Mar 23, 2022 City Commission Redistricting Public Input Workshop

[1. Call to Order]

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TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. A REDISTRICTING WORKSHOP, MARCH 23, 2022. THE CITY OF FORT PIERCE WORKSHOP. PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF

ALLEGIANCE. >> I PLEDGE ALLY BEGAN TO THE FLAG OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

TO THE REPUBLIC FOR AT WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD

[a. Presentation - Kurt Spitzer of Kurt Spitzer and Associates]

>> THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA AND THE ONLY ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE PRESENTATION BY KURT SPITZER OF KURT SPITZER AND

ASSOCIATES. >> MAYOR HUDSON: MISS COX,

WOULD YOU LIKE TO START US OFF. >> THE CITY ENTER FLOOD AN AGREEMENT WITH MR. KURT SPITZER TO HELP WITH US OUR REDISTRICTING PROCESS. THE STAFF POINTED OUT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO WAS A PROFESSIONAL.

KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE DOING.

UNDER STOOD THE CENSUS DATA AND WAS ABLE TO DO A GOOD EVALUATION OF THE EXISTING BOUNDARIES AND WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO COMPLY WITH THE LATE LAW THAT REQUIRES THE REDISTRICTING AND ALSO TO MAKE SURE WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING THE WAY WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO. SO WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH MR. SPITZER AS HE WAS DEVELOPING THESE MAPS MAKING SURE HE HAD ALL THE INFORMATION THAT HE HAD REQUESTED.

TODAY, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SIMPLY INTRODUCE TO YOU MR. SPITZER AND ALLOW HIM TO TAKE OVER THIS PRESENTATION.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: WELCOME, MR. SPITZER.

>> KURT SPITZER: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS. I HOPE THE AUDIO IS WORKING WELL HERE. LET ME SHARE MY SCREEN WITH YOU NOW. SO I HOPE THAT YOU ARE SEEING A POWER. POINT.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: YES. >> KURT SPITZER: GOOD.

OKAY, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY SELF.

I AM GETTING SOME FEEDBACK. A LITTLE DISCONCERNING.

I WILL TURN THE VOLUME DOWN A LITTLE BIT.

KURT SPITZER AND ASSOCIATES HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1989.

WE ARE A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONSULTING FIRM.

PRIOR TO THAT TIME, I WAS WITH THE FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES FOR TEN YEARS. AND IN TERMS OF REDISTRICTING, WE WORKED WITH 25 OR 30 LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS IN HELPING TO ADJUST THEIR BOUNDARIES IN LEGALLY SUFFICIENT WAY AFTER A CENSUS HAS OCCURRED.

THEY RAISED IN SIZE FROM THE CITY OF QUINCY WHICH IS NORTH OF ME AND TALLAHASSEE OF ABOUT 7500 PEOPLE TO PINELLAS COUNTY WHICH WAS JUST UNDER A MILLION PEOPLE.

AND SO TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS AND SOME OF THE CRITERIA THAT WE USED COMMON CRITERIA AND WE CAN JUMP OFF ON SOME OF THE PLANS THAT WE HAVE PREPARED FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

THEY ARE JUST DRAFT PLANS. AND CERTAINLY SUBJECT TO REVIEW AND REVISION SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO DO SO.

REDISTRICTING IS THE PROCESS OF THE LEGISLATIVE BODY OF THE DISTRICT BY MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO THE DISTRICT'S BOUNDARIES.

IT IS NOT REAPPORTIONMENT. THE REAPPORTIONMENT IS WHEN CONGRESS BASED ON STATE POPULATION REALLOCATES THE NUMBER OF CONGRESSIONAL SEATS TO EACH STATE AFTER EACH DISESSENTIAL Y'ALL CENSUS. -- DISENICAL.

FLORIDA PICKED UP ONE SEAT AND NEW YORK LOST ONE SEAT.

THAT IS REAPPORTIONMENT. IN TERMS OF THE LEGISLATIVE BODY WHICH IN THIS CASE RIVERS TO THE CITY COMMISSION AND IN THE CASE OF THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY COMMISSION OR THE SCHOOL BOARD OR BODY OF A SPECIAL DISTRICT.

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AVOID PLANS THAT DILUTE PRIORITY VOTING STRENGTH.

WE USE CENSUS BLOCKS AS A BASIC BUILDING BLOCK OF THE PROCESS AND WE WILL TALK ABOUT ALL THESE DIFFERENT CRITERIA.

THEY MUST BE CONTIGUOUS. THEY MUST BE COMPACT.

THEY TRY TO RESERVE INTEREST. AND WE MAY FOLLOW THE BOUNDARIES OF REDISTRICTING. AND WE TALK ABOUT THOSE IN GREATER DETAIL. USUALLY ABSOLUTE POPULATION EQUALITY IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ATTAIN ALTHOUGH WE COME VERY CLOSE IN SOME OF THE DRAFT ALTERNATIVE PLANS THAT WE PREPARED FOR YOUR CONSID CONSIDERATION.

BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE TRY TO MINIMIZE THE DEVIATION FROM THE IDEA SIZE, THE AVERAGE SIZE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

GENERALLY SPEAKING, IF DISTRICTS ARE 3% OVER AND UNDER THE AVERAGE SIZE, THAT IS -- THAT IS A GOOD GOAL TO TRY ATTAIN. WHEN WE SPEAK OF POPULATION, THAT MEANS THE TOTAL POPULATION WITHIN THE JURISDICTION AS COUNTED BY THE BUREAU OF THE CENSUS.

IT DID NOT MEAN REGISTERED VOTERS.

IF THERE IS A SITUATION WHERE THERE ARE TWO DISTRICTS WITH DIFFERENCES IN POPULATION OF GREATER THAN 10% DAMAGE POINTS, IT SORT OF RAISES A RED FLAG IN THE COURT.

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT. THIS DATA WAS FROM JEFFERSON COUNTY A FEW YEARS AGO. JUST EAST OF TALLAHASSEE AND LEON COUNTY, FLORIDA. HERE THE LARGEST DISTRICT WAS ABOUT FIVE AND A HALF PERCENT OVER.

AND THE SMALLEST DISTRICT WAS ABOUT 7.4% UNDER RESULTING IN A DEVIATION OF ALMOST 13 POINTS. SO THAT'S -- WITH THAT SAID TO THE COUNTY COMMISSION, THAT YOU REALLY SHOULD EQUALIZE THESE POPULATIONS BY MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO THE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES. SECONDLY, WE TRY TO AVOID PLANS THAT DILUTE MINORITY VOTING STRENGTH.

TWO WAYS GENERALLY SPEAKING THAT PLANS MIGHT DO THAT.

ONE IS PACKING. THE OTHER IS CRACKING.

PACK SOMETHING WHEN MOST OF THE MINORITY POPULATION IS LOCATED INTO ONE DISTRICT SO AS TO DILUTE INFLUENCE IN OTHER DISTRICTS. OR CRACKING IS SORT OF THE OP SIFT PACK SOMETHING SPLITTING THE MINORITY POPULATION INTO TWO OR MORE DISTRICTS SO AS TO DILUTE INFLUENCE IN ALL DISTRICTS. CENSUS BLOCKS.

IN DATA IS READILY AVAILABLE. IT IS THE SMALLEST UNIT OF INFORMATION THAT COMES TO DOWN FROM THE BUREAU OF THE CENSUS, ENTAILS EVERYTHING THAT WE WILL NEED TO USE IN THE REDI REDISTRICTING PROCESS. IMPORTANTLY, THE DATA IS PRESUMED TO BE CORRECT. NOW YOU MAY ALTER OR SUPPLEMENT THIS DAY WITH OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION, BUT THERE NEEDS BE TOO VALID REASON WHY YOU ARE DOING THIS AND YOU NEED TO IN A GREAT PUBLIC FASHION EXPLAIN WHY AND HOW YOU ARE DOING THIS.

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EASIER TO UNDERSTAND FOR VO VOTERS.

LESS DESTRUCTIVE FOR VOTER PRECINCT.

LESS VOICE FOR THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS AND MAJOR FEATURES SUCH AS ROADS AND WATER BODIES ARE USUALLY PRO TERMINUS WITH CENSUS BLOCK BOUNDARIES. INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS MUST BE CONTIGUOUS OR YOU MUST JUMP OVER A WATER BODY TO MAINTAIN CONTINUITY. WE TRY TO KEEP NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOAS TOGETHER, IF POSSIBLE. WE AVOID DISTRICTS WITH SO-CALLED BIZARRE SHAKES. WE ALL HEARD OF THE TERM "GERRYMANDERING." THAT IS ITS ORDER THERE.

THE GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS SAID, WELL, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A SALAMANDER. AND SAID NOT A SALAMANDER BUT THE GERRYMANDER AND THAT THE ORIGIN.

A MOST MODERN EXAMPLE OF THIS GERRYMANDER WAS A CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IN NORTH CAROLINA IN THE 1990S, I BELIEVE.

AND THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN YOU TAKE AWAY THE REST OF THE INFORMATION. AND THIS ALSO WAS RULED ILLEGAL BY THE SUPREME COURT. AND THE CHARTER.

THE CITY CHARTER HAS TWO ELECTION DISTRICTS AND REQUIRES THAT THEY BE ADJUSTED AND REPORTS WITH POPULATION CHANGES AS REPORTED BY THE CENSUS BREAU SO THAT THE POPULATION OF TWO DISTRICTS REMAINS -- TERMINOLOGY IS "PROPOSAL EQ EQUAL." SO THESE ARE THE GENERAL CRITERIA THAT WE USED IN THE PROCESS.

IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANY REDISTRICTING PLAN TO ATTAIN 100% COMPLIANCE WITH ALL OF THE CRITERIA.

I HAVE NEVER SEEN A PLAN THAT DOES THAT.

AND SO WHAT YOU DO IS, YOU BALANCE THE INDIVIDUAL CRITERIA IN CONCERT WITH EACH OTHER RECOGNIZING THAT POPULATION IS THE DOMINANT CRITERIA OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY PROVIDED THAT WE SHOULD PREPARE THREE PLANS.

ONE IS A PLAN USING THE EXISTING DISTRICT BOUNDARIES IF THE 2020 CENSUS DATA. AND TWO, ALTERNATIVE PLANS.

THE FIRST PLAN IS, YOU KNOW, THE STARTING POINT IN THE PROCESS. AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THE DATA WOULD HAVE SHOWN THAT THERE WAS NOT A NEED TO REDISTRICT THE CITY. BUT, IN FACT, IT SHOWS THAT YOU DID. AND SO THE -- THE DEVIATION BETWEEN THE SUCHLT DEVIATIONS BETWEEN THE LARGEST AND SMALLEST DISTRICT IS ABOUT 12 AND A HALF POINTS.

