City Council Takes Up Issue of Changing U City's Ward Boundaries

The boundaries of University City's three wards could soon be changing.

This past Tuesday a city council subcommittee met to talk about redrawing the ward lines to reflect population changes highlighted in the 2010 Census. On Monday, the city council will hold a public hearing to discuss the matter.

"We are losing our population, this is not anything that any of you don't know," said University City Community Development Director Andrea Riganti said to the subcommittee. "We did in 2005 predict a decline of population."

According to the 2010 Census, the University City's population stands around 35,000, down from nearly 37,500 in 2000.

"There is a slight disparity amongst the three wards," Riganti said. Ward 2 has the fewest amount of people.

            Ward 1    Ward 2     Ward 3     TOTAL

2000   12,467      12,551       12,410      37,428

2010   12,410      11,426       11,474      35,310

LOSS    -57         -1,125          -935        -2,118

With the new census numbers, the three wards are not equally sized. Redrawing the ward lines in University City is not mandatory, but the city is trying to make an effort to ensure that each ward is nearly equal in population.

Ward 1 needs to shed about 620 residents, while Ward 2 needs to gain 364 and Ward 3 needs to gain 314.

"I don’t think that what we have to do is that complicated," said Ward 3 Councilmember Byron Price, as he presented the subcommittee his idea of redrawing the boundary lines. He proposed Ward 3 take up Blanchard Drive, Coolidge Drive, Crixdale Avenue and Mayflower Court.

Price said he wanted to keep things compact and contiguous and "together as best as possible."

"You're not disrupting mass, wholesale precincts. I think only two (precincts) would be affected out of the 41," Price said. "So for me, do we make this an easy exercise or a big ordeal?" Price asked. 

The meeting saw tempers flare, as Ward 1 Councilmember Stephen Kraft and Councilmember Price clashed over Price's proposal. Kraft wanted Price to break down his proposal into block numbers, but Price felt Kraft could just as easily look at the streets.

"I can't go by streets, I have to go by blocks," Kraft said. "That's how the county provides the data."

Kraft and Price then began a back and forth while Mayor Shelley Welsch tried to intervene.

"If I did what he did, you'd be sanctioning me," Price said to Mayor Welsch.

Price then told Councilmember Kraft, "I know Steve how you operate, what do you want to do?" At that point, Councilmember Kraft stormed out of the room, with the mayor pleading with him to sit back down. "No, Mr. Kraft. Please sit down, Mr Kraft," Welsch said.

"He's leaving without permission," Price said.

Welsch then asked that members of council not make comments about each other.

"Who did that?" Price asked. "He disrespects me and you turn around like I did something."

"I need to know what you're going to do with him leaving without permission?" asked Price of the mayor. "Are you going to do with him what you did with me?" asked Price, referring to his sanction by the mayor several months ago for his behavior at a council meeting.

The mayor refused to discuss with Price what action she would take against Kraft. Welsch said she would discuss Kraft's behavior with him.

Kraft later came back into the room but sat in the audience for awhile before rejoining his fellow councilmembers.

The group resumed discussion and finally agreed on a plan.

Under the proposed plan, Ward 3 would add three blocks previously in Ward 1. The move would add 228 people to Ward 3. Also, Ward 2 would add five bocks previously in Ward 1. The move would add approximately 186. In total, Ward 1 would lose approximately 414 people.

"What we did...is move population out of Ward 1 into Wards 2 and 3 in an attempt to make it more equal," Welsch said.

As for Price's reaction to Kraft storming out Price said, "It was a misunderstanding. Essentially, we found out we were talking about the same thing."

Councilmember Price was pleased with the outcome of the meeting. "It was originally what I proposed," he said.

At the council’s regular session Sept. 26, an ordinance on the redistricting will be introduced to define the new ward boundaries. At council’s regular session on Oct. 10, there would be the second and third readings of the bill.