Public Comments

Colorado has done terrific work to create a non-partisan and fair method for redistricting that is a model for the nation. This is why I was so disturbed to learn that there is a move afoot to undo all the great work that non-partisan staff have done. I urge the commission to reject the maps that are being created by Commissioners Barnett and Kottwitz and use the nonpartisan maps that have been designed. This is an opportunity not only for Colorado but the USA to model non-partisan politics that puts the voters first. It is imperative that we do the job right.

Legislative Redistricting Commission: My name is Ms. Katherine Czukas. I am representing myself. I have been a resident of El Paso County for 11 years. I have more comments about recently posted amendments to the House and Senate Maps in the past 36 hours. I really appreciate that there are publicly available interactive maps and supporting materials, as I’m not an ESRI power user. I hope to comment on the plans/amendments from the 10/8 public hearing portion of the meeting, but they aren’t interactive yet. However, I am a power user of the roads, schools and businesses of Colorado Springs, and I wanted to comment with small changes to correct community of interest inconsistencies in HA.010 McReynolds (presented October 7, 2021) and in SP.009 Barnett, Fletcher, Greenidge, Hass, Horvath, Kottwitz (requested October 6, 2021). My belief is that with more time, other community members would have made comment, but time is precious right now so I’m sharing my suggestion. I believe these small changes will help keep a west side community of interest near W Colorado Avenue in the boundary between Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs whole, and also keep the Mountain Shadows whole. Again, these were priorities advocated by commissioners and in public testimony, and they are straightforward to do. For the HA.010 McReynolds – the current Precinct 102 of El Paso County is being put in HD14. However, there are particular census blocks (south of Garden of the Gods Park) which really are a community of people who are part of the Old Colorado City/Manitou Springs area. These census blocks should be part of HD18 and removed from HD14. Specifically, without an amendment to HA.010, people who live on the same dead-end residential streets such as Columbia Road, Red Rock Avenue, Yale Avenue, Valley Lane, and W. Platte Ave (west of 33rd St) are being separated into two different house districts. An amendment to HA.010 to rectify this would amount to moving a boundary line to impact about 1,696 people according to the DavesRedistricting.org (of the HA.010 Reynolds submission). Since there are many census blocks in a precinct, I’m going to suggest that the following census blocks in Precinct 102 remain in HD14: 080410037131040, 080410037131041, 080410037131042, 080410037131043, 080410037131044. And the remainder of the census blocks in precinct 102 be reassigned to HD18. Though the commission could describe this differently as well, by describing north or south of Garden of the Gods Park. My suggestion to move these specific census blocks would not impact in a negative way the target population deviations of HD14 or HD18. This suggestion would actually help put HD18 closer to the desired population size (moving from -1,308 to +388 target deviation). My comments about SP.009 Barnett, Fletcher, Greenidge, Hass, Horvath, Kottwitz and its impact on people west of I25 and in the Cottonwood Creek Park area remain the same as my prior comments of SP.008. (You can see those comments by searching my name for 10/7/21 public comments or for searching SP.008). But to further illustrate a suggested change to either of these SP plans is to stop using an arbitrary road like S. Rockrimmon Blvd as a boundary line, when using the middle of the Ute Valley Park, or even the private road where the “Old HP” or Marriott Hotel could more suitable boundary that doesn't divide a community. But if that’s not possible in ESRI, then my recommendation is don’t use S. Rockrimmon Blvd as a boundary for a State Senate district. For people living in the Rockrimmon and Woodmen Road & N Academy Blvd areas of Colorado Springs, my perspective is that the Second Senate Staff Plan and the Third Senate Staff Plan did a better job of thinking about communities of interest in this part of Colorado Springs using geographic or school district boundaries. I’d encourage the commissioners to think more about those options when considering what is relevant for most families in this part of Colorado Springs. I appreciate all you’re doing to keep the public involved in giving you our perspective via publicly available information. I hope this information will be of use to you in your process this weekend.

GOP redistricting commissioners Barnett and Kottwitz are trying to shove through maps to give state senate and house control to their GOP allies. Please reject maps that are subject to undisclosed GOP lobbying and support nonpartisan staff plans. Thank you.

Greetings and thank you from your service to our community. You are hugely important in creating a fair future for all of the citizens of Colorado. I urge you to take a stand for transparency by rejecting any maps that could be tarnished by the ongoing, unreported lobbying to gerrymander legislative districts for the GOP. You must reject maps being pushed by Commissioners Barnett and Kottwitz and support maps drawn by nonpartisan staff if you are going to be fair to all of us. Thank you for your attention to this development attempting to influence your hard work. Bonita Bock 2437 Downing St Denver, Co 80205

It was decided by the voters of Colorado to have a nonpartisan commission to draw up the maps for redistricting. It was not decided by the voters to have the 2 Republican members of that body to draw up their own maps. Please reject the maps drawn up by Barnett and Kottwitz and support the maps that were drawn up by the nonpartisan commission. Our democracy is trying to be held up by these 2 Republican members. Please reject what they are trying to do.

I urge you to utilize the maps suggested by the neutral redistricting staff which submitted their final set of legislative maps to the commission. This would ensure fair representation for the people of Colorado. You should reject maps being pushed by Commissioners Barnett and Kottwitz and support maps drawn by nonpartisan staff. Thank you, Arleen Richter

Please reject maps being pushed by Commissioners Barnett and Kottwitz and support maps drawn by nonpartisan staff.

Please reject any maps that might be tarnished by the lobbying of Commissioners Barnett and Kottwitz. The whole purpose of independent redistricting is to avoid gerrymandering, as you know. Please support only maps drawn by nonpartisan staff as voters want.

Please reject the new maps being pushed by Commissioners Barnett and Kottwitz. Please only consider the maps drawn up by our non partisan staff. Thank you. Diane Tipton.

Dear Commission, Please reject maps being pushed by Commissioners Barnett and Kottwitz. Please support maps being drawn by nonpartisan staff. Thank you for your attention to this. Best regards, Susan Florreich