AND THAT IS EASILY GREATER THAN THE GENERAL THRESHOLD OF 10 POINTS. SO THAT IS WHAT WE NEED TO ADJUST BOUNDARIES. DISTRICT TWO IS A LITTLE BIT OVER AND DISTRICT 1 WAS SOMEWHAT UNDER.

SO IF WE CAME UP ABOUT 12 AND A HALF POINTS OF A SPREAD.

BUT LET ME -- SINCE WE ARE LOOKING AT THIS TABLE, LET ME TALK OF THIS TABLE NOW AND EXPLAIN WHAT THE DIFFERENT COLUMNS ARE. THE IDEA POPULATION IS SIMPLY THE 2020 CENSUS PROVIDED PIT EARLY CENSUS DIVIDED BY THE

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THE ACTUAL POPULATION IS THE ACTUAL POPULATION OF EACH OF THE DISTRICTS. DEVIATIONS FROM TERMS OF POPULATION AND PERCENT, AND THEN YOU HAVE THREE GROUPS OF TWO COLUMNS EACH CONCERNING RACE.

WHITE AND BLACK ARE THE -- IS THE DATA THAT WAS REPORTED TO THE BUREAU OF THE CENSUS BY PERSONS WHO SAID I AM A SINGLE RACE WHITE PERSON OR A SINGLE RACE BLACK OR AFRICAN-AMERICAN PERSON. THERE ARE A TOTAL OF AT LEAST 15 CATEGORIES OF RACE THAT PEOPLE COULD CHOOSE IN THE 2020 CENSUS. IN ADDITION TO BLACK OR WHITE AMERICAN INDIAN, ASIAN- ASIAN-AMERICAN.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, PEOPLE ALSO SAY, WELL, I AM OF A BACK GROUND OF TWO, THREE OR MORE RACES.

AND SO IN THE OTHER CATEGORY, THE OTHER CATEGORY IS COMPOSED OF PERSONS WHO SAID I AM EITHER A SINGLE RACE PERSON SUCH AS AMERICAN INDIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDER OR I AM OF TWO OR MORE RACIAL BACKGROUNDS. I AM NOT A SINGLE RACE BLACK OR A SINGLE RACE WHITE PERSON FUN AND ADD A POPULATION OF OTHER BLACK AND WHITE, YOU GET THE TOTAL POPULATION ARE EITHER FOR ONE OF THE DISTRICTS OR FOR THE TOTAL OF THE CITY OF FORT PIERCE. HISPANIC IS NOT A RACE.

HISPANIC IS AN ETHNICITY. AND I MIGHT SAY THAT I AM A WHITE PERSON WITH A HISPANIC ETHNIC BACKGROUND OR A -- SOME OTHER RACIAL BACK GROUND WITH HISPANIC INFLUENCE.

SO IF YOU WERE TO ADD WHITE, BLACK, OTHER AND HISPANIC, YOU WOULD COME UP WITH MORE THAN THE TOTAL P.O.W. POPULATION OF THE CITY. SO HISPANIC IS AN ETHNICITY.

NOT A RACE. BUT NONETHELESS, ON THE -- THE SPREAD BETWEEN THE LARGEST AND THE SMALLEST OF 12 AND A HALF POINTS THAT YOU NEED TO ADJUST YOUR DISTRICT BOUNDARIES TO GET THOSE DEVIATIONS DOWN CLOSER TO ZERO.

SO THIS IS THE MAP OF THE CURRENT DISTRICTS.

ALL OF THE MAPS HAVE -- ARE SIMILAR IN THAT THE SYMPOLOGY IS THE SAME. WHERE THE EXISTING DISTRICTS ARE, THE DIFFERENT COLOR SCHEMES ARE USED IN THE MAPS.

WHERE IT IS CHANGED, YOU WILL ABLE TO SEE WHERE THE OLD DISTRICT WAS AND WHERE A PROPOSED NEW DISTRICT MIGHT BE.

SO FOR THE FIRST ALTERNATIVE. ALTERNATIVE ONE, YOU CAN SEE THE OPPOSED CHANGE TO THE BOUNDARIES THAT EXIST HERE.

THIS BASICALLY CONTINUES THIS EXISTING BOUNDARY ON VIRGINIA AND CONTINUES IT GOING EAST UNTIL SOUTH 13TH STREET.

THEN IT GOES NORTH TO GEORGIA AVENUE, WHICH IS NEAR WHERE AN EXIST PWREEING IS NOW AND CONTINUES EAST TO U.S. 1.

THIS IS THE ONE CHANGE IN ALTERNATIVE ONE.

IN THIS CASE, IT DROPS THE DEVIATIONS DOWN TO SLIGHTLY OVER 100 PERSONS OVER AND UNDER THE AVERAGE SIZE AND THEY SPREAD BETWEEN THE LARGEST AND THE SMALLEST OF LESS THAN ONE PERCENTAGE POINT. THE SECOND ALTERNATIVE

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BUT HERE THE DEVIATION IS A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN THE ALTERNATIVE ONE ALTHOUGH THEY BOTH ARE VERY, VERY GOOD.

BUT IN THIS CASE, THE SPREAD BETWEEN THE LARGEST AND THE SMALLEST IS .6 PERCENTAGE POINTS.

THIS IS A TABLE OF STATISTICS PREPARING THESE TABLES ON THE MAPS. HERE ARE THE CURRENT DISTRICTS -- CURRENT DISTRICTS AROUND 12.5 POINT OF A SPREAD.

ALTERNATIVE 1 WITH .8 OR 9 POINT AND ALTERNATIVE TWO WITH A SPREAD OF .6. SO I AM HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW. I CAN -- I CAN ANSWER THEM RIGHT NOW, MADAM MAYOR. I CAN ANSWER THEM IN CONJUNCTION WITH JUMPING OFF ONTO THE SOFTWARE THAT WE HAVE THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO EXPLAIN ANSWERS FOR

YOU. >> MAYOR HUDSON: SO I AM GOING TO ASK THE COMMISSIONERS IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW.

I HAVE ONE QUESTION. I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER.

I JUST WANT A COLLAR ANY OCCASION.

POPULATIONS EQUAL ALL PERSONS THAT WERE COUNTED, NO MATTER

THE AGE? >> IT DOES IN THIS CASE NO MATTER THEIR AGE. IT IS POSSIBLE TO KEY OUT PEOPLE WHO ARE OF VOTING AGES. WE DID NOT DO THAT IN THIS CASE BUT IT IS POSSIBLE TO FIND T THAT.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: BUT THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS IS BASED

ON POPULATION. >> BASED ON POPULATION, COR

CORRECT. >> MAYOR HUDSON: I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF MR.

SPITZER. >> COMMISSIONER GAINES: I HAVE

ONE. >> MAYOR HUDSON: COMMISSIONER

GAINES. >> THERE ARE QUESTIONS WHY DON'T WE USE REGISTERED VOTERS. AND THE COURT HAS CONSISTENTLY SAID THAT ITS POPULATION, NOT REGISTERED VOTERS.

NOW I DON'T THINK THIS IS RELEVANT TO FORT PIERCE BUT CASES WHERE THE JURISDICTION HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO NOT COUNT PEOPLE IN STATE OR FEDERAL PRISON.

AND THE -- THE LOGIC THERE IS NOT ONLY ARE THEY NOT ABLE TO VOTE, BUT THE -- TYPICALLY THIS IS IN A COUNTY, UNINCORPORATED AREA. BUT THE COUNTY DID NOT PROVIDE ANY SERVICES TO THOSE PERSONS. ALL OF THE SERVICES THAT THEY RECEIVED ARE PROVIDED BY THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS OR IN THE CASE OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA, THE DEPARTMENT OF

CORRECTIONS. >> MAYOR HUDSON: COMMISSIONER

GAINES, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? >> COMMISSIONER GAINES: I HAVE ONE QUESTION, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR.

MR. SPITZER, CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO THE COMMISSION AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC HERE WHY WE ONLY LOOKED AT CITY LIMIT AND WHY WE COULDN'T GO OUTSIDE OF CITY LIMITS TO -- TO MAKE THE

BOUNDARY CHANGES PER THE LAW? >> WELL, WELL, WE HAD A QUESTION LIKE THAT IN -- AND SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THE CITY HAD THIS ONE PARTICULAR I CAN'T THAT THEY SEEMED TO BE VERY CONFIDENT THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO ANNEX THAT AREA. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE ADVICE GIVEN TO THE COMMISSION WAS -- YOU ARE NOT YET THE

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AND UNTIL THEY ARE ACTUALLY PART OF THE CITY, IN THIS CASE, IT WOULD BE THE CITY OF FORT PIERCE, THOSE PERSONS ARE NOT RESIDENTS OF THE CITY AND IT WILL DISTORT THE VALUE OF THE -- OF THE POPULATION OF A PARTICULAR DISTRICT IF YOU WERE TO ANNEX -- IF YOU WERE TO INCLUDE A POPULATION OF AN AREA THAT IS NOT YET PART OF THE CITY LIMITS.

>> COMMISSIONER GAINES: THANK YOU, SIR.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: COMMISSIONER C. JOHNSON.

>> COMMISSIONER CURTIS JOHNSON: CAN YOU GO BACK TO THAT SUMMARY SLIDE. YOU WERE SHOWING TWO DISTRICTS AT THAT POINT. AND -- ARE WE ABLE TO GO BACK TO THAT? THE SUMMARY SLIDE THAT HAD THE

-- >> HE IS CONTROLLING IT.

>> COMMISSIONER CURTIS JOHNSON: OH, OKAY.

>> ARE WE HERE YET? >> IT WAS YOUR POWERPOINT SLIDE THAT SHOWED THE THREE DIFFERENT.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: JUST HAD THE STATISTICS ON IT.

>> COMMISSIONER CURTIS JOHNSON: JUST STATISTICS

>> OF THE EXISTING ALTERNATE 1 AND ALTERNATE 2.

>> SO JUST TO BE CLEAR TOWARD CLEAR UP A FEW THING HERE.

THANK YOU FOR WALKING US THROUGH THIS AND THE PUBLIC TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT.

YOU KNOW, WE STILL -- THE ALTERNATIVE BEFORE US STILL MAINTAINS TWO DISTINCT VOTING DISTRICTS, DISTRICT 1 AND DISTRICT 2. THAT IS IN ENTIRETY AND REALLY NO NEED TO GET FURTHER THAN THAT BECAUSE IT ALWAYS REMAINS AND PART OF OUR CHAPTER AND WILL TAKE LITERALLY AN ACT OF CONGRESS TO UN DO THAT. SO THAT SOLIDIFIED IN PERPETUITY. AS I LOOKED AT THESE TWO ALTERNATIVES. AND I BEGIN TO LOOK AT THE PERCENT OF POPULATIONS AS YOU PROPOSE THESE HERE, THERE IS A SLIGHT TICK HERE OR THERE OF THE POPULATION BREAKDOWNS.

