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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNCIL MEETING :/a/Wit )
ITEM NO.:
FROM:Wendy George, ACAO
Prepared By : Betsy Kiser, Principal Administrative Analys t
SUBJECT : RESOLUTION ADOPTING A FLAG DISPLAY POLICY FOR CIT Y
FACILITIES
CAO RECOMMENDATIO N
Adopt a resolution establishing a Flag Display Policy for City Facilities .
DISCUSSION
Background
With the recent deaths of former City Council members and President Reagan, proper fla g
display etiquette came into question, particularly with respect to flying flags at half-staff .
Finding no formal policy, staff was directed by the City Administrative Officer (CAO) t o
research best practices and develop a policy to address 1) who in the City is responsible for
declaring that City flags be flown at half-staff ; 2) when flags will be flown at half-staff ; 3) how
long flags will fly at half-staff once a declaration has occurred ; and 4) who is responsible fo r
implementing half-staff declarations .
Proces s
To arrive at the proposed policy, staff requested information on flag display policies from al l
cities on the League of CA Cities list serve . From the information obtained, a draft policy wa s
developed and circulated to Department Heads and appiupiiate staff to seek their review an d
comments . The proposed policy was then edited, reviewed by the CAO for fina l
recommendations and prepared for Council approval .
Policy Highlight s
The proposed policy (Exhibit A to the Resolution) is fairly straightforward with the exception o f
Policy #4 . The policy states,"Flags should never be lowered to express policy or politica l
positions." The need for this policy stems from feedback from other cities where requests wer e
made to "make a policy statement" via displaying the flag at half-staff . This is not an appropriate
use of national, state and local flags and is an abuse of proper flag etiquette, therefore staff
recommends a specific policy statement to prevent such use of the flag should such a request b e
made in San Luis Obispo at some time in the future .
C3 -1
.Council Agenda Report —Flag Display Policy Page 2
CONCURRENCE S
All department heads and appropriate staff reviewed the proposed policy and concur with it s
content .
FISCAL IMPAC T
There is no fiscal impact with the implementation of the Flag Display Policy .
ALTERNATIVE S
1.Do not approve the policy, in which case the City will remain at risk of displaying flags on a n
inconsistent basis .
2.Provide direction to alter the policy to better meet the desires of Council .
ATTACHMEN T
Resolution and policy
C3-a
G :\SlafVCisalaest Racices\CAR - Flag Display Policy 81704 .DOC
RESOLUTION NO .(2004 Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISP O
ESTABLISHING A FLAG DISPLAY POLICY
FOR CITY FACILITIES
WHEREAS, flags are currently displayed at half-staff when a day of mourning has bee n
declared on the national, state or local level ; and
WHEREAS, the City of San Luis Obispo has no formal policy addressing flag display fo r
City facilities, and therefore past practices have been inconsistent, at best ; and
WHEREAS, the City of San Luis Obispo desires to standardize practices relative t o
displaying flags within the City .
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis Obisp o
that future practices regarding the display of flags at City facilities shall be governed by the Flag
Display Policy for City Facilities, herein attached as Exhibit A .
Upon motion of , seconded by ,
and on the following roll call vote :
AYES :
NOES :
ABSENT :
The foregoing resolution was adopted this day of , 2004.
David F. Romero, Mayor
ATTEST :
City Cler k
APPROVED AS TO FORM :
7orlaihant . Lowell
&xtiibit A
UISI'l .:A1 POI ICY I F OR ('I 1 \T \C11 .I 1 tL S
Policy:
1.The City of San Luis Obispo will use the Federal Flag Code for general flag etiquette .
2.The City will Iower flags to half-staff for the following reasons :
2 .1 . When a national day of mourning has been declared by the President of the Unite d
States.
2 .2 . When a day of mourning has been declared by the Governor for the State of California .
2.3 . On Memorial Day and Peace Officers Memorial Day .
2 .4 . When the Mayor, in consultation with the City Administrative Officer (CAO), direct s
that the flags be lowered to half-staff because of the death of a prominent citizen o r
current or former Mayor or City Councilmember .
2.5 . When an employee has died in the line of duty .
2.6. Consistent with public safety agency custom, the Police Chief and Fire Chief may
declare that flags be flown at half-staff at their respective department facilities to
recognize the death of any law enforcement agent or firefighter regardless o f
community . See 3 .2 below for length of time a flag is flown at half-staff .
3.With regard to the length of time a flag is flow at half-staff, the following will apply :
3 .1 For a national or state day of mourning, length of time shall be consistent with federal o r
state protocol ;
3 .2 For a City day of mourning, length of time shall be determined by the Mayor, but shal l
be no longer than from the date of death or the first working day after the date of deat h
through the date of the memorial service .
4.Flags should never be lowered to express policy or political positions .
Process :
1.The Mayor, in consultation with the CAO, is authorized to declare that City flags fly at half-
staff.
2.The CAO will notify via email all City employees when and why flags are being flown a t
half-staff, so that employees, if necessary, can explain to citizens who ask why the flag i s
flying at half-staff.
3.Following a declaration, flags will be flown at half-staff at all City facilities with fla g
displays for the duration specified . (Note exception 2 .6)
4.Each Department Head (or designee) is responsible for implementing the declaration in thei r
respective department .03 -4