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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-0524ssSPECIAL SESSION May 24, 2011 AT 1:50 P.M. 1. Call for Special Session R&F 2. Ball- Complaints- Proposed Commission Redistricting Plan COW 3. Fargo Estate Neighborhood. Assoc. — Remain In Niagara Dist. COW 4, Porter Pkwy- Prospect Hill Alliance -- Remain In Niagara Dist. COW S. Guadagno/Hickory Woods Residents- Remain In South Dist. cow 6. RiesterNernon Triangle _.. Request to keep Neighborhood Intact COW 7. Weaver /Robinson Proposed Redistricting Plan cow 8. Triangle Block Club ---- Remain in Lovejoy Dist COW 9. Peterson — Vernon Place /Triangle Remain in Delaware Dist COW 10. DPSNA — Support Current Commission Report cow 11. `7Valek — Keep Vernon Triangle With Parkside Neighborhood COW 12. Renouf — Keep Vernon Triangle In Delaware Dist. COW 13. Lynch -Johnt -- Keep Vernon Triangle In Delaware Dist. COW 14. Metz — Vernon. Place — Keep in Delaware Dist. . COW 15. Peterson -- Vernon Triangle — Keep in Delaware Dist. COW 16. Reed — Vernon Triangle -- Keep in Delaware Dist. COW 17. Harvey -- Vernon Triangle — Keep in Delaware Dist. COW 18. Johnson — Vernon Triangle — Keep in Delaware Dist. COW 19. Baran — Vernon Triangle --- beep in Delaware Dist. cow 20. Linwood Preservation District & Friends -- Concerns on Redistricting _ COW 21. Rozanski ---- Comments Regarding Reapportionment COW 22. Grigsby — Request to Remain in South Dist, COW 23. Eddy — Request to Remain in South Dist. COW 24, Lilac Street Block Club — Request to Remain in South Dist. COW 25. Gleed — Request to Remain in Ellicott Dist. COW 26. Adjourn R &F COMMON COUNCIL CITY HALL — BUFFALO SPECIAL SESSION May 24, 2011 at 1.50 P.M. PRESENT: David A. Franczyk President of the Council, and Council Members Fontana, Golombek, Kearns, LoCurto, Pridgen, Rivera, Russell, Smith - 9.. ABSENT None. * AYE *NO* * FONTANA * F CZYK * * GOLOMDEK * * KE S * LOCURTO * PRIDGEN * ** * R VERA * RUSSELL SMITH * * * 2/3- 6 3/4- 7 May 23, 2011 Mr. Gerald A. Chwalinski City Clerk 1308 City Hall Buffalo, New York Dear Mr. Chwalinski: Pursuant to Section 3.9 of the Charter of the City of Buffalo, upon the written request of Five Councilmembers, dated May 23, 2011 presented to you herewith, I hereby call a Special Meeting of the Common Council to be held in the Council Chambers, City Hall, Buffalo, New York, on May 24, 2011 at 1:50 P.M, for the following purpose: To receive and take appropriate action on : 1. Written Public Comments Regarding Redistricting Yours very truly, Ddvid A. Franczyk President of the Council t W GERALD A. CHWALINSKI City Clerk Registrar of Vital Statistics WILMER OLIVE CIA, JR. Deputy City Clerk DIANA RICO Deputy City Clerk Vital Statistics Deputy Registrar of Vital Statistics 65 NIAGARA SQUARE ROOM 1308 CITY HALL BUFFALO, NEW YORK 14202 RHONE. (716) 861 -5431 FAX: (716) 851 -4845 May 23, 2011 TO EACH MEMBER OF THE COMMON COUNCIL YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that, pursuant to Section 3.9 of the Charter of the City of Buffalo, upon the written request of Five Councilmembers, dated May 23, 2011, DAVID A. FRANCZYK, President of the Common Council, has called a Special Meeting of the Common Council, to be held in the Council Chambers, City hall, Buffalo, New York, on May 24, 2011 at 1:50 P.M. for the following purpose: To receive and take appropriate action on all items relating to I . Written Public Comments Regarding Redistricting Yours very truly, Gerald A. Chwalinski City Clerk May 23, 2011 Han. David A. Franczyk President Common Council 1315 City Hall Buffalo, New York Dear Sir: WE, the undersigned, members of the Common Council, hereby request that you call a Special Meeting of the Common Council and waive the 24 hour notice, pursuant to Section 3.9 of the Charter of the City of Buffalo, for the following purpose: To receive and take appropriate action on 1. Written Public Comments Regarding Redistricting We request that this Special Meeting be held on May 24, 2011 at 1:50 P.M. Pursuant to Rule 2 of the Rules of Order of the Common Council of the City of Buffalo, each of the following named members of the Common Council, to wit: RICHARD FONTANA JOSEPH GOLOMBEK MICHAAEL KEARNS MICHAEL LOCURTO DARIUS G. PRIDGEN DAAVIDRIVERA BONNIE E. RUSSELL DEMONE SMITH hereby agrees that twenty -four (24) hours' notice be waived of the time and purpose of the Special Meeting of the Common Council duly called to be held on May 24, 2011 at 1:50 P.M, STATE OF NEW YORK. COUNTY OF ERIE) ss: CITY OF BUFFALO) On this 23rd day of May 2411, before me, the subscribers, personally appeared To me known to be the sane persons described in and who executed the foregoing instrument, and they duly and severally acknowledged to me that they executed the same. Commissioner of Deeds, in and for the City of Buffalo, N.Y. My Commission expires 12/31/12 May 23, 2011 ?_ Common Council, City of Buffalo City Hall Buffalo, NY 14202 Honorable Members of the Common Council: I write regarding the Common Council's redistricting process, and the effect redistricting will have on the City of Buffalo's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) community, For while LGBTQ individuals are a vital, vibrant and contributing part of communities throughout the entire city, it must be acknowledged that there are areas of the city which contain the. highest concentrations of LGBTQ citizens. As such, our LGBTQ community should —in the spirit on the Voting Rights Act—have our voice in our allegedly representative government respected, as other minority groups do. This is especially important for the LGBTQ community, as LGBTQ people are among the most oppressed of minority groups, for we are routinely denied by our government basic civil rights such as liberty and the pursuit of happiness —in the form of employment, housing and marital discrimination.. For example, here in the City of Buffalo, in 2010, the Common Council passed legislation seeking to—in some.ways --- correct the discrimination dealt our community by our state government. As you know,'New York State currently segregates civil marriage rights to couples and families based on gender. Last year, when the Council passed and enacted legislation establishing a city domestic partnership registry and extending domestic partner benefits to all City of Buffalo employees in same - gender partnerships, the council, our elected representatives, acted in a healthy majority to enact these laws to do what your law making body could to give certain protections and rights to couples and families who are denied the civil rights of a civil marriage. This was an important act as the council, our elected representation, took it upon itself to represent LGBTQ citizens on an issue where federal, state and other city officials have currently failed our community. Therefore, it is of great importance that our community has its electoral voice respected where the greatest concentration of our community may be in the city. One of the aspects wrong with the map submitted by the redistricting advisory committee is its disregard of Buffalo's heavily LGBTQ neighborhoods, Neighborhoods which are, if for nothing else, strongly connected historical districts with an undeniable sense of community. By separating and continuing to beep displaced communities such as Allentown and the Elmwood and West Villages, the map not only weakens LGBTQ voices, but weakens the voice of the Hispanic community, as well. Areas such as the Elmwood Village and the lower West Side (with neighborhoods such as Allentown and the Nest Village) have long been connected by a strong, historical sense of community, which is in keeping with the larger West Side community represented in the Niagara District. Should this community not be able to be kept or returned to being wholly represented, it is important that the communities then be kept in districts with similar or neighboring communities (for example, in the Niagara community's case, the Ellicott district.) Separating districts in this manner not only weakens minority voices but creates problems for the communities the districts should ideally serve. If a councilrnember is to focus on community and economic