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After last week’s stormy session where the council narrowly approved, in concept, the city’s controversial new council districts, the City Council will have its first reading of the ordinance that sets the districts at tonight’s meeting.  

The moderate faction on the council was outraged last Tuesday when progressives approved new council districts that moderates say was fashioned behind closed doors and is a poorly disguised attempt to unseat moderate Councilmember Polly Armstrong by loading her district with students. 

The progressives approved the proposed new district boundaries by a 5-4 vote. 

The progressives deny that there was a hidden agenda in the proposed plan and said it was the one that most closely adhered to City Charter requirements. 

A large part of the problem was a blunder by census takers who apparently undercounted thousands of people in districts 7 and 8. 

According to the city clerk, census takers missed nearly 4,500 people. Despite the undercount, which called for drastic boundary shifts, the city is bound by the charter to approve new districts with equal populations by Dec. 31. 

The new district boundaries, drafted by residents David Blake and Michael O’Malley, closely resembles the geographical shape of the old districts but shifts large numbers of people into new districts citywide.  

Boundary changes 

District 1, northwest Berkeley, Councilmember Linda Maio 

According to a city report on the redistricting, 1,064 people are moved out of District 1. The district does pick up a significant number of residents and business where the new boundary is moved one block west from University Avenue to Addison Street between 2nd and 10th streets. District 1 also loses several blocks along its eastern border. 

District 2, southwest Berkeley,  

Coucilmember  

Margaret Breland 

Loses 1,337 people in boundary shifts mostly where District 1 moves south one block from University Avenue. District 1 also loses blocks on eastern boundary where the line moves west from Sacramento Street to Edwards Street between Dwight and Bancroft way. 

District 3, south central Berkeley, Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek 

Loses 1,265 residents mostly on its eastern boundary where the new line is moved west one block from Ellsworth Street to Fulton Street between Derby and Dwight streets. But District 3 gains residents by moving west from California Street one block to Sacramento Street between Ashby and Parker streets. 

District 4, central Berkeley, Councilmember Dona Spring 

Loses 2,132 people mostly along northern border by moving one block south from Vine Street to Cedar Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Shattuck Avenue.  

It picks up several blocks along the western boundary where the line is shifted from Sacramento Street one block west to Edwards Street between Dwight and Bancroft ways. 

District 5, north central Berkeley,  

Councilmember Miriam Hawley 

Loses 1,195 people mostly along its eastern border where the boundary line is shifted one block west from Spruce Street to Oxford Street and from Craigmont Avenue to Santa Barbara Street. 

District 6, northeast Berkeley,  

Councilmember Betty Olds 

Loses 1,194 people by shifting primarily along its southern border where both districts 7 and 8 now jump the UC Berkeley campus past Hearst Avenue to Le Conte Avenue.  

District 6 picks up a long stretch of blocks along its western border where the boundary moves one block west from Spruce Street to Oxford Street. 

District 7, south-of-campus, mostly student area,  

Councilmember Kriss Worthington 

Picks up several blocks by moving west from Ellsworth Street one block to Fulton Street between Haste and Derby streets. 

And loses several blocks along its northeastern border where it moves one block west from College Avenue to Bowditch  

Street between Dwight and  

Bancroft ways. 

District 8, southeast Berkeley, Councilmember Polly Armstrong 

Because District 8 had to gain the most residents, it also lost the fewest, 156.  

The district picked up the most new residents by moving its northwestern boundary line west form College Avenue one block to Benvenue Street between Derby and Stuart streets and two blocks from College Avenue to Hillegass and Bowditch streets between Derby Street and Bancroft Way.