Following a series of discussions on the 10-year requirement to look at redistricting, the Inyo County Board of Supervisors will be making that decision at Tuesday’s meeting. Setting the boundaries for the five supervisorial districts is an 11:05 timed item.

The 2020 Census indicated population shifts, primarily away from the southern communities and toward Bishop. These shifts left districts 5 and 4 with significantly fewer people than districts in and around Bishop.

Inyo’s Planning Department and County Counsel staff presented a series of recommended options incorporating public input over the past month. Recommendations of the top three were included in the agenda packet. However, from a run through of 35 letters submitted on the agenda item indicates the public preferences weren’t lined up with legal requirements for the redistricting process.

The top staff choice was Map 8A, included with all the options on the County website. The biggest changes were with District 5, extending from the southern border to north of Independence. District 4 includes a bulb-out to include the Ft. Independence Indian Reservation, then spreads out to the County borders on the north and east.

Staff’s second choice was a close variation, identified as 8B with some minor boundary shifts within what is considered the Bishop area.

The third choice, Map 3, shows the great degree of change to the existing district boundaries. District 1 stays mainly to the north and east of U.S. Hwy. 395. Districts 2 and 3 look similar to their existing boundaries. District 4 begins near Independence but does not include Independence. The boundary follows the curve of U.S. Hwy. 395 to the east and runs to the Mono County line, including Aspendell and Starlight off Hwy. 168. District 5 extends so the eastern and western county boundaries.

Public comment was strong to keep the Ft. Independence reservation within District 5 because of its affiliation with the community of Independence. With the possible exception of Map 3, none of the top three staff picks made that change.

All the maps are available on the County website at Draft Redistricting Maps | Inyo County California. The full staff report is included in Tuesday’s agenda packet under Timed Items at 11:05.