development, for instance, that focus is diluted as said representative only represents certain, non - logical divisions of the city; divisions which should not appear politically convenient or in favor of certain elected officials over the needs of the community as a whole. In conclusion, there are no laws in place to preserve. LGBTQ voices in city government. There are no laws to protect us all from employment discrimination in our county, state, country. There are no laws which allow me to marry my partner and have us both protected as people of different genders would be allowed to. There are no laws, and there need to be such laws. And there are no laws in place which would prevent the process of redistricting from doing what is right and protecting and respecting minority voices. I thank you for your time and attention to this matter. REFERRED THE ITS Sincerely, OF LE Bryan Glenna Ball President Bryan Ball President, Stonewall Democrats of Western New York PO Box 857 Buffalo, NY 14215 www.sdwny.org (716) 541 -5557 Fargo Estate Neighborhood. Association Bounded by Porter, West, Pennsylvmia & Pi ospect . -- Including Fargo &Jersey Streets C/o i ht ©ne Far o Avenue Buffalo New York 14201 1139 William G. FaiSo (1818 -1881) Mayor of Buffalo During The Civil War (1562. 1866) Co- founder of the Pony Express - Wells FaW & Co. & American Express Co. Neighborhood Homes Dmi hated Histotically Si gnificant b 1?u falo Preservation Board May 18, 2011 City of Buffalo Common Council 1413 City Hall - 65 Niagara Square Buffalo, New York 14202 Honorable Members of the Common Council: Thank you for time and effort concerning the 2011 reapportionment process. Since the first charter revision many years ago our part of the Westside has always been in the Niagara. District. Our association was established in 1982 and took the name of William G. Fargo who was the mayor of the City during the Civil War. He also had a magnificent mansion built on the land he owned, which was bounded by Fargo, Jersey, West and Pennsylvania Streets, which unfortunately was demolished in 1900. For the past 25 plus years we have worked to establish a good quality of life for our residents. We are active in crime prevention, historic preservation and the establishment of community gardens on the Westside. We know have three community gardens, and one in partnership with D'Youville College. Our association has over 500 homes within its boundaries and the residents would like their homes to remain in the Niagara District to continue to work with Councilmerrlber Dave Rivera and his staff. We don't want to see the D'Youville College campus spilt in two. We are an integral part of the Niagara District and Prospect Hill Neighborhood Alliance. Please keep our historical boundaries intake as more people move in to our neighborhoods and invest in their future. Sincerely, James J. Messina Andrew Goldstein President Vice - President Phone — 716.4303227 jjm8181 @aol.com REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE portizr Parkwag^- fill Nvz Igbborbood aneo WEST L-SME ti BUF AI.O NEW YOR —_9i MPHONY CIRCLE ALONG PORT AVENUE TO TH R NT PARK Alliance Members Cottage District Association—Fargo Estate Neighborhood Association~ Armory Hill Association — Niagara Gateway- Columbus Park Association & Participation From Other West Side Neighborhoods May 18, 2011 City of Buffalo Common Council 1413 City Hall - 65 Niagara Square Buffalo,. New York 14202. Honorable Members of the Common Council: We know the reapportionment process for 2011 is a difficult and strenuous procedure. We thank you for your time and effort through this process. Our Alliance has been around for the last several years, but collectively each association has been around for over twenty years, working on quality of life issues for the west side of Buffalo. We formed the alliance because of many things we have in common; Our boundaries intersect with Porter Avenue, an original parkway of the Olmsted System from Symphony Circle to the Front Park We have community partnerships with D'Youville College. - Almost all of our neighborhoods are in the Niagara District. Three of the four neighborhood associations have over 500 homes within its boundaries and the third association has over 300 homes. This represents a .population approximately of over 7000 citizens who would like to see their block clubs collectively remain in the Niagara District and not see the D'Youville College campus split in two. This portion of the Niagara District is one of the most historical in the City. Many battles of the war of 1812, and the training of the Union Army Volunteers from Buffalo were at Fort Porter. For the past three years with the help of Councilmember David Rivera we have forged neighborhood partnerships with D'Youville College and other institutions within the community to help the elderly and youth. The core group of Kleinhans Music Hall, Grover Cleveland High School, Karpeles Manuscript Museum, Holy Angels Church, West Side Community Services, and the Niagara Branch. Library are all part of the institutional community affiliation. This corning October, the National Historic Trust Conference will be held in Buffalo and a good part of the activities will be held along the historic Porter - Prospect Hill neighborhood. This type of collaboration has helped neighborhood revitalization and spawned people moving back into the west side. Our vibrant community is multicultural and is now one of the most desirous sections of the city to live along with the Elmwood Village and Allentown. Please allow our neighborhood associations to continue this growth for the City and the historical revitalization of the Porter - Prospect Hill community by remaining in the Niagara District. RI 1 -0 THE ITT, -, Sincerely, OF TH �u,� � President Cottage District Association CFvc� Vice President Armory Hill Association j m,eo M,)A c� President Fargo Estate Neighborhood Association � acca, President Columbus Park Association May 23, 2011 Gerald Chwalinski Buffalo City Clerk 65 Niagara Square 1301 City Hall Buffalo, NY 14202 Dear Mr. Chwalinski, I am writing in response to the Buffalo Common Council's Redistricting plan. I request that the redistricting commission and the City of Buffalo Common Council revise the current plan. I strongly oppose this plan and in particular the proposed inclusion of Abby, Baraga, Beacon, Germania, Mystic and O'Connor Streets, known as Hickory Woods into the Fillmore District. Hickory Woods has a long history that our Councilmember is well informed about. To move the residents of Hickory Woods into a new district would be detrimental to all of the steps that are being taken to restore the duality of life to the area. I am appalled that this proposal has not been put before the community for comment and that the community was not given fair notice. I ask that this proposal not be adopted and that the community be given an opportunity to meet in a public forum to hear from their Councilmember and be given the chance to respond. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Dolores Guadagno & the Hickory Woods Residents 308 Germania St Buffalo, NY 14220 1R D �� THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE City of Buffalo Clerk 23. May 2011 Rm. 1301 City Hall 65 Niagara Square Buffalo, New York 14202 Dear Sirs, I am writing in response to the Buffalo Common Council Redistricting plan. I strongly oppose this plan and in particular the proposed incorporation of Vernon Place, Orchard Place, Fairfield Ave., commonly known as the Vernon Triangle, into the Masten District. This plan would, in fact, dismantle a vital part of the Parkside Neighborhood. It would separate the legislative representation of the Vernon Triangle from the rest of the Parkside Neighborhood. This proposal does not reflect the best interests of the homeowners and residents of either the Vernon Triangle or the rest of Parkside. I am appalled that this proposal has not been put before the community for our comment and that the community has not been given fair notice. I ask that this proposal not be adopted and that the community be given an opportunity to meet in a public forum to hear from their council members and to be given the chance to respond. Thank you for giving this every consideration. Sincerely, Michael A. Riester 43 Crescent Avenue Buffalo, New York 14214 0 T H E IA I T T OF THE WHOLE . Rester 43 Crescent Avenue Buffalo, NeW York 14214 Buffalo City Clerk Rm. 1301 City Hall 65 Niagara Square Buffalo, New York 14202 17 May 2011 Mr. Gerald Chwalinski Clerk, City of Buffalo, NY 1308 City Hall Buffalo, NY 11202 RE: CITY OF BUFFALO COUNCILMATIC REDISTRICTING PLAN Dear Mr. Chwalinski, Honorable Mayor Brown, and Honorable Members of the Common Council: Attached hereto please find our proposal and recommendations with respect to the City of Buffalo Common Council redistricting and reapportionment processes. The plan that we are advancing vastly—and unapologetically— alters the current political landscape of the Buffalo Common Council. Our reasoning for this is nonetheless sound, based entirely on neighborhood planning issues. We }tope that the recommendations contained within prove useful, and we are happy to answer any questions related to our plan. Thank you for the opportunity.to submit this proposal. Very truly yours, R ussell C. Weaver Terrence A. Robinson cc: Hon. Mayor Byron Brown All Council Members F .