Public Hearing on Proposed Voting District Maps Set for Jan. 21

The community is invited to provide feedback during a public hearing on January 21, 2022, at the joint Desert Community College District Board of Trustees and Citizens’ Advisory Committee Board meeting on draft maps for the College of the Desert Board of Trustees elections and representation, part of the redistricting process that takes place every 10 years.

Election boundaries are redrawn based on population changes reflected in the U.S. Census. The maps define the voting districts for the Trustees and ensure roughly equal numbers of people in each area.

“Redistricting is an extremely important process to ensure fair representation for all residents served by the College of the Desert Trustees, which is why public participation is so critical,” said Board Chair Rubén AríAztlán Pérez. “We look forward to hearing from our stakeholders.”

The public hearing will be held during the Board meeting, starting at 9:30 a.m. via teleconference and in-person at College of the Desert, 43-500 Monterey Ave., Palm Desert, in Building C – Boardroom. Meetings are live-streamed on the College of the Desert YouTube channel.

A Citizens’ Advisory Committee will consider comments and input provided by the community on January 28, 2022. The Committee will meet again on February 2, 2022, to finalize their recommendations for the Board of Trustees to consider. Both meetings will be conducted virtually; log-in details will be posted ondccdredistricting.org.

The five-member Citizens’ Advisory Committee has worked with a demographer, District staff, and legal counsel to develop the maps. Each member of the Board of Trustees appoints a representative to the Committee. The Citizens’ Advisory Committee members help identify potential concerns, review and provide feedback on proposed District maps, and select the final map recommendations to be presented to the Board of Trustees.

“Development of new district maps is one of the ways we ask the public to be involved in driving the future of College of the Desert,” said Superintendent/President Martha Garcia, Ed.D. “Our community plays a vital role in decisions regarding the region’s largest institution of higher education.”

The Board plans to adopt a resolution approving the final map on February 17, 2022. Any boundary adjustments would be effective starting with the November 8, 2022, District election and would be used until the next Census.

To review current and proposed boundaries and for more information about redistricting, visit dccdredistricting.org. Questions about the process may be emailed to Jessica Enders atredistricting@collegeofthedesert.edu.

 

Image Sources

  • College of the Desert: College of the Desert