RIGHT. SO IT'S -- I AM LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVE NUMBER 1. IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR GRAPH, THAT GETS US WITHIN 104 TOTAL POPULATION DEVIATION.

AND IT STILL LOOKS AS THOUGH THE MAJORITY THERE IS 13,911.

POPULATION WILL BE CONSIDERED BACK THERE AND 58.43%.

SO THAT IS A DIFFERENCE SLIGHTLY OF THAT -- SO THAT NUMBER IS LESS AND A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT NUMBER AND WE LOOK AT THE ACTUAL PERCENTAGES AND THE VALUES ARE PRETTY OF THE SAME THERE. AND THIS ALTERNATIVE ONE WAS LOOKING AT AN ADDITION JUST TO THE EAST.

AND THAT WAS GOING OFF THE BOUNDARY OF VIRGINIA AVENUE TO

13TH STREET, IS THAT CORRECT? >> YES, THIS IS TO THE AREA HERE. GENERALLY SPEAKING, THIS -- THIS AREA THE CITIWHERE MY CURSOR IS GOING AROUND IS AN AREA WHERE IT IS MORE DENSELY -- I WOULD SAY GENERALLY SPEAKING, MORE DENSELY POP POPULATED.

AND HERE, WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE THIS EXISTING BOUNDARY AND ABLE TO CONTINUE GRAPHICALLY AND GO A LITTLE BETTER. IT WAS, YOU KNOW, THE -- THE REDISTRICTING NERDS LIKE BOUNDARIES WITH STRAIGHT LINES AND SQUARE, YOU KNOW, CORNERS HERE AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS, AND IT MOVED ABOUT 15 -- 1500 OR SO PERSONS FROM DISTRICT 2. INTO DISTRICT 1.

AND THAT'S HOW WE REDUCE THESE DEVIATIONS DOWN TO WHERE THEY

ARE. >> COMMISSIONER CURTIS JOHNSON: THOSE OF US WHO ARE LOCAL AND GREW UP HERE AREAS THAT WE KNOW AS DAN MCCARTHY AND LUCIE ELEMENTARY.

AND THIS WOULD BE A SEGMENT AREA MOVED INTO DISTRICT 1

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AND HEADED EAST ALONG GEORGIA TO SOUTH 13TH STREET.

IT THEN GOING SOUTH. AND THIS IS MISSISSIPPI AVENUE TO OHIO AVENUE. AND GOES EAST AND THEN NORTH ON U.S. 1 TO THE INTERSECTION OF U.S. 1 AND GEORGIA AND THEN FOLLOWS THE REST OF THE EXISTING BOUNDARY LINE

UNCHANGED. >> COMMISSIONER CURTIS JOHNSON: SO I AM GRAPHICAL PERSON AND VISION PERSON AND THIS IS THAT AREA LITERALLY IN FRONT OF DAN MCCARTHY HIGH SCHOOL -- MIDDLE SCHOOL THINK THAT KNEW IT BACK IN THE DAY.

LITERALLY IN FRONT OF IT. WELL, THANK YOU FOR WALKING ME THROUGH THAT AND THAT GEOGRAPHY LESSON.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.

COMMISSIONER J. JOHNSON. >> COMMISSIONER JERMIAH JOHNSON: THE REASON WE HAVE THAT NOTCH IS BECAUSE OF DAN MCCARTHY, DO YOU BELIEVE. THAT IS SOUTHWEST CORNER OF -- OF ALTERNATIVE TWO. THAT IS MISSISSIPPI, YOU SAID.

>> I BELIEVE -- I CAN SHOW YOU THIS BEFORE.

IF I JUMP OVER TO THE SOFTWARE HERE.

>> COMMISSIONER JERMIAH JOHNSON: I THINK YOU WERE

GOING TO SHOW US FROM GIS. >> COMMISSIONER GAINES: MR. SPITZER, SO YOU PUBLIC CAN SEE WHAT YOU ARE DOING IN DISTRICT 2, IF YOU LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE 2, THE POPULATION DEVIATION IS WHERE YOU ARE ONLY 72 PEOPLE. 72 VOTERS BETWEEN THE TWO DISTRICTS AND THE PERCENTAGES ARE, YOU KNOW, STILL SEPARATING THE TWO DISTRICTS BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE A 59 TO 20 TO 56 BETWEEN THE DISTRICT. THE DISTRICTS -- DISTRICT 1 WILL HAVE AN ACTUAL POPULATION OF 23 776 VERSUS DISTRICT 2'S P.O.W. POP EWE LAWS OF 23,632. SO THOSE THAT MOVE AND THOSE NUMBERS BRING THE DISTRICT CLOSER TOGETHER TO THAT ZERO NUMBER YOU WERE TRYING TO ACHIEVE..

>> THAT IS VERY TRUE. I WILL TELL THAT YOU THESE ARE OUR ALTERNATIVE ONE AND TWO ARE UNCANNY IN DETERMINES OF THE POPULATION DEVIATIONS FROM THE -- FROM THE IDEAL POPULATION.

THERE ARE MANY PLANS THAT -- THAT WE HAVE WORKED WITH CITIES AND TOWNS ON WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S COMMON THERE IS A SPREAD SPREAD OF SIX OR EIGHT OR NINE POINTS BETWEEN THE LARGEST AND THE SMALLEST DISTRICT, BUT THERE ARE OTHER CRITERIA SORT OF JUMP INTO THE PROCESS A GENERALLY LARGE SPREAD WAS ACCEPTABLE TO THE JURISDICTION. JUST YESTERDAY, AS AN EXAMPLE, THE CITY OF NORTH MIAMI APPROVED A PLAN THAT HAD A SPREAD OF 4.6 PERCENTAGE POINTS BETWEEN THE LARGEST AND THE SMALLEST DISTRICT. SO THIS IS GREAT AND IT IS REALLY UNUSUAL, BUT I THINK A PLAN IN TERMS OF DEVIATIONS ARE

ARE WELL WITHIN -- >> COMMISSIONER PERONA: MAYOR.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: COMMISSIONER PERONA.

>> COMMISSIONER PERONA: ALTERNATIVES AGAIN DOWN TO 100.

IF YOU AND I JUST CAN TAKE A GUESS WITH THAT, THESE ARE NUMBERS FROM TWO YEARS AGO. AND THOSE NUMBERS PROBABLY ARE LITTLE BIT THAN 72 AND 104. I WAS AMAZED THAT WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP A GEE METRIC LINE IN THIS AND TO GET ALMOST TO ZERO

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AS YOU CALLED THEM THE REDISTRICTING NERDS GOT ALL TOGETHER. I WILL HAVE TO SAY THAT YOU HAVE TO BE SURPRISED FOR THOSE VERY LOW NUMBERS AND VERY LOW

PERCENTAGES. >> WE WERE.

IT -- IT SORT OF TOOK A DOUBLE TAKE ON THAT AFTER WE SAW TH THESE. BUT IT'S -- I THINK DISH MUST SAY THAT PART OF IT I THINK IS WHEN YOU HAVE TWO DISTRICTS, IT MAKES THINGS EASIER THAN IF YOU HAD, YOU KNOW, FOUR OR FIVE OR SOME OTHER NUMBER OF -- OF DISTRICTS TO WORK WITH TOO IS MORE SIMPLE. BUT IT DID -- THESE AREAS DID TURN OUT TO BE JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF POPULATION TO GET US, YOU KNOW, NOT DOWN TO ZERO, BUT A LOT CLOSER TO ZERO AND ALLOWED US TO KEEP MOST OF THE REST OF THE BOUNDARIES

UNCHANGED. >> COMMISSIONER JERMIAH JOHNSON: MADAM MAYOR, ONE OTHER COMMENT.

I KNOW YOU WERE TRYING TO MOVE TO THE GIS SCREEN, BUT COMMISSIONERS, I WAS ONE OF THOSE GUYS.

I LIKE NUMBERS. WE WILL CALL THEM WHATEVER THE NERDS ARE WITH THE SQUARE BOUNDARIES.

BUT KURT AND I WENT BACK AND FORTH WHEN HE PRESENTED IT TO ME. HE COULDN'T BELIEVE THE NUMBER EITHER AND CLICK ON THE SQUARES THAT HE WILL SHOW US ON GEIS THAT TRY TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANOTHER AT I HAVE THAT GOT US CLOSER. SQUARE OFF THE BOUNDARY.

LIKE SQUARED BOUNDARIES AND SQUARE LINES AND LET'S GO TO THE MISSION STATEMENT NUMBER ONE OR BULLET POINT NUMBER ONE AND TALKS ABOUT POPULATION. WE WENT UP TO NORTH U.S. 1.

WE DON'T DOWN TO SEAWAY DRIVE AND OKEECHOBEE CORRIDOR AND SAID I HAVE ALREADY DONE THIS. HOW CAN I SHOW YOU.

>> HOW LONG WAS YOUR PHONE CONVERSATION.

>> COMMISSIONER JERMIAH JOHNSON: SHORT.

GOOD INFORMATION AND THESE ARE -- THIS IS GOOD INFORMATION TO HAVE IN FRONT OF US AND I WAS VERY SURPRISED.

>> COMMISSIONER CURTIS JOHNSON: MADAM MAYOR, I WILL ECHO THAT.

THIS IS DRIVEN BY CENSUS DATA AND HONE IT IN REGARDING THE CENSUS. AND THIS IS WHAT THIS IS BASED ON AND I, TOO, SPENT AN HOUR AND A HALF CLICKING ON THIS STUFF AND I KNEW THESE NEIGHBORHOODS AND WANTED TO FOCUS IN ON WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT AND I SAW THE SQUARE BOUNDARIES, YOU KNOW, THAT IS HERE.

I THINK TEN YEARS FROM NOW, WE WILL LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN FORT PIERCE AND WE WILL HAVE TWO DISTRICTS.

DISTRICT ONE AND TWO. LIKE I SAID THAT IS ROOTED.

COURT MANDATED. THE CHARTER.

THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY WILL HAVE TO VOTE BY REFERENDUM TO CHANGE THAT. THAT WILL ALWAYS THERE.

RIGHT. AND THAT IS NOT CHANGE CAN.

IT IS JUST WHERE WE NEED TO GET DISTRICT 1 AND DISTRICT 2.

AND DISTRICT 1 STRETCHES AS FAR WEST OUT TO KINGS HIGHWAY AND U.S. 1 ALONG WHAT LOOKS LIKE VIRGINIA AVENUE AND OKEECHOBEE ROAD. AND ALL THE BUILDING DOING ON TO THE WEST. DISTRICT 1 IS GROWING.

