REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on the Display of Flags Council Policy
Report
BACKGROUND
At the November 13, 2017 Governance Committee meeting, the Governance Committee recommended that the Display of Flags policy, with the Committee's edits, be referred to the City Council for final review and approval. After the Governance Committee recommendation, staff reviewed and amended the policy with the Committee's suggested edits and made further additions, as discussed below.
DISCUSSION
After the Governance Committee reviewed the draft Flags to the City policy, the Committee suggested that the term "commemorative flag" be changed to "ceremonial flag"; the Committee also suggested that ceremonial flags of significance to the City's history should be noted in the policy. Staff has amended the policy with the Committee's suggested edits in a redline version of the Display of Flags policy (Attachment 1) and in a clean version of the Display of Flags policy (Attachment 2).
In addition to the Committee's suggested edits to the policy, staff also added the protocol for the display of flags when flags of two are more nations are displayed, as dictated by the Title 4 of the United States Code - United States Code Title 4 - Flag and Seal, Seat of Government, and The States (Attachment 3). Specifically, if flags of two or more nations are flown, the foreign flag(s) must be of equal size and displayed on staffs of equal height as the United States flag.
The Display of Flags policy (Attachment 2) establishes clear guidelines for the exhibition of the flag of the United States of America, the California State flag, and the City of Santa Clara flag at Santa Clara City Hall and City facilities and the display of ceremonial flags. The Display of Flags policy affirms that flags shall be displayed in conformance with Federal and State policies, as stated in Title 4 of the United States Code - United States Code Title 4 - Flag and Seal, Seat of Government, and The States (At...
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