Public Comments

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 appreciate the ability to comment on the First Staff Plans. Thank you for setting aside time in your already busy week to hear verbally from members of the community. I really appreciate the efforts of the staff and the commissioners to incorporate community member feedback. This written comment expands on what I shared in the 10am public hearing on September 18th. My comments are about the western side of El Paso County and the 200,000+ people living on this side. I have one brief comment on First State Senate Plan. My State House comments will focus on both the First House Staff Plan and the memo/map in the public comments submitted yesterday by Commissioner Perez. My comments and suggestions are not intended to be a boulder or even a pebble that would have any ripple effect impact outside of El Paso County. For the First Senate Staff Plan in El Paso County, I understand why the staff followed school district boundaries for placing the area west of I25 into SD9. It fits the community of interest definition. It may not fit best with how I personally see my community (Colorado Springs west of I25), but I understand the rationale that staff provided. For the First House Staff Plan, I have some hopefully easy to implement ideas to help with population deviations and restore communities of interest adjacent to the US Air Force Academy (USAFA) by adjusting the boundaries of HD18. My advocacy is to also follow the Academy School District 20 boundary for two unincorporated areas east and south of, but just adjacent to, USAFA. This idea would take 600 people out of HD18 and puts them into their elementary school communities in HD14 or HD20. I believe this recommendation helps the staff get closer to a final plan as HD18 is already has a positive population deviation in the First House Staff Plan. Also, most of us living in El Paso County know that that HD18 will grow disproportionately in the next decade, as it also extends very far east to include new construction subdivisions in the Falcon area adjacent to Highway 24. As luck would have, it I used to live across the fence from both unincorporated areas I’m giving comment about, and I walked them nearly every day. The people in these unincorporated areas need the same state roads and public schools as those who live a block over just inside the city limits. They need the same representative. Please remove from HD18 and put into HD14 the unincorporated area where approximately 200 people live along Voyager Parkway and Otero Avenue roughly between Old Ranch Road and Springcrest Road. In addition, as I’ve testified before, the approximately 400 people in the unincorporated area south of the USAFA and north of Woodmen Road (known colloquially as Woodmen Valley and Thunderbird) belong with the rest of the population that resides in HD20, and not with HD18. These two changes I’m suggesting do not create an extreme deviation by adding to the population in either HD14 or HD20. My next comment is about HD20 and HD16 boundaries in the First House Staff Plan. The boundary of HD16 crosses I25. It puts part of Rockrimmon in HD16. It’s like a ‘Cookie Monster’ shape when you zoom in, where HD20 bites into HD16, and Rockrimmon neighbors get separated. I’m not an expert on redistricting philosophies, but I get the feeling Cookie Monster shapes on map are something the commission and staff pay attention to. There may be other comments or desires about HD20 and HD16 boundaries in the First House Staff Plan that the staff and commission are trying to address. One easy swap the staff could consider is to take these two essentially adjacent North to South districts and make them into East to West districts which both span across I25. Our lives as city dwellers who live north of Fillmore Street make us cross I25 often. The challenge for the staff is where to make the dividing line that makes sense to the people living on the Mesa (west of I25) and the remaining neighborhoods (east of I25). When I did a quick population analysis using the 2020 census data on DavesRedistricting.org, a relatively straight-line West to East boundary would probably have to be around Constitution Avenue or Fillmore Street. But that idea may not be enough to equalize the populations, and alas the staff would likely have to move the boundary even further southward into the established neighborhoods near Old Colorado City (near W Unitah Street) west of I25, or around Bonforte Park or Penrose Hospital east of I25. It's on the east side that it may feel a little awkward to create a district boundary, when there is physical railroad/street boundary essentially at La Salle St/ Constitution Avenue. I know because I drive it at rush hour for a soccer practice. There are no short cuts across that area, and it is fairly visible boundary between residential and light industrial areas when in the areas between Nevada Avenue and Union Blvd. My hunch is that a direct swap of boundary lines to re-orient HD16 and HD20 could separate any well-defined urban neighborhoods on both sides of I25 arbitrarily into different districts, but I’d be happy to give comment if this is what the Second House Staff Plan map reflects. Finally, I have some brief comments about the September 17th memo map submitted as a public comment by Commissioner Perez for El Paso County House districts. First, thank you for the gallery link that the staff provided on September 18th in the chat feature of the meeting to an interactive map https://redistricting-gallery-coleg.hub.arcgis.com/maps/f86b7cf87f5d40a395dbf0c0999216b5/explore?location=38.713628%2C-104.801677%2C13.00 . This proposal for a western El Paso County district labeled as “Foothills HD20” made sense to me because it is essentially the same as what we have in the 2011 district boundaries. The northwest side of Colorado Springs and Ute Pass communities (those areas west of Manitou Springs along Highway 24 like Cascade, Green Mountain Falls) have been together in the current HD20 for the past 10 years. As Commissioner Perez’s memo mentions, these neighborhoods continue to focus on rebuilding neighborhoods and wildlands sustainably after the Waldo Canyon fire. The people on the Northwest side of Colorado Springs don’t have this same history with people in the Tri-Lakes area of Palmer Lake. There are also no similarities in school districts between the Northwest side of Colorado Springs and the populated areas due north of the Air Force Academy boundary, like Palmer Lake or Monument. So, I endorse the “Foothills HD20” idea for its consideration of the Northwest side of Colorado Springs as belonging with residents who are south and west of us. I have one additional point as I try to quickly examine the rest of “Foothills HD20” to give you comment before your Sunday September 19th meeting. There seems to me to be one small area which “is not like the others” according to the Sesame Street song. It’s the southern-most part of “Foothills HD20”, the area south of Cheyenne Mountain State Park and west of Highway 115. Perhaps this area should be included with whatever will comprise the Fort Carson HD, as it is essentially isolated from the rest of the county by state/federal lands. My rationale, as I don’t travel that way often, is based upon publicly available maps and data (Precinct 839, with 1400 people according to the 2020 census data on Davesredistricting.org). About 1200 of these people in Precinct 839 reside in the Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8, and the remaining 200 are assigned to Florence School District RE-2 (which is a predominantly Fremont County school district). If the commissioners are directing revisions to keep Fort Carson as community of interest with Fountain based upon the comments made today, maybe it should also include this small sliver west of Highway 115 in that community as well? I’m happy to continue to provide written comments, should your process allow. It’s a bit unclear to me about when the written public comment period will end. Thank you again. Katherine Czukas