ABSOLUTELY. LET'S LOOK AT THE G IS DATA.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: SURE, MR. SPITZER, IF WE CAN GO TO THE

GIS DATA. >> KURT SPITZER: YES, MA'AM.

>> KURT SPITZER: YOU SHOULD SEE A MAP NOW, CORRECT?

>> MAYOR HUDSON: WE DON'T -- I DON'T.

>> WE HAVE IT NOW. >> KURT SPITZER: OKAY, GOOD.

THIS IS THE -- THE CITY AND THESE ARE OUR CENSUS BLOCKS.

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WE HAVE RELEVANT DATA AND MUCH MORE DATA THEN WE SHOW HERE THAT THIS IS WHAT IS RELEVANT FOR REDISTRICTING PURPOSES.

THERE ARE -- THERE ARE STATE NUMBERS.

THERE ARE COUNTY NUMBERS, TRACK NUMBERS, AND BLACK NUMBERS.

AND SO OF THIS BLOCK THAT WE JUST CLICKED ON HERE -- LET ME SEE IT IF THIS IS THE SAME ONE. THIS IS BLOCK 1030.

A TOTAL OF 44 PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE.

THERE ARE ZERO PEOPLE HAVE SAID I AM WHITE PERSON.

THERE ARE 27 PEOPLE WHO SAID THAT I AM AFRICAN-AMERICAN.

AND THEN THERE ARE SEVEN PEOPLE WHO SAID I AM OTHER.

EITHER I AM A SINGLE RACE PERSON WAS NOT A SISEN RACE WHITE OR BLACK PERSON OR I AM OF TWO OR MORE RACIAL BACKGROUNDS. IN ADDITION TO THOSE PERSONS, THE 34 PEOPLE, SEVEN OF THEM SAY THEY HAVE A HISPANIC ETHNICITY.3 AND SO THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE IN -- FOR ALL OF THESE BLOCKS WITHIN THE CITY.

AND, AGAIN, THE -- THE SY SYMBOLOGY SHOW THE EXISTING DISTRICTS. DISTRICT 1 AND DISTRICT 2.

IF WE LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE 1, THIS IS THE BOUNDARY LINE THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HERE. AND BUT MENTIONED THE -- SOMEONE MENTIONED THE SPORTS COMPLEX.

I BELIEVE THIS IS A HOSPITAL HERE.

THERE IS SOME, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS AND AND THIS AREA HERE. I CAN GO TO A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SCREEN HERE AND -- THIS WILL COME INTO FOCUS HERE IN A SECOND HERE. BUT I BELIEVE THIS WAS A SC

SCHOOL, IS THAT CORRECT? >> MAYOR HUDSON: DAN MCCARTHY.

>> SO WE FOLLOWED THE BOUNDARY IN -- ALONG MISSISSIPPI THEN TO 11TH STREET AND OHIO AVENUE. FOR EACH OF THESE -- LET'S PICK A BLOCK HERE. HERE IS A BLOCK NORTH OF THAT AREA WHICH IS 36 PEOPLE THERE. 11 SAID THEY WERE SINGLE WHITE, 12 BLACK. AND 14% SAID OTHER.

AND MAYOR, YOU ASKED OF THE AGE HERE, 26 OF THESE PEOPLE ARE 18 YEARS OR OLDER. IN THOSE TIMES THAT WE HAVE BEEN LOOKED AT VOTING, THAT IS A SUPPLEMENTAL PIECE OF INFORMATION, BUT STILL, THE -- THE TOTAL POPULATION IS CONTROLLING IN THE PROCESS. THIS IS THE SOFTWARE.

[00:45:08]

SO THAT -- THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE THE 32 OR SO PEOPLE.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO PLANS.

S SOME OF THESE -- GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES OF A SHAPE.

WE LOOKED AT THIS ONE BLOCK RIGHT HERE AND A BLOCK SHAPE.

THEY ARE VERY, VERY DIFFERENT AND NO ONE LIVES HERE AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT. IT IS A VERY DIFFERENT TYPE OF A SHAPE. AND MOVING OVER TO THE -- TO THE SPORTS COMPLEX HERE, A VERY DIFFERENT SHAPE AND EVEN HERE.

THE MEDICAL CENTER AND A COUPLE OF BASEBALL FIELDS OVER HERE BUT A VERY DIFFERENT SHAPE THAN YOUR TYPICAL RECTANGULAR BLOCK SHAPE IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. SO I AM HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE, MADAM MAYOR,

COMMISSIONERS. >> MAYOR HUDSON: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SHOULD WE OPEN IT UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND COME BACK FOR DISCUSSION.

IS THAT ALL RIGHT? YOU WILL STAY ON, RIGHT, MR.

SPITZER? >> KURT SPITZER: YES, MA'AM.

[5. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC Any person who wishes to comment on any subject may be heard at this time. Please limit your comments to three (3) minutes or less, as directed by the Mayor. The City Commission will not be able to take any official actions under Comments from the Public. Speakers will address the Mayor, Commissioners, and the Public with respect. Inappropriate language will not be tolerated.]

>> MAYOR HUDSON: ALL RIGHTY. I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THIS UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS WHEN YOU BEGIN AND MISS COX WILL GIVE YOU A BUZZER -- A WARNING OF THREE SECONDS.

SO. >> MADAM MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, CITY MANAGER, ATTORNEY, CLERK, EVERYONE IN ATTENDANCE TODAY, MY NAME IS MARIO WILCOX, FORT PIERCE, IN, 34941.

THE REASON WHY I'M HERE TODAY IS, OF COURSE, THIS WORKSHOP INVOLVING REDISTRICTING. NOW WHEN WE TALK -- BEFORE I GET INTO REDISTRICTING, I JUST WANT TO START OFF WITH THIS EXCERPT AND FOR THE 14TH AMENDMENT SECTION 1.

SAYS ALL PERSONS BORN OR NATURALIZED IN THE UNITED STATES IS SUBJECT TO THE JURISDICTION OF OUR CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES AND OF THE STATES WHERE THEY RESIDE.

NO STATE SHALL MAKE OR ABRIDGE THE PRIVILEGE AND AMENITIES OF CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES NOR SHALL DEPRIVE ANY PERSON OF LIFE, LIBERTY AND PROPERTY WITH OUR DUE PROCESS OF THE LAW OF ANY PERSONAL JURISDICTION OF EQUAL PROTECTION OF THE LAWS.

NOW WHEN YOU TALK OF THE EQUAL PROTECTION, THAT INCLUDES THE PROTECTIONS THAT WE HAVE UNDER THOSE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT.

THE VOTER RIGHTS ACT. SO REDISTRICT ASKING POSE A TO PEOPLE'S VOTERS RIGHTS.

WHEN YOU TALK OF VOTER STRENGTH.

WHEN YOU TALK OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.

DIFFERENT RACIAL MAKE-UP OF THE COMMUNITIES.

AS I LOOK AT BOTH THE MAPS, I WON'T ACCEPT EITHER ONE.

ONE IS GEARED TOWARD THE SOUTH END.

WE ARE THE NORTHERN END. AND COMMISSIONER GAINES DID ASK A QUESTION TO THE PERSON YOU HIRED, THE CONSULTANT ABOUT THE LAW THE AREAS ARE. NO.

I DISAGREE, THEY ARE BOTH RESIDENTS AND CITIZENS.

[00:50:11]

LAND GARDENS, HARMONY HEIGHTS. >> THE CITIZENS PAY TAXES.

THEY PAY TAXES TO THE CITY BUT YET THEY ARE DISENFRANCHISED FOR A VOTE. TO NOT INCLUDE THEM IS A INJUSTICE. YES, AN ANNEXATION ISSUE AND ANNEXING VIRGINIA AVENUE WITH A POPULACE OF MORE WHITE THAN BLACK. WE ARE NOT GETTING INTO A VOTE WHAT THEY ARE REGISTERED AS BECAUSE WE COULD GET INTO PARTISAN GERRYMANDERING. ALSO ONE QUESTION I WOULD LIKE TO ASK. WHEN YOU DO REDISTRICTING OR REDISTRICTING MAPS, YOU GET INPUT NOT JUST FROM THE LEGISLATURE AND THE COURTS BUT ALSO FROM THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS. SHE SHOULD BE IN THIS PROCESS.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: YOUR TIME IS UP.

THANK YOU. >> THAT WAS A QUICK THREE MINUTES. I WILL SEND THE REST IN THE

E-MAIL. >> MAYOR HUDSON: THANK YOU, SIR. WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO NEXT.

ANYONE LIKE TO GO NEXT? PLEASE COME DOWN AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

YOU NOTICE HOW FAST THAT WENT. SO WELCOME.

>> MY NAME IS ROBERT HALL I LIVE IN DISTRICT 1.

3 495 0. I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE A LITTLE BIT ON WHAT HE SAID. I UNDERSTAND THE RULE ABOUT THEY ARE OUT OF THE BOUNDARY, BUT IT IS SIGNIFICANT, UNDERSERVED MINORITY IN NORTH FORT PIERCE THAT DON'T GET TO BE IN DISTRICT 1. AND IF IT IS RIGHT, IT DON'T FEEL RIGHT. I AM SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE MORE TO OTHERS THAN TO ME MAYBE. WHY I SPECIFICALLY COME IS BASICALLY NOT TO DO THIS. I WANT TO ADDRESS THE DIFFERENCE IN THE LEVEL OF SERVICE BETWEEN DISTRICT 1 AND DISTRICT 2. FOR SEVEN YEARS LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENCE OF GARBAGE AND TRASH TO GET LOOKED INTO.

HUNDREDS OF PICTURES I SHARED WITH MANY OF Y'ALL UP THERE.

AND I COULD SHOW YOU SOME REALLY NASTY ONES FROM JUST THE OTHER WEEK. PEOPLE WORKING WITH THE CITY MAKE A SIGNIFICANT EFFORT. JACOBI GENTLEMAN COWASHINGTON, TASHA BEFORE HIM. THEY WENT THROUGHOUT MOTION.

BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO FIX THE PROBLEM.

OFTEN IN DISTRICT 1, YOU REPORT A PROBLEM AND IT IS NOT RESOLVED, BUT. ILLEGAL DUMPING ON GEORGIA AVENUE. NUMEROUS TIMES.

JACOBI CAME OUT AND CHECKED IT OUT AND KIND OF PUT A STOP TO IT. PUT ON A SIGN SAYING NO MARE DUMPING, BUT IT DIDN'T STOP THE DUMPING.

IT CUT IT WAY BACK. NOT A TRUCKLOAD GOING OUT THERE ILLEGAL EACH WEEK. BUT NOW THERE IS A PICKUP-SIZED PILE THAT HAS BEEN THERE FOR SIX WEEKS.

AND IT AIN'T MOVED. BEFORE THE ILLEGAL PILES THAT AT LEAST GOT PICKED UP ON A REGULAR BASIS.

