http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-928283.mp3
A redistricting plan has been approved by the Kansas City, Missouri city council.
The changes in council district boundary lines are in most cases very slight. But large enough to produce more than three hours of discussion and debate on the two final maps at City Hall today.
Tthe map finally adopted splits the Brookside-Waldo area at 75th street, moves a two-block strip along Troost into the fifth district, and still splits the Hickman Mills-Ruskin area.
But the major conflict was between Latino and African American groups, causing Sharon Sanders Brooks to remark, "We can ill-afford to do a battle with each other over political representation...the two groups that are treated unfairly, even today over distribution of resources and allocation of resources."
Councilman John Sharp expressed concerns about the Ruskin-Hickman Mills area of the map, the division of the Waldo area and the ethnic group conflict.
Sharp made a last-minute push to create a compromise map, which he said would be a better plan than one that "makes people winners or losers."
But other members felt compelled to adopt one of the maps as is, and voted 11 to 2 to select the one African-American groups had endorsed.