Dear Commission, Please review and take into consideration the comments and testimony below regarding the current redistricting and the one of 2011/12 in the finalization of the House, Senate and Congressional districts. Thank you in advance for your time, consideration and difficult work on the redistricting project! Current 9/13/21 Boundary Maps: Restrict Black, Indigenous and People of Color's political/legislative power within HD 7. These boundaries Dilutes voices in the legislation Dissolves the Black and Latino Votes 2011 Redistricting-HD8 received more than 90% of what had been HD 7B. 2012 House District 7 was left with 5 people to attend the ReOrg meeting immediately after the final approval of the redrawn maps in 2011/12. As a result, the captain and co-captain struggled for 4 years before they were able to begin to rebuild the PCPs in what became 7A. THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING NOW IN 2021/22. 7’s leadership will again be destroyed if the 9/13/21 map is finalized as it. THIS WILL BE THE 2ND CONSECUTIVE TIME HD 7 LEADERSHIP AND PRECINCT COMMITTEE PERSONS HAS BEEN DISASSEMBLED. IT WILL TAKE YEARS TO REBUILD. When HD boundaries are moved it totally disrupts the leadership of the HD7 and many times leaves the sub-districts without PCPs and leadership as I have experienced in 2011. During the reorganization and rebuilding of House District 7 in 2011/12 there were many difficult conflicts caused by the restricting of the district. It took a few elections in the leadership working together over 5 years before HD 7 was fully united and working together. This united House District and the community connections that have been made since 2017, must stay together or we will be fighting to rebuild again for the next several years. Random labeling of the Senate and House Districts adds to the confusion of locating and increasing voters who will vote at the incorrect polling place with the likelihood of a decreased number of voters. Please Do not remove Denver’s, Park Hill, Central Park, Northfield, Montbello and Green Valley Areas from House, Senate or Congressional Districts as it will destroy continuity and community! Will voters have an opportunity to meet to make changes prior to the finalization of the map?