I AM SURE SOMEBODY POCKETED SOME MONEY PROBABLY.

A TIP FOR WHATEVER CONTRACTOR FELT IT WAS A CONVENIENT SPOT, BUT -- BUT TRASH ISN'T REALLY THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IN SERVICES PROVIDED TO DISTRICT 1. AND THAT'S NOT FAIR.

IT WILL BE KIND OF IF A SUETIOUS TO ME SAYING THE PEOPLE GETTING INTO DISTRICT 1. ARE THEIR SERVICES GOING TO

DROP OFF, WELL, NOT REALLY. >> MAYOR HUDSON: THANK YOU, SIR. YOUR TIME IS UP.

APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. >> APPRECIATE IF YOU ALL HONOR

YOUR COMMITMENTS TOO. >> MAYOR HUDSON: THANK YOU, SIR. WHO IS NEXT.

WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO NEXT. PLEASE COME FORWARD.

[00:55:02]

>> REBECCA ISAAC, 111 CITRUS AVENUE, APARTMENT B, FORT PIERCE, FLORIDA. FIRST OF ALL, I AM GOING TO TELL YOU LAST MONTH WHEN I ASKED -- BECAUSE I THINK THE CITY FAILED WITH THE MARKETING OF THIS WORKSHOP AND I THANK YOU GUYS FOR PUSHING TO HAVE THE NEXT MEETING WHICH I SAW ONLINE TODAY THAT WILL BE ON TUESDAY.

IT WILL GIVE MORE PEOPLE WHO COULDN'T MAKE IT TODAY TO BE ABLE TO COME NEXT WEEK. I DO THANK YOU GUYS FOR THAT; HOWEVER, I FEEL AS IF FROM THE LAST MEETING, I JUST HAVE TO SAY THIS, THAT, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE FEEL A CERTAIN TYPE OF WAY AND COMMISSIONER GAINES EXPRESSED THAT LAST MONDAY, IT SHOULDN'T COME AS A SURPRISE. THE CITY AND DISTRICT 1 COMMUNITY DON'T HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP.

I THINK YOU KNOW THAT AND IN SPECULATIONS, A LOT OF STUFF THAT IS GOING ON IN THE CITY. SO THAT'S WHY I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE CITY ALWAYS BE VERY TRANSPARENT.

I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE FAILED ON THAT.

I WANTED TO CLEAR UP THAT. AS FAR AS THE CONSULTING.

I CAME HERE A LITTLE BIT LATE. AND HOPEFULLY THIS IS NOT COMMON AND ANY OTHER CONS CONSULTANTS THAT YOU LOOKED INTO OUTSIDE OF THIS ONE? AND ALSO FOR THEIR TYPE OF W WORK, ARE THERE ARE IN SOME OTHER AREAS? HAVE THEY DONE GOOD WORK? WHAT TYPE OF RESEARCH AND EVERYTHING. THERE IS NOT -- HOW SHOULD I PUT IT. NOBODY IS COMING OUT TO AIR THEIR FEELINGS ON WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE REDISTRICTING.

SO I JUST THINK THAT THE COMMISSION SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT BETTER OF -- YOU KNOW, HOW TO APPROACH THIS MATTER GIVEN THE HISTORY OF THE CITY AND DISTRICT 1.

SO I HOPE THAT THOSE ANSWERS CAN GET -- MY QUESTIONS CAN GET ANSWERED AGAIN. WERE THERE ANY OTHER CONSULTANTS THAT YOU GUYS LOOKED INTO AND THE CURRENT CONSULTANT THAT YOU ARE USING, THE WORK THEY HAVE IN OTHER AREAS. HOW HAS IT BEEN? I AM JUST SEEING THAT THEY ARE PUTTING THOSE TWO OPTIONS BEFORE US. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING. IF THEY WANTED OUR OPINION, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A COMMUNITY MEETING TO ACCESS HOW WOULD WE WANT THESE LINES DRAWN.

THAT IS WHY PEOPLE ARE SAYING THEY ARE NOT GETTING A SAY IN THE CITY. WE ARE TAXPAYERS.

WE LIVE HERE. WE HELP CREATE THE CITY.

I AM A LIFE-LONG RESIDENT LIKE YOU.

AND YOU GUYS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THE WAY I FEEL THE WAY I DO.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION.

PLEASE COME FORWARD. >> GOOD EVENING.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: WELCOME. >> LUCA BRADLEY.

MAYOR, CITY COMMISSIONERS, AND EVERYBODY IN ATTENDANCE.

I HOPE THE RESIDENTS ARE INTERESTED IN THAT MATTER AS REDISTRICTING MAY HAVE CONSEQUENCES OR AT THE VERY LEAST HAVE. A SECOND MEETING ON TUESDAY NIGHT AND PLEASE GET THE WORD OUT AND TELL YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND NEIGHBORS TO ATTEND THE PROCESS.

I DO HAVE A TOPIC FOR YOUR DISCUSSION THAT RELATES DIRECTLY TO YOUR VERY POSITION AND THE FUNDAMENTAL REPRESENTATION THEREOF. THERE IS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT POPULATION WHEN IT COMES TO THE REDISTRICTING OF THE MAP WHICH IS COMMON SENSE; HOWEVER, WHEN IT COMES TO ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE, AS PLACED ON THE PRESENTATION, AND IT IS TO BE DIVIDED EQUALLY BY POPULATION IN A CITY THAT IS HISTORICALLY AND DEMOGRAPHICALLY SPLIT BY LINES, HOW DO PEOPLE WHO ARE ATTITUDE NEW DISTRICTS -- THE DISTRICT MAPS THAT ARE OF LESSER -- LESSER DEMOGRAPHICS REPRESENTED.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE DENSE POPULATION OF DISTRICT 1.

AND YOU ARE TALKING OF ADDING ONE OR TWO OR OPTION 1 OR OPTION 2 TO THAT DISTRICT, WHICH IS NOT DEMOGRAPHICALLY LIKE DISTRICT 1. YOU WILL HAVE A DUTY AS COMMISSIONERS BECAUSE OF THE WAY OUR COMMISSIONERS ARE DECIDED BY DISTRICT TO NOW ADHERE TO A DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC OF THE MAJORITY OF THAT DISTRICT, DISTRICT 1.

IF IT IS GOING TO BE A MAJORITY OF THE CASE, SO BE IT.

AND BRING THE DISCUSSION THAT YOU WILL HAVE A NEW SECTOR WITHIN WHATEVER OPTION YOU P PICK.

AND THOSE PEOPLE MIGHT FEEL IS MAY BECOME UNREPRESENTED BECAUSE OF THE MAJORITY OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF DISTRICT 1.

THEREBY, ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE IS NOT REPRESENTED.

I WILL LEAVE IT THERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

AND I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: THANK YOU, SIR.

[01:00:03]

ANYONE ELSE? >> GOOD AFTERNOON.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK. HAZEL HORDMAN FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF ENERGY CHRIST. AND I WANT TO TELL COMMISSIONER GAINES. HE CAME TO OUR RADIO STATION.

HE TALKED OF REDISTRICTING. HE GAVE US INFORM INFORMATION AND INVITED US TO COME OUT HERE.

I AM GRATEFUL THAT YOU ARE TRANSPARENT AND THIS PROCESS IS GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IN THE CITY IS REPRESENTED EQUALLY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

TO THE YOUNG MAN ABOUT DISTRICT 1 AND PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING IN.

ONE OF THE THINGS I KNOW ABOUT FORT PIERCE JUST BY BEING HERE AND INTERACTING IS THAT YOU CAN BE AS RACIST AS YOU WANT TO OR AS INCLUSIVE AS YOU WANT TO. THAT IS JUST THE WAY THAT IS GOES. AND COMMISSIONER JOHNSON WHO REACHED OUT TO PEOPLE WHO DON'T LOOK LIKE HIM BUT TO WORK WITH HIM. THE WHOLE THING IS WE ARE IN FORT PIERCE. ST. LUCIE COUNTY.

REGARDLESS OF DISTRICT 1 OR DISTRICT 2, WE ALL STILL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER IN ORDER TO MAKE MEANS FOR EVERYBODY.

THANK YOU. >> MAYOR HUDSON: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION? ANYONE ELSE? ANYONE ELSE BEFORE I CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. YOUR LAST CHANCE UNTIL NEXT TUESDAY. OKAY.

[6. Commission Comments and Discussion]

COMMISSIONERS, SO THE -- A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED. MISS COX, TELL US OF THE PROCESS OF FIND BUILDING SPITZER AND CHECKING HIS -- MR. SPITZER, I KNOW YOU ARE LI LISTENING, CHECKING HIS

CREDENTIALS. >> WELL, ACTUALLY I BELIEVE -- I NEED TO -- TO CONFIRM WITH MR. MIMS ON THIS.

I BELIEVE MR. MIMS WAS AT A CONFERENCE AND MR. SPITZER --

>> MAYOR HUDSON: THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: MR. MIMS. >> I CONTACTED OUR FRIENDS AT THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES. THEY SPAN STATEWIDE.

THEY HAVE MANY REFERENCES OF WHO CAN ASSIST US.

I REACHED OUT TO ONE OUR TRAINING FACILITATORS THAT HELPED WITH US EDUCATION AND THIS WAS DR. SCOTT PAINE.

HE RECOMMENDED KURT SPITZER AND I IMMEDIATELY CALLED HIM AND WE REMEMBER WORKING TOGETHER WHEN WE SET UP OUR STORMWATER MANAGEMENT UTILITY. NONAD VALOREM ASSESSMENT FEE.

THAT WAS QUITE A LONG I AM AGO, BUT THAT'S HOW I GOT THE REFERENCE AND I BELIEVE THAT MR. SPITZER WORKED IN SEVERAL MUNICIPALITIES AND THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES.

THEY DO SO MUCH FOR US. THEY PROVIDE US WITH OUR INSURANCE, OUR RISK MANAGEMENT AND LITIGATION SERVICES.

SO -- >> MAYOR HUDSON: WITH THE ADVOCACY WITH THE STATE LEGISLATURE.

>> HELPED US TREMENDOUSLY AND COULD WITH US FOR THIS

RECOMMENDATION. >> ONE THING I REMEMBER AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, MISS COX OR MR. MIMS. MR. SPITZER WAS BUST BUSY BECAUSE OF THE CENSUS BEING OVER AND THIS WAS HIS MAJOR WORK.

WE HAD TO FIT HIS -- WE HAD TO FIT FORT PIERCE INTO HIS VERY, VERY BUSY SCHEDULED. AM I REMEMBERING THAT RIGHT?

>> YES, MA'AM. A LOT OF THE JURISDICTIONS HAD A DIFFERENT DEADLINE THAN WE DID.