� HE W the Coon Council and Mayor of the City of Buffalo, NY Russell C. Weaver e Terrence A. Robinson 17 May 2011 AN OVERVIEW OF THE PLANNING APPROACH TO POLITICAL. REDISTRICTING In brief, our proposal addresses the following: 1. The approach is "organic" in that legislative districts are grown from neighborhoods. 2. It supports the concept of "neighborhood - centric" planning and development • Walkable neighborhoods • Neighborhood schools • Neighborhood ,policing • Historic preservation districts • Neighborhood commercial district revitalization and development 3. It encourages a city -wide, holistic view of planning decisions and resource allocation Consistency with prior local and regional plans e.g., Queen City Hub, Olmsted 20yr plan, Greenway, etc. "Community Block Grants" and discretionary funds can be allocated to address concerns that affect similarly situated communities not fragmented by artificial political boundaries 4. It facilitates decentralized service delivery and access to a representative familiar with the issues that affect their constituency It thus supports "Quality of Life Centers" that house building inspectors, housing court liaison, neighborhood police liaison, payment centers, etc. S. It encourages participation in the political process by restoring a logical, common interest, shared approach to selection of the representative with some relation to their constituents. 6. It represents a paradigm shift that diminishes the influence of special interest groups and political influence unrelated to constituent best interests; and 7. It permits annexation and/or shifts of adjoining planning districts to reflect future growth or loss in population Introduction At its core, political redistricting in the United States is the act of crafting new and/or modifying existing electoral and legislative boundaries in response to changing population conditions as indicated by a decennial census. The following report proposes a simple "building block" approach to establishing politically neutral legislative districts in which it is suggested that such districts can effectively be created through the amalgamation of community planning neighborhoods based on population, contiguity, and compactness alone. This method thus lends no consideration to political party affiliation, voter history, race, ethnicity, gender, and so forth, which, it is presumed, can aid in the reduction of politically anticompetitive behavior. The Ideal Local Election District Much of the redistricting literature in the United States focuses on districts designed to elect representatives to federal offices, namely the U.S. House of Representatives. This is so because various Supreme Court decisions' have laid out guidelines for the establishment of such districts. In particular, it is now widely recognized that Congressional redistricting plans should meet the following criteria; (1) Districts must be of equal population (within a reasonable standard) to ensure that the value of every individual's vote is roughly equal; and (2) A plan may not intentionally dilute the voting strength of members of a racial or ethnic minority group; Further criteria that redistricting plans should strive to meet include, among others: (3) Contiguity and compactness in shape; (4) Adherence to established routes of transportation; (S) Avoidance of unnecessary splitting of "communities of common interest"; and (6) Consistent with natural boundaries marked by "streets, rivers, railroad lines or other permanent characteristics of the landscape ". 1 See, for instance, Baker v. Carr (369 U.S. 186. 1962) or the more famous Gray v. Sanders (372 U.S. 368 1963), in which Justice Douglas declares the doctrine of "one man, one vote" 2 See State and Federal Low Governing Redistricting in Texas (2001). Texas Legislative Council Publications. 3 These criteria are adapted from George et al. (1997) and New York State Election Law (2009). Criteria (2) - (6) from this list are essentially sufficient conditions of a successful redistricting plan, while criterion (1) is a necessary condition thereof. Historically speaking, however, enforcement of criterion (1) has been less strict for local election districts relative to federal districts. As Bullock (2010) observes, "it remains possible for states and localities to have plans with. more variation if they provide an acceptable explanation ". Nonetheless, it is reasonable to assume that an ideal local election district will do well to meet all six criteria identified above. A "Building Bloch" Approach In this section it is claimed that a simple observation might suggest an elementary and effective method of delimiting local election districts that adhere to the conditions from the preceding section. Naively, it is now commonplace for municipalities to commission, create, and adopt comprehensive plans. For example, in 2008 in New York State, 92% of cities, 71% of towns, and 66% of villages indicated that they had written comprehensive plans, Such plans frequently call for an inventory of "existing educational, historical, cultural, agricultural, recreational, coastal, and natural resources ", together with demographic and socioeconomic trends and projeetions. While engaging in these inventory - style activities, municipal planners and professional consultants often generate "planning community" maps such as the one for the City of Buffalo depicted in Figure 1. It should be noted that professional planners put significant time and effort into developing reaps of the type in Figure 1. The resultant communities are, in general: contiguous; a combination of nearby neighborhoods which, if one — rather loosely—interprets Tobler's First Lmv of Geography, suggests that they tend to be clusters of areas that are more alike than others; and drawn with respect to permanent geographic features and transportation routes. For the above reasons, then, this recommendation claims that municipal community planning neighborhoods can enter into redistricting plans as "building blocks ". That is, legislative districts can be created exclusively through the aggregation of planning communities, thereby overlooking any existing elements of the incumbent political landscape. Such an approach involves promoting the "unnecessary splitting of communities of interest" criterion from above to the forepart of the political redistricting problem. 4 New York State Commission on Rural Resources, 2008. 5 Creating the Community You Want: Municipal Captions for Land Use Control. New York State Department of State. 2008. 