000 ALL FIVE SEATS HAVE BEEN UP.
THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN ENOUGH OF A POPULATION CHANGE.
SO THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S ONLY APPROPRIATE IN TERMS OF STAGGERING ELECTIONS TO HAVE 2 AND 4 RUN AS A TWO-YEAR TERM.
>> WELL, THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT FLIPPING A COIN TOO.
>> AND IT HAPPENED TO BE THAT WAY.
>> YEAH. IN FULL DISCLOSURE, WE CONSIDERED IT THAT OPTION, BUT SINCE I'M THE ONE THAT'S GOING TO RUN THE TWO-YEAR TERM, I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S ONLY RIGHT TO HAVE BACK-TO-BACK ELECTIONS.
I THINK OUR CONSTITUENTS WOULD EXPECT US TO DO THIS ON AN EVEN HANDED BASIS AND THIS IS THE EVEN HANDED BASIS, SO THANK YOU [INAUDIBLE].
>> WHAT THIS DOES. JUST TO ADD AS IT SPLITS UP NORTH MANKATO, AND IT SPLITS UP ST. PETER.
WE DON'T HAVE IN THE ELECTION CYCLE TO ST. PETER PEOPLE RUNNING AT THE SAME TIME, AND TWO NORTH MANKATO RUNNING.
THOSE WERE THE SPLITS THAT WERE CONSIDERED TO MAKE IT AS FAIR AS POSSIBLE.
>> THAT [INAUDIBLE] TO THE BALANCE OF THE BOARD.
I'M JUST EXCITED TO SEE POPULATION GROWTH BECAUSE THIS IS ALL DRIVEN BY POPULATION GROWTH AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP OUR TAX BASE UP.
>> I CAN COMMENT THERE ARE SOME RURAL COUNTIES, MORE RURAL THAN US THAT DID NOT HAVE TO READ DISTRICT, WHICH IS MAYBE A NICE THING, BUT IN THE LONG-RUN YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT AREAS OF GROWTH, SO.
>> GOOD THING. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD, SARAH, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
>> JUST A REMINDER, THESE REDISTRICTINGS TAKE EFFECT FOR THE AUGUST AND NOVEMBER ELECTION.
WE DO HAVE AN ELECTION IN MAY FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 1.
THEY ARE NOT IN EFFECT FOR THAT.
>> SO THE FILINGS IN MAY COULD LEAD TO AUGUST PRIMARIES.
>> EXACTLY, FILINGS WILL START ON MAY 17TH.
FILING NOTICES WILL BE OUT SHORTLY, ACTUALLY.
>> THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
>> ANY OTHER BUSINESS FOR THE BOARD BEFORE I CLOSE THE MEETING? THANK YOU. MOTION TO ADJOURN.
>> I [OVERLAPPING].
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.