Board of Election Commissioners - Regular Meeting

ELECTION COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES January 27, 2022, at 3:00 9m Room 479, City Hall, 300 Monroe NW Meeting called to order: 3:00 pm Present: Commissioners Assessor Paula Grivins-Jastifer, City Attorney Anita Hitchcock, Acting Deputy Clerk Daniel Kvamme Absent: Commissioner Joel Hondorp (Present by Teams) Others present: Amanda Bradshaw, Mindy Korstange 1. Presiding: Anita Hitchcock 2. Roll Call: Commissioners Grivins-Jastifer, Hitchcock, Kvamme 3. Approval of the Minutes 4. Public Comments on items on the agenda: None 5. Election Commission Resolutions: 1) Resolution to abolish Precinct 36 and adjust Precincts 34 and 46 Boundaries. 2) Resolution to combine Precincts 72 and 74. 3) Resolution to recommend the City Commission adopt “Voting Precincts” Ordinance and approve polling locations for 2022 Elections. Commissioner Grivins- Jastifer, supported by Commissioner Hitchcock moved to approve: 1) Resolution to abolish Precinct 36 and Adjust Precincts 34 and 46 Boundaries. Vote: 3 – Yea 0 – Nay Passed 2) Resolution to combine Precincts 72 and 74. Vote: 3 – Yea 0 – Nay Passed 3) Resolution to recommend the City Commission adopt “Voting Precincts” Ordinance and approve polling locations for 2022 Elections. Vote: 3 – Yea 0 – Nay Passed Election Commission January 27, 2022 Page 2 of 2 6. Comments by Commissioners: None. Meeting adjourned at 3:18 pm. Minutes prepared by Joel H. Hondorp  CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS ELECTION COMMISSION RESOLUTION TO ABOLISH PRECINCT 36 AND ADJUST PRECINCTS 34 and 46 BOUNDARIES Election Commissioner Grivins-Jastifer, supported by Election Commissioner Hitchcock, moved to adopt the following resolution: WHEREAS, Act 116 of 1954, as amended, being MCL 168.657, authorizes a municipal Election Commission to attach a portion of any precinct to an adjoining precinct, or may rearrange the city, ward, or township into election precincts as the election commission or other officials charged with the performance of that duty by the charter of any city may consider necessary and convenient for conducting primaries or elections in the city, ward, or township in the same manner and under the same restrictions as provided in section 661; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Election Law, the Election Commission of the City of Grand Rapids must make precinct boundary changes no later than 210 days prior to the August primary in an even year except following the second year after the census, which is no later than 120 days; and WHEREAS, the Grand Rapids City Charter Title 1, Section 5(a) states that The City Commission shall by ordinance from time to time establish convenient election precincts in each ward. WHEREAS, since the adoption of Proposal 3 in 2018, the number of voters voting by Absentee Ballot has increase creating a decrease of voters voting in the Precinct; and WHEREAS, a polling location located in Precinct 36 has been difficult to consistently secure for the last several elections; RESOLVED that the Election Commission approves and recommends to the City Commission the split of Precinct 36 into Precincts 34 and 46. Precinct 34 Commencing at the intersection of Knapp Street and Ball Avenue; thence Southerly along Ball Avenue to I-196 Express; thence Southwesterly along the I-196 Expressway to Fuller Avenue; thence Northerly along Fuller Avenue to Knapp Street; thence Easterly along Knapp Street to the place of beginning. Precinct 46 Commencing at the intersection of the center line of Knapp Street and the center line of the East Beltline Avenue; thence South along the center line of the East Beltline Avenue to the East-West one quarter line of Section 15, Town 7 North, Range 11 West; thence West to the East one eighth line of said Section 15; thence Southerly and Easterly along the Northerly City of Grand Rapids corporate line to the East Beltline Avenue; thence Southerly along East Beltline Avenue to Bradford Street; thence Easterly along Bradford Street to the Easterly City of Grand Rapids corporate line; thence Southerly along said East corporate line to Michigan Street; thence Northwesterly along Michigan Street to the Easterly City of Grand Rapids corporate line; thence Southerly and Westerly along said East corporate line to East Beltline Avenue; thence Northerly along East Beltline Avenue to the center line of the I-96 Expressway; thence Northwesterly along the center line of the I-96 Expressway to the  center line of the I-196 Expressway; thence Westerly along the center line of the I-196 Expressway to Ball Avenue; thence Northerly along Ball Avenue to Leonard Street; thence Easterly along Leonard Street to the center line of the I-96 Expressway; thence Northerly along the center line of the I-96 Expressway to the East-West one quarter line of said Section 15; thence Easterly along said East-West one quarter line to Leffingwell Avenue; thence Northerly, Easterly and Southerly along the Easterly City of Grand Rapids corporate line to the center line of Knapp Street; thence Westerly along the center line of Knapp