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Draw A Map
In 2021 and 2022, the City of Visalia asked for the public's help to plan and draw new City districts.
On February 22, 2022, the Visalia City Council voted to approve Resolution 2022-11 and adopted the new map. The final map that the public helped create will define the five City of Visalia district borders, and these new districts will impact how you elect your Council Members for the next 10 years.
For record keeping purposes, and per CA Assembly Bill 849 Section 12 (g), all pages on the City website pertaining to the 2021/2022 Redistricting process will remain available.
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These public mapping tools are available to assist the public in drawing maps. There are different tools for different purposes, and different tools for different levels of technical skill and interest.
Please note, the deadline to submit maps for the Redistricting process is January 20, 2022 at 5 p.m. PST.
Update: The information included below will remain for record keeping purposes. The deadline to submit maps for the City of Visalia Redistricting process has passed, however, the public is encouraged to engage in the process by reviewing the information hosted on these pages and attending a future Public Hearing or providing their comments.
Maps Now Accepted
Our process is underway and we're seeking maps from our community! As of 11.15.21, our City of Visalia timeline for the redistricting process has been extended. The final deadline to submit redistricting maps to the City of Visalia is Thursday, 1.20.22 at 5 p.m. PST. All maps received by this deadline will be included for presentation during Public Hearing No. 5 on Monday, February 7, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.
For those new to the process, we have been able to accept maps since late October, the tools below can be used to help facilitate the creation of a map, or community members can use their own methods from digital tools to drawing it on a napkin. For more information on how to turn maps in, scroll to Submit Your Maps below.
For those seeking assistance on the mapping tools, City of Visalia staff members will be available in-person during special Drop-In Map sessions prior to City Council meetings (find the full list under Schedule). Community members can also receive help by phone, by calling the City of Visalia GIS Division at (559) 713-4358, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please note, City non-emergency offices will be closed Monday, January 17th.
Mapping tools available:
1. Paper-only maps for those without internet access or who prefer paper
Tools you can download and use now:
- Public Participation Kit – Paper Map w/ Population Count (English)
- Public Participation Kit - Paper Map w/Population Count (Spanish)
- Alternatively, submit any form of hand-drawn map that identifies street names.
2. Paper maps with a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to calculate population totals
Tools you can download and use now:
- Public Participation Kit – Paper Map w/ Population IDs (English)
- Public Participation Kit - Paper Map w/Population IDs (Spanish)
- Public Participation Kit – Excel Spreadsheet (English)
- Public Participation Kit - Excel Spreadsheet (Spanish)
3. Dave’s Redistricting (DRA 2020) is a free web app to create, view, analyze and share redistricting maps.
Tools needed:
- DRA 2020 (Direct link to web app)
- DRA How-To Video (Short Version)
- DRA How-To Video (Long Version)
4. Interactive Review Map to review, analyze, and compare maps, not to create them. Zoom in and out on map boundaries, view population counts/ID#s, and view draft maps (once the draft maps are released). Similar to Google Maps in ease of use.
Tools needed:
Would you like to draw your own map?
If you would like to submit a map created using your own software, please email to [email protected] and include the following:
1) A GIS Shapefile and/or a Census Block equivalency file (using 2020 Census Blocks); and
2) A description of the choices and key points of your map
12.17.21 Update: A previous version of this page listed Maptitude's Caliper as a mapping tool that would be used. Due to the tool's limitations and its inability to correctly errors in the tools data, it will not be an official tool listed here. Upon updates to Dave's Redistricting which more accurately reflects City of Visalia limits, Dave's Redistricting will be used as the official digital mapping tool.
10.27.21 Update: A previous version of this page listed Dave's Redistricting as a mapping tool that would be used. Due to the tool's limitations and its inability to correctly reflect current City of Visalia limits, it will not be an official tool listed here.
10.25.21 Update: A previous version of this page listed DistrictR as a mapping tool that would be used. Unfortunately, DistrictR will not be available to California jurisdictions with redistricting deadlines past the December 15, 2021 deadline. In it's place, our consultant NDC has recommended Dave's Redistricting, linked above.
Request for Materials
If you would like digital copies or printed, paper copies of the Public Participation Kits listed above, you can:
- Call City of Visalia Administration's Communication Manager Allison Mackey at (559) 713-4535 to request files be emailed or mailed to you
- Email City of Visalia Administration at [email protected] to request files be emailed or mailed to you
- Visit the City of Visalia Administration office in-person at 220 N. Santa Fe St, Visalia, CA, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to pick-up paper copies
Identifying Communities of Interest
Here are some helpful questions to thinking about identifying communities of interest and how that helps you build your maps:
- What are the common interests in your community?
- What binds your community together or creates a shared identity?
- Where is your community within the larger City of Visalia community? What are the cross streets and/or landmarks in your neighborhood? For example, intersections, roads, railroad tracks, etc.
Community of Interest Maps can be submitted in the following ways:
- Submit maps via email to [email protected]
- Submit maps via mail to City of Visalia Redistricting, c/o City of Visalia Administration, 220 N. Santa Fe St., Visalia, CA 93292
- Submit maps by dropping them off in-person at the City of Visalia Administration Office at 220 N. Santa Fe St. Visalia, CA 93292. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- All Community of Interest Maps must be submitted by January 20, 2022 at 5 p.m. PST
Submit Your Maps
Maps can be submitted in the following ways:
- Submit maps via email to [email protected]
- Submit maps via mail to City of Visalia Redistricting, c/o City of Visalia Administration, 220 N. Santa Fe St., Visalia, CA 93292
- Submit maps by dropping them off in-person at the City of Visalia Administration Office at 220 N. Santa Fe St. Visalia, CA 93292. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Please remember, the deadline to submit maps is January 20, 2022 at 5 p.m. PST.
After you submit your map, the "raw" (exactly as received) map will be posted to the Draft Maps page. The demographic consultants NDC will then generate the population and other demographic details for your proposed map. Maps will be viewable on the Draft Maps page or on the Interactive Review Map.
It is helpful if you submit written comments with your map describing how your map was drawn to meet the required criteria. An example of this would be describing the specific neighborhoods or communities of interest that are kept within a single district.
Information Retention
In accordance with CA Assembly Bill 849 Section 12 (g), information on this page will be retained for a period of ten (10) years. This page can not be superseded till January 1, 2031.