The City of Palmdale will host the next two redistricting community workshops on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 1 p.m. at Knight High School, 37423 70th St. East, in District 4; and Saturday, Oct. 16 at 5 p.m. at Palmdale Oasis Park Recreation Center, 3850 East Ave. S, in District 3.
The workshops give residents an opportunity to learn more about mapping tools, ensure their community is fairly represented, and connect with others interested in the redistricting process. The public is encouraged to attend and make public comments on the process. Comments may also be emailed to Redistrict2021@cityofpalmdale.org up until 24 hours before the scheduled meeting.
Members of the Palmdale community are encouraged to participate in the redistricting process to make sure district lines respect neighborhoods, history, and geographical elements.
The meetings will also be available via Zoom. For links to the Zoom meetings and agendas, visit www.DrawPalmdale.org and search under “Schedule.”
The final community meeting will take place Monday, Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. at Marie Kerr Park Recreation Center, 2723-A W. Rancho Vista Blvd., in District 2.
The redistricting process occurs every 10 years and uses new U.S. Census data to balance out the population count among each district. Residents of Palmdale have an opportunity to help shape the future of the City by redrawing district boundaries and creating new maps based on population changes. Maps are drawn based on population count, contiguity, public input on communities of interest and more.
To ensure the redistricting process accurately reflects the best interest of Palmdale’s diverse community, the City Council has appointed an Advisory Redistricting Commission to gather public feedback and provide recommendations on draft maps.
To help share information about redistricting, gather draft maps and collect public feedback, the City also launched a dedicated redistricting website: DrawPalmdale.org. The website includes background information about redistricting, a schedule outlining public meetings and deadlines, frequently asked questions, resources for drawing maps, and more information on how to get directly involved in the redistricting process. As the process moves forward in the coming months, Palmdale will continue to update the website to include additional information on upcoming meetings and events.
As required by law, the City of Palmdale will hold four public hearings at the City Council Chamber. The first meeting took place on Sept. 14, and the other meetings are scheduled for Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m., January 2022 (TBA), and Feb. 2022 (TBA)
To learn more about the redistricting process and future public participation opportunities, visit www.DrawPalmdale.org.