6 Tobler (1970). Figure 1. Planning Communities, Buffalo, NY � 1 w An Application of the Building Block Planning Method to Buffalo, NYCommon Council Districts In this section the Building Block Planning Method ( "PNl"} is applied to the 2010 redistricting process for Buffalo, NY. Presently the City of Buffalo is divided, into nine councihnanic districts (Fig. 2, the "null" alternative), each having.one legislative representative on the Cite Common Council. So as to avoid the need for referenda, the PM will maintain this status quo number of districts. Figure 2 The Null Alternative - Current Distriot Configurations (light lines show planning community boundaries) GIS software was utilized to ;:Hake the necessary "spatial joins" and amalgamate planning neighborhoods into legislative districts (Figure 3 )? The corresponding district demographic statistics are presented in Table 1. It is clear that the proposed neighborhood -based configuration produces districts much different from the null alternative. The implications of such drastic changes are a priori unclear. That is, it is presumed that legislatures would be under pressure to approve a "community- based" redistricting plan. But at the same titnc the vastly altered political landscape is certainly not without adverse consequences for incumbents. Note that this is but one possible way of amalgamating neighborhoods so that the population numbers are roughly equal. Figure 3 Legend pan ttedistric L7t5;THAN Mum Ma9 U.8g ME Nm Non 6uva Ling Table 1 DISTNAME Total white Black Hispanic EveryoneElse Popl]eviation Pctwhite PctBlack PctHisP Central /Ellicott/Fillmore 29786 8653 17183 2167 1783 2,SM% 29.05056 57.688175 7.275229 Masten /East Oelavan 30073 2470 25979 887 737 3.576977 8.213347 86.386459 2.949489 Niagara 29126 10052 5820 9705 3549 0.315334 34.512119 19.982146 33.320744 North Fast 29827 5797 20465 1007 2558 2.729708 19.43541 68.612331 3.376135 South Buffalo 28165 24063 937 2275 890 42.994527 85.435824 3.326824 8.077401 Riverside 27597 15719 4170 5284 2424 - 4.950824 56.959089 15.110338 19.147008 Lovejoy /East Side 30678 15390 12847 1458 983 5.660709 50.166242 41.876915 4.752591 Elmwood 28126 17513 5334 3204 2075 - 3.12885 62.26623 18.964659 11.391594 North Buffalo 27932 20151 4900 1531 1350 - 3.797022 72.143061 17.542603 5.481168 Target Value: 29,035 a A larger version of this (with streets) is reproduced in the Appendix. It is evident that the make -up of the legislative landscape of the City of Buffalo would be dramatically changed under the neighborhood - based planning approach. While the idea is a controversial ogre, given the increasing presence of community planning and neighborhood reaps from comprehensive municipal and regional plans, the Planning Method to the Redistricting Problem might be a way to begin correcting mistakes of the past associated with "gerrymandering" and politically anti - competitive behavior. Stated differently, the approach of this report advocates the razing of status quo legislative landscapes to begin anew with rationally devised, neighborhood - centric, Manned political districts. Conclusions and Implications The preceding application of the Building Block Planning Method of political redistricting to the case Buffalo, NY shows that the PM may be a simple, yet effective and efficient, means of devising redistricting plans associated with political neutrality. Of the six criteria outlined in section 2 that describe an "ideal" legislative district, the PM model produced the following results (in boldface): (1) Districts must be of equal population (within a reasonable standard) to ensure that the value of every individual's vote is substantially equal. The PM outcome outperforms the null alternative in this regard . District populations are nearly equalized; (2) A plan may not intentionally dilute the voting strength of members of a racial or ethnic minority group. The PM outcome assigned districts with no consideration given to race or ethnicity, (3) Contiguity and compactness in shape. The PM outcome produces contiguous and compact districts; (4) Follow established routes of transportation. The PM outcome follows established routes of transportation through the amalgamation of smaller geographic units that satisfy this objective. (5) Avoid unnecessary splitting of "communities of common interest ". The PM outcome, rather than splitting like communities, joins them; and (6) Have boundaries marled by "streets, rivers, railroad lines or other permanent characteristics of the landscape ". As with (6), the PM outcome respects permanent boundaries through the amalgamation of smaller geographic units that satisfy this objective. 9 Compare the planning method figures with the current "null" figures. References 1, Bullock, Charles S. Redistricting. Rowman & Littlefield: 2010. 2, Graham, G.S., One man, one vote; Baker V Carr and the American Levellers, by Gene Graham. 1972, Boston: Little Brown. 3. Tobler, W.R., A Computer Movie Simulating Urban Growth in the Detroit Region. Economic Geography, 1970.46(ArticieType: primary article I Issue Title: Supplement: Proceedings. International Geographical Union. Commission on Quantitative Methods / Full publication date: Jun., 1970 ! Copyright (0 1970 Clark University): p. 234 -240. Appendices — Maps As can be seen in the attached documents, three planning neighborhoods were split in order to reach more equal population numbers: "Albright "Park Meadow"; and "Genesee Moeselle ". RNERS�E -�. a W W F" -- .T2Ify1 .... NORTH BUFFALO RIVER CITY OF BUFFALO PLANNING NEIGHBORHOODS AND CENSUS TRACTS BY PLANNING COMMUNITY CENSUS TRACT PLANNING NEIGHBORHOOD A Wta: Cx P o! COWOUNWy shaea 3 new RWesam P nn�q C . Vol $6.02 NORTH EAST y. KvakVW ElW E Reba EA [ r pT DELA `` 1`3.1.V Ssoedvsl EAST SIDE �-,go C le oe 0 SOUTH BUFFALO - Planning Neighborhood Redistricting Proposal City of Buffalo C ommon DIST)AME CentraVEllicott/Ffilmore Elmwood LovejoylEast Side Masten /East Delavan Niagara �Y E S nJ ng -- Neigh borhoo.dRedistficting oposal City of Buffalo, NY Common Council Districts Redistricting Prop( DISTNAME Central/EllicottlFilli Elmwood Lovejoy/East Side Masten/East Delay Niagara North Buffalo North East L J Riverside 3 South Buffalo Honorable Common Council: I am writing to request that the members of the Common Council maintain Good, Durant, Lilac, Buffalo, and South Park as part of the Lovejoy District during the city redistricting process. We wish to remain in the Lovejoy District because of our elected representative's hard work, diligence, and plans for continued improvement of the Triangle Block Club area. Mr. Fontana persistently attends all area block club meetings and works closely with residents to address their concerns. He has worked to replace sidewalks, clean up vacant derelict houses, finalize demolitions and im. rove area arks. The Councilrnember even aes into the communit to personally cut grass, clean graffiti, and perform tasks for senior citizens. Since our area has become part of the Lovejoy District the level of service we receive has improved quite considerably. Rich is familiar with many of the Triangle Block Club area constituents on a friendly first -name basis, and the residents know they can depend on him to offer help in any situation. Please consider this information during the redistricting process, as it is crucial to the stability and improvement of the community that we remain residents of the Lovejoy District. Sincerely, Y Joarure lJddy Triangle Block Club President REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Hamm,Bradle K. From: Raymo64330 [raymo64330@aol_comj Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2011 2:38 PM To: Hamm, Bradley K. Subject: suspicous To: The Buffalo City Clerk On: Sunday, May 22, 2011 Re: Common Council redistricting map proposal Council members: I am suspicious of why this proposal is being advanced when there is so much more important work for this legislative body to attend to. Just a drive through the current Masten District gives a real feel for what it must be like to drive through bombed out Beirut or the Gaza Strip. The boarded up buildings and property neglect is a disgrace, and you want to take charge of Vernon Place? You need an Arab Spring to wake you up. Are you after votes? Or maybe by making west of Main Street into Masten you're hoping to cash in on the drug trade or small business trade. Because there's nothing legitimate to what you're intending: which is destroying community. Vernon Place and the Triangle is intimately tied to the Parkside Neighborhood and has a rich history of a Wright Gardner's house and a 19th century church, once a library now badly in need of