Gavilan College trustees are asking for community input for the next two weeks as they redefine the districts where board representatives are selected.
Dr. Jeanne Gobalet, a demographer, will present three draft maps showing potential district configurations that meet the requirements of state and federal law during special community meetings held in Hollister, Morgan Hill and Gilroy during the next two weeks.
In April, trustees voted unanimously to change from an at-large district to seven distinct ones by the November 2016 election. Currently, voters elect three trustees at large from the Hollister area, two from Gilroy and two from Morgan Hill. Dr. Gobalet, of Lapkoff & Gobalet Demographic Researchers Inc., will consider revisions to the draft maps and may create new ones based on community input, according to a press release from the community college. The demographer will present findings from the community gatherings to trustees at the next regularly scheduled board meeting. The community input will then be used to draft final maps, which will be presented to the board at two public forums.
Community members attending the upcoming meetings will learn the criteria used to create the maps and will have the chance to offer feedback.
San Benito County residents make up 31 percent of the Gavilan College’s population, while Santa Clara residents account for the other 69 percent, according to the PowerPoint presentation shared with trustees at the regularly scheduled board meeting in July.
Hollister residents make up 20.3 percent of Gavilan College’s population, Gilroy residents represent 28.4 percent and Morgan Hill residents account for 22 percent, according to the same PowerPoint presentation. Ridgemark contributes 1.8 percent to the community college’s population and San Juan Bautista adds another 1.1 percent, according to the document.
Currently, all three of the trustees representing San Benito County––Kent Child, Tom Breen and Lois Locci––live within the larger San Benito High School District instead of the Aromas-San Juan Unified School District. Small parts of San Jose and Aromas are part of the community college district, according to the presentation.
The meetings are scheduled in the following cities:
1) Morgan Hill: 6 p.m. Wednesday July 29 in room 10 of the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center located at 17060 Monterey Road.
2) Hollister: 10:30 a.m. Saturday Aug. 1 at the Briggs Building at 265 Fourth Street.
3) Gilroy: 6 p.m. Tuesday Aug. 4 at the North Lounge of the Student Center at 5055 Santa Teresa Blvd.
To view the PowerPoint presentation about draft trustee areas plans, which was shared with trustees at the board meeting in July, go to gavilan.edu/board/agenda.php.
