02 Council Minutes (07/09/01) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Regular Council Meetrng July 9, 2001 Page 4 said what he would recommend to the City Council is that a committee be appointed because it enhances the sense of involvement by the community. It assures open government, and the Department of Justice likes to see such involvement. Mr. Bass recommended, if it is the City Council's decision to appoint a committee, that each Council Member appoint two members from their district with the Mayor reserving the right to appoint three members and that membership should roughly approximate the ethnic makeup of the community as a whole. Mr. Bass explained that the duties of the Advisory Committee would be to review any plans that may be proposed from outside, host public hearings, assist in the formulation of one or more plans and to make a recommendation to the City CounciL Mr. Bass did say that the Council has the authority to adopt the redistricting boundaries, so the ultimate responsibility is on the City Council. Mr. Bass advised the City Council that a plan should be submitted to the U. S. Justice Department by the end of September in order to have the plan precleared in time for the election in May. The Department of Justice has sixty days for review, and often they will ask for additional information, and if they do, they have an additional sixty day period in which to review the new information. Resolution No. 2001-085, authorizing the issuance of an order calling for the redistricting of political boundaries and City Council Districts within the City of Paris in accordance with census data issued by the United States Census Bureau and State and Federal Law and Section 8 of the City Charter; authorizing the Mayor to execute said order and the City Clerk to attest to same, was presented. A motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Manning, seconded by Councilman Bell, for approval of the resolution. The motion carried 7 ayes, 0 nays. Mayor Pfiester called for discussion of future appointment of a Citizens Advisory Committee for reapportionment purposes.