refurbishment. The west side of Main street is the boundary for Parkside, Masten has another dynamic and the neighborhoods do not share the same function in contributions to the city as an organic thriving unity. Masten could do much with the Central Park Plaza bringing in sports, shopping centers, youth centers and community centers for the teenage use and education, small workshop- schools, preparing the kids for jobs in the trades or college prep. But the leadership in Masten or the city itself has done nothing for the kids, then we get upset at their drugs and violence. I for one do not want to lose the dedication of my current Council Member and his staff who have been devoted to every issue presented not only by me, but also my neighbors. I don't want to lose the connection with the Parkside Association that has done so much for the housing and street level issues. In fact as a city taxpayer supported agency why not start solving the problems in the districts as they are now constituted and when you've proven capable there, we can discuss a different alignment. Until then l suggest an FBI investigation into your campaign contributions. Sincerely, Ray Peterson, 27 Vernon Place, Buffalo, NY 14214 REFERRED TO T ME �OWIAFHTTEE OF THE WHO LE _ U May 20, 2011 Buffalo C01T MOtl Council c/o The City Clerk Room 1303 City Hall Buffalo, NY 14202 Dear Honorable Members: This will advise of an action taken during our Delaware Park South Neighborhood Association Meeting on May 18 2011 at the buffalo Seminary. The Association unanimously approved a resolution to support the current mapping report of the Citizens Commission for Reapportionment which is being submitted for your consideration. I can be reached at 633 -9533 during the day or grlc{cealclel_.orn if any further information is needed. _ _ Sincerely yours, Gerald E. Kelly DPSNA Coordinator REREARED TO THE COMMMEE O THE E : - L Ceuneiimember L ®Carte From: kmw@parentnetworkwny.org Sent: Monday, May 23, 2011 . 9:27 AM To: 'Michael Riester'; ejayharvey @aol.com; jannbaran@aol.com; PCA2318Main @verizon.net; theoarjo @hotmaii.com; townsendrosalind @yahoo.com; FGHager @ juno.com; etrenouf@buffalo.edu; stephanie.simeon@g mail, com; jh62 @buffalo.edu; BKRYDER @verir.on.net; Tonioff70 @msn.com; rlord4me @yahoo.com; jlc.com@verizon.net; pegwag @gmaii.com; mpeterso@buffato.edu; BarbaraSeay@yahoo.com; wprabuckirac@yahoo.com; nwakshull @gmail.com; d4336 @verizon. net; kd65 @buffalo.edu; EnemyThine@aol.corn; koenigd@canisius.edu; gdurak@buffalo.k12.ny.us; lifesabeachl946 @yahoo.com; vh2 c@buffalo.edu; Raymo64330@aol.com; VCMISSVEE @aol.com; dnotaro @adelphia.net; tirn12100hotmail.com; minimetz86@yahoo.com; yank252 @aol.com; howdyheidiho @hotmaii.com; nannymuffinz@yahoo.com; curtness @verizon.net; Councilmember LoCurto; acellis @buffalo.edu; davmit cz gmaii.com; annie.je.reed @gmail.com; Phil.a.reed @gmail.com; katiamac713 @yahoo.com; tdangl @aol.com; tragedy316 @hotmail.com; mbanks @summited.org; manzeilamr @yahoo.com; basialynch @gmail.com; vjr2 @buffalo.edu; Brown,Byron; vernontriangle@yahoogroups.com; Casey,Steve Subject: RE: Fwd: PUBLIC NOTICE - COMMON COUNCIL NOTICE OF ACCEPTANCE OF COMMENTS ON REAPPORTIONMENT Hello to you, I world just add that the Vernon Triangle is Part of the Parkside Association. It makes more sense to have all the street in that Association reside within the same District to insure that concerns are not lost or the efforts to Promote awareness. Pulling just a few streets into Masten District dilutes the efforts of a unified Parkside Association. Sincerely, Kim Walek Parent Resource Manager office: (716) 332.4174 cell: (716) 578.6384 www. arentnetworkwn .or From: Michael Riester [mailto:flinthill57 @yahoo.com] Sent: Sunday, May 22, 20119:13 PM To: ejayharvey @aol.com; jannbaran @aol.com; PCA2318Main @verizon.net; theoarjo @hotmaii.com; town sendrosalin d @yahoo, com; FGHager @juno.com; etrenouf @buffalo.edu; stephanie.simeon @gmali.com; jh62 @buffalo.edu; BKRYDER @verizon.net; Tonioff70 @msn.com; rlord4me @yahoo.com; jlc.com @verizon.net; pegwag @gmail.com; mpeterso @buffalo.edu; BarbaraSeay @yahoo.com; wprabuckirac @yahoo.com; nwakshuli @gmail.com; d4336 @verizon.net; kd65 @buffalo.edu; EnemyThine @aol.com; koenigd @canisius.edu; gdurak @buffa1o.k12.ny.us; I ifesa beach 1946@yahoo.co m; vh2 @buffalo.edu; Raymo64330 @aoi.com; VCMISSVEE @aol.com; dnotaro @adelphia.net; tim1210@hotmail.com; minimetz86 @yahoo.com; yank252 @aol.com; howdyheidiho @hotmail.com; nannymuffinz @yahoo.com; curtness @verizon.net; mlocurto @city- buffalo,com; acellis@buffalo.edu; davmit@gmail.coni; annie.je.reed @gmail.com; Phil.a.reed @gmail.com; katiamac7l3 @yahoo.com; tdangi @aol.com; tragedy3l6 @hotmail.com; mbanks @summited,org; kmw @parentnetworkwny.org, manzellamr @yahoo.com; basialynch @gmail.com; vjr2 @buffalo.edu; Bbrown @city- buffalo.com; vernontriangle @yahoogroups.com; scasey @city- buffalo.com Subject: Re: Fwd: PUBLIC NOTICE - COMMON COUNCIL NOTICE OF ACCEPTANCE OF COMMENTS ON REAPPORTIONMENT RE P . "I COMMITTEE i -4E WHOLE i From: Renouf, Maine [etrenouf @buffalo.edu] Seat: Monday, May 23, 20119:15 AM To: Hamm, Bradley K. Subject: re- districting Dear Mr. Hamm, As a constituent in the Delaware district I am very upset by the news of re- districting. I live in the Vernon Triangle, in the Parkside area. I just heard about the request to have the district lines redrawn and place our area in the Masten District. I am vehemently opposed to this idea. The natural boundary of Main Street should remain the boundary line. on our street, we work hard every day to make a distinction in the neighborhood that we are markedly different from the riff raff across Main Street. We have a great block club and neighbors that aren't afraid to get involved. 1t is without a doubt the reason that we get most of the police, political support and amenities (i.e. snow plow services) that we do because we're on the Delaware District Side. What the census tracts don't tell people is that the Vernon Triangle consists of family homes not he multi- family complexes that dominate the Central Park neighborhood. Please voice my concerns at the next Common Council hearing on this matter. Should we re- district, I will not feel safe nor want to continue to vote in the Masten Area district with whom our neighborhood has nothing in common. Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter. Regards, teaitw 9, `J$.e� MarLeting & business Development Mgr. or) sckool of Management s . � 7 1 6.6+5,) zoo 7 fax etrenouf ftuffalo.edu O 0 H VNHOLE i Coun LoCurto From: Barbara Lynch -Johnt [basialynch @gmail.com] Seat: Monday, May 23, 2011 9:50 AM. To: Councilmember LoCurto Subject: Vernon Triangle /Masten district merger Dr. Mr. Locurto I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed merging of the Vernon: Triangle with the Parkside district. This move seems divisive, harmful, and nonsensical. As you are aware, the Vernon Triangle is part of the Parkside Community and the Parkside Association. It is a part of our proud history, and our block club and residents have a strong allegiance to the community and representatives. I am a member of the Parkside Housing Comrnitee and am quite active in overseeing quality of life issues in the Vernon Triangle AS WELL AS the greater Parkside neighborhood. It simply makes sense to have all the streets in that Association reside within the same District to ensure that concerns are not lost or the efforts to promote awareness. Pulling just a few streets into Masten District dilutes the efforts of a unified Parkside Association. Please see to it that our voices are heard. Thank you, Barbara A. Lynch -Johnt o E or H Donald M. Metz Camille M. Metz April Metz 50 Vernon Place Buffalo, NY 14212 May 23, 2011 City of Buffalo Honorable Mayor Brown Common Council Members Re: Redrawing Common Council Districts Dear Sirs, We have been homeowners on Vernon Place for over 20 years. We purchased our home in the Delaware District because that is where we want to Iive. Over the past 20 years, our family, friends and neighbors have fought a constant battle with absentee landlords, gangs, drugs, and a multitude of other problems that have persisted in the Vernon Triangle. We have