BE HE IS WILLING TO WORK WITH US AFTER HE IS WITH ALL OF OUR OTHER CLIENTS. AND AIDE VERY HEAVY CLIENT

LIST. >> MAYOR HUDSON: JUST FINISHED WITH MIAMI. MR. SPITZER, DO YOU HAVE

ANYTHING? >> THAT IS BASICALLY CORRECT.

I HAVE DONE A COUPLE OF WEBINAR AND WORKSHOPS FOR LEAGUE OF CITIES WORKING WITH DR. PAINE. THAT WAS THE CONNECTION WITH THE LEAGUE. LATE LAST YEAR, WE WERE JUST SWATCHED. FOR COUNTY GOVERNMENTS, THERE IS A STATUTORY DEADLINE THAT THEY NEED TO ABIDE BY TO GET THEIR REDISTRICTING DONE BEFORE THE END OF THE ADD NUMBERED YEAR AFTER THE CENSUS. NUMBER OF COUNTIES THAT WORKED

[01:05:05]

WHEN WE FINALLY GOT IT, WE HAD TO WORK WITH IT AND GET IT INTO A FORMAT THAT WAS USABLE FOR REDISTRICTING PROCESS.

THAT WAS ANOTHER TIME-CONSUMING PROCESS THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR, BUT IN TERMS OF WHAT IS BEING USED HERE WITH THE CITY O FORT PIERCE, I AM VERY CONFIDENT ABOUT THE ACCURACY OF THE DATA

THAT YOU HAVE NOW. >> MAYOR HUDSON: AND I WOULD LIKE TO REITERATE THAT WE ONLY DO THIS EVERY TEN YEARS.

AND SO -- BECAUSE THAT IS WHEN THE CENSUS IS TAKEN.

AND SO, IT'S BASED ON THE NUMBERS THAT ARE GATHERED IN 2020. AND, OF COURSE, THINGS CHANGED OVER THE TEN YEARS, BUT WE ARE -- IT -- WHAT WE ARE DOING IS TIED BY OUR CHARTER AND BY OUR -- BY THE WAY OUR GOVERNMENT RUNS IS THAT WE ARE -- WE DRAW THE LINES -- WE SEE IF WE HAVE TO REDRAW THE LINE AFTER EVERY CENSUS.

IS THAT CORRECT, MR. SPITZER? >> KURT SPITZER: THAT IS RIGHT. I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IF -- IF SOMETHING CAME UP, YOU KNOW FIVE YEARS FROM NOW OR SIX OR EIGHT YEARS FROM NOW, THAT IF YOU ANNEXED A LARGE AREA, FOR EXAMPLE. YOU KNOW, I THINK IT IS IN YOUR PURVIEW AS A LEGISLATIVE BODY TO REDISTRICT IT.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: NOTHING PREVENTS US FROM DOING THAT.

>> NOTHING THAT PREVENTS FROM YOU DOING THAT, THAT I KNOW OF.

BUT I THINK IT IS COMMON AND STANDARD PRACTICE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO REDISTRICT THEMSELVES AFTER THE CENSUS DATA IS AVAILABLE EVERY TEN YEARS.

>> COMMISSIONER JERMIAH JOHNSON: LET ME IS :A QUE QUESTION. IF HE COULD SAY ON, IF I COULD.

MR. SPITZER ANY LEGAL OR COURT DEPOSITIONS WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN AN EXPERT WITNESS IN YOUR TENURE OR YEARS OF EXPERIENCE?

>> I HAVE BEEN -- I DON'T LIKE THE TERM EXPERT WITNESS, BUT WE HAVE DONE MAYBE 25 OR 306 THESE PLANS.

THREE HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED IN COURT.

AND I AM HAPPY TO DISCUSS THOSE -- THOSE CASES WITH YOU NOW.

IN TWO OF THOSE THREE, I WAS, YOU KNOW, DEPOSED IN THE PROCEEDING. AND IN TWO CASES THE COUNTY AND THE CITY PREVAILED. IN THE THIRD CASE WHICH IS JEFFERSON COUNTY, FLORIDA, WHICH CENTERED AROUND WHETHER OR NOT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS REQUIRED TO COUNT THE PRISON POPULATION. WE FOLLOW CASE LAW AT TIME AND YES THEY ARE REQUIRED TO COUNT THE POPULATION.

THE COURT IN THAT CASE, SAID NO, DON'T COUNT PRISON POPULATION AND WE WENT BACK AND REDREW THE MAPS WITHOUT COUNTING PRISON POPULATION. THE DAY BEFORE THE PLANS SUBMITTED TO THE COUNTY BY THE FEDERAL JUDGE, THE U.S. SUPREME COURT CAME OUT WITH A DECISION THAT SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO COUNT TOTAL POPULATION, YOU CAN.

WELL, IT WAS THE PLANS WERE ALREADY SURRENDERED TO THE COURT TO AND WE DID NOT COUNT PRISON POPULATION.

IN OTHER COUNTIES WITH PRISON POPULATION, WE HAVE NOT COUNTED

THEM. >> COMMISSIONER JERMIAH JOHNSON: OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT WERE -- THAT I MADE NOTES OF. THERE WAS AN EARLIER SPEAKER WHO TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT PEOPLE WHO LIVED OUTSIDE THE CITY PAID TAXES. THEY DO PAY TAXES AND PAY TAXES TO THE COUNTY. THEY DO NOT PAY AD VALOREM TO THE CITY. THEY ARE NOT CONSIDERED

[01:10:03]

IF YOU LIVE IN LAKEWOOD, OUR AMENDING ADDRESS IS FORT PI PIERCE. PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN LAKEWOOD PARK, THEY THINK THEY LIVE IN FORT PIERCE, BUT THEY ARE NOT.

ER IN NOT IN THE JURISDICTION AND THEY GET THEIR MAIL ADDRESSED THERE. I KNOW IT IS CONFUSING.

>> COMMISSIONER PERONA: MADAM MAYOR.

I THINK IF YOU PAY TAX TO THE CITY OF FORT PIERCE, YOU ARE EITHER IN DISTRICT 1 OR DISTRICT 2.

>> COMMISSIONER JERMIAH JOHNSON: ON THIS MAP.

>> COMMISSIONER PERONA: ON THIS MAP.

NOBODY THAT PAYS TAX TO THE CITY OF FORT PIERCE.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: AD VALOREM. >> COMMISSIONER PERONA: THAT IS DISENFRANCHISED WHO HAS NO VOTE.

NO REPRESENT VATION. THAT CAN'T HAPPEN.

>> COMMISSIONER CURTIS JOHNSON: WILL SPEAK TO THAT MADAM MAYOR IF WE LOOK AT THE CURRENT BOUNDARIES OF FORT PIERCE AS I TALK ABOUT THIS. I ALSO HEARD, YOU KNOW, CON CONCERN. AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF DISTRICT ONE TWO YEARS AGO I SPOKE OF FORT PIERCE PERIOD.

AND OUR GOVERN SOMETHING FORT PIERCE AND NOT ONLY TO MY COLLEAGUES IN DISTRICT 2. BUT WHAT HAPPENS IN DISTRICT 1.

WHAT HAPPENS IN DISTRICT 2 IS NO MATTER WHAT IT IS, IT IS STILL FORT PIERCE. AND FORT PIERCE WILL BE PENALIZED NO MATTER WHAT IF WE DON'T COME TOGETHER AND FIGURE IT OUT. WE TRY TO GROW OUR COMMUNITY AND THEY WRITE UP ARTICLES AND THEY SAY FORT PIERCE, YOU CAN DRAW YOU -- DO THINGS ON THE BEACH THAT DRAW ATTENTION.

WE GOVERNOR GOVERN. I GOVERN.

AND CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, IN DISTRICT 1, I THINK IN POPULATION AND NUMBERS IF YOU LOOK AT THE MIX OF WHO LIVES WHERE. I HAVE LARGELY CREOLE-SPEAKING AREAS. LARGELY SPANISH-SPEAKING AR AREAS. WHITE CITIZENS WHO HAVE CALLED ME MANY TIMES AND TALKED TO ME OF THE SOME OF THE CLEANLINESS AND I GLADLY ACCEPTED THOSE MEETINGS.

BY THE WAY I'M HERE WEDNESDAY MORNING FROM -- 10 TO 2 -- 10 TO 12 -- 10 TO 1. MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AND LYNN CAN PARK ON THURSDAYS FROM 6 TO 8.

AND I ALSO WELCOME. AND I MET WITH ALL MY CONSTITUENTS THAT WANTED TO MEET WITH ME REGARDLESS OF COLOR, RACE, ETHNICITY, GENDER. I HAVE MET WITH THEM TO HEAR THEIR CONCERNS TO ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS.

AND I WELCOME THAT. SO AS I CONTINUE TO SERVE THE ENTIRE CITY OF FORT PIERCE, ESPECIALLY MAKING SURE IT DISTRICT 1 CONCERNS ARE HEARD AD ADDRESSED.

I WELCOME THAT. I HAVE SPOKEN COUNTLESS TIMES ABOUT -- AND THE CITY HAS BEEN RESPONSIVE OF GETTING SOME OF OUR CLEANLINESS PROJECTS GOING AND ADDRESSING SAFETY CONCERNS.

I TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN THAT AND I SAY THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. I WELCOME IT.

I WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO LISTEN TO YOUR CONCERNS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEIR VOICE. THIS IS OUR CURRENT MAP RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK. DISTRICT 1 GOES TO U.S. 1 TO KINGS HIGHWAY ALONG OKEECHOBEE ROAD.

RIGHT NOW TO THIS DAY, I SERVE A DIVERSE POPULATION OF PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUND, ALL LEVELS, ALL ECONOMIC SANCTIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW. I WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT AND THAT FROM ME. THANK YOU.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: I WANT TO ADD TOO.

HE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT SOMETHING ABOUT.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: LITTLE BY LITTLE AND NOT LONG PROCESS AND NOT AN EASY PROCESS AND TRYING TO DO THAT IN NORTH AND SOUTH

[01:15:04]

>> COMMISSIONER GAINES: THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR.

I WROTE DOWN ALL THE QUESTIONS ASKED TONIGHT.

AND MR. SPITZER, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF RESPONSE TO THE FIRST QUESTION ASKING WHY DIDN'T WE MOVE NORTH.

I UNDERSTAND WHY WE DIDN'T MOVE NORTH.

I UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN IN PARADISE PARK, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT MAP THAT WE HAVE UP. AND YOU SEE THE PINK, YOU SEE YELLOW CUTOUTS WHICH ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING THERE.

