GOLETA — The Goleta Water District is inviting members of the public to participate in a series of public hearings to help redraw district lines.
The Goleta Water District will be creating five geographic districts. Each one will have a board director who lives in the district and is chosen by local voters within that district. This will be the first district-based election in the city and will take place in Nov. 2022.
Members of the public are invited to provide input, submit maps and review the redistricting process through a series of public hearings. Public input will help the GWD identify smaller communities of interest in the Goleta Valley, which the demographers will consider when drawing district boundaries, according to a news release.
“The districting process will aim to involve as many residents and stakeholders in GWD as possible,” said Kathleen Werner, President, Goleta Water District Board of Directors. “We need to hear from everyone to ensure the new district lines represent the interests of residents, business owners, and families. Please submit public comments for our next hearing on September 28, 2021 and fill out a community of interest form.”
The first public hearing will take place this Tuesday at 6 p.m. on Zoom. To view the meeting, follow the link in the meeting’s agenda, which can be found at goletawater.com/agendas-and-minutes.
To make a public comment during the meeting, register for the Zoom meeting via the registration link found in the district’s agenda document, or attend the meeting by calling in at (888) 788-0099 and then entering the meeting ID (876 9008 5821). Public comments can also be submitted before, during or after the meeting by emailing publiccomment@goletawater.com or districting@goletawater.com.
— Madison Hirneisen