CITY OF ALBANY REAPPORTIONMENT COMMISSION December 14, 2012 Albany Common Council City Hall Albany, New York

12207 To the Honorable Members of the Albany Common Council: The members of the City of Albany Reapportionment Commission (the Commission) are pleased to inform you that we have completed our charge and are respectfully submitting the enclosed proposed revisions to the Citys legislative district boundaries.1 As you know, in accordance with the City Charter, the City of Albany is currently divided into fifteen legislative wards. Every ten years, the City is required to engage in a redistricting process that results in revisions to these districts in order to account for changes in population. The last time that the City of Albany completed this process was in 2003, based on the 2000 federal Census data. The Common Council charged this Commission with evaluat[ing] existing [Common Council] ward boundaries for equity and representation in relation to population . . . based on the population changes identified in the 2010 federal Decennial Census, and then submitting a proposal that could be considered by the entire Common Council to be used for the upcoming decade beginning with the municipal elections scheduled for 2013. The Commission, which was formed in mid-July 2012, made the conscious decision at the outset that the redistricting process should be a very public and transparent one. The notice of all of our meetings and hearings -- 20 in all -- were advertised and made open to the public. Each meeting was digitally recorded, and meetings and hearings where public testimony was offered, were video recorded and transcribed by an official stenographer. All of these materials were maintained by the City Clerks office and accessible to members of the public who were unable to attend the meetings. Similarly, the products of our deliberations -- namely draft boundaries and related data -- were regularly posted to a website dedicated to the Commissions work. Additionally, a dedicated email address was created in order for members of the community and interested parties to correspond directly with all members of the Commission. We began our work by participating in an information gathering effort, which included a meeting dedicated to a discussion with one of the leading experts in voting rights and redistricting, Ms. Esmeralda Simons, Esq., Executive Director of the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College. Shortly thereafter, we hosted two meetings at the Albany Central Library that were dedicated to having members of the public provide input on how communities of interest within the City should be defined and considered. At subsequent meetings, members of the public were provided the opportunity to offer written and verbal
1

The City Charter refers to the independent commission tasked with redistricting the city wards based on the decennial census as the City of Albany Reapportionment Commission. The Commission, however, is not tasked with engaging in reapportionment, a process generally understood to involve the determination of number of districts that should exist in a given area, due to population shifts. As such, the Council may wish to consider revising the name of this Commission.

commentary and suggestions. Members of the public offered the Commission three alternative proposals for maps of 15 wards, and one alternative proposal map that reflected a reduced number of wards. Additionally, throughout the entire process, interested members of the public submitted written comments and questions to the Commission through our dedicated email address. We studied and discussed a variety of ways that the Council Wards could be changed in order to equalize ward population. Census data indicated that the City of Albany had grown in population, that the population growth was clustered in the extreme west and east areas of the City, and that the growth in population included significant growth in the populations of minorities. This information resulted in the drafting of several different proposals both by Commissioners and several members of the public. The proposals were posted on the Commissions website, and the Commission solicited public feedback. Specifically, the Commission hosted three public hearings that were held throughout the City Albany High School, the Delaware Public Library, and the Arbor Hills Public Library. Based on the testimony we received, revisions were made to the proposals, and the Commission engaged in further deliberation. In evaluating the proposals, the Commission considered the following principles: (i) the Constitutional mandate of one person, one vote; (ii) the statutory requirements imposed by section 2 of the Voting Rights Act; (iii) protecting communities of interest; (iv) ensuring that districts are compact and contiguous; and (v) respecting existing districts, physical boundaries, and incumbency. Throughout the process, many of the Commissioners repeatedly stated that they viewed their charge as being tasked with ensuring that residents receive the fairest representation, and as such, the Commission ultimately decided to draw a map that provided for only the slightest amount of population deviation between the fifteen wards, while attempting to protect communities of interest.2 According to the 2010 federal census, the Citys overall population increased by almost 2,200 since 2000. With an overall population of 97,856, the ideal population for each of the 15 wards became 6,524. Again, these lines were drawn with an eye towards ensuring that the proposal strictly adhered to the constitutional mandate of one person, one vote. For that reason, the district populations in the Commissions proposal range from 6,433 to 6,612 -- none of the wards have a population deviation that is greater than 1.41%. The Commission also took steps to ensure strict compliance with the Voting Rights Act. Notably, when the City Council wards were drawn based on the 2000 Census, only four of the districts had voting age populations that were more than 50% non-White. The new proposal increases the number of districts where the minority voting age population exceeds the white
2

Among the public comments repeatedly submitted to the Commission was the recommendation that the Commission propose that the City reduce the number of Common Council Wards. Specifically, several individuals testified that a reduction to 9 wards would allow for some communities to be kept more intact, despite the shifts in population. This Commission does not take a position as to whether a 9 ward map would be ideal, but we do urge the Common Council to continue to study the issue of whether it is in the Citys interest to reduce the number of wards.

voting age population, from four to six. The proposed 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 11th wards all have voting age populations that are more than 50% non-White. We wish to note that the Commission went to great lengths to accommodate as many of the recommendations we received as possible, and still maintain a low population deviation. To highlight some of the reoccurring themes, we are appending two documents that summarize the key requests the Commission received from the public at the hearings and meetings, and note where revisions were made to address those concerns. Complete copies of transcripts of all of the Commissions hearings, as well as transcripts from the meetings regarding communities of interest, and recordings of all of our other meetings are all available for review in the City Clerks office. Finally, the Commission would be remiss if we did not acknowledge that throughout the entire process we were supported by several key City employees. We strongly thank Denise Kelley, Daniela Weiss, Nala Woodard, and Mary Millus for their guidance, time, and efforts. We trust that you will find this information helpful in deciding how to proceed with this process. Respectfully submitted, Vicente Alfonso, Chair Joshua L. Oppenheimer, Vice-Chair James Bouldin Ross Farrell Elaine M. Frazier Kevin Harrington3 Joseph F. Stellato Denia Van Houter

Enclosures

This proposal is submitted as being unanimously endorsed by the Reapportionment Commission. Mr. Harrington, however, was not in attendance at the Commissions November 27 th meeting, when the proposal was adopted.

