75A - PH - BOUNDARY WARD CHANGES

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Public Hearing: Consider New City Council Ward Boundary Lines December 19, 2011 Page 3 of 4 Charter Requirements As reference, the City's Charter specifically addresses Wards and boundary changes as follow: Sec. 101.1. - Wards of the city. Prior to the general election in 1988 the City Council shall divide the City into six (6) wards by ordinance according to the following formula: Each of the wards is to be as nearly equal in population as possible. The wards shall be composed of contiguous and compact territory and bounded by natural boundaries of street lines wherever possible. Any territory hereafter annexed to or consolidated with the City shall become a part of the ward to which it is most contiguous, pending any reboundary necessary to promote equality of population among the wards. (Ord. No. NS- 1316, 8- 24 -76, approved at election 11 -2 -76; Ord. No. NS -1521, 3- 17 -80, approved at election 6 -3 -80; Ord. No. NS -1864, 8- 19 -86, approved at election 11 -4 -86) Sec. 101.2. - Wards, boundary changes. Ward boundaries shall not be altered except as reasonably necessary to promote greater equality of population among the wards when such necessity is shown by the most recent federal decennial census, or by more current census data certified by the City Council as sufficiently reliable and detailed to serve as a basis for ward boundary alteration, or by annexation or consolidation of territory. Such boundary alteration shall be made only by ordinance adopted by affirmative vote of at least two - thirds (213) of the full membership of the City Council in accordance with section 101.4. Any such ordinance adopted within one hundred twenty (120) days immediately preceding any election of council members shall not become effective until the day following such election. (Ord. No. NS -1316, 8- 24 -76, approved at election 11 -2 -76) Sec. 101.3. - Reserved. Editor's note— Ord. No. NS -1521, adopted March 17, 1980, approved at election June 3, 1980, repealed § 101.3 relative to increasing the number of wards of the City from 7 to 9 whenever the census data described in § 101.3 disclosed a population of 240,000 people. Said section had previously been amended by Ord. No. NS -1316, adopted Aug. 24, 1976, approved at election Nov, 2, 1976. Sec. 101.4. - Same— Notice and public hearing. Before making any change, modification or realignment of ward boundaries or numbers of wards, the City Council shall pass a resolution declaring its intention to make such changes. Such resolution shall set forth a convenient day, hour and place when and where any persons having any interest therein, or any objection to the making thereof, may appear before the City Council and be heard thereon. The City Council shall direct the Clerk of the Council to give notice by publishing said resolution once a week for two (2) weeks in the official newspaper prior to the date set for hearing. Said hearing in the event of increasing the number of wards shall be held not less than sixty (60) days prior to the succeeding general municipal election. In any event, not less than thirty (30) days 75A -3