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for that seat based on her address, but she was just elected to the council in November.

Rafferty, a Northern California-based lawyer, expressed confidence that residents would turn out to support the redistricting process.

“There’s going to be substantial support for district elections across the political spectrum and from a number of the parts of the city who want to be better represented,” he said Friday.

A call to Gibbs seeking comment on the process was not immediately returned Friday.

The city has the option of presenting its own map, but there’s been no public indication so far that one is forthcoming.

The settlement announced in April spells out a timeline for the hearings, which calls for the first hearing to take place by March 3, 2023. The next hearing is, per the agreement, to take place no more than 30 days after that.

At the first hearing, the city can propose the plaintiffs’ map and its own, or just the plaintiffs’ map, according to the settlement.

“If they are able to do so, as they expect they will be, the (City) Council will approve and publish a revised joint map in advance of the second public hearing,” according to the settlement terms.

However, the settlement also lays out language for an eventuality in which neither side comes to an agreement after a pair of public hearings:

“In the event that plaintiffs are dissatisfied with the map that emerges from their discussions with the council and/or the two public hearings described above, they may file a motion to set aside the map in favor of a proposal of their own,” according to the settlement.

At that point, further discussion will be limited, according to court documents, to keep costs low and ensure that a timely settlement is reached, and the court would decide after each side files its arguments.

“The district map will be finalized as soon as is practicable,” the settlement notes, “and it will (be) adopted no later than June 30, 2023.” 