ENCLOSURE 1 General Comments 1. Maintain low deviations 2. Allowed flexibility in deviations, so use it if it helps communities 3. Maintain neighborhoods as communities of interest repeated constantly 4. Use neighborhood association lines as guidance 5. Use police and building inspector zones as guidance 6. Use County Legislative lines and Assembly lines as guidance 7. Dont use Assembly lines as guidance 8. Use natural boundaries 9. Listen to the people of the city, not politicians or neighborhood associations 10. Ride through the neighborhoods to give you a better idea about the areas of the city you do not live in 11. Majority-minority districts should be strong but not super saturated 12. Consider 9 Wards instead of 15 a. Repeated 2 times 13. Commend Commission for transparency and website 14. Comments regarding preferences for draft 2 or 3 or submission A. Specific Comments 1. 1st, 2nd, and 7th Wards a. Do not split up the Delaware Avenue area i. Repeated 9 times b. Keep 2nd Avenue Association with Delaware Association c. Do not split 2nd Avenue i. Repeated 3 times d. Neighborhood around Academy Road should be kept whole e. Mansion Neighborhood should not be part of same district as New Scotland Avenue/Academy Road/Helderberg area; dont use Lincoln Park as the connector between these areas. i. Repeated 7 times f. Keep Mansion Neighborhood in a single district; but it needs to be with some other community as well. i. Repeated 6 times g. Mansion Neighborhood works well with the South End Neighborhood h. Create a separate downtown district i. Helderberg shouldnt be the dividing line for the 7th Ward should be Grove, Forrest, or Lawnridge. j. South End i. Should be compact; North and South end should not be in the same ward ii. West Hill and Arbor Hill should be distinct from South End iii. 2nd Ward should include development project South End Campus Center iv. Should include 99 and 101 South Pearl Street k. Drawing a new downtown district does not work

l. Areas of Bohl, Golder, Normanskill Drive need to be connected either to the 7th or the 1st and not the 8th 2. 5th Ward a. Dont cross Central Ave to create a district i. Repeated twice b. 5thWard boundary should be extended from Manning Boulevard up to Watervliet Avenue. c. 5th Ward should not go all the way up North Manning. d. Boundary line at Livingston Avenue should be extended to go past Lark Drive e. Clinton Avenue should be a boundary line for the 5thWard, but it should go from First Street to Ten Broeck Street, down Clinton Avenue. f. Should include Hunter Avenue and Bleecker Terrace Areas i. Bleecker Terrace may be too populated to include in the district g. Dont split up the West End Neighborhood Association h. Shaker Park should not be in same ward as West End Neighborhood i. Dont split 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Streets 3. 6th Ward a. Keep the neighborhood associations around Washington Park in a single district i. Repeated 7 times b. Elm, Irving, Myrtle, Park should be in this Ward. 4. 8th Ward a. Holmes Court, Rose Court and Edgecomb Street should be part of the community in the 8th Ward i. Repeated twice 5. 9th, 10th, 11th Wards a. Dont split Ridgefield Park i. Repeated 3 times b. Keep St. Peters and the surrounding businesses in the same district c. College dorms should be in same district as surrounding neighbors i. Repeated twice d. Mercer, Providence, and Woodlawn should not be in the 10th District i. Repeated 3 times e. Thurlow Terrace should not be in 10th District i. Repeated 3 times f. Area between Quail and Lake by Madison is a good addition to the 10th District; part of Pine Hills g. Keep Beverwyck Association together in single ward h. 400 Hudson and Bnai Brith apartments should be in same ward i. Livingston Avenue between Watervliet and Manning Boulevard should not be in same ward as Beverwyck NA. j. Keep student neighborhoods separate from non-student neighborhoods k. Keep as much of the Pine Hills area together as possible

l. Upper Madison should be in the 10th Ward; move boundary up to Western Ave. i. Repeated 4 times m. There should not be a hook in the 10th ward. Should be more compact. n. On the western border of the 10th district, the line should be two blocks past South Allen. o. Border for the 10th Ward should go at least as far west as South Allen. i. Repeated 5 times p. Dont split up 10th Ward q. Since 2010 Census there has been increases in certain population areas Patroon Creek Apartments r. Ryckman Ave. to West Lawrence should be included in 10th Ward s. Southern Woodlawn boundary for 10th on the southern end could be given to 9th t. Shaker Park and Bishops Gate should not be in the 11th Ward 6. 12th Ward a. Leave Westview Senior Housing in its current district i. Repeated twice b. Move 12th Ward boundary to either Benson or Manning Boulevard c. Blessed Sacrament Church should be part of the 12th Ward 7. 14th Ward a. Good that natural boundaries are used b. Doesnt make sense to include the refugee population from around Emmaus Church in the 14th better in the 10th. Corner of Morris and W. Lawrence. 8. 15th Ward a. Hillcrest Ave is a good boundary for the 15th

