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790 <br />reflected up on one of the maps, so that you can see the minority group <br />concentration is. <br />City Attorney Haynes said that in order for a district to be considered <br />to be a safe minority district, it needs a population of 65% minority. <br />That is based upon averages, not in Paris, Texas, but through out the <br />United States, those are the rules by the Justice Department, and the <br />rules we have heard local acceptable of in discussion concerning this <br />matter, so in order to have a minority controlled district, we are <br />talking about a population of 65% or more. City Attorney Haynes said <br />that after you once have established the district of 65 %, what our <br />consultant tell us is the best you can do in another district is <br />approximately 44 %. We have open minds and are willing to review and <br />try to come up with any ideas that could strengthen those minority <br />districts. Our first instructions to our consultant was design us a <br />plan with two minority districts, hr camel back and saud he can not do <br />that, this is the best he could do. It is possible to reduce those <br />percentages and have two districts of 52 %, but the record shows when <br />that happens, and he knew that some of the local 'minority leaders <br />readily acceptable the idea that that would be giving up both <br />districts, and would not be something they could support. <br />Joe McCarthy, 1260 17th N. E., wanted to know about the numbers being <br />used by the consultant. <br />City Attorney Haynes advised that those number came from the 1990 <br />census, and discussed the possibility of have at -large position with <br />the Council. <br />Melba Harris, 1165 N. E. 22nd, was present telling the Council that she <br />is for one man, one vote, and fair distribution of the single member <br />district, but she was insulted by even mentioning at -large positions <br />because we will definitely be going back, and she said she could not <br />see anybody foresee 'that at -large position would ever suite the needs <br />of the black community. We have got to have a multicultural society, <br />because we are always going to have problems if they do not have that. <br />Ms. Harris submitted to the Council that not even be considered. <br />Mayor Fisher advised that the City Manager has been instructed to <br />provide the information, get it together so that we can assemble it and <br />get it to the community, unless we need to have another meeting. <br />Mayor Fisher declared the public hearing open to received comments <br />concerning the City of Paris 1994 Water and Wastewater Rate Study. <br />City Manager Malone advised that the City did received the Water and <br />Wastewater Rate Study from our Consultants, Reed and Stowe, of Dallas, <br />Texas. City Manager Malone said this was a study that is performed <br />every three years, it is a requirements of some of the contracts that <br />the City has with major industrial users. City Manager told the <br />Council that one of the recommendations is the existing uniform water <br />rate structure should be maintained as it sends the appropriate pricing <br />signals to customers and promotes conservation. Under the proposed <br />rate structure, the water bill of the average residential customer with <br />