Oneonta sets public hearing on new redistricting maps

Vicky Klukkert, The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y.
·3 min read

Mar. 23—The Oneonta Redistricting Commission announced it approved a draft plan and will hold a public hearing to seek input on Tuesday.

Due to a decline in population, the Sixth Ward grew in land area, Commission Chair Gary Herzig said. The Sixth Ward took parts from the First Ward on the other side of Neahwa Park and from the Fifth Ward, he said. According to the proposed map, the Sixth Ward would also include houses along Railroad Avenue, Susquehanna Avenue, Filbert Street, Wells Avenue, Factory Street and Conant Avenue from the First Ward, and the houses along the south side of Chestnut Street in the Fifth Ward.

Herzig said the commission recognized the Sixth Ward was a community of interest and wanted to keep it whole. "We were able to do that," he said.

The redistricting commission of David Hayes, First Ward, Susan Lettis, Second Ward, Laurie Zimniewicz, Third Ward, Herzig, Fourth Ward, James Foote, Fifth Ward, William Shue, Sixth Ward, Glenn Pichardo, Seventh Ward, Johnathan Visnosky, Eighth Ward, City Administrator Greg Mattice and City Clerk Kerri Harrington met over several weeks to come up with new district maps. The commission was formed on Nov. 15, with the charge of reapportioning Oneonta's wards and submitting a proposed plan to the council by May 15, 2023, a media release said.

To make certain that each vote counts equally, the state requires all municipalities to recreate their voting districts (wards) every 10 years following the federal census in compliance with the requirements and priorities of the state's Home Rule Law, the release said.

At prior commission meetings, it was announced U.S. Census blocks could not be split; however, the census put all of Hartwick College in one block and all of SUNY Oneonta in another block. Since a ward could have only about 1,635 residents, and the SUNY Oneonta census block had 2,069, the commission had to break the blocks up. Since the city knew how many students resided in each residence hall, the block could be broken, a previous article said.

According to the proposed map, all but one residence hall at Hartwick College would be in the Fifth Ward, while Wilder Hall would be in the Eighth Ward. The residence halls at SUNY Oneonta would also be broken up into different wards. Hulbert, Higgins, Tobey, Denison, Bacon and Wilber would be in the Seventh Ward; Littell, Ford, Sherman and Hays in the Fourth Ward; Grant, Huntington, Curtis and Blodgett in the Third Ward; and MacDuff and Matteson in the Second Ward.

Herzig said Mattice "took the lead" and manipulated the city map and the U.S. Census map to come up with the new ward boundaries. "He did a fabulous job," Herzig said. "On the first try, the commissioners looked at it and unanimously approved it."

According to the release, the map complies with the following state requirements:

—The difference in population between the most and least populous wards does not exceed 5% of the mean population of all wards.

—All wards consist of contiguous territory.

—All wards are as compact in form as practicable.

Herzig said he encourages anyone who wants to express their concerns to come to the public hearing, which will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, in the Common Council Chambers.

Vicky Klukkert, staff writer, can be reached at vklukkert@thedailystar.com or 607-441-7221.