City voting precinct boundaries amended by council

The Red Oak City Council has proceeded with an ordinance amending Red Oak city code to amend provisions pertaining to precinct boundaries. 

City administrator Brad Wright said the city was required to re-evaluate the precincts and balance the population following the 2020 census. 

“We tried to keep the words as close to the boundaries, as they are today, but it was obvious that the population in the southern part of the town has decreased, and we had to slide the boundary north to be able to balance those, so I feel we’re as close as we can get,” Wright explained. 

• The first precinct consists of that territory bounded by a line as follows:

Beginning at the intersection of the Nishnabotna River and Coolbaugh Street (shown as 205th Street outside the corporate city limits), then east on Coolbaugh Street to West Third Street, then north on West Third Street one-half block to the east-west alley located between Coolbaugh and Reed Street, then east on said alley to West Second Street, then north on West Second Street to Reed Street, then east on Reed Street to Second Street, then north on Second Street to Hammond Street, then east on Hammond Street to Boundary Street, then south on Boundary Street to Reed Street, then east on Reed Street to Highland Avenue, then north on Highland Avenue to Hammond Street, then east on Hammond Street to Eastern Avenue, then north on Eastern Avenue to Forest Avenue, then East on Forest Avenue to Red Oak Creek, then northeasterly along Red Oak Creek to the corporate city limits, then east along the corporate city limits to the eastern boundary line of the corporate city limits, then south along the corporate city limits to the southern boundary line of the corporate city limits, then west following the corporate city limits to Oakwood Avenue, then south along the corporate city limits to the southern boundary line of the corporate city limits, then west along the corporate city limits to Eighth Street (shown as Hickory Avenue outside the corporate city limits), then south on Eighth Street to the southern boundary line of the corporate city limits, then west along the corporate city limits to Highway 48, then north on Highway 48 following the corporate city limits to Ohio Avenue, then west along the corporate city limits to the Nishnabotna River, then north along the corporate city limits to the place of-beginning.

• The second precinct consists of that territory bounded by a line as follows:

Beginning at the intersection of the Nishnabotna River and Coolbaugh Street (shown as 205th Street outside the corporate city limits), then east on Coolbaugh Street to West Third Street, then north on West Third Street one-half block to the east-west alley located between Coolbaugh and Reed Street, then east on said alley to West Second Street, then north on West Second Street to Reed Street, then east on Reed Street to Second Street, then north on Second Street to Hammond Street, then east on Hammond Street to Eighth Street (shown as Hickory Avenue outside the corporate city limits), then north on Eighth Street to the north corporate city limits, then west along the corporate city limit line to Highway 48, then south on Highway 48 following the corporate city limits line to the point where the corporate city limits line turns west, then west following the corporate city limits line to the point where the corporate city limits line turns south then south following the corporate city limits line to the place of beginning.

• The third precinct consists of that territory bounded by a line as follows:

Beginning at the intersection of Eighth Street (shown as Hickory Avenue outside the corporate city limits), and Hammond Street, then east on Hammond Street to Boundary Street, then south on Boundary Street to Reed Street, then east on Reed Street to Highland A venue, then north on Highland Avenue to Hammond Street, then east on Hammond Street to Eastern Avenue, then north on Eastern Avenue to Forest Avenue, then East on Forest Avenue to Red Oak Creek, then northeasterly along Red Oak Creek to Summit Street, then west on Summit Street to the eastern boundary line of the corporate city limits, then north to Highway 34, then west following Highway 34 to Eastern Avenue, then north on Eastern Avenue to the corporate city limits, then west along the corporate city limits to Eighth Street, then south on Eighth Street to the place of beginning.

Council member Jeanice Lester said according to the documentation, it appeared that Ward One was the only district that saw any significant change. The council held a public hearing to discuss the change, and Wright advised he had received no written comments regarding the change. 

Brian Bills was in attendance at the meeting, and asked who drew the proposed districts as they were on the map, and also asked when the new map was due. 

“We have new members coming into the council, and I feel that the new council members should have the opportunity to review the changes if there is time,” said Bills. 

Red Oak Mayor Bill Billings explained that redistricting was done by city hall, and it had to be done in a fair manner. 

“The map has to be drawn in a way that tries to attain fairness, while maintaining the boundaries as closely as possible, and that’s what has been done. It doesn’t change things greatly, and the map is drawn by the city administrator,” commented Billings. 

Wright stated that he had drawn the map, and that the state has a mapping system the city used, using the census blocks, to start adjusting and try to make things fit and make the numbers balance. 

“There are several criteria the districts have to meet. There’s an eight-point integrity test that the map meets, and it checks all eight points,” advised Wright. 

As for the deadline for the new map, Wright said the initial deadline has passed, and then was delayed, so Wright stated he could not answer that question, and he has not seen the new official deadline, but he felt it needed to be approved as soon as possible. No other comments were received during the meeting. 

The council held the first reading of the ordinance change, and Billings advised the council had the choice to waive the second and third readings, or place the item on the next council meeting. The council approved a motion from Council Member Scott Keith, and seconded by Terry Koppa, to waive the second and third readings, and then approved a motion to adopt the new redistricting map. 

Wright added the notice of the public hearing and the planned council action was announced as far back as the first of November. 

“The Secretary of State’s office lays out a very detailed process for the development and adoption of new precinct maps, including participation in a half-day training to use their mapping system, which I participated in. The proposed map of the new precinct boundaries was presented to the Council at the Nov. 1 council meeting, and was talked about on the radio following that meeting. Public notice of the public hearing to receive comment on the new map was published in the newspaper, and the proposed map was available in City Hall for anyone to review upon request.  A copy was also made available to the County Auditor to allow comment,” said Wright. 

Wright reiterated there was a very specific set of criteria laid out by the state that the new precinct map must adhere to. 

“As stated before, the mapping system includes a multi-point integrity test that the proposed map must pass all aspects of prior to adoption, which it did. Every effort was made to minimize any changes made to the city precincts and voting wards, however some adjustments were necessary due to demographic changes within our community since the last census,” Wright stated.