HomeMy WebLinkAbout20252188.tiffResolution
Approve Adoption of Final Plan for Boundary Lines of Commissioner Districts in
Weld County, Colorado, Pursuant to Colorado Revised Statues §30-10-306.4(1)(h)
Whereas, pursuant to the Opinion of the Colorado Supreme Court in League of Women
Voters et al. v. Board of County Commissioners of the County of Weld, 25 CO 8, Weld
County, despite being a home -rule county, is required to follow the procedural steps for
redistricting and apply the statutory criteria contained in Colorado Revised Statutes
(C.R.S.) §30-10-306.1 to -306.4 prior to the 2026 General Election, and
Whereas, this Commission has been properly appointed pursuant to
C.R.S. §30-10-306.1 to adopt a final plan to divide Weld County into three (3) districts as
there are three County Commissioners in Weld County elected by voters of their district,
and
Whereas, C.R.S. §30-10-306.2(2) requires that no final plan be adopted until more than
72 -hours have elapsed since it was proposed or amended in a public meeting, and
Whereas, the last date any plan was presented or amended in the record was in a public
hearing on July 23, 2025, which is more than 72 -hours ago, and
Whereas, C.R.S. §30-10-306.2(3) gives the right to all county residents, including
individual members of the Commission, to (a) present proposed redistricting plans, written
comments, or both to the Commission; and (b) testify either in person or electronically at
three or more hearings, and
Whereas, the Commission held five hearings including four on July 9, 16, and 23, 2025,
and August 4, 2025, where the Commission offered gave all county residents the
opportunity to provide in -person testimony or electronic testimony via Microsoft Teams,
as well as a fifth hearing on July 30, 2025, with in -person testimony only, and
Whereas, as required by C.R.S. §30 -10 -306.2(3)(c -e), the Commission has maintained
a website at https://www.weld.aov/Government/Departments/Public-Information-
Office/Redistricting/Public-Input to allow the submission of proposed plans and written
comments, and has used the site to keep a record of its proceedings, published a
Microsoft Teams Webinar link to broadcast the hearings, and published all written
comments received, and
Whereas, by completing the above, the Commission has completed all statutory
procedural requirements necessary to adopt a final plan, and
Whereas, C.R.S. §30-10-306.3 requires the Commission to consider certain criteria in
adopting a plan, and
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2025-2188
CR0036
Adoption of Final Plan for Boundary Lines of Commissioner Districts in Weld County,
Colorado, Pursuant to Colorado Revised Statues §30-10-306.4(1)(h)
Page 2
Whereas, after considering all proposed plans, the Report of the Redistricting Advisory
Committee, the written comments submitted via the website, the testimony in the five
public hearings, and all other data and materials created by staff and submitted as part
of the Commission's record as Exhibits A -X, the Commission deems the Poudre Map
Final Plan to best conform with the statutory criteria and will best represent Weld County
until the next redistricting year in 2033, as
Whereas, pursuant to C.R.S. §30-10-306.3(1)(a), the deviation between the most
populous and the least populous district in Weld County in the Poudre Map is three
percent (3%), which is less than the mandated five percent (5%) threshold, and
Whereas, after balancing all the statutory criteria, this constitutes a good faith effort to
achieve mathematical population equality between districts as required by the
U.S. Constitution, and
Whereas, the Poudre Map complies with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 and does
not deny or abridge the right of any citizen to vote on account of that person's race or
membership in a language minority group, via vote dilution or otherwise. The Commission
finds that this is the case because the Poudre Map preserves the largest Hispanic
community in Weld County located on the east sides of the Cities of Greeley and Evans,
in addition to several unincorporated communities in close proximity, to retain their ability
to elect candidates of choice and influence elections, and
Whereas, after balancing all the statutory criteria, the Poudre Map preserves whole
communities of interest and whole cities and towns as much as possible as required by
C.R.S. §30-10-306.2(2)(a) because the Poudre Map groups municipalities with shared
economic and commuting patterns that reflect real world travel shed divisions. The vital
corridors of 1-25, U.S. Highway 34, and US Highway 85, and the municipalities that align
each corridor, are kept together in districts. The Tri-Town communities (Dacono,
Firestone and Frederick) are united in one district which corrects prior splits. Smaller
municipalities are kept whole as much as possible, and Greeley and Evans are only split
to preserve the east Greeley/Evans Hispanic community and avoid creating a less
compact district. To the extent possible, these splits use major road boundaries and other
natural features to minimize both the number and the severity of the divisions; and
Whereas, after balancing all the statutory criteria, the Poudre Map Final Plan is as
compact as is reasonably possible, as required by C.R.S. §30-10-306.3(2)(b), because
the Poudre Map are compact and contiguous with logical boundaries that follow roads,
municipal lines, and geographic features, and makes coherent shapes for every district
without irregular extensions, and all territory is within the districts is contiguous, and
2025-2188
CR0036
Adoption of Final Plan for Boundary Lines of Commissioner Districts in Weld County,
Colorado, Pursuant to Colorado Revised Statues §30-10-306.4(1)(h)
Page 3
Whereas, after considering the above criteria first as required by
C.R.S. §30-10-306.3(3)(a), the Poudre Map maximizes the number of politically
competitive districts to the extent reasonably possible because the Poudre Map was
created by a bi-partisan citizen's Redistricting Advisory Committee without consideration
of incumbents or partisan advantage, maximizes political competitiveness consistent with
required criteria while reflecting modest registered partisan differences and large
unaffiliated voter shares to give all voters a meaningful voice and preserving fairness, and
Whereas, there is no evidence in the record before the Commission that the Poudre Map
has been drawn for any impermissible purpose or has any impermissible result as laid
out in C.R.S. §30-10-306.3(4).
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Weld County Redistricting Commission that the
Poudre Map is the Final Plan for boundary lines of commissioner districts in Weld County,
Colorado until the next redistricting year.
Be it further resolved that staff shall take all necessary action to properly document and
report said approval and adoption of the Final Plan, as required by
C.R.S. §30-10-306 et seq.
The Redistricting Commission of Weld County, Colorado, approved the above and
foregoing Resolution, on motion duly made and seconded, by the following vote on the
6th day of August, A.D., 2025:
Perry L. Buck, Chair: Aye
Scott K. James, Pro-Tem: Aye
Jason S. Maxey: Nay
Lynette Peppier: Aye
Kevin D. Ross: Nay
Approved as to Form:
Bruce Barker, County Attorney
Attest:
Esther E. Gesick, Clerk to the Board
2025-2188
CR0036
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