ENCLOSURE 2
Excerpted Public Hearing Comments and the Considerations (in bold print) ALBANY HIGH SCHOOL, OCTOBER 23, 2012 Speakers: James Sano, Councilman 9th Ward, 15 Van Schoick Likes Stellato Planboundary between 9th and 10th Wardsthe Ridgefield Park is a health and safety issue, the park splits people and St. Peter's hospital do not put in 8th Ward keep in 9th. Specific streets are upper part of Hackett, the business area across from St. Peter's, West Lawrence, Onderdonk, Winnie - half of South Allenon the Western boundary Westford St., Maxwell. Solution come up as far as S. Allen over to Mercer over to Ryckman. St. Peter's Hospital is in 9th. On West went beyond S. Allen to S. Manning Blvd, north to intersection of Mercer and Ryckman. Other streets mentioned are in the 14th. Richard Conti, Councilman 6th Ward Likes Stellato Planwork on one mapmaintain neighborhoods. Want one elected representative, easier to hold accountable. the 6th includes four distinct cohesive neighborhoodstied together by Lark St. commercial districtand Washington Park. A small part of Hudson Park is in the 1st Ward and a small part of Washington Park is in the 11th Ward So, you know, Albany is a city of neighborhoods. All of Washington Park is in the 6th. Hudson Park is in the 10th. NW corner is now in the 9th Ward and SE is in the 7th Ward. Catherine Fahey, Councilwoman 7th Ward Work on one map. Delaware Neighborhood - from Morton Ave past Second Ave., a small commercial section that is in the 1st Ward we like that it has an elementary school in the middle of Delaware Ave. Stellato map divides Delaware into three (wards). -1st, 2nd and 7th all border Delaware Ave., we don't like this. Want whole area including St. Jame's Church across from Fire Dept. to remain whole. The Mansion Hill neighborhood is in new 7th, is fine, but our whole Delaware is broken apart. Up off of New Scotland Avethat area Academy Rd, Lawnridge Ave, Grove, Glendale is solid residentialto split up Grove, Glendale and Lawnridge is a problem, must be kept together. Little section off of New Scotland and residential section keep together. At University Heightscan divide. East border of Delaware Ave is Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.; St James Church remains in the 7th; SE corner of 6th Ward is now in the 7th Ward; Delaware Ave at 2nd Ave is in the 1st Ward. Lawnridge Ave remains in the 7th; some of Grove Ave, Glendale and Forest are in the 9th Ward. All of University Heights is in the 7th Ward. Dominick Calsolaro, Councilman 1st Ward, 35 Clare Ave Resident Both maps you are crossing Delaware Ave. The middle of 2nd Ave is 150-200 blocks of 2nd Ave. that I will now represent is not the same neighborhood as Matilda and Ten Eyck. Delaware Ave. is a natural boundary, the intersection with Whitehall Road, Delaware and Second Ave is a natural boundary. You are taking away part of 2nd Ave - Sand St., Slingerland St., S. Doveall part of 2nd Ave N.A. these streets are part of 1st Wardto go all the way over to Rose Court, it doesn't mesh. Another issue...way you drew the 7th Wardyou take the Mansion Neighborhood out of the 1st Ward and kind of swing it around, make it a separate ward. The 2nd Ward doesn't even take it in and it's being made part of the 7th Ward, which goes all the way up to New Scotland to Grove and Harris then all the way down to Trinity Place? you couldn'ttell me Mansion neighborhood, Green St., Trinity Place, Ash Grove, Elm St. is the same as Lawnridge, Harris and Hackett Blvd. You are going through Holland Ave., there are no houses, Lincoln Park, University Heights to connect that part of the city to Trinity Place and Green St. is a problem.

Dominick Calsolaro, Delaware Public Library 10/30/12 Stellato map cuts up too muchto have the Mansion Neighborhood hooked up to all the way up to middle of New Scotland Ave., across Lincoln Park, University Heights, Holland Ave. where there is no peopleto way down here on Grand St.to Academy Rd., Lawnridge and Grove, it makes no sense. And the 2nd Ward you keep the South Neighborhood together? Here I have a little proposal that actually keeps it in the 1st Ward. To do that and again to add across Delaware Ave onto Whitehall Rd. into the 1st Ward and the same neighborhood of 2nd Ave., it is not the same neighborhoodnot the same community of interest. They are different. It really needs to be changed. Matilda remains in the 1st. Ten Eyck is in the 7th. Sand St., Slingerland St. and S. Dove are in the 1st Ward. A west boundary of 1st Ward stops before Holmes and Rose Court which are now in 8th Ward. Mansion NA is now in the 2nd Ward. Judith Mazza, Vice President of 2nd Ave Neighborhood Association N.A., 3 Sand St. Resident I reiterate same issues as...Dominick about these maps have divided the 2nd Ave N.A., have separated us from each otherandthe Delaware N.A. concerns. You need to keep those neighborhoods together. So, especially area up from Grandview Terrace up to on one map it's O'Connell St., on the other map it's up to Hurlbut St. it's kept out of the 1st Ward on the other side of 2nd Ave. All needs to be back in the 1st Ward. Grandview Terrace is in the 2nd Ward. Hurlbut St. is in the 7th Ward. Judith Mazza, Arbor Hill Public Hearing 11/13/12 Want to reiterate what Winters said about what's going on in the 1st Ward. Concerned about cutting up 2nd Ave. on the County level cuts into four districts with one representative who thinks he only represents one election district. want 2nd Ave split to remain in Wards 1 and 2. Sections of Whitehall Rd. that got put into the 1st Ward is switched with parts taken out of 1st wardGrandview Terrace up toDelaware Ave should be in the 1st Ward. On draft 2 the area of Golder, Normanskill Drive, Bohl Ave, area under the bridgein draft 2 and 3 do the same thing needs to be connected to the 7th or 1st not the 8th. On draft 3 is a better place to place it. Golder, Normanskill Dr. and Bohl Ave are in 1st Ward. Christopher Higgins, County Legislator, 277 Hudson Ave Resident I represent the 5th County Legislative District and cover downtown neighborhoods of Center Square, Hudson Park, Park South, Washington Park and the Mansion District. I like Stellato map, but want one map. I work well with Council Members of 1st, 4th, 11th and 6th Wards. The County lines are in litigation. Want to see County lines that overlap the city lines stay as close as possible to what they currently have. Number of changes were necessary. Daniel Nerenberg, 6th Ward 374 Hamilton St. Resident Like Stellato Plan. We're currently working on a whole lot of issues right now to keep those neighborhoods viable for families and for living and I think the fact that those neighborhoods are dominated in large part by the Lark St. commercial area and Washington Park, really makes them a community of interest that's worth keeping together. ...Bring areas of the Mansion Hill together. The Mansion NA is in the 2nd Ward. Keri Kresler, 7th Ward 14 Summit Ave Resident Need to fix half of the 7th Ward that was taken and put into the 1st Ward, then we gained the Mansion Neighborhood which was previously in the 1st ward. There was a switch of the Delaware Avenue area between the 1st Ward and 7th Ward. The Mansion NA is in the 2nd Ward.

