[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6637397,"mediaKeyId","2586608-84068197da8d039841105001ce0f1573","parentId",2586608,"title","Committee approves March 6 minutes and adjourns; motions pass unanimously","audioSeconds",4751,"startMs",916000,"endMs",5667000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2586608-84068197da8d039841105001ce0f1573&start=916&end=5667","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2586608-84068197da8d039841105001ce0f1573/thumbnail_916000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6637397/Orange-County/Florida/Committee-approves-March-6-minutes-and-adjourns-motions-pass-unanimously","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6637397-c3a439748dd9d9dfa21344edae826618/orig.mp4?Expires=1773644922&Signature=Q1ODSuwLFAw43hq5Pe4cfQciN7lX5hWyCiUfeJEAddigFyDraPY5nmFqimc7w1PUK1S-Z9~~EWnKthwqf~lDf5JJbntb2TNcixzjYxSb4aQgshTjmRv2urU6VxHFAOIFzCvowFwyF~tmdueuFkwDPm9HncXtp41nx2yQHm6V6q8~IjgT8f6zW2IsZ9Y6oUbhHtaoExWXx0ZXuo0ZxPUzH0DczEccfdX-m1w6RFIZH0c2oLvgaSOsmBn6dTRBM7wzVpK52itHoi4WDJ4SS6Uk-w0bzdFxEpTR5WEfl1Anfxl2ng0m7s~VK6XYhFjjRuVPxSf120RTuk3nowY5Dd01Cg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Orange County","date","2025-03-13T00:04:29.053Z","article","The Orange County Mid Decennial Redistricting Advisory Committee took two formal actions at its March 12 meeting.

The committee voted to adopt the March 6, 2025 meeting minutes after a motion from Committee Member Pizzini and a second from Mr. Arias. Chair called for the question and members voted by voice; the chair declared the motion carried unanimously.

At the end of the meeting Co‑Chair Perez moved to adjourn; a second was heard and members voted by voice, with the chair announcing the motion passed.

Formal actions

- Motion to adopt minutes of March 6, 2025: moved by Committee Member Pizzini; second by Mr. Arias; outcome: approved by voice vote (unanimous as announced).

- Motion to adjourn: moved by Co‑Chair Perez; second not named on the record; outcome: approved by voice vote (unanimous as announced).

Why it matters: the adoption of minutes creates the formal record of the committee’s prior meeting; adjournment closed the March 12 meeting and set the timetable for future sessions and vendor training.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025 Orange County Mid-Decennial Redistricting Advisory Committee | March 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Mid Decennial Redistricting Advisory Committee adopted the March 6 meeting minutes and later voted to adjourn; both motions passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition.","taxTitle","Orange County, Florida","taxId",2866,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6637402,"Residents urge committee to consider transient jail population and updated surveys when drawing maps",578,213000,791000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2586608-84068197da8d039841105001ce0f1573&start=213&end=791","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2586608-84068197da8d039841105001ce0f1573/thumbnail_213000.jpg","/articles/6637402/Orange-County/Florida/Residents-urge-committee-to-consider-transient-jail-population-and-updated-surveys-when-drawing-maps","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6637402-07e97caff1a909d7f110a85b67c50779/orig.mp4?Expires=1773644922&Signature=nrh1NLsrcvL2KbmjkbP8VV6HTrsfvdKYYFo3RZvQmxTI2MCstM1xJgX4DcV7vX2y46AWVGL1cJ6NATt3CfovjebbNxy4RfCy5WW3Wy2g7l0zGGBPGgV44VpimURvE3e0G8jE0F9qPkyrd2eVDGCHLafG~wTInFpi3qC8H1jelGAbH5x5R3AtNRntpgVNjoLPCw78EAdHk3CSjBkUSW09yBJzosoOH9wBTFJewRg3TR615Hqxvt3u91gE3-6mpINPkvRQYDslR67PRlz~TRtuL-ZLJ8vAdmGRcFzIqauR8crvBBCGZ3u19TYBalZoLzpvGmsId1zP4yxAIo3EDYdI7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the start of the March 12 meeting, several Orlando residents offered public comment urging the committee to consider how population sources and community boundaries affect representation and funding.

Cynthia Harris, who identified herself as living on Shannon Avenue in Orlando, asked the committee to consider that the U.S. Census counts people at locations such as jails and not by voters’ home addresses. Harris said that counting people who are temporarily in the county’s jail can distort district population counts and funding allocations for District 6, which she described as “the smallest population” and one with more transient residents because of social services and the jail.

Trini Quiros urged the committee to preserve minority communities and to ensure communities with fewer resources receive representation; she noted longstanding concerns about educational and economic opportunity in certain neighborhoods and said she would continue to attend meetings.

Other public commenters made specific suggestions and asked procedural questions:

- Diane Rambo suggested redrawing District 5 to create a more geographically cohesive, locally focused district, and recommended moving Winter Park into District 3 and keeping the Nona area intact.

