City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: FEBRUARY 6, 2019
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Alexandria Complete Count Committee Appointments. [ROLL-CALL VOTE]
BODY
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ISSUE: Appointment of members of the City’s Complete Count Committee to promote the 2020 US Census.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council: (1) receive and approve the recommendations for the initial 27 appointments to the City’s 2020 Census Complete Count Committee (the “Committee”), (2) adopt the draft revised resolution (Attachment 1) designating responsibility for appointment of additional members of the Committee and its Steering Committee to the City Manager, in consultation with the Committee Chair.
BACKGROUND: The United States Constitution requires the Federal Government to conduct a national census every ten years. The next Census will be in April of 2020. To make this census as accurate a count of the country's population as possible, the U.S. Bureau of the Census has requested that local governments establish “complete count committees” to encourage local residents to participate in the Census.
Per City Council’s Resolution 2842 (Attachment 2) establishing the Alexandria Complete Count Committee (‘Committee’), the City Manager is charged with recommending members for City Council to appoint. Councilman Canek Aguirre was designated Chair of the Committee at the January 2019 City Council Installation.
DISCUSSION: Between October 9 and November 25, 2018, staff advertised and solicited nominations for individuals with expertise in the following areas:
• Work with one or more historically undercounted communities, to include:
o Communities in Arlandria, Alexandria West, Beauregard, and Landmark
o Families with children under the age of 5
o Renter households
o Black or African American residents
o Hispanic residents
• Knowledge of how historically undercounted communities perceive government
entities
• Work directly with trusted messengers in historically undercounted communities
Twenty-seven applications were received, as shown in Attachment 3. Staff recommends that all applicants be selected to serve on the Committee. In addition, staff recommends that the City Manager appoint additional members as needed, in consultation with the Committee Chair, in order to ensure as diverse a representation on the Committee as possible. Finally, due to the large size of the Committee, Staff recommends establishment of a Steering Committee, appointed by the City Manager in consultation with the Chair. The Committee Chair, whose role is to guide the Steering Committee and larger Committee in developing a work program, is Councilman Canek Aguirre.
Additionally, ten City and Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) employees have agreed to assist with the work of the Committee, led by the Department of Planning and Zoning (see Attachment 4).
Once applicants have been appointed, staff will send appointment letters and schedule the first meeting.
FISCAL IMPACT: City Council has provided a budget of $30,000 for the Census 2020 Complete Count Committee. A work program will be developed once the Committee has been established; programs may be similar to those of 2000 and 2010, and will also include social media and other new outreach tools effective in reaching a broad audience, including younger people (and which are no cost). Staff estimates a minimum of 500 hours of City Staff will be needed to support the Committee. The estimate consists of staff time that will be spent on meeting preparation and attendance, post-meeting activities, community outreach, and preparation of the annual status report.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Draft Resolution
2. Resolution 2842
3. Recommended Membership of the Complete Count Committee
4. Recommended City and ACPS Staff for the Complete Count Committee
5. Presentation
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, Deputy City Manager
Karl Moritz, Director, Department of Planning and Zoning
Carrie Beach, Division Chief, Neighborhood Planning and Community Development
Radhika Mohan, Principal Planner, Neighborhood Planning and Community Development
Sierra Latham, Urban Planner II, Neighborhood Planning and Community Development