stood together and finally, now, we seem to be making some progress. We are Delaware District homeowners and we are proud of it. Why are you turning back the clock on us? if some districts are Ioosing too many residents, maybe there is a problem in those districts that should be addressed. Not just move others into their problems. Or, maybe we should reduce the size of our Common Council. We are concerned about many issues including the new location of our polling place. Please reconsider your decision to move the Vernon Triangle out of its rightful home. Respectfully, Donald Metz Camille Metz HE k t'" April Metz - O TE WHOLE Michael LoCurto Delaware District Councilman Buffalo, New York Dear Mr. LoCurto — May 22, 2011 The proposal to out the "Vernon Triangle" off from Parkside and the Delaware District is abhorrent to me as a resident who values the history and tradition of this neighborhood. It makes no sense to cut out this segment, and append it, and only it, to the district on the other side of Main Street, I have been a resident and homeowner on Vernon Place, Parkside, Buffalo for twenty four years. When we bought our house, it was part of the Parkside neighborhood, in the Delaware District. This little part of Parkside is otherwise known as the Vernon Triangle, though I believe this is a relatively new designation, not dating back to early twentieth century times. The Fairfield Library - and before that the Unitarian church that it was built as - were referred to as pant of Parkside in the early 1900s. Over the twenty four years we have owned our home, several neighbors have served on the Parkside Community Association board, our children have participated in and volunteered at PCA functions, including the Summer Arts program, and my husband and I have volunteered for numerous Parkside cleanups and events. We have a very diverse neighborhood, which in fact is one of the reasons we chose to live here. Our closeness as a neighborhood is enriched by our diversity, but its strength has been traditionally enabled and supported, in many ways, by being part of Parkside and the Delaware District. As we in turn add our support to both. I had been a volunteer with another Parkside neighbor, the Darwin D. Martin House Complex, for over twelve years, and have found that its rich history reverberates to all parts of Parkside, including Fairfield Avenue, and Vernon Place. Aside from not wanting to be severed from Parkside and the Delaware District, and the resulting loss of identity, there is also the matter of property values. I believe we would see a dramatic drop if this corner of Parkside is cut out and added on to the Masten District. Please share this letter with the Common Council, and please oppose carving our streets out of the district we belong in. Thank you for all you do for us. Sincerely, TO THE COM MITTEE Marie Peterson �' HOLF 27 Vernon Place � � W Buffalo, NY 14214 Hamm, Bradley K. From: Philip Reed [phil:a.reed @grnail,com] Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2011 3:18 FPM To: Hamm,Bradley K. Subject: Vernon Triangle Redistricting To the City of Buffalo Common Council, I write as a resident of the Vernon Triangle and I respectfully ask that the borders for the City Districts not be re -drawn to move the Vernon Triangle from the Delaware District to the Masten District. The streets of Fairfield, Vernon, and Orchard {that make up the Vernon Triangle) are West of Main, and it makes good political sense to keep this neighborhood with the Parkside neighborhood in the Delaware District. My wife and I for some time have tried to work towards doing something with the abandoned Fairfield library. To move the jurisdiction of this library is simply to dump the problem into another district and onto another councilman, who would lack familiarity with the problem and its history. The Fairfield library represents the worst of Buffalo - a beautiful architectural treasure that has deteriorated because of City politics. Please do not make this blight of the City any more systemic than it already is by moving our neighborhood into a different district. Sincerely, Philip A. Reed, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Philosophy Canisius College 116 Fairfield Ave. THE REFERRED "0 OF THE WHOLE Ham m,Bradley K. From: ejayharvey @aol.com Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2411 8:51 PM To: Councilmember LoCurto; Hamm,Bradley K. Cc: Brown, Byron; Casey, Steve Subject: The movement of the Vernon Triangle out of the Delaware District To the Honorable Members of the Common Council I am writing this letter as a homeowner and the leader of the Vernon Triangle Block Club. I think that there are plenty of glaringly huge problems with the redrawing of the District lines, but I will speak to the one that impacts me the most. I feel that it is a great dis- service to the residents of this neighborhood to move them to the Masten District. As the "Gateway to Parkside," it would be imprudent to break up a neighborhood with defined boundaries. If you are not familiar, the boundaries of Parkside, as taken from their by -laws are as follows: ]'he Parkside. Con munity is defined as that Bart of Buffalo, New York, bounded by .Main Street l'_rorrr ``,c:ajaclraada F.xjwessway north -east to Amherst Street, Amherst Strect west to the Belt Line railroad track, the Belt Line railroad track north and there -test to Colvin Avenue, Colvin Avenue South to A.mhe.r°t Street. rlrralreast Street east Cap 'arlsicie Avetxare, Parkside Avenue south to Scajacfuada F'Ixpre:ssway, and SULiaquada EN.prossNvay cast to :Main Street; and in addition, the Properties abutting each of the fol ION- ing streets Oil the south side of Scajaquada Expressway: Agassiz Circle, Burbank Place, Burbank Terrace, and me {adoLi vitw Place. along "ith south side Of'ffi nboldt Parkway between Ag assiz Circle and Main Street. It would be a hardship on this thriving neighborhood to have the Executive Director of the Association have to deal with two Council members, As a Block Club, we feel that if the Parkside Community Association were to get some type of neighborhood funding from the Delaware District, it wouldn't go to the Triangle as it wouldn't be in the District.. And if the Masten District were to hand out some neighborhood funding, it wouldn't go to the Triangle because it would exceed the demographic. So we would be left out all of the time. I feel that the property values would decrease upon the moving of the Triangle in to the Masten District. The Vernon Triangle, being it's own realty tract, is finally starting to increase in value. Homes are selling in this neighborhood for over $100K. Why would the City want to set this neighborhood back? I sincerely believe that this little corner of the City is thriving because of the active Community Association and Block Club. There are now second generation families buy houses in the Vernon Triangle. I know from experience, when I challenged my assessment the last time, the City used houses from the Parkside and Central Park neighborhoods to strengthen their case, and I lost! Currently, there are no less than 8 people that have told me that they would be selling their long time homes if they were to be represented by the Masten District. My family has lived in the Vernon Triangle for about 35 years now and in that entire time we have been in the Delaware District. Members of my family have actually worked for the Delaware District! I urge you to change the district line to go right along Main Street. It just makes geographical sense. Thank You Eric and Jennifer Harvey D HE OF THE WHOLE From: Ben Johnson [pcadirector @gmail.com] Seat: Monday, May 23, 2011 125 PM To: Hamm, Bradley K. Subject: Reapportionment Brad, Attached is a letter that the PCA would like to submit as testimony to the Common Council regarding the proposed reapportionment. Let nee know if you have any questions about this, but I understand you'll be able to print out any submissions and deliver them before the 4:15 deadline. Thanks for your help with this, and call if you have any questions. Ben To the Honorable Members of 13ufalo's Common Council: The Parkside Community Association (PCA) is writing to express our grave