NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY OF CAPITOLA CITY COUNCIL Notice is hereby given that the City Council of the City of Capitola will hold a Public Hearing on Thursday, May 28, 2026, beginning at the hour of 6:15 PM in the City Council Chambers, 420 Capitola Avenue, Capitola, California, to consider the following: The Districting Process As required by Elections Code Section 10010, the City will hold at least two (2) public hearings prior to the release of draft maps of Council election districts. Council will then hold an additional two (2) or more public hearings to solicit public input regarding the content of the draft maps and the proposed sequence of elections. Then an additional public hearing will be held prior to the approval of an ordinance implementing a Council election district map. The May 28 hearing partially fulfills the requirement of California Elections Code Section 10010 that states: "(1) Before drawing a draft map or maps of the proposed boundaries of the districts, the political subdivision shall hold at least two public hearings over a period of no more than thirty days, at which the public is invited to provide input regarding the composition of the districts. The intention of this hearing is to identify the neighborhoods, other "communities of interest," and other local factors that should be considered or used as 'building blocks' when the drawing of draft maps begins. The public is welcome to propose complete districting maps, but it is not required. During this hearing the City will go over the public mapping tool and interactive map review website provided by the districting consultant (National Demographics Corporation, or NDC). 4 vs 5 Districts California Government Code Section 34886 enables cities to change to by-district elections by ordinance: "Notwithstanding Section 34871 or any other law, the legislative body of a city may adopt an ordinance that requires the members of the legislative body to be elected by district or by district with an elective mayor, as described in subdivisions (a) and (c) of Section 34871, without being required to submit the ordinance to the voters for approval. An ordinance adopted pursuant to this section shall comply with the requirements and criteria of Section 21601 or 21621 of the Elections Code, as applicable, and include a declaration that the change in the method of electing members of the legislative body is being made in furtherance of the purposes of the California Voting Rights Act of 2001 (Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 14025) of Division 14 of the Elections Code)." As noted, part of this process is the decision to change to 4 districts with an elective mayor, or to 5 districts with a Council-selected rotating mayor. In NDC's experience, the process goes smoother the earlier this decision is made, as residents then focus on how to draw and select the best 4- or 5-district map, rather than on whether to have 4 or 5 districts. The resulting recommendation is for the Council to give (non-binding) direction on whether to develop 4-district or 5-district scenarios at the end of the first public hearing. If the Council is not yet ready to provide that direction, the decision can wait until the conclusion of the second public hearing. The Council can reverse this decision at any time prior to second reading or the districting ordinance, however changing this decision may require scheduling additional hearings prior to final adoption. Further information on how to participate can be found at cityofcapitola.gov. Testimony may be presented in person, emailed, or submitted in written form prior to the hearing and made part of the record. The agenda and staff reports for these items will be published at least 72 hours prior to the meeting. If you require special assistance in order to attend the meeting, including needs addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act, please notify the City at least 3 days prior to the meeting by calling (831) 475-7300. Rosie Wyatt Deputy City Clerk City of Capitola Dated: May 15, 2026 Publish Date: May 18, 2026
