- Home
- Government
- Board of Supervisors
- Redistricting
- Communities of Interest
Communities of Interest
The Lake County Board of Supervisors is seeking your input on Lake County's Communities of Interest. Some of our Supervisorial Districts have seen significant changes in population since Census 2010, and those changes in population will make it necessary to adjust the boundaries of Lake County's Districts, in the interest of ensuring each resident is equally represented by their local government.
Communities of Interest are perhaps best understood by way of examples. "Little Saigon" in Sacramento was offered during Redistricting Hearing Number 2 as an illustration. That example was sourced in a City of Sacramento - Communities of Interest (PDF) resource.
Lake County Examples
The following examples of Lake County Communities of Interest were also offered by the Consultant (drawn from discussion with County staff):
- Tribal lands
- Buckingham
- Lake County communities are known as "The Rivieras"
- Certain apartment complexes with similar characteristics (like low income or senior housing) in the same District
Some possible Communities of Interest were raised by Supervisors and others during the Saturday, October 2 Hearing:
- Unincorporated communities served by "Municipal Advisory Councils" - it was noted Cobb Area Council, a very active MAC, currently spans two County Supervisorial Districts
- Clearlake City Limits (i.e., keeping as much of the City of Clearlake together, as possible)
- Chapman Track (Planning Area 4, City of Clearlake - East of State Highway 53 and South of Hayes Avenue)
- "The Avenues" in Clearlake
- Areas North of Old 53 and North of Burns Valley Road (N section of Clearlake with more Ranchette housing, 1.25-acre parcels)
- "The Park" (area of City of Clearlake North of Country Club and North of Arrowhead)
- Clearlake's "Center of 'town'" area
- Northern Clearlake - e.g., "Windflower Point," Northern section where Sulphur Fire occurred
- In this discussion, Cache Creek was also a natural line to divide District 1 from District 2
- Big Valley (between Kelseyville and Lakeport, currently portions are in both Districts 4 and 5); the District 4 and 5 Supervisors noted "Kelseyville needs adjustment," shifting more population to District 5
We sincerely hope these examples can help members of the public consider Communities of Interest near their own residences. The Board, County staff, and our Consultant continue to encourage members of the public to weigh in regarding what they view as qualifying Communities of Interest, particularly in areas where some redrawing of District boundaries is more probable.
For instance, the current population is divided along boundaries drawn in 2010.
Here are Lake County's current tentative District population counts (employing 2010 boundaries):
- District 1: 13,294
- District 2: 14,311
- District 3: 13,905
- District 4: 13,821
- District 5: 12,708
Note: Currently, one area, with 124 residents, is split by District 2 and District 1.
If Lake County's population were split precisely evenly among the five Districts, each would include 13,633 people.
Based on our current boundaries, District 5 is significantly below that mark.
District 1 is also low, by a much lesser margin.
Additionally, the City of Clearlake, itself, has a population greater than 13,633 (the 2019 estimate was 15,267). Therefore, the Redistricting process will define which portions of the area of the City of Clearlake will be in District 2 (the lion's share of Clearlake is in District 2), versus another District (District 1).
- What is a Community of Interest?
-
A. The California Constitution defines a community of interest as:
A community of interest is a contiguous population which shares common social and economic interests that should be included within a single district for purposes of its effective and fair representation. Examples of such shared interests are those common to an urban area, a rural area, an industrial area, or an agricultural area, and those common to areas in which the people share similar living standards, use the same transportation facilities, have similar work opportunities, or have access to the same media of communication relevant to the election process. Communities of interest shall not include relationships with political parties, incumbents, or political candidates.
Section 2(d)(4) of Article XXI of the California Constitution
- How are Communities of Interest used in the Redistricting Process?
-
Where Supervisorial District boundaries must be adjusted due to population changes, an effort is made to ensure designated Communities of Interest remain within a single Supervisorial District, where possible, to allow for the most effective representation.
- In what areas of Lake County is it most likely residents will move from one District to another as a result of 2021 Redistricting efforts?
-
Based on the above, the following adjustments would seem most probable:
- Shifting some population currently within District 2 to District 1
- Shifting some population currently within District 4 to District 5
- In order to maintain geographic contiguity, shifting some population currently within District 1 to District 5 is also possible.
- How can the public get more information and provide input?
-
Members of the public are invited to visit the County's Redistricting page for more information on the broader process.
Any feedback, questions comments, and input on this process can be emailed to Lake County staff.
- How can members of the public draw a map to demonstrate Communities of Interest?
-
A GIS tool is available for those interested in mapping their Communities of Interest.
Instructions are provided when the map is launched, and Help is available using the "question mark" icon at the upper right.
To draw boundaries of a Community of Interest using our GIS map:
- Zoom into the area of Lake County where your Community of Interest is located (using a computer mouse, fingers on a touchscreen device, and/or the "plus" and "minus" buttons in the upper left of the screen)
- Use the "Draw" function (paintbrush and artist's palette icon at the upper right) to define boundaries
- Once boundaries are drawn, select the printer icon at the upper right of the screen. This will launch a menu on the right side of the screen to create a PDF file that can then be saved and emailed to Lake County staff, or printed and delivered in person or by mail to:
County Administrative Office
ATTN: Redistricting 2021
255 N Forbes Street
Lakeport, CA 95453
Alternatively, residents can use the GIS tool to locate the area of their Community of Interest and print their map, and then draw the boundaries with an ink pen, for example, and scan and email or mail their map to the above address.