After a meeting that dragged for almost 12 hours Tuesday, the
Santa Clara Valley Water District board voted 5-2 to re-draw
boundaries that creates seven new districts – two of which are in
South County, effectively separating Morgan Hill and Gilroy.
After a meeting that dragged for almost 12 hours Tuesday, the Santa Clara Valley Water District board voted 5-2 to re-draw boundaries that creates seven new districts – two of which are in South County, effectively separating Morgan Hill and Gilroy.
“South County’s voice was strongly heard,” said at-large South County board director Cy Mann who voted for the brand-new map.
He said the map was drawn at the meeting with public input from those who attended and from letters that were sent. Directors Patrick Kwok and Rosemary Kamei voted against the new map.
The water board has called a special meeting at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at the water district headquarters, 5750 Almaden Expressway in San Jose, to adopt the redistricting plan.
An advisory redistricting committee recommended three maps to the water board, but all were turned down and none resembled the map that was chosen.
Gilroy Mayor Al Pinheiro and Morgan Hill Mayor Steve Tate sent identical letters to the water board advocating that South County be split into two districts with corresponding seats on the water board. They noted that more representation was best for a unique area with farmland and reservoirs such as South County.
Morgan Hill’s district reaches from San Martin to Morgan Hill up to South San Jose, including the Evergreen area. Gilroy’s district goes south to the county border to the northern- and westernmost part of the county line at the south, and loops around Morgan Hill’s district to Palo Alto, resembling a horse-shoe shape.
A copy of the map is currently unavailable but it will be posted online as soon as possible.