Richard Berkley, 342 Hudson Ave Resident in Hudson Park Neighborhood Assoc. in middle of 6th Ward. I like the Thank you for your websiteprobably the best in the entire city at this pointI like the Stellato Plan. It's important to think about preserving the n.a. boundaries because n.a.s are the defining part of Albaby politics. Concerned with Park South, Hudson Park, Center Square and Washington Parkshare Lark Stwe share a historic center of Albany's LGBT community We're a definable community of interest. The 6th Ward lost the NW corner and SE corner, but gained at it's Northern boundary. Richard Berkley, Delaware Public Library 10/30/12 One ...of your charge is to expand the number of majority-minority wards in the city. I want you to come to a consensuson a map that reduces the number of wards by 40% from 15 to 9reversing the balkanization that Albany suffers through nowit would save$180,000.00. We increased our majority/minority wards from four to six. Michael O'Brien, Councilman 12th Ward Keep neighborhood associations in tact. I share Beverwyck with Ann Kahn and West End with Jackie. Westview, a very large census block, is a public housing for 400 seniorsis being broken off into the 11th Wardshould be left in the 12th Ward. Westview Center at 680 Central Avenue is in the 11th Ward. Leah Golby, Councilwoman 10th Ward When you cross Western Ave and what I call the downtown dorms,it is important to include the dorm and the surrounding neighborhoods in the same ward. And that is done with the new St. Rose dorms. However, the St. Rose older dorms in the middle of St. Rose Campus is moved out of the 10th Ward and there are neighbors along Partridge St. and along Madison Ave. who are currently impacted bySt. Rose and the St. Rose dormsI was curious about including CDPC and the hospitalwould make10th Ward residents happy. I do not believe belongs at all in the 10th is the sections of Mercer, Providence and Woodlawnthe area of, that includes the Thurlow Terrace Apts does not belong in the 10th Ward. you will find that there is a lot of support for Ridgefield Park to be put back in the 10th Ward. The census blocks with the students added to the 13th Ward. AMCH and CDPC is in the 7th Ward Ridgefield is in the 10th Ward. Mercer, Providence and Woodlawn are in the 7th and 9th Wards. Frank Commisso, Councilman 15th Ward Was asked question about having two representatives. In many cases when there's been quality of life concerns or petty crime concerns in our area, they've had two presentatives on the City Council instead of one. So they, in some respects, do have an increased voice. I have enjoyed representing the Pine Bush area or the panhandle of the city. We have the largest census block in the entire city in SUNY.I likewhere Hillcrest Ave. was used as boundary block.I'm not necessarily opposed to having a choice of two maps or a third map. Joe Igoe, Councilman 14th Ward Our Ward, the 14th is basically, it's been the same for the last 30, 40 years. It doesn't change much here. I think it's a good plan in all the plans for the 14th WardI'm pleased. Anton Konev, Councilman 11th Ward Let me agree with Leah Golby, ...keep the area surrounding the dorms in that areaCurrently, the dorm is added into the 10th Ward and connect it to a neighborhood that has no connection with it just doesn't make sense. My second point Harrington plan keeps Thurlow Terrace and the 400 Hudson, which is the B'nai B'rith Apt. building together, a good start because both are senior buildings. Keep Beverwyck N.A. together. It doesn't make sense to split Benson St., neighbors will end up in two different wards. Also, both plans drove the 11th Ward into connecting two parts across Central Ave., and I really thinkthat is not a good idea. The neighborhood around Livingston Ave between Watervliet and Manning Boulevard, has never been of the same common interest

as the Beverwyck neighborhood.A lot of neighborhoods you combine down on State, Spring and Washington St. and Cortland Place and Western Ave and Ontario and Quail are student neighborhoods. So you are combing two student neighborhoods with completely non-student neighborhood across Central Ave. and breaking up communities of common interest. The dorms were added to the 13th Ward, Benson St is in the 11th Ward Marlon Anderson - 5th Ward Resident I hope that some thought and some effort is given to making a greater public outreach to the public. I do want to commend Channel Albany for their coverage of this important issue to the citythe rest of the city media has been virtually invisible Above in the 11th Ward, above the Manning Blvd line, which is drawn for the 5th Ward going up toward the Watervliet Ave. Extensionyou have Bleeker Terrace in that neighborhoodthat neighborhood does not have anything of commonality with the other side of Central Ave. that neighborhood is totally 100% minority interest. They have more commonality with West Hill than with the other side of Central Ave.and 11th Ward. I would like to see the Boundary of 5th extended from the Manning Boulevard. Their lives are more entwined to West Hill and the 5th Ward than it would be to the 11th Ward. People in former Dudley Heights, Skyline Gardens, Colonie St. area more in common with Arbor Hill and West Hill than 4th Ward. Clinton Ave as a boundary line and then it jumps onto 1st St. at N. Lake Ave.that's not an adequate boundary. Clinton Ave. should be a boundary line for the 5th Ward andthat line extend from 1st St. to Ten Broeck St. Clinton Ave. area from N. Lake Ave down should be in 5th not 3rd Ward. Manning Blvd. up towards Bleeker Terrace and up toward Watervliet Ave and over to the other side that is an expansion of the 5th Ward and that's just how it should be seen. Bleeker Terrace is in the 11th Ward. Watervliet Ave is a western boundary for the 5th Ward. North Swan is an eastern boundary for the 5th Ward Marlon Anderson, Arbor Hill Library 11/13/12 The numbers should not be the only motivator a continuity of community, a continuity of constituency should be the motivator. 5th Ward needs to be expanded to Hunter Ave. and the Bleeker Terrace areathe 5th Ward might be the social and physical hub of the Citydo not fractionalize community or constituencyif you look at draft 3 you are getting there. Clinton Ave. area from N. Lake down is in 3rd Ward. Bleeker Terrace is not an expansion because it is in 11th Ward. Tim Carney I came up with a plan. every single neighborhood association is kept as a whole.my map has a point zero one per cent variation. I came up with a 9 Ward and a 15 Ward map. Was asked if he had the data for the maps. I do. I just didn't have a chance to get everything printed out and there's five solid majority-minority. However, it has a 51% white voting ratio, so it doesn't make a solid six, but it is a six majority-minority districts. Tim Carney, Delaware Public Library 10/30/12 Started with 8th Ward just 1 block was added and it became a perfect wardWhitehall to the Delaware Ave area neighborhood I started to make a change therework your way down to 2nd Ave which encompasses a true South End District. The 3rd wardgoes from Morton Ave. over to Livingston and Lark St. to the river. The North Albany District which is the same, the 12th is the same, the 5th, the 6th, the 7th a couple of changes, the 9th about the my map probably 11 of the wards are identical and 4 have minor changes5 solid majority-minority wards, a 6th 6th ward a 40-40 split with whites and blacks and another 15% with Hispanic populationon Voting Age. with whites and blacks and another 15% with Hispanic population on Voting Age. Tim Carney, Arbor Hill Library 11/13/12 I like map 3 it uses the major thoroughfares as your dividing linesetc.

