Redistricting May Disrupt Neighborhood Council Unity

A neighborhood council committee is recommending that redistricting proposed by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission be altered to maintain continuity between local councils.

The recommendation specifically concerns the draft California Assembly map. The draft in its current form disrupts the Westside neighborhood council system, members of the Governmental Affairs and City Services Committee of the Neighborhood Council of Westchester/Playa said Wednesday night at a meeting.

The concerns specifically surround Marina del Rey, Playa Vista, Mar Vista and Venice. None of the communities fall into the same Assembly district as Playa del Rey and Westchester under the draft. 

"Those areas are definitely very similar to us," said committee member and Playa del Rey resident Craig Eggers. 

The committee also studied the drafts maps of the congressional and California Senate districts. On the congressional map, the chief concern was over an unincorporated area near Inglewood that was included in the district, said committee chair Ashley Diestel. 

The proposed state Senate district drew no criticism, although committee members commented on its size, stretching from West Hollywood to Rolling Hills. 

The 14-member California Citizens Redistricting Commission released draft plans earlier this month for new congressional and state districts for the entire state.

The plans show new proposed boundaries for California's 53 congressional districts, 40 state Senate Districts and 80 state Assembly Districts, as well as districts for the state Board of Equalization, which handles taxation issues.

The boundaries are in the draft state now and the public's input is being gathered. The final districts will be decided in August.

Unity is expected to be the overriding concern moving forward, committee members said.

Diestel said that in the special primary election for the 36th Congressional District, she found she was ineligible to vote by one street.

Her Playa del Rey neighbor across the street, meanwhile, was able to vote, said Diestel.

She worries that similar disconnects could result from the new maps. 

"[We do not] have as much power as say, Culver City, which has its own government," Diestel said. "[Under the draft maps], it will take twice as many people to get things done."

She also said the newly formed districts could clash against one another, which would be detrimental to community members. 

"This is one of the most important things that is going to happen," said Carl Davis, Westchester resident and member of the neighborhood council. "It's going to decide things for the next 10 years."

The committee also plans to propose districting based on ZIP codes, and request more detail in the maps online.

It remains unknown how many drafts will be brought forth by the Citizens Redistricting Commission and how much public input will be accepted. 

Diestel acknowledged that it would have been difficult to fully succeed on the first draft. 

"[These are] little wants and concerns," Diestel said. "How will they [the Redistricting Commission] know they are doing a good job or not if no one speaks up?"

Commission members, however, said they have received very little local input on the topic. Only six people showed up for Wednesday's meeting to review the proposed redrawn lines.

No vote took place but a report will be presented at the next full board meeting of the neighborhood council in July. Committee members also aim to collaborate with cities in West L.A. on a joint letter to the commission.