HomeMy WebLinkAboutA006 - Letter to Council dated June 26, 1991 N
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` ANIES
' i 1 ' CITY OF AMES , I OWA 50010
June 26, 1991
The Honorable Larry R. Curtis, Mayor,
and Members of the City Council
of the City of Ames, Iowa
Re: Reprecincting
Dear Mayor Curtis and Council Members:
With this is a map showing a proposed reprecincting. It was concluded through
the efforts of Eden Schmitt, Nancy Dionigi , and myself.
We decided to use five precincts per ward, rather than six, because equalizing
six was too difficult, if not impossible, given the constraints of the new law.
The new law requires use of undivided census blocks grouped to form a precinct.
In some places, extremely irregular census blocks are an impediment to equaliza-
tion of precincts.
Section 49.5(1) , The Code, requires that precincts be made reasonably equal .
The equalization standard we used is that precincts should not be 5% greater or
smaller than an "ideal" size determined by dividing the total population by the
total number of precincts. Using 20 precincts, the "ideal" precinct size is
2,370, with a 5% deviation window between a high of 2,489 and a low of 2,251.
Those parameters are not statutory absolutes. Voter convenience determined on
the basis of present and projected population concentrations will justify pre-
cinct populations that are slightly outside the ideal equalization parameters.
Another constraint is the legislative district boundary that runs east/west
through the city. A city precinct boundary cannot be drawn across the legisla-
tive district line.
What follows are the proposed precinct populations, with an explanation for
those that are slightly larger or smaller than the ideal equalization parame-
ters.
AMES - THE CENTER OF IT ALL
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Precinct Population Comment
1-1 2,337
1-2 2,416
1-3 2,463
1-4 2,383
1-5 2,438
1st Ward Total 12,037
2-1 2,469
2-2 2,348
2-3 2,416
2-4 2,207 Blocunington Heights Growth Area
2-5 2,054 Northridge Growth Area
2nd Ward Total 11,494
3-1 2,465
3-2 2,442
3-3 2,419
3-4 2,515 Irregular Census Block, Convenience
3-5 2,502 Dorms - Population Decline Expected
3rd Ward Total 12,343
4-1 2,473
4-2 2, 134 Spring Valley/nTyndcm Heights Growth Area
4-3 2,376
4-4 2,276
4-5 2, 191 Isolated Population Block, Convenience
4th Ward Total 11,450
Your review and comment prior to preparation of an ordinance is desired.
The law requires the reprecincting to be completed before November 15th, which
is a week after the fall election. Some elected officials have indicated a
desire to have the new precincts enacted before the election if possible.
Yours truly,
John R. Kl aus— -_
City Attorney
JRK:gmw
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cc: Alvina McHone