Tom McPheeters, Mansion Neighborhood Resident I want to express my concern that there are many ways to create communities of interest for the Mansion Neighborhood that are not recognized in either of the two plans...To the north of us is downtown Albany not well populated now but will be soon. To the east is Pastor's Neighborhoodand to the west is Hudson Park Neighborhood a little slice going into the 1st Ward and I don't think many of us would have a problem with that, but we want to respect the wishes of the 6th ward people as well. Big change is south of us where Morton Avebeen a natural boundaryThe Housing Authority is removing the towers one by one in partnership with Trinity Alliance. They are building an education campus that will serve both neighborhoods. The Mansion N.A. and South End N.A. which is relatively new, have a very strong working relationshipthere are 5 neighborhoods in the South EndSo I ask you to consider that these neighborhoods do have a lot of history and commonality together. Many changes have been made to the 2nd Ward to address the comments by the public. Clifton Dixon, 3 1/2 N. Swan St. 4th Ward Resident You know, Shaker Park and Bishop's Gate, specifically that has been added to the 4th, actually has a Loudonville zip code. I do, would like to know how the new 5th that's proposedgoes all the way up to N. Manning, which is actually in West End N.A. And it actually crosses four neighborhoods West Hill, West End, Ten Broeck Triangle and Arbor Hill. So I am not quite sure, why that was drawn that particular way, because there are serious different ends of the community. I am not so concerned about the four, because you have the majority of Arbor Hill, majority of North Albany, the entirety of District 8 and the entirety of Shaker Park. But it just seems interesting that in the traditional minority wards, the 5th and the 3rd they are drastically split. So I would just like you guys to take a closer look at those particular neighborhoods and try to keep them more compact. Mr. Harrington response: If we stayed with the current lines, there would be 5 minority-majority districts. With both of these, one plan has six and one has seven minority-majority districts both voting age and total population. Frankly, the minority population is concentrated on the east side. It just is. So it's hard to get to 50.1% minority districts. You're going to end up with 60, 65, 75% minority districts. They don't have to be 95, and they are not in any of the plans, but we do add two minority districts to what would be there if we just kept the lines. Clifton Dixon, Delaware Public Library 10/30/12 I do want to echo the words of Mr. Lief Engstrom. He extended an invitation to everyoneto show them how to use the Esri software Clifton Dixon, Arbor Hill Public Library 11/13/12 I have submitted a map and it was definitely hard work. It has 6 solid majority-minority districts voting age and populationand it's important for individuals to have the opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice, it's where I have looked at voting strength, voting age, those over 18 and I think my submission does that. Robert Pastel, 10th Ward 836 Park Ave Resident The Stellato and the Harrington mapssplit us between the 9th Ward and the 10th Ward. So we hope that if you could either put us preferably into the 10th Ward, so we could enjoy our continued representation, but in any case, so that we are not split into the two sides in the districts. Park Ave is in 10th Ward. Craig Waltz, Ward Leader 8th Ward Resident In the 8th Ward you put into the 7th Ward a section of Holmes Court, Rose Court and Edgecomb Stthese should stay within the 8th Ward. What I would point out is that the actual leadership of the N.A. along that corridor is in the area that you cut out of the 8th Ward. So they would be kind of at 6th and 7th and to saywe represent all of these people when we don't even live there. It is one of the things that needs to be addressed Holmes Court, Rose Court and Edgecomb are in 8th Ward

Ric Chesser, 10th Ward Committeeman, Zoning Chair Pine Hills N.A., Morris St. Resident, run Steamer 10 Theater The big thing that nobody's really talked about so far, is our commercial district, which is predominately Madison back to Morris or Yates from Main up to Allen St., and that's been chopped in half, with the piece on south side of Madison going into the 11th Ward and Price Chopper and the Madison Theater and the other one. The Stellato Harrington map, that one little block six or eight voters in it that tiny section really ought to be a part of the neighborhood, Mercer, Providence, Woodlawn at Quail St. are in 9th Ward. DELAWARE PUBLIC LIBRARY, OCTOBER 30, 2012