BUT THEY ARE IN THAT CUTOUT THAT THEY ARE NOT IN THE CITY OF FORT PIERCE LIMITS. SO THE ISSUE CAN BE LIVING IN PARADISE PARK BUT FOR SOME REASON WHEN THE NEIGHBORS GET ANNEXED IN, YOUR PROPERTY CANNOT AND IF YOU LOOK DOWN THE ROAD AND IN THE NORTH PART OF THIS MAP, YOU SEE PARADISE PARK, YOU SEE ALL THE PINK WHICH REPRESENTS DISTRICT ONE, BUT YOU ALSO SEE A LOT OF CUTOUT LITTLE YELLOW SPOTS THAT ARE OUT THERE. THOSE RESIDENTS ARE NOT PART OF

THE CITY OF FORT PIERCE. >> MAYOR HUDSON: YET.

>> COMMISSIONER GAINES: AND I AGREE THEY SHOULD BE.

WE HOPE ONE DAY AS THE MAYOR SAID TO GET THEM ANNEXED IN, BUT AS I AM SITTING THERE TO TODAY, COULD YOU NOT MOVE A LINE TO INCLUDE ANY OF THOSE PROPERTIES IN YELLOW BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT INSIDE OF FORT PIERCE CITY LIMITS.

LET'S GET THAT CLEAR. IF YOU CAN -- CAN SEND ME AN E-MAIL OR SEND A COMMISSION AN E-MAIL, ANYTHING THAT YOU DID TRY TO LOOK NORTH, I WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATIVE IF YOU CAN DO THAT. I WANTED YOU -- I APPRECIATE YOU PWLOYING UP THAT MAP. BECAUSE I GREW UP RIDING MY BIKE IN PARADISE PARK EVEN WHEN I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE OVER

THERE -- >> DON'T TELL.

>> COMMISSIONER GAINES: DON'TY IF TELL.

THEY MIGHT BE LISTENING AND SOME PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT KNOW HIM AND MAY ON ME. I KNOW PARADISE PARK AND I KNOW HOW THE HOUSES AND COMMUNITIES ARE OVER THERE AND IT WAS STRANGE FOR ME WHEN I RAN FOR THIS SEAT THAT DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IF I WAS IN THIS CORNER I WAS IN THE CITY.

AND I GO TO ANOTHER CORNER, IT IS NOT IN THE CITY.

THAT IS A PROBLEM FOR ME AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, ARE YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO ADDRESS WHILE WE CAN.

AND I WANTED EVERYBODY TO SEE THAT, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHY OR ANY STUDIES TO SHOW IF WE COULD HAVE MOVED NORTH.

COULD WE UNDERSTAND MR. WILCOX IS -- WHAT HE WAS TRYING TO S SAY. SO IF WE COULD GET THAT, I WOULD LOVE THAT. I THINK YOU HAVE ALREADY ANSWERED -- ALREADY ANSWERED THE OTHER CONSULTANTS AND HOW WE WERE MET. DO YOU KNOW WHEN WE HIRED MR. SPITTER -- WHEN THE CITY OF FORT PIERCE HIRED MR. SPITZER.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: LAST YEAR, LAST FALL.

>> I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT DATE.

>> COMMISSIONER GAINES: RIGHT AFTER THE CENSUS?

>> I THINK THINKS CONTRACT MAY BE ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA.

>> COMMISSIONER GAINES: NO PROBLEMS.

>> IT WAS, I BELIEVE, BEFORE THE END OF LAST YEAR WHEN WE

WERE FIRST ENGAGED. >> COMMISSIONER GAINES: OKAY.

>> JUST TO -- TO TOUCH ON THE -- WHY WE DIDN'T INCLUDE OTHER POPULATIONS. IT IS NOT IN THE CITY LIMITS.

I THINK TO ADD POPULATION. AND ADDING POPULATION TO THAT IS NOT ADDED. THAT PLAN WILL BE SUBJECT TO BE CHALLENGED BEFORE THE INK DRIED ON THAT PLAN.

>> COMMISSIONER GAINES: WITH THE LAW WE CAN SAY YES AND NO IN FEDERAL COURT. AND WE ARE FIGHTING IT.

THE DISPARITIES BETWEEN THE DISTRICT OF THE PERSON WHO SPOKE. I WILL FOLLOW UP ON COMMISSIONER JOHNSON. I HAVE SEEN IT.

[01:20:03]

AND I'M HERE. AND I ELECTED TO SERVE EVERYBODY ABOUT OWNING DISTRICT 1.

I COME HERE AS ONE FORT PIERCE. UNTIL WE -- THE PLAYING FIELD WAS DRAWN. WE HAVE A DISTRICT 1, WE HAD A DISTRICT 2. THAT'S IT.

THE PLAYING FIELD WAS DRAWN. UNTIL WE COME TOGETHER AND SAY, HEY, WE ARE ONE FORT PIERCE. WE ALWAYS WILL BE ABLE TO PICK OUT THE LITTLE NUANCES THAT IS WRONG WITH DISTRICT 2 OR DISTRICT 1. ALONG WITH MYSELF AND THE REST OF THE COMMISSIONERS, I AM DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE WITH THE DISPARITIES THAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, TO TRY TO REMOVE THEM. TO THE PERSON REGARDING -- AND I TOOK IT AS -- I TOOK MY SPIN FROM YOUR COMMENTS WERE -- PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO MOVE INTO DISTRICT 1 BASED ON THESE LINES AND DON'T LIKE THE POLITICAL OR MAKE-UP OF DISTRICT 1. THAT IS HOW I TOOK IT.

NOT SAYING THAT IS WHAT YOU SAID BUT THAT'S HOW I TOOK IT.

AND I ONLY SAY THIS TO YOU, SIR.

IF YOU WERE IN THAT AREA. AND ANYBODY IS LISTENING, ONCE THIS MOVE IS MADE, IT MAY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH BECOMING A PART OF DISTRICT 1. I ASKED THEM TO COME MEET WITH ME. I WILL WORK WITH EVERYBODY AND EVERYBODY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR RIGHTS ARE PROTECTED AS LONG AS EVERYBODY'S RIGHTS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOREVER.

WE HAVE TO DO THIS. WE HAVE TO MAKE THESE MOVES.

IT IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THE CITY DID IT.

IT WAS DONE IN 2012. AND SURPRISINGLY IN 2012, THE LINES WEREN'T MOVE TOWARD. I AM SAYING IT LIKE IT IS.

THE LINES WEREN'T MOVED NORTH. THE LINES WERE MOVED WEST.

THE LINES WERE MOVED A LITTLE WEST A LITTLE BIT.

THIS IS NOT OUR FIRST RODEO WITH THIS.

WE HAVE TO DO IT. WE HAVE TO DO IT.

AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO -- TO TRYING TO GET MORE INPUT FROM RESIDENTS OF THE CITY. SO I THANK EVERYBODY THAT CAME TONIGHT. I WISH MADAM MAYOR WE OPENED UP THE COMMENTS THAT EVERYBODY IN HERE WOULD HAVE GOT UP AND SAID SOMETHING. SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE HERE.

AGAIN, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR AND THE COMMISSION FOR OBLIGING TO ALLOW ANOTHER HEARING ON TUESDAY NIGHT.

YOU GAVE ME THAT. AND SAID THAT WE NEEDED TO DO IT BECAUSE WE ALL WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT.

SO IF YOU ARE OUT HERE LISTENING AND YOU DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO COME HERE TONIGHT, I ASK THAT YOU TRY TO COME TUESDAY NIGHT. YOU HAVE A CONCERN, I AM REALLY LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO COME WITH SUGGESTIONS.

AND TRY TO HELP THE PROCESS INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING ABOUT THE PROCESS BECAUSE EVERYBODY CAN COMPLAIN, BUT WE ARE OPENING UP TO HAVE SUGGESTIONS SO WE WANT TO DO THIS RIGHT.

AND ONE THING I AM LEARNING IN MY SHORT TIME SITTING UP HERE IS, AND IT IS HARD TO ARE ME. I CAN'T MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY.

>> COMMISSIONER JERMIAH JOHNSON: YOU JUST REALIZED

THAT? >> COMMISSIONER GAINES: I JUST

REALIZED THAT. >> MAYOR HUDSON: WE HAVE TO

LEARN THAT OVER AND OVER. >> COMMISSIONER GAINES: THAT IS JUST SOMETHING ABOUT MY NATURE.

BUT I WAS TASKED TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS BY THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR ME. AND I HAVE A JOB TO DO, TO DO THAT. SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS, MADAM MAYOR, THANK YOU TO THE PUBLIC THAT

CAME TO LISTEN. >> COMMISSIONER CURTIS JOHNSON: I WANT TO TAG CONTINUE TO WHAT COMMISSIONER GAINES SAYS.

IF YOU ARE LISTENING TONIGHT AND I KNOW YOU ARE.

PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE. IF YOU LEARNED SOMETHING TONIGHT THAT WAS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU THOUGHT COMING IN H HERE, SHARE IT WITH OUR COMMUNITY.

SHARE THAT THE MOST RIGHT AND ACCURATE INFORMATION IS GET TOGETHER CITY AND I ASK YOUR HELP WITH THAT.

I ASK YOUR HELP WITH THAT. BECAUSE WE ARE VERY TRANS TRANSPARENT. WE HAVE OFFICE HOURS TO DISCUSS THESE THINGS AND DETAILS TO HEAR YOUR CONCERN.

HEAR OTHERS TO WALK THROUGH TUESDAY AND WALK THROUGH THIS PROCESS WITH MR. SPITZER AND WALK THROUGH THE SAME PRESENTATION AS WE ANSWER ANY CONCERNS OR OBJECTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE. I WILL SAY THAT I DID HEAR FROM A CONSTITUENT ABOUT INPUT. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE HERE, BUT THE TECHNICAL IN THE DE-- TECHNICALITY AND THE DETAIL OF

[01:25:01]

A VERY DAY -- POPULATION. A VERY DATA-DRIVEN EXERCISE AND FOR ME TO REMOVE ANY SUBJECTIVITY AND MAKE IT MORE OBJECTIVE ABOUT NUMBERS. PURE NUMBERS WHO LIVES WHERE AND WE HAVE TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR CHARTER ACHED OUR MANDATE FROM THE FEDERAL COURT OF WHAT THESE DISTRICTS LOOK LIKE. WHEN I LOOKED BACK 2012, AND COMMISSIONER PERONA WAS THE ONLY ONE HERE AND THE AGREEMENT AT THAT TIME WITH THE SITTING COMMISSIONERS IS WHAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW. WE ARE PROPOSE MOVE OF A COUPLE OF BLOCKS HERE AND THERE CENTERED AROUND AN AREA DAN MCCARTY AREA. WE MOVE IT THERE AND HERE.

WE ALWAYS HAVE DISTRICT 1 AND DISTRICT 2 AND MAKE SURE I SAY THAT FOR THE LAST TIME. ALWAYS DISTRICT 1 AND DISTRICT 2. THANK YOU.

