Clear boundaries or less upheaval? Council works on redistricting

NEW ULM -- The City Council reviewed redistricting options for at a Tuesday work session.

It is a redistricting year, and New Ulm will need to redraw its ward lines to give equal representation for city voters. New Ulm is divided into four wards, each with two precincts. The first step of the process is to determine the boundaries of the new wards.

Finance Director Nicole Jorgensen gave the council two scenarios for how to redraw the ward boundaries. The goal was to make the wards as even as possible in terms of population. The goal was to have 3,530 people in each ward.

The first scenario cleaned up the current line between Ward 3 and Ward 4, removing uneven boundary lines along Boettger Road and Center Street. This would create a cleaning ward map, but it would change the ward for 1,900 people.

The second senario would also clear up boundary lines, but the Boettger Road boundary would remain inconsistent. The benefit of scenario two, is only impacts 710 voters.

"It is matter of whether you want straighter clearer lines of impacted few voters," Jorgensen said.

Voters in Ward 4 and Ward 3 will be receiving notification of polling places changes regardless of how the ward boundaries are redraw.

Recently, the city designated new polling places for Ward 4, moving it from St. John's Evnagelical Lutheran Church to Our Savior's Lutheran Chruch. In addition, the city is considering moving the Ward 3 polling place from the Civic Center to Christ the King's.

No official vote could be held during the work session, but the council favored the first secenario.

Councilor Larry Mack favored the first scenario because it had a cleaner Center Street divide and it did not impact precincts significantly.

Councilor Erica Warmka also favored the first scenario for its simplicity. It also placed a polling location in each ward.

Councilor Les Schultz believed whichever sceanrio was chosen, an informational meeting should be held to alert voters they're ward could be changing. The meeting could be held an hour before the regular council meeting.