Kathleen Scales, 7th Ward Leader We have a lot of community of interest in the Delaware Ave N. A. and it is completely unacceptable to split us up into three different wards. Current draft has NA in 1st and 7th Wards. Jack Hanifan, 9th Ward Board Leader, 39 Ramsey Place Resident I do have to, the 7th Ward under Stellato plan is ridiculous. You have someone living the corner of Forest and Hackett and someone on State and Pearl in the same ward, just doesn't make sense. That's got to be fixed. Ward Leaders got together on Saturday and we are making some adjustments... I don't see why Helderberg Ave., should not be a dividing lineuse either Grove, Forest or Lawnridge as dividing line sonext door neighbors are not different wards. Grove is used as a dividing line. Alyssa Kane, Cuyler Ave Resident I own a building with several neighbors at 540 Delaware Ave., which houses the Yoga Loft, Cheese Traveler and All Good Bakery this plan would divide and separate those businesses from the rest of this corridorwhich we have worked very hard to keep together. Whitehall and 2nd Ave does separate two sections of Delaware Ave. 540 Delaware Ave is in the 1st Ward. Mark Yolles, Mansion Neighborhood Resident I see by a number of the proposals that we are now going to be in one ward, which we are very thankful. Give serious consideration to his (Tim Carney) proposal. Mansion NA is in 2nd Ward. Shawn Morris, 24 Marinello Terrace Resident For the past 20 years, the 7th Ward has been, basically, comprised of mostly Delaware Ave and a smaller, but very strong part, of the New Scotland Avenue Neighborhood.That's why I was surprised to see lines that divided a uniformed community like Delaware Ave. into small parts of three different districts, and I was surprised to see a once compact and sensible district like the 7th Ward, gerrymandered across the city, separated by institutional complexes, a major park and a highway. you have crack that critical mass into three parts on Delaware Ave. You've divided our voice and diluted our strength. The plan, as it stands now is unacceptable to those of us who live here in this district and if it stays, I would oppose its adoption... Many issues have been addressed in the 7th Ward. Andrew Joyce, Member of Normanskill Area N.A., 8th Ward Democratic Committee member, 41 Meadow Resident I live in the 8th Ward now, I did grow up in the 12th on the Stellato plan. I think if we move the line to the east to Manning Blvd, the reason I say that, is it cuts out two very strong communities of interest in the 12th with Westview Homes and Westview Tenants Assoc., in addition to Blessed Sacrament Church and Blessed Sacrament Parish. And now moving over into the 8th Ward. We have Rose Court and Holmes Court and Edgecomb Courthave been cut out the way the current Stellato Plan is right now. We have the upper Whitehall N.A. there, the Normanskill

N.A. Three very strong members of our neighborhood associations live on those streetsthat puts them in the 1st Ward. I think it would be better served if we kept those three streets in with the 8th Most of Manning Blvd is in 11th Ward. Benson is in 11th Ward. Rose Court, Holmes Court, Edgecombe Court are in the 8th. Leif Engstrom, City Auditor, 10th Ward Resident of the neighborhood around Ridgefield Park. The Stellato map divides that neighborhoodand the 10th Ward, isn't very cohesive. It has a hook in it, for some reason that, I mean, I could understand if you are looking at minority-majority wards, that you're gonna take steps, and it might look a little bit funny. Here we're not concerned with minority-majority wards. I really don't understand why the 10th Ward would need to have a hook in it to achieve something. So, and as a result of the medical, the psychiatric center and the Providence Ave area being in there, you've moved the southern line up and created a division right at Ridgefield Park. We'd like to have a more cohesive 10th Ward. The other issuethe Stellato map for voting age population (VAP) only has 4 minority-majority wards. Eleven of these wards have non-hispanic whites. Over 50% for the over-18 populationso that is really a continuation of what currently exists. As Tim said, I've been trying through the Esri softwareto help people create their own map and I've gone through this about ten times. So it is eminently possible to have 6 very strong minority-majority wards in the city. Boundary is now moved to Woodlawn Ave, not Ridgefield. Laura Schoenholt, Irving St. Resident I live on Irving St. I've been there for over 30 years and it has always been in the 6th Wardit is now being cut out of the 6th Ward and put into the 7th. Irving St is in 7th Ward. Lynne Jackson, 223 S. Swan St. 1st Ward Resident I am concerned that the 1st Ward is being chopped up into too many wards. I think that we need to keep a good representative in the South Endbecause we need a lot of strong advocacy in the South End. I've been living in an election district that has 40 people in it we don't want election districts that have 40 people in one and 500 in the other, that they really should be more fairly distributed. I would also like to make a comment about the gentleman who made the proposal to reduce the wards,I feel that the City of Albany has a strength in that we have 15 Common Council members, because that is a greater diversity of opinion. Those who talk about reducing the wards are talking about reducing representation. Many of the issues have been addressed in the current draft of map. Carolyn Keefe, 215 Partridge St., 10th Ward Resident I live directly across from the side of the College of St. Rose. My concern is with this proposal divides the College of St. Rose from the neighbors it impacts. And for better or worse, that is problematic for those of us who live there. if we kept the College of St. Rose and the Alumni Quad within the 10th Ward, within the same ward And maybe removing that small section between Lake and Quail and Woodlawn or Mercer that's by the hospital, is really more impacted by the hospital, not so much by the college. And the area on Thurlow doesn't seem to fit in that ward at all. College of St. Rose and UA Alumni Quad are in 13th Ward. ARBOR HILL PUBLIC LIBRARY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012

Ronald Bailey, Councilman 3rd Ward, 496 Elk St. Resident I just ask that the Commission, that you stick to your charge with numbers that the census has given you to build these maps, because if we don't, then it's shame on us if we don't allow it to go the way it's supposed to go, because the bottom line is, whatever maps you choose, it has to come before the Council. And the reason that we ask for a Commission, and the Council choose not to sit on the Commission, because we did not want this to turn political. And this has turned so political it's a shame.

