REPORT TO GOVERNANCE AND ETHICS COMMITTEE
SUBJECT
Title
Review and Action on Council Policy 020 ("Proclamations, Commendations and Certificates of Recognition") and Council Policy 009 ("City Representation at Meetings, Ceremonies, and Events")
Report
BACKGROUND
At the March 4, 2024 Governance and Ethics Committee meeting, staff presented information and background on Council Policy 020 ("Proclamations, Commendations and Certificates of Recognition") (Attachment 1) and Council Policy 009 ("City Representation at Meetings, Ceremonies, and Events") (Attachment 2) for Committee review and discussion.
As background, Council Policy 020 (“Proclamations, Commendations and Certificates of Recognition”) provides guidelines to identify the authority, criteria, and procedure for the recognition of individuals, groups, organizations, businesses, special periods of observance, or special occasions through the issuance of proclamations, commendations, or certificates of recognition. Council Policy 009 (“City Representation at Meetings, Ceremonies & Events”) addresses how invitations and requests for Mayor and/or Council representation at meetings, ceremonies, or special events are processed.
As part of the March 4 update, staff provided the Committee a benchmark and summary of policies and procedures for ceremonial recognition and speaking at events in place for neighboring cities. The Committee members had a policy discussion on the current processes for the issuance of ceremonial recognition items. In addition, the Committee discussed public speaking opportunities for the Mayor and City Councilmembers at public events. The Committee provided recommendations to amend both policies for consideration. At this June 3, 2024 Governance and Ethics Committee meeting, staff presents an approach for discussion and consideration based on the feedback received by the Committee.
DISCUSSION
During the March 4, 2024 Governance and Ethics Committee, the Committee members brought forth the following recommendations to Council Policy 020 (“Proclamations, Commendations and Certificates of Recognition”). In addition, the Committee discussed public speaking opportunities for the Mayor and City Councilmembers at public events. Based on the feedback, staff have provided and prepared a draft revision of Policies 020 and 009 for the Committee’s consideration.
Council Policy 020 (“Proclamations, Commendations and Certificates of Recognition”)
The proposed amendments include revisions to the definitions and criteria, which further clarify the intended purpose for the issuance of these types of recognition items. Based on the City Charter, the Mayor is the presiding officer and the official head of the City for all ceremonial purposes. Consistent with this, over the years, the Mayor has presided over City ceremonial functions, and maintained approval authority over ceremonial proclamations and recognition. The proposed amendments recognize this by maintaining a process whereby the Mayor approves all City proclamations, commendations, and certificates of recognition (citywide and at the district level). Alternatively, the proposed amendments include a process for a City Councilmember to request approval of their proposed proclamation, commendation, or certificate of recognition by the full City Council, if the Mayor elects not to authorize it. This is in alignment with the current Council’s Policy 030 (Attachment 3).
Proposed Council Policy 020 Amendments
In summary, the proposed amendments to Council Policy 020 include the following and proposed changes shown in Table 1:
• The definition for Proclamations shall be revised to: “Proclamations are issued to give City recognition of special periods of observance (e.g., days, weeks, or months), civic celebrations, or local, community, regional, state, or national occasions or programs with significance to the City of Santa Clara. “
o This revision removes previous references in the policy which stated, “Proclamations are for issues or actions.” Staff recommends removing “issues and actions”, as these are considered positions made on particular issues or taking an action on a position, which should be reviewed and implemented through the Legislative Advocacy Position Policy or through a Citywide Resolution process.
Table 1 - Proposed Amendments for Council Policy 020
Note: Proposed Amendments are indicated in red for Council Policy 020 while the text in black is in the existing Council Policy 020.
|
|
Proclamations |
Commendations |
Mayoral Certificates of Recognition |
City Council District Certificate of Recognition |
|
Requested by |
Any member of public orMayor/ Councilmember |
Any member of public or Mayor/Councilmember |
Any member of public or Mayor/Councilmember |
Councilmember |
|
Approved by |
Mayor |
Mayor |
Mayor |
Mayor |
|
Signatures* |
Mayor and City Council |
Mayor and City Council |
Mayor |
Mayor and City Councilmember |
|
Definition |
Proclamations are issued to give City recognition of issues, actions or special periods of observance (e.g., days, weeks, or months), civic celebrations, or local, community, regional, state, or national occasions or programs with significance to the City of Santa Clara. |
Commendations are issued to individuals, groups, organizations, businesses, or programs of significance with a connection to the City for major milestones or achievements that have community-wide significance. Also issued to employees retired from the City of Santa Clara or Santa Clara Unified School District for 20 years or more of service or who have made significant contributions. |
Mayoral Certificates of Recognition are issued to individuals, groups, organizations, businesses, or programs with a connection to the City for individual or group achievement, or contributions to the Santa Clara community. |
City Council District Certificates of Recognition are issued to individuals, groups, organizations, businesses, or programs with a connection to the City for individual or group achievement, or contributions to the City Council district. |
Signatures*
The proposed amendments to the Council Policy 020 envision a process whereby the City Council would approve an annual list of routine proclamations that will bear the signatures of the full City Council. For any additional or new proclamations which are not part of the annual list approved by the Mayor, these proclamations will be provided by staff to the City Council to inform the Council and also to allow them to indicate if they would like to opt out of including their signature.
