Sacramento’s redistricting process is well under way, but according to the latest report from the Citizens Advisory Committee on Redistricting, there is still much work to do before the committee makes a final recommendation to the City Council in July.

As Mayor Kevin Johnson and the eight council members looked on Tuesday night, members of the committee presented an update on the work done so far and outlined what remains to be accomplished.

“According to the city charter, we have six months to complete the process (of redistricting) after census data is released,” staff member Maria MacGunigal said. “We are on track to having it done on time.”

MacGunigal and Committee Chair Julius Cherry told City Council that the number of proposed district maps has been whittled down to 15 from an original list of 37 that the committee received from the community.

Cherry noted that the first round of map eliminations was “relatively easy” because eight maps didn’t meet the initial criteria of equalizing population.

“After that, we had a lot to consider and talk about,” Cherry said. “We finally eliminated an additional 14 maps (at the last meeting).”

Committee members weighed a variety of essential criteria in deciding which maps would be cut including continuity, existing neighborhoods, compactness of territory, and impact on communities of interest based on public testimony from the preceding months.

The committee is working to get the number of maps down to “no more than five,” according to Cherry and MacGunigal, in order to have a manageable number to present to the council for final consideration.

“There’s still a lot of variation in the remaining 15 maps,” MacGunigal said. “And, even still, it’s the council that makes the final decision, so all 37 maps may still be in play if the council decides to take another look at them.”

The advisory committee is working with established criteria for analyzing the proposals, and a large part of the process has been encouraging community involvement.

Some communities presented maps that delineate areas where groups feel they need to remain homogeneous to be protected.

“We are taking into consideration the interests and concerns of the various groups and emerging themes as we continue to analyze the proposals,” Cherry said. “We have quite a challenge.”

As part of the committee’s efforts, committee members and staff have attended 20 or more meetings in various communities to explain the process and to encourage citizens to participate, Cherry said.

“We really want the community to come forward and provide input,” MacGunigal said. “We want to hear what they feel will affect them and what interests them in this process.”

The Citizens Advisory Committee on Redistricting meets at 6 p.m. on Mondays, and the public is encouraged to attend.

Community members can also submit comments to the committee through the eComment system on the redistricting website or by writing a letter to the city clerk’s office.

The committee members plan to have final recommendations ready to bring to the council by mid-July, and the council will have until Sept. 7 to deliberate for approval.