Bar, 496 Park Resident I've heard that the lines are going to be drawn and some of the new wards are going to get double representation, because they will have two assemblyman above them and it will be split between them and they will then get two votes above them, whereas another ward would only get one vote. That, to me, doesn't sound like an equality. I live in an area there is a lot of students. The Commission is basing their judgment, their decisions on a census that was taken in 2010. This will be enacted in 2013; correct? So either 50% or 75% of the people that you're redistricting for won't be in those areas. It's something that I haven't seen anybody taking into account on the way they are redistricting around the college areas and the areas where the students live. At this draft, only the proposed 11th Ward has no representative. Dorian Solot, Mansion Neighborhood Resident Our neighborhood is divided into two wardshoping that as a result of the work that you are doing, that will not be the case anymore The issues that we deal with as a neighborhood and as a community are very much based on downtown issues, and so linking us to neighborhoods that look very different from us and deal with very different issues, doesn't make a lot of sense. It would be much better for us to be sort of grouped together with the downtown neighbors and most importantly to have our neighborhood be within one ward so we could all be represented by the same person. Mansion NA is in the 2nd Ward. Stephanie Richardson A letter was submitted to you in October from the Lark St Area Residents Wuality of Life Committee...comprised of members and friends of Center Square, Hudson Park, Park South and Washington Park neighborhoods...we think it is very important, since we all work together very well, that we keep those neighborhoods intact within the 6th Wards. John Hammer, 52 South Allen, 10th Ward Resident The heart of the Pine Hills Neighborhood is Madison Ave and draft 3 cuts right down the middle so we are against Draft 3. Draft 2 does the same. We'd like you to think about scooting that line up to Western Ave. Other issue ...very western edge of the 10th Ward on map 2 stops at S. Allen. If you stand on Manning Blvd, South Manning and you look out towards the west, you'll see wonderful one-family houses with stately grounds, driveways, people who make more money than I do. If you turn around the other way and look downtown, you'll see people like us. You see students, you see minorities, you see immigrants, you see lots of two-family houses, you see a very diverse neighborhood. Those two blocks between S. Allen and Manning really culturally, socially, and economically belong in the 10th Ward. The 10th Ward is moved back to a more similar footprint of the 2003 Ward. Wilma Alvaredo Little, Pine Hills 10th Ward Resident Draft 3it's splitting the ward and its community members into the surrounding five wards and this doesn't foster, nor encourage a spirit of community, but rather a geographical and communty divisiveness. Draft 2 proposes to change the border from Allen to Lawrence of the current 10th Ward. This border would divide usMaintaining the boarder at Allen instead of Lawrence makes much more sense. The 10th Ward is moved back to a more similar footprint of the 2003 Ward. Akum Norder, 10th Ward Resident My first concern is that splitting W. Lawrence St. down the middle and dividing our block across two wards is a poor move for our neighborhood. Second concern is about the proposed division of the Madison Ave business district which is an integral part of the Pine Hills Community. I live on W. Lawrence St. between Lawrence and Myrtle. We are the first residential block behind the business district. Yates is not a street, it's a parking lot except for one house, Price Chopperextend from Madison all the way back to Morris. Either Allen or Manning would make a more natural dividing line than W. Lawrence.

The 10th Ward is moved back to a more similar footprint of the 2003 Ward. W. Lawrence to S. Allen at Maiden is back into the currently proposed draft. Helen Klaeysen, Member of West End N.A. Resident The West End N.A. is bounded by Everett Rd. and Ontario, Central Ave and I-90. Part of my concern is, we have been together for nine years, have worked bery hard to establish some sense of cohesiveness. Our council person has been to most of our meetings. We have our own beat cop. my concern is that if that were further divided, that would dilute the work that we have been trying to do, in a sense destroy the West End N.A. Also,about 25% of the people in Albany, I believe, do not have vehicles. So if you can look at areas that there could be walking, things within walking distances or along bus lines and also look at areas that the beat cops are in Area is in the proposed 11th Ward. John O'Grady, Member of West End N.A. Resident We have four of us here from the West End N.A., including our President I just want to be a little more specific about what Helen was saying. A natural boundary of Central Avecrosses Central Ave. A natural gathering point is Manning Blvd, north of Central Ave. It's really a dividing line south of Central Ave, but north of it is sort of like a gathering point from both sides. I'm talking about a corner store, chicken pizza place, Swinburne Park, Orchard Tavern, draws from both sides of the neighborhood. The other problem on one or two of the drafts, is that we include Shaker Park in it, which is a very different community of interest from the West End neighborhood. Area is in the proposed 11th Ward. Todd Hunsinger, President of Pines Hill N.A. I can understand the issue of one person, one vote. However, I hope everyone in this room will realizethat because you're working off of 2010 Census your numbers are already irrelevant. Patroon Creek Apts added 200 people during last two years, which again is going to skew your numbers. By next year you will have more apartments downtown, you will have other apartments going other places that are adding large chunks of people to specific areas of the City of Albany. closest thing that works for us in the midtown area is draft 2. However, you cut off the head of the Upper Madison business district from Ward 10, to add it to Ward 14, which extends ... to Normanskill. we are the largest (neighborhood association) in the city and right now we're represented by four council members and we certaintly can't expect that we'll have one representation. We propose that the northwestern border of the 10th Ward be moved from Madison Ave up to Western Ave., move western border of 10th from Lawrence to S. Allen. That little stretch of Ryckman Ave. to W. Lawrence be addedthe southern Woodlawn boundary should be added to the 9th Ward,little arm of the 12th Ward be added to the 13th Ward. Basically, this eastern boundary is moved from Washington or Central Ave up to Manning Blvd. Draft 3 does nice job with borders but cuts us up. The 10th Ward is moved back to a more similar footprint of the 2003 Ward. O'Leary Blvd to Thurlow Terrace Western Ave is the boundary line. S. Allen to O'Leary Blvd Madison Ave. is the boundary line. Ryckman Ave is in 10th. Woodlawn Ave. is a boundary between W. Erie and Partridge St. Carolyn McLaughlin, Common Council President, 2nd Ward Leader, Resident, served on Commission 10 yrs ago. I am standing here with Willie White and Mark Bob-Semple and we represent... I live in the South End. I've always known State St as a natural boundary that divides North and South Pearl St. So I consider that as a dividing line. So when I look at proposal 3 I see the 3rd Ward, which I believe has been switched in the 2nd Ward with 4th, because at one point currently the 4th Ward is now down in the 2nd Ward, comes as far as Madison Ave and also goes to the Menands line. So you just think of that. So I thought in this version we would be correcting thatthat we would now get 99 and 101 S. Pearl St. into the South End, which is in the 2nd Ward of the city. But rather than that take place here, we've just switched it with the 3rd Ward, and as I look at the map, there's more of the 3rd Ward in the South End than in the North End. I did assume that there was an existing Council Member in that 3rd Ward. But if that is the case, then that person would be representing more people in the South End than in the North End. But my point I'm making here is you are dividing the city. You're having a person representing one end