concerns regarding plans to divide the Parkside neighborhood into two council districts, as indicated in the draft reapportionment map recently published. The PCA has represented the Parkside Neighborhood as the longest and most active neighborhood community advocacy non - profit in the City. since 196;, and leas always included the Vernon Triangle neighborhood within our boundaries. The mission of the 1 at that time was to fight the corrosive influence of redlining and block busting as we then, and still to.this day, ti�ork to preserve the eeonomic and racial diversity of this historic neighborhood. While the Vernon Triangle falls within a separate census tract, its natural borders from Main Street to Amherst have made it a natural and commonly reco� -nifed hart of our community. Furthermore, the PCA has a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the Vernon Trlangl(� Block club, as we share common interests, connections, and history. The PCA is able to advocate on beh.al f of the Triangle regarding crime and safety, housing, and traffic related concerns. while the Triangle allows Parkside to continue our mission of serving a wide range of income brackets, with a diversity of needs. Should the Triangle be removed from Delaware District and placed instead into the Masten District, the PCA would be less effective in our dealings with the Council and City Hall in all platters, as you would be adding; an additional and unnecessary level of coordination required between two districts. Furthermore, we feel that the concerns of the Triangle would not be as compatible with the concerns of the Masted District, The Triangle, just at the point of turning the corner due to the tireless efforts of its residents, with the support of the entire Parkside Community, would be thrust into a district with few allies, supporters, or connections. The PCA respectfully requests than that the Council reconsiders this proposal, and works to maintain the continuity of the Parkside Neighborhood. We've worked long and hard to develop and foster this partnership, and have enjoyed the success of seeing the introduction of new commercial and residential investment in this too often neglected neighborhood. Please do not, with the stroke; of a pen, undo what has taken so long to accomplish. Sincerely, Tien Johnson REFERRED TO THE COM MITT EE Executive Director OF THE WHOLE Jeannie Conley Baran 64 Vernon Place Buffalo, New York 14214 716-832-3683 To the Honorable Members of Buffalo's Common Council: My family and I have lived in the Vernon Triangle part of the Parkside neighborhood since 1975. We chose the Vernon Triangle because of the affordable housing; the eclectic mix of architecture and its unique history; close proximity to transportation, shopping, our church and the schools our children attended; the now - closed Fairfield Library; and the Triangle's diversity. My children grew up here and now my grandchildren are growing up here, Our neighborhood has always been a microcosm of the City of Buffalo. We have single moms on welfare living next door to professionals; we have teachers, artists, musicians, various trades, and a growing immigrant population. When we first moved here, it was a transitional neighborhood. As a community, we've worked hard and it is now stable with one of the oldest and most active block clubs in the city working closely with the Parkside Community Association, local police agencies, and government. Our relationships with our elected officials have been rewarding, and their response through the years gratifying. Our neighborhood has been successful because we are part of Parkside and the Delaware District. We have taken advantage of their resources and clout; and they have taken advantage of our demographics for funding purposes as we are part of census tract 40.01 which includes the Central Park Plaza and surrounding area, We never bought into the city's planners placing our neighborhood in the Leroy Planning Alliance area. Main Street is too big a barrier. We always attended the North Buffalo sessions because we are part of Parkside and the Delaware District. I am, therefore, writing in opposition to the reapportionment map published in Saturday's Buffalo News placing the Vernon Triangle in the Masten District. Because we are part of census tract 40.01, site planners and realtors have prejudged our neighborhood due to the demographics obtained from census scans. They don't look at the bigger picture and adjacent Parkside and Central Park Homeowners areas where property values are high. The property values are historically much lower in this census tract and as a realtor and owner of two properties on Vernon Place, I am concerned that our property values will decrease dramatically if we become part of the Masten District. The next time you are in the area, drive down Fillmore Avenue, observe the tattered banners hanging from the light poles; observe the blocks of empty lots due to demolition; observe the buildings waiting for demolition; check out Central Park Plaza and its empty storefronts, it's like a ghost town. Drive into the inner neighborhood and observe the dilapidated housing, the youth gangs, graffiti, and the lack of promise. Do my neighbors and 1 want to be part of that? Absolutely not. This is what we have worked against for almost thirty years, why would we want to start over? Obviously, the people who developed this map have no knowledge of neighborhoods or communities. They were looking for the easy way out by using the census tract boundaries. They were looking at numbers: total population and how many black, white, Hispanic, Asian, etc. They're not concerned about my neighborhood and community. Looking at that map, I see other neighborhoods split into more than one council district, some into three districts. This map defeats community. It defeats neighborhood. It defeats all of the work block clubs have accomplished through the years. More representation on the council does not guarantee better representation. It dilates representation. And most importantly, it does not guarantee funding for necessary programs, especially when you are competing with dire poverty as the Triangle would be in Masten. e2_ Perhaps you think I am prejudiced. Yes, I am. I am against ANY'T'HING that changes EVERYTHING I and my neighbors. have worked for over the years with just the stroke of the peas. And you, as our elected representatives by law are charged with representing us. So represent us. Save our neighborhoods. Preserve our communities. By preserving neighborhoods and communities, you will be preserving our city. Preserve our unique neighborhood, the Vernon Triangle. Allow it to remain in the Delaware District where our roots have been for so many decades. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely and respectfully, Jeanine Conley Baran REFERREDTO THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Honorable Common Council Members c/o Mr. Gerald Chwalinski, Clerk, City of Buffalo 1308 City Hall Buffalo, New York 14202 Re: City of Buffalo Couneilmarnic Redistricting Plan Dear honorable Common Council Members: On behalf of the Linwood Preservation District and Friends neighborhood association, l wish to thank you for the opportunity to express our concerns about council reapportionment and redistricting as you examine the proposal forwarded to you by the Citizens Advisory Commission on Reapportionment and make your decision. We commend the efforts of the Commission and note that, other than being placed in a council district that may not necessarily share our issues, goal, and objectives, the basic concerns of our association were heard. We are also concerned, however, about the proposal's impact on the rest of the city. At their public hearing Wednesday, May 18, the commission co- chairs explained that a primary objective in their consideration of reapportionment was to "solve a mathematical problem," that is, to equalize constituent numbers in each of the districts, plus -or -minus 1,500 persons. While that is certainly a rational approach, and perhaps mandated in drawing lines for federal redistricting, we feel it should not have been the prime criterion for determining citywide