The King County Redistricting Committee has rescheduled its public meeting to allow cities and residents more time to digest the plans.

The scheduled Oct. 3 meeting will now be held Nov. 1.

The Committee has made public input a cornerstone of its process. The committee previously held seven public hearings in Bellevue, Des Moines, Kent, Kirkland, Seattle, and Shoreline. Four draft redistricting concepts were released for public comment in June.

The Committee voted unanimously last week to release a single draft redistricting proposal for additional public comment. The Nov. 1 public hearing is the last phase of public review prior to final action by the Committee. The draft plan is available online.

Bellevue residents will likely see no change in their county representation, with the majority of the city remaining in Jane Hague’s Sixth District, with a portion of Southern Bellevue in the Ninth.

The change will allow residents and local city councils, who usually meet every week or two, a better opportunity review the plan and provide comment. The deadline for written testimony has also been extended until Nov. 1.

The hearing will be held at the King County Courthouse beginning at 6:30 p.m.

By law, Council district boundaries must be redrawn after each U.S. Census to make each district as nearly equal in population as possible. The target population for each 2011 Council district is 214,583. All districts in the proposed plan are within one-quarter of one percent of the target.

Under the law, the new district boundaries must be compact, contiguous, and composed of economic and geographic units. To the extent feasible, the districts must correspond with the boundaries of existing municipalities, election precincts, census tracts, recognized natural boundaries, and preserve communities of related and mutual interest. Population data may not be used for purposes of favoring or disfavoring any racial group or political party.

A final plan must be approved by January 15, 2012.