of the city, passing a natural dividing line and having them also represent the southern part of the city. These are two distinct communities. If you talk, go through these neighborhoods, people in the South End, love the South End and that's where they want to live. People who live in West Hill and Arbor Hill, that's where they want to live. And mind you, they might look alike, but they have very distinct interests in those communities. Another thing that is very important. I see Joanne MortonPresident of the South End N.A. and someone who has been working along with the rest of us for many years on the South End Action Plan, the South End Campus Center that is in formation at this point, about to be built, that project has been drawn out of the South End N.A the project is no longer theirs, it's in another ward. I too thought that the split that currently exists on Grand St. would be corrected, in that one side of the street now is in the 2nd Ward and one side is in the 1st Ward. In the new district it's all in the 3rd. the lines of interest that currently exist, I don't see them being kept intact. (Same problems with draft 2.) Please see Arbor Hill Library Public Hearing pgs. 49-60 of responses made by Ms. McLaughlin, Ms, Morton, Mr. White and Mr. Bob-Semple to specific questions asked by Commissioners. The currently proposed map has significantly change the proposed 2nd Ward, including the Mansion NA. and extending the southern boundary to the Bethlehem border. Stephen Winters, President of Second Ave N.A., 227 Second Ave Resident Our neighborhood which runs up and down 2nd Ave, encompasses many side streets, is split between three different wards in map 2. like I would be in the 7th Ward myself personally, ...the 1st Ward, which includes uptown and then going over to Graceland Cemetery And then the 2nd Ward, which include a large part of and then going down and then would include like Mountain and Kenosha, which are two of our primary streets in our South 2nd Ave N.A. 2nd Ave serves as a boundary between Ward 7 and 1, from Delaware Ave to Van Vecten Street. Most of the previous boundary has been returned to its previous line and the new boundary continues to S. Pearl St. Jackie Jenkins-Cox, Councilwoman 5th Ward Resident Draft 3, I have to say, I couldn't agree with that. I know it takes the 5th Ward and creates it into the 11th Ward. However, it also takes, I think it's like from 2nd St, Oak St. which is this lower part of West Hill and it wraps it and takes it all the way around to Albany Shaker Rd, Shaker Park Drive. Honestly, I don't see a community of interest for West Hill to that side. The numbers in the 5th Ward are needed and I understand that. I've been listening to your process for a long time, but it's important that you think about the representation if it's going to be a minority ward. I don't see any common interest on draft 3 with Ward 11. 2nd St and Oak St are both in the 5th Ward. Albany Shaker Road and Shaker Park Drive are in 4th Ward. Leah Golby, Councilwoman (speaking on behalf of Cathy Fahey, 10th Ward Resident) She asked me to share her concerned about draft 3 (correction) draft 2 and the section that goes down to include Grand St., Phillip St., Eagle St., basically the area east of Delaware Ave. My biggest concern is with the Upper Madison business district and the influence of that business district on the neighbors on West Lawrencewhat you have as the new dividing line. South Allen makes more sense as a dividing line Also I have concerns about the large number of refugee population in the City of Albany that use Emmaus Church which is now drawn into the 14th Ward, where a few, if any, refugees live. I hope you'll consider putting that back in the 10th, it's on the corner of Morris and West Lawrence. Submission A map 10th Ward, that map is significantly better. S. Allen is now the dividing line. The corner of Morris and West Lawrence is now in 10th. Mr. Guidice, Mansion Neighborhood Grand St. Resident Grand St. on it alone, has three different community institutions that are serving a population of interest. The Rattic Center on the corner of Arch and Grand, the Lwanga House on the corner of Ashgrove and Grand and then Grand St. Community Arts. serve a very kind of cohesive, well organized population. Unfortunately, over the past many years that I've lived in Albany, we've been politically divided, which has caused problems with our representation. I would hope that in this process that division could be corrected and that Grand St. would fall entirely into one ward. from S. Pearl St. all the way up to Eagle should be put in one ward. Draft 2 takes our neighborhood

from downtown and drags it out to the Helderberg Neighborhood very few common interests with themdraft two is completely unacceptableMansion neighborhood needs to be connected to a downtown neighborhoodin the South End and connected to a commercial district to the north of us. Grand St. falls entirely in the 2nd Ward. Eagle St. from Morton Ave to S. Mall Arterial is in the 2nd Ward. Mansion N.A. is in the 2nd Ward. Mr. Sam Coleman, Resident Talking on behalf of the 11th Ward that you have situated here in draft 3 I want to reiterate what our Councilwoman Jackie Jenkins-Cox said. Shaker Park, Bishop Gates. The effect in the 11th Ward, I don't know if you were considering that to be a minority-majority district. That area does not work at all for the 11th Ward. I'm trying to figure out your idea and thought of adding Shaker Ridge into that area. Because there's vacant space? The current draft changed the boundaries for this area. Laura Castelli, 6th Ward Resident Draft 2 you talk about Elm and Irving, Myrtle and Park. Those individual streets, which is in the south, the further south portion of the 6th Ward. It actually, its Hudson Park. The 6th Ward is made up of four neighborhood associations. There's the Center Square, Hudson Park, Park South and Washington Park. I would be remiss if I didn't make sure that I provide that information about Park South and to include those southern most portions of Hudson Park area into the 6th Ward Elm is in the 6th Ward. Irving and Myrtle is in the 7th Ward. Mr. Bob-Semple, Resident I really came here to represent the people that are not here and the people that really this will affect, the people that don't vote, the people that don't fill out the Census, but they live in these neighborhoods and they don't have a voice, but they are there. And so we want to think about those people, because they are being affected. Please think about those people that are living in those neighborhoods and they need people to represent them. That's basically, all I wanted to make sure. Respectfully Submitted 2012 Reapportionment Commission