§ 7-3. Adoption of a Districting Plan.

The commission shall develop no less than three districting plans that comply with the requirements of the charter. In developing these plans, the first districting commission shall conduct public meetings in nine areas of the city before submitting plans to council; and subsequent commissions shall hold one public meeting in each of the nine council districts. Audiovisual records of the meetings shall be made available using a medium readily accessible by the general public.

The commission shall provide a means whereby any resident of the city of Columbus may submit a proposed districting plan for review by the commission. The commission shall establish and publicize a period of no less than 30 consecutive days for residents to submit such plans.

The commission shall make at least three plans available for public inspection and comment no less than 30 consecutive days prior to approval and submission of such plans to the council.

No later than nine months after appointment, the commission shall vote to approve and submit three districting plans to the council, including with each plan a statement explaining how the plan complies with the districting requirements herein. Council shall not modify any districting plan or portion thereof, except to ensure compliance with the requirements of this charter. No later than December 31 ^st of the year of submission, council shall pass an ordinance, which shall be an emergency measure, adopting one of the districting plans. The districting plan so adopted shall be effective at the next succeeding primary and general municipal elections and shall remain in effect until a new districting plan has been approved as provided for herein.

Upon council adoption of a districting plan, the districting commission shall be automatically dissolved.

If territory is annexed into the city after the adoption of the districting plan, council shall by ordinance, which shall be an emergency measure, amend the districting plan to attach the territory to the contiguous council district sharing the largest boundary with the territory. If territory is detached from the city after adoption of the districting plan, council shall by ordinance, which shall be an emergency measure, amend the districting plan to detach the territory from the council district within which it previously resided.

If a districting plan is invalidated by a court of competent jurisdiction, the prior district map shall remain in effect and the provisions of this charter shall be followed forthwith to develop a new districting plan.

(Ord. No. 0650-2018 , § 2, 3-5-2018)