"How are we expected to discuss maps if there are no maps on display. How lame can they get?"
County Judge Bert Cobb: "Public, what public?"
Note: We received these dispatches from two citizens who attended last night's first of three public hearings scheduled by the county to review and discuss the different county redistricting plans. It must take some real chutzpah for our county judge and commissioners to completely ignore the public at a "public hearing."
Nine or ten redistricting plans are now circulating, up from five plans initially a few weeks ago. The latest, Plan O, was drafted recently by Pct. 4 Commissioner Ray Whisenant, attempting to find a middle ground in splitting geograhical areas between Kyle/Buda, Wimberley/Woodcreek and Dripping Springs. Plan N seems to be generating a lot of heat from Wimberley/Woodcreek residents, currently inside Precinct 3, and a lot of support from Kyle/Buda residents, currently inside Precinct 2.
You can view the plans at this county web link: ftp://ftp.co.hays.tx.us/gis/redistricting/. Plan O is not currently up for view.
Maybe the next public hearing, Tuesday Aug. 9, 1:30pm at the county courthouse, will be conducted more like a public hearing by the county judge.
If you have an interest in who represents you at the county courthouse, you may want to email commissioners to share your thoughts. Remember, whatever plan is finally voted on will stick for the next ten years . . . County Judge Cobb bert.cobb@co.hays.tx.us, Pct. 1 Commissioner Ingalsbe debbiei@co.hays.tx.us, Pct. 2 Commissioner Jones mark.jones@co.hays.tx.us, Pct. 3 Commissioner Conley will.conley@co.hays.tx.us, and Pct. 4 Commissioner Whisenant ray.whisenant@co.hays.tx.us
. . . or click on the "comments" at the bottom of the story
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I attended the meeting (Monday night) and there was not one display map to be seen in court. Not one! In this day of technology, audio/visual support, not even one map to be seen. No easels, no projected maps on a screen. How are we expected to discuss maps if there are no maps on display. How lame can they get?How disrespectful of the public that took the time to go. And not one single statement from the court. Just some rhetoric from (County Judge Bert) Cobb on how he's trying to make the best decision that he can and how the 4 person committee appointed on March 1 wasn't legally required to hold open meetings with the public. We didn't learn anything new. They didn't share any news with us. Not one commissioner spoke.
I suggest that for the next meeting the "public" take a projector with the maps and show the maps on the walls ourselves. Or print out the maps and place them on easels ourselves since our officials are too lame to do it. I can't be there due to work but if anyone wants my slide projector, you can borrow it.
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The redistricting meeting at the Courthouse tonight was shorter than the time it took me to drive from Wimberley and back. Judge Cobb did ALL the talking. No commissioner spoke. Will Conley (commissioner pct. 3) sat sipping on something like a Slurpee, leaning back in his chair, the whole time.
Judge told the people who wanted to speak for 3 minutes to sign up and to speak for or against one map. Several people from Kyle spoke in favor of Plan N. I spoke against Plan N. There were no maps on display, and so many people there had no idea what the speakers were talking about. Judge wound up the meeting with some platitudes about no map would please everyone.
Meeting adjourned.
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Commissioner Whisenant had sent around the email below, referring to a Plan O he's working on.
Hays County Citizens,
I feel it is my responsibility as Hays County Precinct 4 Commissioner to be involved in the redistricting process. I have never intended to circumvent or subvert the efforts of the Redistricting Committee. My involvement began when an early map was released putting the Texas State campus in my precinct and removed part of Driftwood from Precinct 4.I worked on a map that was released prematurely and became known as Map J. My effort was to return the Driftwood area sub-community to Precinct 4 and let the university remain in Precinct 1 or Precinct 3, precincts that currently share representation in San Marcos.
The Committee released Maps L, L2 and L3. I took the features of those maps and made minor changes to return a small area of southeast San Marcos to Precinct 3. I also placed the western half of Leisure Woods subdivision in Precinct 2.
The Precinct 4 office sponsored several town hall meetings in Dripping Springs, Kyle and San Marcos (Hilliard Road area). I was able to see a proposed Map N during the Kyle meeting. This map has some similar implications for the Wimberley community as expressed by Kyle residents about Maps L and M1 Revised.
I have worked with the Hays County GIS Office on a map called “Draft Map O.” This map, like all the other maps I worked on, considers communities, Congressional and Senatorial Districts, existing voter precincts, census blocks and the statistical and demographic numbers provided by the County’s legal counsel. This proposed map has been discussed with the individual Commissioners and the County Judge as a recommendation from my office.