- Jim Callahan asked for clarity on which population sources the committee will use and whether municipal annexations or voter‑list maintenance (purges) may affect outcomes. Callahan described the five‑year American Community Survey as a possible supplemental dataset but noted the decennial census is the legally reliable baseline; he pointed out that the Horizons West Census‑Designated Place had a 2020 population of 58,101 as an example of rapid growth to consider.

Why it matters: public comment highlighted tensions between the decennial census (the legal baseline for apportionment), more recent survey estimates (ACS), and local factors such as jail counts, annexations and voter‑list maintenance that can affect community representation and funding.

What speakers asked the committee to do

Speakers asked the advisory committee to:

- Consider whether to use ACS estimates as a supplement to decennial data to better reflect recent growth and transient population effects.

- Protect and preserve communities of interest, especially historically underserved neighborhoods.

- Account for municipal annexations and voter‑list maintenance in mapping work where relevant.

Staff response: County staff and later presenters acknowledged differences between datasets and reiterated that the vendor instance is configured with 2020 Census data as the baseline for legal maps; staff also said ACS and other estimates can be provided as reference materials but are not the legal baseline for submitted maps.","Public commenters pressed the advisory committee to account for transient populations (including people counted in jail), use up‑to‑date survey estimates, and preserve communities of interest in upcoming map proposals.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6637406,"Supervisor of Elections warns splitting precincts and 'islands' will raise costs, asks committee to use census blocks",546,3666000,4212000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2586608-84068197da8d039841105001ce0f1573&start=3666&end=4212","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2586608-84068197da8d039841105001ce0f1573/thumbnail_3666000.jpg","/articles/6637406/Orange-County/Florida/Supervisor-of-Elections-warns-splitting-precincts-and-islands-will-raise-costs-asks-committee-to-use-census-blocks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6637406-18f76ed748681d89480cc0e76f57ab92/orig.mp4?Expires=1773644922&Signature=ZRZkPTQukIwvgg2CcrYpR7fItdrr6bZvUujZLAT2Yv0Baf-X2alHCHoau8HPDpQSy-ItJ3TUH2QOyXxhL~xWC35A8dIQ8qMH6OVSGyb8XMK5zSHnJfoaJMCWxuQVLHF3f4LISNHx48xv3DPEXkZa-jenmBrKT7HVvsaI73UVppjx8w1Fl4nL4LapkYq93FicRDjkqoNLa4hAIhSed05diqM0kIiazIxNhuMGupWEJlhxJAeB4Kicn1fGZp8Wd-8gngne55HOn~2n25AP0icM2fWW1h6aTzSlyvdzTIVLO1gmPuvwttlf-6-d4x08KM~3dyp-~2vxuZ-AK5YMs5ZsFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Orange County Supervisor of Elections office told the Mid Decennial Redistricting Advisory Committee on March 12 that how the committee draws new county commission lines will directly affect precincts, polling places and election costs.

Dan Helm, director of special projects at the Supervisor of Elections office, said staff must convert the committee’s final map into precincts and ballot styles, and encouraged the committee to avoid precinct splits and limit deviations that create so-called “island” precincts. “When you split precincts and draw lines willy-nilly through congressional districts, it creates a real problem with the way that we report our data to the state,” Helm said.

John (the data/GIS coordinator at the Supervisor of Elections) gave technical detail. He said Orange County currently has 259 precincts, about 216 polling places and 13 island precincts that require special handling. An island precinct is a small precinct split off from a parent precinct because county commission and congressional boundaries intersect; Helm and John said island precincts cause extra ballot styles, additional tabulators and more poll workers and thus higher costs.

Why it matters: precinct configuration affects voters directly — polling places, ballot delivery and voter notification — and changes can take the elections office two to three months to finalize after the county commission approves a map.

Recommendations and effects

- Use census blocks as the base geography for drawing districts so population and reporting align with state reporting requirements.

- Avoid splitting congressional districts whenever feasible; splitting across congressional lines creates administrative islands and reporting complexity for the Supervisor of Elections.

- Avoid splitting existing precincts where possible; precinct splits can require new polling locations and add substantial cost.

John showed examples where a single census block left outside a contiguous county commission boundary produced island precincts with as few as 25 active voters; the office also identified islands with zero voters that the office nevertheless must be prepared to support if residences appear.

Timing and budget sensitivity

Helm said the office has state reporting deadlines and that finalizing precincts and polling places after the county commission acts can take two to three months. He described possible cost savings if the committee redraws lines in ways that eliminate existing islands: “If you eliminate islands, we need less tabulators, less poll workers, less ballot styles, printing, sample ballots,” Helm said.