Good day To The Colorado Independent Redistricting Commission, As a 42 year citizen of Longmont and our community’s former public safety(police and fire) chief, I offer the following recommendations and perspectives. It is unfortunate that a small but very important part of Longmont is carved out of the City of Longmont in the proposed redistricting process. My first priority recommendation is that the City of Longmont remain WHOLE in the redistricting process. Our community lives as one organism with the many parts interdependent with the other. Our lives as community members are very much integrated and intertwined. Carving out a small part of our community could very well impact that small part which could interrupt and potentially compromise the interdependent nature of our community. Currently, the commission’s recommendation is that a section of the northwest part of Longmont become a part of State District 13. My second priority recommendation is that if a part of Longmont has to be carved out to join district 13 that it would be a small part of the southwest section of our community and not the northwest corner. First, it is more congruent geographically with District 13. Second, that northwest section contains a highly utilized recreation area, McIntosh Lake. McIntosh Lake is a major destination point for many Longmonters 12 months out of the year. This area was annexed into the City of Longmont because of its recreational value and because of its public safety needs. My concern is that there could be future state legislation or regulations that impact either public safety response or the operation and utilization of a major recreation area.As such, I would recommend that this small section of Longmont remain in District 11. A map depicting the second priority recommendation has already been submitted to the Colorado Independent Redistricting Commission. Thank you for your consideration. Mike Butler

Please keep the Central Park neighborhood together. This map breaks us up. I am in HD 7 now and will be moved into 8, but part of our community is still in 7 north of 1-70.

Lumping a rural place like Routt County with a front range county like Boulder Co. does not seem to make sense to me. People are so different in these two places that this will only continue to spread animosity that is so prevalent in today's politicized atmosphere. That seems to be the only reason to do this if that is the goal.

My name is Jeanne Schrettner and I have lived in Steamboat Springs for thirty years. I have worked at a locally owned business for twenty seven years and am currently the CFO. I do not feel Boulder County and Routt County should be redistricted together. Routt County has far more in common with our fellow counties in the west including Moffat. Our link to the Yampa Valley River is one example of this. Our work force in Routt County is also locked in with the residence of Moffat County and vice versa. This needs to be reconsidered as we want our votes to be counted.

I live in Broomfield and object to our city being split between districts. We are a city that feels like a small town where you know everyone. We have lead the way with local laws that hold oil & gas companies accountable and we should not have our collective voice muted by dividing it up. Thank you.

Dear Commission, Please review and take into consideration the comments and testimony below regarding the current redistricting and the one of 2011/12 in the finalization of the House, Senate and Congressional districts. Thank you in advance for your time, consideration and difficult work on the redistricting project! Current 9/13/21 Boundary Maps: • Restrict Black, Indigenous and People of Color's political/legislative power within HD 7. • These boundaries Dilutes voices in the legislation • Dissolves the Black and Latino Votes • 2011 Redistricting-HD8 received more than 90% of what had been HD 7B. • 2012 House District 7 was left with 5 people to attend the ReOrg meeting immediately after the final approval of the redrawn maps in 2011/12. As a result, the captain and co-captain struggled for 4 years before they were able to begin to rebuild the PCPs in what became 7A. THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING NOW IN 2021/22. • 7’s leadership will again be destroyed if the 9/13/21 map is finalized as it. THIS WILL BE THE 2ND CONSECUTIVE TIME HD 7 LEADERSHIP AND PRECINCT COMMITTEE PERSONS HAS BEEN DISASSEMBLED. IT WILL TAKE YEARS TO REBUILD. • When HD boundaries are moved it totally disrupts the leadership of the HD7 and many times leaves the sub-districts without PCPs and leadership as I have experienced in 2011. • During the reorganization and rebuilding of House District 7 in 2011/12 there were many difficult conflicts caused by the restricting of the district. It took a few elections in the leadership working together over 5 years before HD 7 was fully united and working together. This united House District and the community connections that have been made since 2017, must stay together or we will be fighting to rebuild again for the next several years. • Random labeling of the Senate and House Districts adds to the confusion of locating and increases voters who will vote at the incorrect polling place with the likelihood of a decrease numbers of voters. • Please Do not remove Denver’s, Park Hill, Central Park, Northfield, Montbello and Green Valley Areas from House, Senate or Congressional Districts as it will destroy continuity and community! • Will voters have an opportunity to meet to make changes prior to the finalization of the Redistricting Map? Respectfully, Patricia Morland Voter Vice Chair of HD 7 Captain of HD 7A

