Merced City Council to talk new voting districts, crime
The Merced City Council is expected to pick a demographer to design districts for local elections during the regular meeting Monday, as well as get a look at crime-prevention and economic programs.
City staff will ask the council to approve a $50,000 contract with National Demographics Inc., which would help the city transition from its citywide local elections to district elections. The City Council will meet at 7 p.m. in City Hall, 678 W. 18th St.
The more than 30-year-old company is based in Southern California and has performed work in all regions in the country, according to city records.
The firm uses a “transparent districting” approach, which involves the public at every stage of the process, according to city records. It also has the hardware and software necessary to help the city with graphics and databases.
This month the city voted to move to a system that uses districts when Measure T passed with about 52 percent of the vote. Though the Merced County Registrar’s Office continues to count provisional and absentee ballots, the measure is expected to pass.
The cities of Los Banos and Turlock passed similar measures on Election Day by 64 percent and 74 percent, respectively.
At the same meeting, police Chief Norm Andrade will give a presentation on community-intervention programs that may help reduce crime rates in neighborhoods. The city has programs such as Neighborhood Watch in more than 60 neighborhoods, which city staff members say helps lower the crime rate.
Merced is experiencing a violent year, and the council has heard from residents who say they are sometimes afraid to step outside of their homes. Merced has seen 14 homicides this year, with about six weeks left on the calendar. Last year saw a total of five, and there were nine the year before that.
Economic Development Director Frank Quintero is also scheduled to present new industrial projects to the council.
A closed session meeting is set to begin at 6 p.m., before the regular meeting.
City Council meetings are streamed live on the Internet; a link to the meeting and past videos is at www.cityofmerced.org. The meeting is also shown live on Comcast’s Government Channel 96.
Sun-Star staff writer Thaddeus Miller can be reached at (209) 385-2453 or tmiller@mercedsunstar.com.
This story was originally published November 16, 2014 at 5:53 PM with the headline "Merced City Council to talk new voting districts, crime."