Despite contention and a failed vote Monday night at Jefferson City Hall, the city has a new ward map.
The map was approved 7-3. Ward 4 Councilmen Ron Fitzwater and Derrick Spicer, along with Ward 3 Councilman Scott Spencer, voted against it.
The city needs to redraw the ward lines because the 2020 census showed population changes had created too much discrepancy between the wards. Ward 4, the largest, has a population of 8,813 while Ward 1, the smallest, has a population of 7,386. The ideal ward population is 7,992.
The map ultimately approved was a substitute that had not been previously discussed.
Under the original map, two sections in the southern part of Ward 4 would have been moved to Ward 5 while one section of Ward 5 moved into Ward 1 and another into Ward 2.
The approved substitution map - which council approved - will move an area at the southern most tip of Ward 4 reaching from the city limits to Route C. It also moves a section of Ward 5, from Locust Street to Bald Hill Road, into Ward 1 with a boarder along East Atchison Street.
Those two sections were in both maps.
The substitute also took an area from the northern section of Ward 4 - which was considered in other maps - into Ward 2. The area is south of U.S. 50, from Dix Road to Missouri 179.
Council members previously discussed moving the section into Ward 2, but were concerned about it because the area is essentially a long strip of land, which becomes narrow at one point. While it follows census block lines, council members questioned whether it looks too much like a gerrymandered area.
The new map introduced a new area of the city for discussion in the northern corner of Ward 3. The section, east of Hayselton Drive, will move into Ward 2.
Debate
The substitute was released Friday afternoon along with a revised meeting agenda.
There was a different version of the substitute released Thursday evening with the original agenda, but that was a staff error corrected Friday.
Fitzwater said that was one of his concerns about the substitution, because it didn't leave very much time to talk with constituents and really consider the new map.
"I don't know, maybe nine other people were notified, but I didn't get a notification until I saw it on the iPad, that there was significant changes," Fitzwater said. " There's been no public input on this (substitution); no Council input until tonight, and we're setting here under the assumption that we're going to approve this. I just don't know why we're doing business that way. Why weren't we notified until we get a document that there are significant changes made?"
Ward 2 Councilwoman Laura Ward said she had discussed the substitution with other council members and brought up the idea when the council first considered four maps at the end of September.
The council took a straw poll Sept. 20 on the four maps with the first - that became the proposed map - garnering the most support and the second map receiving the second most.
Ward said the substitute addresses the main issue with the second map.
By moving the section in the northern part of Ward 4 into Ward 3 instead of Ward 2, the extended section makes more sense and blends into the existing boarder easier, she said.
Spencer and Fitzwater said they don't see why the substitution couldn't have been brought forward earlier in the process when council could have considered it more and the public could have weighed in.
Spicer said it felt like there's been a lack of proper communication about the redistricting process.
"Communication on this whole thing has not been real great," he said. "It just seems like we're trying to push this forward with the amendment. It just doesn't seem right now we're trying to push this forward without more communication because these affect our wards too."
Ward 2 Councilman Mike Lester said his concern with the substitution is it doesn't leave room for the growth anticipated in Ward 4 during the next decade. He suggested it should include both previously discussed southern sections of Ward 4 going into Ward 5.
Ward 5 Councilman Jon Hensley said the substitute seemed to be a good compromise between the two originally proposed maps.
However, Spencer said he'd heard from constituents who don't want moved into Ward 2.
The council took a vote on the original map, which failed 6-4. Lester, Spencer, Spicer and Fitzwater voted in favor of it
However, it was brought back up later in the meeting for a vote of reconsideration, which passed 7-3 with Fitzwater, Spencer and Spicer voting against it.
Spencer called it a failure in the process, which lacks credibility.
"Just for the record, I think this is a complete and utter failure of the whole process," he said. "It just gives credence to the community that we really have a lack of credibility and understanding of processes and how we follow through with them."
The trio voted against accepting the substitution and accepting the substituted bill.
Other business
Council members approved:
- Authorize the renewal of the Jefferson City Regional Economic Partnership for Economic Development Services for $185,000.
- Accept a $32,072 Hazardous Moving Violations from the Missouri Department of Transportation; it will go toward overtime, training and radar units. This is the 17th year the city has received the grant.
- Accept a $25,000 Driving While Intoxicated Grant from MoDOT; it will go toward overtime. This is the 14th year the city has received the grant.
- Authorize the use of the right-of-way at 907 Wildwood Drive for the installation of two aluminum signs for the business there; the Missouri State Employees' Retirement System.
- Award a bid for manhole frames, covers and risers from Neenah Foundry of Neenah, Wisconsin, for $30,750 and Core & Main, of Columbia, for $6,122.
- Authorize the purchase of a snow plow truck from Henderson Products, Inc., of Huntley, Illinois.
- Authorize a $149,870 construction contract with Aplex to replace the sewer line on the East Capitol.
- Authorize a $492,815 construction contract with Aplex to rework the storm-water culvert in the 600 block of Norris Drive. City staff is requesting a suspension of the rules for council to vote on the bill Monday.
- Authorize a $110,304 cemetery maintenance agreement for Longview Cemetery, Old City Cemetery and Woodland Cemetery with A.J. Lawn Care.