Hello, my name is Cam Hill. I am the Associate Director for Colorado Common Cause, and I am registered to lobby this Commission. We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with over 24,000 members and supporters across Colorado. Thank you all for your hard work – you have put in many thoughtful hours into this, and I thank you for your service to our state. I also want to thank you for your commitment to providing opportunities for public input by holding these extra hearings. I believe our democracy is strongest when everyone participates. Colorado Common Cause was one of the groups who worked hard to draft and pass Amendments Y & Z. When voters approved these measures, they showed an overwhelming desire to not only eliminate gerrymandering – but to having fair maps in Colorado. Since January, Colorado Common Cause has been engaged in the work of ensuring our final Congressional and Legislative maps provide fair and equitable representation for all our communities. We have hosted 68 community meetings with more than 1,200 Coloradans from every region of the state. These meetings informed our analyses of the Commissions’ maps and our process for drawing our own maps which we submitted in August. Today we are commenting on a new set of maps. These maps do a marginally better job of prioritizing communities of interest and communities of color than the preliminary maps. We have a few concerns that should be addressed when drawing the next set of maps. On the House map, three universities are split: Regis, CU Boulder, and CSU. Of particular concern are CU Boulder and CSU. These campuses are separated from the main concentration of student housing meaning large portions of the student body will be divided into two districts. This results in the division of critical communities of interest. Universities are epicenters of political engagement and organizing. Many people who become politically and civically engaged in college remain that way for the rest of their lives. Ensuring campuses, including student housing and neighborhoods, are fully contained in one House district makes organizing and engaging these populations easier. By splitting these communities, these maps will stifle the voices of students at two of Colorado’s largest universities. The 2020 Census data revealed that Colorado’s Hispanic and Latino community accounts for 22% of the population – nearly one quarter. Such a substantial portion of our population should be appropriately represented on our state House and Senate Maps. Specifically on the Senate map we encourage the Commission to maximize Hispanic and Latino representation in Weld and Adams Counties. In Adams County we are concerned that communities in the Adams City and Commerce City areas are being cracked into three different districts. In Weld County we see significant Hispanic and Latino populations in Platteville, Fort Lupton, and Lochbuie, lumped together with an overwhelming white majority in District 1. Please prioritize equitable representation in these counties. Prior to working for Colorado Common Cause, I was an educator for five years at Bruce Randolph School in Denver Public Schools. Bruce Randolph primarily serves students and families who live in the Globeville, Elyria-Swansea neighborhood in North Denver and is a central part of the community. GES is one of the oldest and most diverse neighborhoods in Denver. It has been the victim of multiple policy failures which have created issues related to affordable housing, transportation, and pollution. The neighborhood’s air quality is consistently ranked among the worst in the country thanks to Interstate 70, the Purina dog food factory, and the Suncor refinery in Commerce City. This is a community that needs fair representation so they can properly advocate for policy changes to address these critical issues affecting their daily lives. In both the House and Senate maps you divide the GES community from Bruce Randolph school by using 40th Street as a southern boundary. I strongly encourage you to use MLK BLVD as the Southern Boundary instead. This will ensure Bruce Randolph School and much of the Skyland Neighborhood is included in the district with the rest of GES. I will close by reminding the Commission that the Colorado Constitution enumerates a specific hierarchy of considerations for drawing districts. After equal population, it requires this Commission to consider communities of interest – a complex task, no doubt, but one of critical importance if we are to have fair maps. Other criteria, especially competitiveness, should only be prioritized as the constitution says, “to the extent possible,” and never at the expense of our communities of interest. Please remember this when you are making decisions that will shape outcomes for our communities for the next decade. Thank you for your time and your service to our state.

Do not divide Broomfield, part in one district and the other part in another district. It is ridiculous to divide such a small community. All of Broomfield belongs together! Whoever came up this idea has an agenda and I feel confident that Broomfielders will fight you with whatever means possible if you do this to us.