The major changes compared to plan M1Revised and N are that Hometown Kyle and Hays High School remain in Precinct 2, the area west of FM1626 and north of Mustang Branch become Part of Precinct 4 and the entire voting Precinct 447 remains in Precinct 4. Map O also removes the narrow strip of land connecting two large portions of Precinct 4 that has become known as “the gorge” by most critics of the “L” maps.
I have stated and believe I can and I am willing to represent these areas in a fair and equitable manner. All of my recommendations have had these considerations and my commitment.
I appreciate your comments and hope you can attend one of the public meetings held during Commissioners Court. Meetings are being held on July 25th at 6PM and August 9th and 16th at 1:30PM. All meetings will be held at the Hays County Courthouse on the 3rd floor.
22 comments:
Public hearings should be about our County Commissioners listening to the public - not the public listening to the Commissioners comment on the maps.
- Lila Knight
Cobb and commissioners are exhibiting classic symptoms of denial (clamming up) in dealing with difficult issues and the public. Not a real public leader among them. They are acting more like chastened juveniles.
What! No maps on display? How can resdistricitng maps be discussed, in good faith, if they are not printed out and on display? The maps on the HaysCo website are too small to really see? In order to "work with them" in good faith, I feel the redistricting maps need to be up on display all day everyday in the Commissioner's Court, for all conerned citizens to particiate. Let areas of conern be marked down and given serious consideration! What a waste of the time of the only evening meeting for conerned citizens to participate! Shocking!!! Let's get sincere and work on these important redistricintg maps together! This is IMPORTANT for 10years!!! Let's get all heads together! NOW! Display maps NOW!
WAit a minute! Didn't you all vote in these anti-government government officials?
Now citizens are complaining about how our public officials are lazy and incompetent after all the pre-election talk about how public service and government is a waste of tax payer money and that everything would be run better as a quasi-privatized entity.
Well, this arrogance you see on the part of the Hays County Gang of Five - Cobb et al - is what you get when you elect in these small government yahoos who make sure government does not work - which ends up proving (through incompetence) to the already blind anti-government fanatics who say:
"See, government for sure doesn't work."
If you think this County Commissioner complacency is bad,. wait until you see what happens if you privatize our water, our schools, our infrastructure, etc.
We get a local version of what the Bush-Cheney crony corrupt sub-contractors have done in Iraq and Afghanistan - bill taxpayers $ billions for phony charges or $10 a can for a poorly made Coca-Cola taste-alike.
Welcome to the new Tea Party mindset: Destroy government just for the sake of it.
Holy crap, I actually find myself agreeing with Lila Knight.
Honestly, it's NOT going to matter much which redistricting plan is adopted.
The majority of us will get screwed any which way.
BTW, our property taxes will be rising again in 2012 as the bond issue will need more $ and the annual valuation creep will inch up on all of us.
The meeting last night was a joke.
A real bad joke.
The equivalent of just flipping us the finger before doing what they want anyway.
What ever the new districts turn out to be they will mostly likely serve party insiders from both sides just fine. They will likely be to the advantage of the two commissioners up for re-election.
They most likely won't serve YOUR interests.
That's how it works until we assert our wills.
I live on the south edge of Driftwood close off 3237. I would rather be in precinct 3 where my neighborhood is closer to wwimberley. That's where we go to shop, eat and party. We don't have much interest in Dripping Springs or the commisioner there.
Man, ole Commander Cobb looks pretty spacey in that photograph. Maybe too many Apollo missions. Earth to Cobb...come in...redistricting...
Kosmos,
Can you imagine how painful it is to listen to crazy people while you try to do the counties business?
I'm sure Judge Cobb is very tired of all the un-electable people criticize his every move. Brannon (and his 100 supporters) need to get a clue and a life.
@ Anonymous July 26, 2011 5:42 PM
Who parties in Wimberley?
To Anonymous who stated:
"That's where we go to shop, eat and party. We don't have much interest in Dripping Springs or the commisioner there."
I think you may have totally missed the whole point of redistricting. It is not about shopping, eating, or partying. Where you do that has nothing to do with what precinct you are in. And you still get to do al that regardless of the outcome of redistricting! But I do wish you the best in all your activities nonetheless. And would even love to join you from time to time. LOL
But you should try to at least get to know Commissioner Whisenant. You might kind of be surprised. Don't be so quick to judge. Tolerance is the key. As well as the ability to negotiate - if only just a bit. LOL
- Lila Knight
Commissioner Mark Jones favors the M maps for redistricting. There are two still under consideration -- M1 Final and M2. M2 actually mistreats Precincts 3 and 4 more than does M1 Final. M1 Final has Precinct 3 at 1696 under the Ideal Population; M2 has it at 1815 under. M1 Final has Precinct 4 at 1358 under the Ideal; M2 has it at 1832 under.
