Pullman is going to redraw its three ward boundaries and it will ask for the public’s help in selecting a new map.
With new data from the 2020 census, it is time for the city to start the redistricting process for its voting wards, and the Pullman City Council discussed this plan Tuesday.
The city hired a consultant, Flo-Analytics, to create three draft maps that will be officially presented to the public in April during a public comment period. A public hearing will be held April 26 and the council will adopt a final map May 24.
Currently, there are 12,377 people in Ward 1on the west side of the city, 10,703 people in Ward 2 in the College Hill area, and 9,821 in Ward 3 on the east side of the city.
Alex Brasch, senior analyst for Flo-Analytics, said the goal is to make each ward as close to equal in population as possible and as compact as possible.
To meet this population goal, Flo-Analytics Data Analyst Emma Swanson said Pullman needs to address its biggest population difference.
“Really, what we want to do is try and balance Ward 1 and Ward 3,” she said.
The city council members selected three maps that will be presented to the public. These maps can be found in Tuesday’s meeting packet atbit.ly/36CgkmQ. The maps selected were titled Scenario 1, Scenario 3 and Scenario 4.
In other city council business Tuesday:
The Maynard-Price American Legion Post 52 presented its annual Law and Order awards to honor the work of local first responders in 2021. Jerry Coker and Ted Weatherly presented the awards.
Sgt. Todd Dow and Officers Shane Emerson, Luv St. Andre, Ruben Harris and Garrett Willis were awarded the Humanitarian and Lifesaving award for responding to a Sept. 25 shooting in College Hill that killed one person. They were able to provide first aid that helped one of the two victims in the shooting survive.
Officers Brian Chamberlin and Brock Westerman also won the same award. Chamberlin won it for helping save a suicidal person Dec. 21 on a Terre View Drive bridge. He also will be awarded by the Washington American Legion.
Westerman won the award for applying a tourniquet to a man who injured his leg with a mortar July 4 on Thomas Street.
Willis won Officer of the Year for his work as the department’s College Hill officer, and for proposing that each patrol car have go-bags with medical equipment.
Nate Richardson won EMT of the Year for performing the Heimlich maneuver on a woman choking on food during a Sept. 18 Washington State University football game.
Steven Potratz-Lee won Firefighter of the Year for coordinating the reserve firefighter academy.
Whitcom employee Jamie Keller won 911 Operator of the Year.
The city council approved spending $2 million to hire LaRiviere Inc. to prepare nearly 3 acres of city land for expanding Pullman’s Maintenance and Operations facilities along Guy Street.