Staff offered to review committee maps and to work with the county attorney so the office’s technical concerns are considered during the committee’s deliberations.","Elections office outlined precinct structure, described 'island' precincts caused by splits across county commission and congressional lines, and recommended using census blocks, avoiding congressional splits and minimizing precinct splits to reduce voter confusion and budget impact.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6637411,"Advisory committee reviews mapping platform, submission rules and deadlines for Orange County redistricting",425,1692000,2117000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2586608-84068197da8d039841105001ce0f1573&start=1692&end=2117","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2586608-84068197da8d039841105001ce0f1573/thumbnail_1692000.jpg","/articles/6637411/Orange-County/Florida/Advisory-committee-reviews-mapping-platform-submission-rules-and-deadlines-for-Orange-County-redistricting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6637411-2b735d942933eead91f08b575293fc31/orig.mp4?Expires=1773644922&Signature=nPwNDzu2GD4KYhU5XQjEDUS--2B2KYUGuJuMoANnegtjSojrvGJ1ePaWnWzssRp2ShHttq1MnnRRgtFNAkPd5cxukviy-i0JanC09Jk3lKznLNWsB4oM4vK-eZMPCoHi-AIX7gwdGg4VWwaQv1qYCS272xO1LSPXjbO1atUumF5TZBkoCbUd783e1hwmGF-Fi8DujMG0803MwceSp5lg1PV7gVchzHjSv~PVRaH6dn4RP0CXFy0bUZVtrvkftNr35H~7XzkGyHyV57uboRErJwPYppnEYYAz~mQBSlD5svjOTSnVZZX4TS7wx5ex3wf-cjZcRK0UfAegol4O8pdOGg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Orange County’s Mid Decennial Redistricting Advisory Committee on March 12 reviewed the mapping tools and submission procedures the county will use as it redraws commission districts from six to eight.

County GIS staff said ArcBridge set up the Dave’s Redistricting application as the platform committee members and the public will use to draw plans, and explained account setup, publishing, exporting shapefiles and the map-submittal form the county will require. Pete Johnstone, who described himself as working in Orange County’s GIS section, said, “In order to make a plan, you have to sign up for an account that will require an e‑mail and password. Then you’ll have to agree to their terms.”

The vendor will analyze submitted maps for things such as maximum population deviation and communities of interest and provide a report to the committee; the vendor will not alter submitted plans, Johnstone said. County staff asked submitters to include a map name, a shapefile export and a submission form so vendor and legal review can proceed. The committee was given a final submission deadline of 11:59 p.m. Eastern on July 3, 2025; maps submitted by that date will be analyzed and placed on the July 30, 2025 agenda for review.

Why it matters: the software and rules define how residents and committee members create and formally submit proposed district maps. The platform choice affects public access, privacy and the county’s ability to validate and publish candidate plans.

Key technical and procedural points

- The county will base plans on 2020 Census blocks in the vendor configuration, and the Dave’s Redistricting instance provided to the county is set up with 2020 Census data.

- To work on a plan users duplicate a base plan in their account; they may publish plans publicly (visible to other Dave’s users) or export a shapefile and complete the county submittal form to submit formally for committee review.

- Submitted maps will receive a vendor analysis and a legal review. County Attorney White told the committee, “The vendor will be forwarding all maps to me for legal review, and I will be performing a manual review on each map.”

- Training sessions with the vendor are scheduled in person at the Administration Building: an initial public training (noted during the meeting) and hands-on sessions March 25 and March 26 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.; additional virtual sessions will be available by appointment.

Questions and concerns from members and the public

Committee members and members of the public raised questions about vendor oversight, public access, and whether the county’s instance of Dave’s Redistricting is a proprietary vendor product. Member Washington and others said they were surprised the public first heard about the platform at the meeting. County staff said the county contracted ArcBridge to manage the redistricting process and set up the Dave’s Redistricting environment for committee and public use; ArcBridge also offers its own commercial tools.

Citizen Jim Callahan warned users not to download Dave’s Redistricting software to personal computers and advised using the online service only. Callahan said, “Do not download Dave’s to your personal computer. Like every other software, it has cookies and algorithms.”

Legal and data limits

Attorney White reiterated legal constraints the committee must follow, including population-equality principles: “The maximum deviation between population cannot exceed 10%,” White said, when asked about acceptable deviation levels for submitted maps. Staff emphasized that while other data sets (for example, American Community Survey estimates or local growth estimates) are available as reference material, “the most reliable data that we have is the decennial census data,” and the vendor instance will be configured with 2020 Census blocks.

What comes next

Staff and the vendor will analyze submitted plans and provide committee reports. County staff asked map sponsors to use clear plan names and versioning (for example, author name + version), and suggested committee-endorsed plans receive an official committee name when accepted for consideration. The vendor and county will present analyses at subsequent meetings for committee discussion.","County staff and the vendor set out the Redistricting tool, training, data sources and submission rules; members and public raised questions about vendor oversight, data choice (2020 Census vs. ACS) and privacy.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee approves March 6 minutes and adjourns; motions pass unanimously

Residents urge committee to consider transient jail population and updated surveys when drawing maps

Supervisor of Elections warns splitting precincts and 'islands' will raise costs, asks committee to use census blocks

Advisory committee reviews mapping platform, submission rules and deadlines for Orange County redistricting