• Signatures on Proclamations and Commendations: Proclamations and Commendations shall bear the digital signatures of the Mayor and all City Councilmembers. This shall be an automatic step to include all digital signatures as part of the standard template. A member of the City Council may request that their signature not appear on a specific proclamation by contacting staff before it is issued.
• Signatures on Mayoral Certificates of Recognition: The Mayoral Certificate of Recognition will bear the signature of the Mayor only.
• Signatures on City Council Certificates of Recognition: The City Council District Certificate of Recognition shall bear the signatures of both the Mayor and the City Councilmember requesting the recognition.
o If the Mayor chooses to opt out of including their signature, the City Councilmember will need to issue a petition through the Council Policy 030 process to seek approval by the full City Council to issue the certificate.
A sample of the templates for Proclamations, Commendations, Mayoral Certificate of Recognition and City Council Certificate of Recognition are included in this report (Attachment 4).
Council Policy 009 (“City Representation at Meetings, Ceremonies & Special Events”)
Based on the Committee’s feedback regarding public speaking at events, staff has drafted a full revision of the current Council Policy 009 (“City Representation at Meetings, Ceremonies & Events”). A copy of the proposed revisions can be found as Attachment 5 and are summarized below.
Proposed Revisions to Council Policy 009 Related to the Process for City Hosted Events and External Events:
1. Invitations: All invitations received by the Mayor and Council office shall be shared with the full City Council by staff. In some instances, the invitation from an outside group or individual may be solely for the Mayor or specific City Councilmembers, in which case the invitation will not be forwarded to the full City Council.
2. Maximum of two (2) Mayor/Council speakers at City Hosted Events: This would include the Mayor and another City Councilmember. Based on the event program, which may include multiple speakers from partner agencies or community groups, City staff will work to ensure that programs do not surpass the length appropriate for the intended audience
• Primary Speaker:
a. The Mayor, as presiding officer and the official head of the City for all ceremonial purposes, will be the primary speaker for all City hosted events.
b. If the Mayor is unable to attend as a speaker, the option goes to the Vice Mayor to preside and speak as the City’s ceremonial head.
• Second Speaker: The second speaker from the Council could be determined based on one or more of the following considerations:
a. Option 1 District Councilmember - In addition to the Mayor’s speaking role, the Councilmember representing the district (geographic location) could be offered the opportunity to speak.
b. Option 2 Councilmember Rotation - Many events often occur in the same Council district; the Committee may choose to recommend a rotational approach to the selection of a City Councilmember to speak alongside the Mayor at City events. If a City Councilmember misses their rotational event, they will wait until their next scheduled rotational spot.
c. Option 3 Special Interest/Expertise - If a City Councilmember serves on a City Committee or Outside Agency Committee or Board which is related to the focus of a City hosted event, they may represent the City as the second speaker.
3. External Events: If staff receive a request for representation for an external event for a speaker, the following protocol shall be observed:
a. The outside entity/agency determines the planning of the event and shall request who represents the City of Santa Clara.
b. If not specified, the invitation shall be referred to the Mayor first.
c. If the Mayor is unable to attend, the invitation shall be referred to the Vice Mayor.
d. If the Vice Mayor is unable to attend, the invitation shall be referred to City Councilmembers in order of seniority.
e. The City Manager (or a designee) may also be requested to represent the City at an event.
f. The City Council may officially request a City Board or Commission member to represent the City on certain occasions.
At the June 3, 2024 Governance and Ethics Committee meeting, staff will present the proposed revisions to Council Policy 009 (Attachment 5) and Council Policy 020 (Attachment 6) and receive feedback from the Committee. If directed, staff will bring forth proposed policy changes to the full City Council for review and consideration to amend the Council policies.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This is an information report only and no action is being taken by the City Council and no environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) is required.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the City other than staff time.
COORDINATION
This report was coordinated with the City Manager’s Office and the City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Committee agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve amendments, if any, to Council Policy 020 (“Proclamations, Commendations and Certificates of Recognition”) and Council Policy 009 (“City Representation at Meetings, Ceremonies & Special Events”) and bring forth to City Council for consideration and approval.
Staff
Reviewed by: Maria Le, Assistant to the City Manager, City Manager’s Office
Approved by: Jovan D. Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Council Policy 020 (“Proclamations, Commendations and Certificates of Recognition”)
2. Council Policy 009 (“City Representation at Meetings, Ceremonies & Special Events”)
3. Council Policy 030 (“Adding an Item on the Agenda”)
4. Sample templates for Proclamations, Commendations, and Certificates of Recognition
5. Proposed Amended Council Policy 009 (“City Representation at Meetings, Ceremonies & Special Events”)
6. Proposed Amended Council Policy 020 (“Proclamations, Commendations and Certificates of Recognition”)