representation. Thus, we urge you to examine carefully the minority recommendation submitted by Commissioner Russell Deaver, In his dissent to the majority report, lie said the redrafting did not take into consideration the shared needs of like neighborhoods. Instead, arbitrary numeric boundaries were drawn that in some cases reflected political considerations rather than neighborhood cohesiveness. His proposal, we believe, is in many respects a marked improvement over the commission's majority recommendation. In addition, we are concerned about the narrow time constraints under which the reapportionment process has played out, and question whether it is indeed necessary to have districts drawn in time for the next council election this fall. Would it not be possible to proceed for this election cycle with the current boundaries, then implement redrawnn council districts well before the following election? That would seem to be a wise course of action. If, However, it is absolutely necessary that the lines be redrawn before the upcoming council election, then we suggest making the boundaries temporary until there can be an in-depth examination and additional conversation with tine citizenry about redistricting that would take into consideration neighborhood alliances and affinities, neighborhood planning communities, Green Code goals, and other neighborhood- affiliated factors. This is, after all, an extremely important decision that will affect our neighborhoods, our city, and citizens' voices for tine next ten years. We are also concerned about the seeming lack of community input thus far, and the majority recommendation, passed by a 5 -1 vote, with several of tine commissioners absent for the final vote, does not sound like a strong endorsement of what is coming before you. Once again, we value the efforts of the redistricting commission and thank them for their work. But we respectfully ask that you give careful consideration to the Weaver- Robinson report and our comments herein for creating a better plan for the next decade. We look forward to working with yon, along with other neighborhoods, to make the redistricting plan the best it can be. 4 E ;, N ��°� inncerelyyours WHOLE Cc: Mayor Byron Brown Ramona Pando Whitaker, President May 23, 2011 To: Gerald Chwalinski City Clerk Buffalo City Hall Re: Buffalo Reapportionment ® comments to Common Council Please submit these comments to the Common Council. Looking at the final Southern Boundaries Map being reviewed by the Common Council raises many questions. Naturally the one person one vote criteria is adhered to. However, the compact and contiguous criterion is not followed. Population trends need to be considered. Creating districts where all the census tracts have been Iosing population will result in an imbalance of representation in the coming years. Population trends are dynamic not static. 2. It's time for bold changes; not massaging of the status quo. What is the best way to divide the City into nine equally populated districts, thereby giving each citizen an opportunity to participate in a democratic (not the party) atmosphere? You need to give people an incentive to become more involved in City government. 3. The existing district names should be changed to numeric or direction (e.g. north, south, central, etc.). 4. The Niagara District should extend along Niagara Street from Niagara Square to Forest Avenue. Avoid splitting communities of common interest. Census tracts 71.01, 71.02, 72.02 belong in the Niagara District. 5. If a district continues with the name Masten, then the historic Masten Park should be in that district. Otherwise give the district a different name. b. Census tracts 40.01, 40.02, 52.01, 52.02 belong in the Delaware District, Central Park, Parkside, Hamlin Park, Canisius College, FLARE (includes central park plaza) should all be working together to address common interests and problems. 7. Reconfigure the four districts that now have the lowest populations. Ellicott could emanate from Niagara Square and its historically designated district downtown into the Elmwood neighborhood. Fillmore, Lovejoy, and Masten could begin near downtown and follow the radial street pattern formed by the Buffalo River, Seneca, Swan, Clinton, Eagle, William, Broadway, Sycamore, Walden to the eastern City line. 8. Use Scajaquada Creek as a natural southern boundary for the North District. The process started slowly since census data was not readily available. Process for the public has been more reactive than proactive. Now the process is being rushed to finish. Finishing seems more important than having a great product. It would be better to take time to do it right even if it means holding another election next year. The County reapportionment should have been done in cooperation with the City reapportionment rather than independently. Thank you. 1 have tried to keep my comments succinct. I certainly could add more. There needs to be debate about this process and its end product. I only ask that the Council do the "right thing" in this process. James E. Rozanski 92 West Winspear Avenue Buffalo, NY 14214 Copy: Councilmember Fontana 201105 23 comments to CC Buffalo Reapportion HOLE Mullr h ,anti From: fynegur174 @aol.com Sent: Monday, May 23, 20113:08 PM To: Murphy,l l Subject: NO TO REMOVAL OF SOUTH DISTRICT Good afternoon My name is Shirley Grigsby and I reside at 98.:Folger Street, Buffalo, NY 14220 and have for well over 20 years. I am opposes[ at the thought of changing my current district (South) to the Fillmore district. I believe this change will .have a negative impact on the neighbors that surround my home, as well as the resale value of my home. Most of my current neighbors take great pride in their home as well as our neighborhood and I myself lookdown on any added negativity to my district. Thank you Shirley J. Grigsby REFERRED gib., O IF H E q ITE OF THE WHOLE 1 h , sW From: jeddy5l roadrunner.com Sent: Monday, May 23, 2011 3:97 PM To: Murphy,Marti Subject: Buffalo Redistricting 1 would like to go on the record as opposing the redistricting of South Buffalo to the Fillmore District. I Have lived in the South Buffalo area off South Park my entire life (and that's a lore tune) and believe that we have a strong neighborhood that will be adversly effected by consolidating it to the outskirts of the Fillmore District. We have a good working relationship with the current Councilman Michael Kearns and Mould hate to loose a representative who also grew up in the neighborhood. 1 implore you, please reconsider this redistricting map. Thank you, Joanne Eddy 80 Good Avenue Buffalo, NY 14220 823 -8638 THE COMMITTEE }; HE WHOLE From Cindy Stift [carns41 i acl.eornj Sent. Monday, May 23, 2011 3.42 RM. T®: Murphy,rti Subject: Redisfidng I oppose the redistricting of South Buffalo to the Fillmore Area. I have lived here 25 years in my home and have taken pride in being a part of the South Buffalo Community. Thank .. Cindy Treasurer i Lilac Street Buffalo, NY 14220 716-867-1999 OLE To the Honorable Body of the City of Buffalo Common Council: I believe Mr Ball has out before you a succinct and sensible request. I further support Mr Matthew Ricehiazzi's admonition to the council to look to a holistic neighborhood approach to drawing new district lines. And while we don't dare spew the truth about how we have come to draw district lines, we all know the political reality of such an endeavor. Please, please, do not fall. into the hopeless pit of gerrymandering for the sake of a few white votes here and a few black votes there, Dig deep and grasp your integrity and make the decision to do the right thing by your beloved City! And please return my neighborhood to Ellicott District, for otherwise my portion of the poorly drawn Fillmore District may just might become an abyss over the next ten years. And I defy any one of you to make sense of Fillmore being drawn so far west of Ellicott St, let alone Fillmore St, and so far north in such an obscure and isolated position! Respectfully, Tom Gleed 716 -510 -5507 _....:' 3 THE COMMMEE "'fHE WHOLE f:. Adjournment On a motion by Councilmember Fontana, Seconded by , the Council adjourned at GERALD A. CHWALINSKI CITY CLERK