>> COMMISSIONER JERMIAH JOHNSON: MADAM MAYOR -- YOU PICKED UP ON GOD POINTS, BOTH OF YOU.

TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS NOWHERE TO MOVE THE NORTH UNTIL WE ANNEX PROPERTIES. NO WAY TO MOVE TO THE NORTH.

WE HAVE NOT GONE THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS FROM THIS DAIS TO MOVE TO THE NORTH. WHEN WE HAVE ANNEXATION AGREEMENTS, MADAM CLERK HAS TO GO THROUGH TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS AND WE MOVE THE BOUNDARIES AND THE LINES.

I DO RESEARCH ON PARADISE PARK THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO AND THIS MISSION ISSUED A LETTER TO THE COUNTY COMMISSION TO SAY WE WILL LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND CARVE OUT, BLOCK OUT -- AND NOT LOOK LIKE SWISS CHEESE. BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF THOSE PARCELS IN THERE ARE VACANT PAR PARCELS.

THOSE PROPERTY OWNER HAVE NOT AGREED TO COME TO THE CITY OF FORT PIERCE. IT WOULD BE ILLEGAL FOR US WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND GLAD YOU ARE IN THE CITY OF FORT PIERCE. NOW YOU WILL PAY US TAXES.

UNFAIR AND UNJUST. THAT IS WHY THE PROCESS IS NOT THERE. THE OTHER THING TO KEEP IN MIND IN MY THEN YOUR SINCE 2016 BEN I TOOK MY OATH OF OFFICE THE FIRST TIME. WE HAVE ANNEXED 2300 PROPERTIES IN THE JENKINS ROAD CORRIDOR SINCE I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR FIVE YEARS NOW JENKINS CORRIDOR. PART OF DISTRICT 1.

GO THROUGH A PROCESS EVERY TEN YEARS.

WE AS FORT PIERCE ANNEX PROPERTIES, WE HAVE TO DECIDE AT SOME POINT, DISTRICT 1, DISTRICT.

THEY HAVE TO BE A PART OF THE PROCESS.

IF WE DON'T DO EVERY TEN YEARS, AND YOU KNOW IN YEARS ONE THROUGH NINE. ONE THROUGH TEN AND WE WRAP IT UP A BIT AND GET ANNEXED IN AND PART OF THE VOTING DISTRICT.

AND CURRENT LINES AND RE-EVALUATE EVERY TEN YEARS, DID IT MAKE SENSE. I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE NUMBERS THAT HE SHOWED US EARLIER AND I AM LOOKING AT THEM ON MY SCREEN, WE HAD A DISPARITY OF POPULATION TALKED ABOUT 12 ALMOST 13 POINTS.

POPULATION NUMBERS THAT COMMISSIONER C. JACKSON WAS TALKING ABOUT. 1400 IN THE -- 1400 MORE RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT 2 THAN DISTRICT 1.

IF WE ARE TO TAKE THESE ALTERNATIVES MORE THAN 100 -- AND DISTRICT 2 IS ACTUALLY LESS THAN IN POPULATION THAN DISTRICT 1. DISTRICT 1 IS A GREATER NUMBER AND WE ARE VERY CLOSE BY FEDERAL LAW AND STATE LAW, OUR OWN CHARTER AND COMMON SENSE. COMMON SENSE TO MAKE IT EVEN ACROSS OUR TWO DISTRICTS. THE OTHER ITEM I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT -- OH, ON THE MAP, IF KURT, IF YOU CAN EXPAND THIS MAP BACK OUT. IF WE GROW AS A CITY.

AND WE KNOW WE ARE GOING TO GROW AS A CITY.

WE WILL CONDITION WEST -- WE ARE NOT GOING TO GO OOEPS.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO GO WEST. THE DISTRICTS WILL CONTINUE TO SQUARE OFF OVER TIME AND THIS IS ONE OF THE GOALS AND INITIATIVES OF THIS COMMISSION. WE TALK ABOUT IT EVERY SINGLE TIME WE COME TOGETHER FOR A STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION.

WE TALK OF THE INFILL AND DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE CURRENT BOUNDARIES. WE TALK ABOUT HOW TO MAKE MORE PINK OR BLUE OR WHATEVER COLORS THEY ARE ON THE SCREEN TO

[01:30:01]

WE HAVE TO HAVE COVERINGS WITH FRIENDS AT THE COUNTY TO SAY WE ARE GOING TO RAISE OUR HAND AND IMPROVE BY TAKING IT ALL.

WE HAVEN'T VOTED ON THAT AS A COMMISSION, BY THE WAY, BUT THAT IS THE CONVERSATION. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WILL DO WITH THAT AND WE KNOW WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO AND WHAT RESIDENTS WANT AND WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR AS RESIDENTS.

AS FAR AS THE INPUT PART OF THIS ENTIRE PROCESS.

WE ARE SITTING TONIGHT IN A WORKSHOP.

NOT SITTING AS A LEGISLATIVE BODY VOTING.

WE ARE NOT VOTING. WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER WORKSHOP AND LITERALLY A WORKSHOP. PEOPLE WHO FILL THEY HAVE NO INPUT, WE ADAMANTLY. THE PHONE, E-MAIL, ALL AVAILABLE AND I CHALLENGE YOU TO COME WITH ME WITH A MAP.

TELL US THE DAY THAT THAT IS REQUIRED BY LAW AND BY OUR OWN CITY CHARTER THAT IS VOTED UPON BY THE PEOPLE.

SO I AM GOOD WITH CHANGING THE MAP.

I SPENT A LOT OF TIME CAN KURT BECAUSE HUNTING AND PEC KING WITH NUMBERS BECAUSE I LOVE NUMBERS.

AND I THINK IT IS WELL VETTED. I THINK THERE ARE TWO GOOD OPTIONS. I THINK THERE COULD BE A THIRD OPTION, BUT WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH ANOTHER GOOD OPTION WHICH I DON'T KNOW IF WE WILL GET WITHIN THAT .3%.

I COULDN'T BREAK. IT.

I TRIED TO BREAK THE FORMULA AND THE SYSTEM.

IT IS IN SCIENCE CLASS. I HEARD YOU SAY IT.

THE HYPOTHESIS. RIGHT.

A WHAT-IF SCENARIO AND HOW DO I GET TO THE ANSWER OF THE WHAT IF SCENARIO. I THINK IT IS GREAT AND A GREAT DIALOGUE AND I THANK THE RESIDENTS AND THE COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF AND SPITZER. EVEN THOUGH IT IS YOUR JOB, I APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK YOU PUT INTO THIS.

MARY MARY I WANT TO TOUCH ON THE FACT THAT PEOPLE WHO LIVE OR VOTE IN A DISTRICT PICK THEIR COMMISSIONERS.

NOSE IN DISTRICT 1 VOTE FOR DISTRICT 1 AND PEOPLE IN DISTRICT 2 VOTES FOR DISTRICT 2.

AND EVERYBODY VOTES FOR THE MAYOR.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE COME TOGETHER AS A COMMISSION, WE ARE SAYING WE ARE GOING TO WORK TOGETHER AS ONE AND ONE FORT PIERCE. I WATCH THIS COMMISSION GO VERY CONSCIENTIOUS SAYING THIS IS GOOD FOR FORT PIERCE.

DISTRICT 2 AND DISTRICT ONE. WE ALL WORKED TOWARD THAT EMBODYMENT OF WE ARE ONE FORT PIERCE.

IT IS MORE THAN WORDS AND OUR FELLOW COMMISSIONERS ARE DOING THAT. AND SO I.

THIS IS A -- THIS IS A WAY TO -- THAT WE HAVE CHOSEN IN FORT PIERCE. THERE IS SOMETHING LIKE 4200 CITIES IN FLORIDA EVERY CITY DOES IT DIFFERENTLY.

FORT PIERCE IS DOING IN THIS. AND THIS THE WAY WE DO.AND LIKE COMMISSIONER C. JOHNSON SAID, IT IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE.

IT WILL NOT CHANGE IN OUR LIFETIME AND WOULD HAVE TO BE A REFERENDUM AT SOME POINT MAYBE YEARS FROM NOW IT WILL NOT CHANGE AND RIGHT NOW IT IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE.

WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO THIS AND HIRED AN EXPERT TO DO IT AND KNOWS HOW TO WORK THE CENSUS AND MANEUVER THE NUMBERSA.

AS COMMISSIONER C. JOHNSON SAID OBJECTIVELY.

NOT AN OPINION BUT OBJECTIVELY. SO WHAT DO WE WANT TO LEAVE HERE TONIGHT. ANYBODY WANT --

>> MAYOR HUDSON, EXCUSE ME. ONE QUESTION WE STILL HAD OUTSTAND SOMETHING WHY MISS GERTRUDE WALKER WAS NOT

[01:35:03]

NEVER ASKED TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS.

AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE HER ON THE PROGRESS AS WE GO THROUGH. SHE ASKED THAT WE HAVE THE PROCESS COMPLETED AS CLOSE AS MAY 1 AS POSSIBLE.

>> TO PUT IT INTO THE SYSTEM AND MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE IN THE RIGHT DISTRICT. NOT HER RESPONSIBILITY.

IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY. AND SHE IS VERY INTERESTED AND WE FEED THE INFORMATION TO HER. SO COMMISSIONER.

ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE? WE WANT TO JUST WAIT TO HAVE A -- A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHICH PLAN WE LIKED UNTIL THE NEXT WORKSHOP.

>> COMMISSIONER JERMIAH JOHNSON: THAT'S WHERE I AM.

MORE INPUT AND MORE WORKSHOP. >> MAYOR HUDSON: THE NEXT

WORKSHOP. >> MAYOR HUDSON: ANYTHING ELSE

YOU NEED FROM US, MISS COX. >> THE NEXT WORKSHOP NEXT TUESDAY MARCH 28 6:00 BACK HERE IN COMMISSION CHAMBERS.

THAT MEETING WILL BE TELECAST AND BROADCAST LIVE JUST LIKE

THIS ONE IS TONIGHT. >> COMMISSIONER JERMIAH

JOHNSON: THE 29TH. >> 29TH.

MARCH 29TH, TUESDAY MARCH 29TH AT 6:00.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: YOU PROVIDED US FLYERS IN THREE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES SO THE CITY HAS PROVIDED THOSE.

AND THEY ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS THEM.

MR. SWEAT, I THINK YOU HAVE DONE A FEW PRESS RELEASES.

MR. MIMS, YOU HAVE BEEN REAL QUIET.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING? >> NO MA'AM.

>> MAYOR HUDSON: OKAY. MR. SPITZER, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD BEFORE WE MEET AGAIN?

>> NO, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU

AGAIN NEXT WEEK. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP AND EXPLANATION. THANK YOU, SIR.

SHOULD WE AJOURNEY.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.