As Judge Cobb and the commissioners remind us, no map will please everyone. But Precinct 2 will have to give up some territory to Precincts 3 and/or 4. Some of the land now shown on the M maps as being in Precinct 2 is closer to Dripping Springs (Pct.4) than to Kyle or Buda anyhow.
I also reside in the south Driftwood area (voting precinct 448). If we can get our roads blacktopped like Conley did to Flite Acres we might be better off in precinct 3 under Conley. We are outliers out here under precinct 4. The neighborhoods west -south of Hays City Store and Lone Man have more voter and other connections to Wimberley and Kyle, I'd say more Wimberley and much less Dripping Springs. I don't know what plan it is but take me out of 4 and in 3. Thank you.
Like him or not, Conley gets it done. I have lived in Precinct 3 since he came on board and he is the most responsive and reachable office holder I have ever been represented by. He actually calls you back and he listens. Sure he spends money here but it is better than letting it go elsewhere. Commissioner Whisenant is a close second and a fine gentleman.
Some of the liberal crazies in the deep recesses of Wimberley and a couple of them in Driftwood will beat up on anyone that is not a pandering socialist it seems. Think about some of the characters we have had as Commissioners in the past and then thank your lucky stars.
One of the more unfair practices is that when they widened and resurfaced RR 12 they also topped off the entranceways of all the residential driveways.
When they did the resurfacing on FM 1826 they refused to do the same thing for our residential driveways.
That's just not right.
"I'm sure Judge Cobb is very tired of all the un-electable people (who) criticize his every move."
"Sure he (Conley) spends money here but it is better than letting it go elsewhere. Commissioner Whisenant is a close second and a fine gentleman."
"Like him or not, Conley gets it done. Some of the liberal crazies in the deep recesses of Wimberley and a couple of them in Driftwood will beat up on anyone that is not a pandering socialist it seems."
To paraphrase: "Judge Cobb only represents those who agree with him; Commissioners Conley and (gentleman) Whisenant are big government spenders; and those who speak out against wasteful government spending to buy votes are socialist...it seems"
Just listen to yourselves.
You know the old saying that when you keep your mouth shut you hear twice as much as you do with it open? Well, just maybe the Commissioners were doing just that - listening (ala, public HEARING) versus talking. Depending on how it was posted for the meeting, the Court could get in trouble if they discussed the business at hand without a proper posting for "discussion". If it was posted only as a "public hearing", there was nothing posted for discussion which means that they get skewered for not properly posting.
As for not providing maps for review? That's a good question.
Glad you mentioned that Jon. Here's what the county's public notice for the July 25 redistricting public meeting (posted 6pm July 22) states, in quotes:
Discussion and possible action to consider the redistricting of Commissioners Precinct Lines in Hays County; a presentation of proposed maps will be included.
Here's the link: http://www.co.hays.tx.us/index.php/government/public-notices/
Click on Open Meeting Redistricting 25July2011
Plan O has still not been posted on the county website.
There are 8 redistricting plans still on the county website. A 9th plan, Plan O, may be forthcoming.
Several plans have already been abandoned, and I suggest that 3 more be eliminated from consideration: Plans L, L2, and L3. Plan L4 would remain from the L maps. L, L2, and L3 all have high Total Deviations (9.32%, 9.95%, and 8.56%), and L4 is much like the other L's, yet has a low Total Deviation of 5.79%
That would leave a total of only 5 maps (6 if Plan O comes forth) to be considered at the next public hearing on redistricting. Then perhaps some further elimination of maps could be done before the second, and final, public hearing.
Judge Cobb and the commissioners could ask at the beginning of the next public hearing whether anyone objects to tossing out L, L2, and L3.
The most appalling aspect of the first redistricting hearing was the presentation by the legal consultant. The amount of knowledge imparted by the representative from Rios and Assoc. wouldn't fill a thimble. Amazingly, the Commissioners never asked him anything either. Judge Cobb asked a few questions but nothing of substance. At one point Judge Cobb declared how important it was for the county redistricting plan to pass muster with the Department of Justice, but no one ever asked the consultant what qualified a plan for DOJ approval under the Voting Rights Act. The consultant offered no information on Voting Rights Act compliance. If this is all we can expect from the consultant, I'd hope the county asks for its money back.
Precinct redistricting map Plan O is now on the website. It has Total Deviation of 5.55%. Precinct 1 is finally near its Ideal Population -- only 12 people over--, but Precinct 2 is 1363 people over its Ideal Number -- about the same as Precincts 3 & 4 combined are under their numbers.
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