Street (also the City of Grand Rapids corporate line) to the center line of the East Beltline Avenue and the place of beginning. Adopted by the City of Grand Rapids Election Commission on January 27, 2022. Yeas Nays x Kvamme x Hitchcock x Grivins-Jastifer Yeas: 3 Adopted: x Nays: 0 Failed:  CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS ELECTION COMMISSION RESOLUTION TO COMBINE PRECINCTS 72 AND 74 Election Commissioner Grivins-Jastifer, supported by Election Commissioner Hitchcock, moved to adopt the following resolution: WHEREAS, Act 116 of 1954, as amended, being MCL 168.657, authorizes a municipal Election Commission to attach a portion of any precinct to an adjoining precinct, or may rearrange the city, ward, or township into election precincts as the election commission or other officials charged with the performance of that duty by the charter of any city may consider necessary and convenient for conducting primaries or elections in the city, ward, or township in the same manner and under the same restrictions as provided in section 661; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Election Law, the Election Commission of the City of Grand Rapids must make precinct boundary changes no later than 210 days prior to the August primary in an even year except following the second year after the census, which is no later than 120 days; and WHEREAS, the Grand Rapids City Charter Title 1, Section 5(a) states that The City Commission shall by ordinance from time to time establish convenient election precincts in each ward. WHEREAS, since the adoption of Proposal 3 in 2018, the number of voters voting by Absentee Ballot has increase creating a decrease of voters voting in the Precinct; and WHEREAS, precincts 72, 73, and 74 vote in the same polling location. Combining precincts 72 and 74 will improve efficiency in the polling location and lessen voter confusion; RESOLVED that the Election Commission approves and recommends to the City Commission the combination of 72 and 74. Commencing at the intersection of Burton Street and Rosewood Avenue; thence Southerly along Rosewood Avenue to Ridgeview Street; thence Westerly along Ridgeview Street to Sylvan Avenue; thence Southerly along Sylvan Avenue to Saginaw Street; thence Easterly along Saginaw Street to Rosewood Avenue; thence Southerly along Rosewood Avenue and Rosewood Avenue extended Southerly to the center line of the C & O Railroad; thence Northwesterly along the center line of the C & O Railroad to Kalamazoo Avenue; thence Southerly along Kalamazoo Avenue to Alger Street; thence Westerly along Alger Street to Blaine Avenue; Southerly along Blaine Avenue to Mayhew Wood Street; thence Westerly along Mayhew Wood Street to Eastern Avenue; thence Northerly along Eastern Avenue to Hazen Street; thence Easterly along Hazen Street to Marshall Avenue; thence Northerly along Marshall Avenue to Burton Street; thence Easterly along Burton Street to the place of beginning. Adopted by the City of Grand Rapids Election Commission on January 27, 2022. Yeas Nays x Kvamme x Hitchcock x Grivins-Jastifer Yeas: 3 Adopted: x Nays: 0 Failed:  CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS ELECTION COMMISSION RESOLUTION TO RECOMMEND THE CITY COMMISSION ADOPT “VOTING PRECINCTS” ORDINANCE AND APPROVE POLLING LOCATIONS FOR 2022 ELECTIONS Election Commissioner Grivins-Jastifer, supported by Election Commissioner Hitchcock, moved to adopt the following resolution: WHEREAS, Act 116 of 1954, as amended, being MCL 168.657, authorizes a municipal Election Commission to attach a portion of any precinct to an adjoining precinct, or may rearrange the city, ward, or township into election precincts as the election commission or other officials charged with the performance of that duty by the charter of any city may consider necessary and convenient for conducting primaries or elections in the city, ward, or township in the same manner and under the same restrictions as provided in section 661; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Election Law, the Election Commission of the City of Grand Rapids must make precinct boundary changes no later than 210 days prior to the August primary in an even year except following the second year after the census, which is no later than 120 days; and WHEREAS, the Grand Rapids City Charter Title 1, Section 5(a) states that The City Commission shall by ordinance from time to time establish convenient election precincts in each ward. WHEREAS, since the adoption of Proposal 3 in 2018, the number of voters voting by Absentee Ballot has increase creating a decrease of voters voting in the Precinct; and WHEREAS, precincts 7 and 11 were combined into precinct 11 in 2019, precinct 36 was split into precincts 34 and 46, and precincts 72 and 74 were combined; RESOLVED that the Election Commission approves and recommends to the City Commission approves the consecutive numbering of precincts 1 -74 and polling locations for said precincts. Adopted by the City of Grand Rapids Election Commission on January 27, 2022. Yeas Nays x Hondorp x Hitchcock x Grivins-Jastifer Yeas: 3 Adopted: x Nays: 0 Failed: