Independent Redistricting Commission Update 3/28/2021

The next meeting of the Independent Redistricting Commission is March 30^rd at 9:00 am.

(The link will be activated at about 9:10 am and remain open until just before the meeting ends.)

Main agenda items:

Discussion and Possible Action on Executive Director and other potential administrative support positions, and duties of all IRC staff positions.
- A Public Information Office is the next priority hire.
Discussion and Possible Action on evaluating and scoring candidates for Outside Counsel as part of the Outside Counsel RFP/procurement process.
- Nine law firms have submitted proposals and their names might be disclosed at this meeting.
- The prescribed process of selecting law firms has been difficult to understand and there has been disagreement about the process between the Attorney General’s Office and the State Procurement Office, which is part of the Department of Administration. It has not been clearly explained why selection criteria and the prioritization of that criteria has been done in executive session.

Suggested Public Comments:

Thank the Commission for conducting as much of their work in public view as possible and encourage them to interview prospective law firms in a public meeting.

Encourage the Commission to prioritize diversity and non-partisanship in future staff hires.
Encourage the Commission to clearly explain why selection criteria for legal counsel and prioritization of that criteria was done in executive session.
In the March 3rd meeting, the Commission asked the for a public presentation from the State Procurement Office (SPO) concerning how the Commission should vet law firms not currently vetted by the State. That presentation seems to have happened in executive session. Encourage the Commission to schedule that presentation in a public meeting.

Public comments are now posted after each meeting and can be viewed at https://irc.az.gov/public-meetings