AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: January 3, 2023
Item Number:
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Stephanie Harris, Community Outreach Manager
Subject: REQUEST FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THE
PLACEMENT OF PERSIAN NEW YEAR (NOWRUZ) BANNERS
IN BEVERLY HILLS
Attachment: 1. Sample Artwork — Nowruz Banner (Farhang Foundation)
RECOMMENDATION
The Beverly Hills City Council Liaison Rodeo Drive/ Special Events/ Holiday Program Committee, consisting of Mayor Bosse and Councilmember Friedman, recommends the City Council approve the request for placement of Persian New Year (Nowruz) banners in Beverly Hills.
INTRODUCTION
This item seeks City Council approval of the recommendation of the Beverly Hills City Council Liaison Rodeo Drive/ Special Events/ Holiday Program Committee (Liaisons) to approve the request for placement of Nowruz banners in Beverly Hills. The City received a request from the Farhang Foundation (“Foundation”) to consider the installation of street pole banners commemorating The Persian New Year, also known as Nowruz (New Day), celebrated in March 2023 similar to in years past. Nowruz is a non-religious, secular festival that welcomes the start of Spring and the beginning of the Persian New Year.
DISCUSSION
Nowruz is the Persian New Year, which has been celebrated worldwide for over 3,000 years by people of very diverse ethno-linguistic communities. Nowruz falls on the first day of the vernal equinox, which typically occurs on March 21 and E-11
Meeting Date: January 3, 2023
marks the first day of the Persian New Year. Beverly Hills is home to a significant Persian resident population.
Per City policy, banners placed on Beverly Hills street poles are an important medium for providing notice to residents and businesses about City-sponsored programs and special events. The Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on celebrating and promoting Iranian art and culture for the greater community at large and is based out of Los Angeles. It should be noted, that a significant number of their membership resides in Beverly Hills.
In previous years, the Foundation has agreed that the City may use its artwork for the banners without listing the name of the organization or the actual date of Nowruz on the banners in Beverly Hills, so that these banners can be used in future years.
The Liaisons met on December 19, 2022 to review this request. After reviewing the proposal, and obtaining information from staff, both Liaisons supported the fabrication and installation of banners.
The number of banners hung in previous years was 50 street pole banners and 1 horizontal street span. This year the request has increased to a total of 89 banners to include areas of the Business Triangle and additional banners on North Santa Monica Boulevard between Wilshire Boulevard and Doheny Drive.
If approved, banners would be installed as indicated below:
Street Pole Banner locations
Alternating poles on each side of the street
- 10 Banners - Wilshire between Maple and Robertson
- 10 Banners - Wilshire between N. Santa Monica Blvd and City’s western border
- 10 Banners – La Cienega Blvd, between Wilshire and Olympic - 10 Banners – S. Santa Monica Blvd between Wilshire and Rodeo Dr - 7 Banners – N. Cañon Dr between Wilshire and S. Santa Monica Blvd - 8 Banners – N. Beverly Dr between Wilshire and S. Santa Monica Blvd Every other pole on the North side of the street only
- 33 Banners – N. Santa Monica Blvd between Wilshire and Doheny Dr The design of the banners is based on the Foundation’s design for this year’s Nowruz. This will allow for design continuity between the Foundation’s banners that will be placed in neighboring jurisdictions and Beverly Hills. The proposed banners include the actual date of Nowruz; however, the date section can be altered on the banner each year so that the City may reuse the banners for several years to come. The Nowruz banners, if approved, will be installed at the beginning of February 2023 and will be removed shortly after the actual Persian New Year on March 21, 2023.
Meeting Date: January 3, 2023
FISCAL IMPACT
Staff has obtained an estimated cost of $23,576.10 (including tax) for fabrication, installation, maintenance, and removal of the banners as outlined below:
Description Per Unit Quantity Cost
Street Pole Banners includes:
fabrication, installation, maintenance
and removal $ 235.00 88 $ 20,680.00
Horizontal Banner Banners includes:
fabrication, installation, maintenance
and removal $ 1,435.00 1 $ 1,435.00
Subtotal $ 22,115.00
Sales Tax at 9.5% on fabrication only $ 1,461.10
Total $ 23,576.10
Funding for this request will come from the City Council approved Policy and Management Marketing budget 48008303-731220.
Nancy Hunt-Coffey,
City Manager
Approved By
Attachment 1