The city of Port Orchard is examining a plan to divide the city into three districts with its own representation on the City Council.

This would replace the current structure by which all seven council members are elected on an at-large basis.

“This plan has been in the works for some time,” said Port Orchard Mayor Lary Coppola. “We expect the city to become significantly larger in the next few years, and many City Council members live close to each other. We are looking to provide a more geographical representation on the council.”

To accomplish this, a committee to explore the possibility has been formed, consisting of Council members Fred Olin, Jim Colebank and John Clauson.

Olin presented a map of where possible districts might be drawn to members of the Council but declined to release it to the public, saying that his boundaries were preliminary and not based on anything aside from where current Council members live.

He said the next step is a Sept. 10 meeting with Kitsap County Auditor Walt Washington to determine the population pattern and what would be needed to implement redistricting.

There are several possible variables, but certain parts of the plan may emerge in the final action. Olin suggests three districts with two council members each. They would run in alternate years, so each district would elect a councilman in each election (which occurs during odd-numbered years).

Under the plan, the seventh council member would be an at-large position.

The redistricted city would most properly imitate the process of electing a county commissioner — people within the district would vote in the primary, while all voters within the city limits would participate in the general election.

The makeup of the current Council, most of whose members live adjacent to downtown, would also enter the equation.

Olin suggests they would serve out their current terms and run in their respective districts at the next election. At that time, it is possible that two incumbent council members would face each other.

Four members of the City Council are up for re-election in 2009. In order for redistricting to take effect the action would need to be approved 45 days prior to the August primary.

Annexation is also a factor. The proposed annexation of McCormick Woods would increase the city’s population significantly, but could create a monolithic voting bloc that elected a disproportionate number of council members.

Instead, redistricting would parcel up the city geographically and McCormick Woods — or any other annexed property — would be added to the closest district after it was incorporated into the city.

Olin said he would like to see redistricting as soon as possible but cannot predict when it would occur.

“This is one of the issues I ran on when I was elected last year,” he said. “These actions always take longer than you expect.”