CA Review CKM
Meeting Date: May 10, 2022
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Scott Chadwick, City Manager
Staff Contact: Sheila Cobian, Legislative & Constituent Services Director [email protected], 442-339-2917
Subject: City Council Flag Policy
District: All
Recommended Action
Consider a request from Mayor Hall to engage in a discussion regarding the development of a City Council Flag Policy.
Executive Summary/Discussion
On March 31, 2022, Mayor Hall submitted the attached email (Exhibit 1) to the City Manager requesting that the topic of a Carlsbad City Council Flag Policy be placed on an upcoming City Council agenda.1
Fiscal Analysis
No city funding is being requested.
Next Steps
Should the City Council direct staff to proceed with development of a City Council Flag Policy, staff will return to the City Council at a future meeting with a draft policy for consideration.
Environmental Evaluation
This action does not constitute a project within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act under California Public Resources Code Section 21065 in that it has no potential to cause either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Therefore, does not require environmental review.
1 Carlsbad Municipal Code Section 1.20.060(C) states, “Items of business may be placed on the agenda by any member of the council, the city manager or the city attorney, or by council action. Council-originated items must be submitted to the city manager not less than seven days before the date of the council meeting at which the member desires the item to appear on the agenda. Nothing in this section precludes a council member from requesting council action to place an item on the agenda for a future meeting.”
May 10, 2022 Item #14 Page 1 of 3
Public Notification
This item was noticed in keeping with the Ralph M. Brown Act and it was available for public viewing and review at least 72 hours before the scheduled meeting date.
Exhibits
1.March 31, 2022, request from Mayor Hall to place an item on a City Council agenda May 10, 2022 Item #14 Page 2 of 3
From:Scott Chadwick
To:Matthew Hall; Celia Brewer; Sheila Cobian; Geoff Patnoe Subject:RE: Council flag policy
Date:Thursday, March 31, 2022 11:25:13 AM
Attachments:image001.png
Importance:High
Good afternoon-
Thank you for the email. We will endeavor to have that on the May 10 agenda.
Scott Chadwick
City Manager
City of Carlsbad
1200 Carlsbad Village Drive
Carlsbad, CA 92008
www.carlsbadca.gov
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From: Matthew Hall
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2022 11:24 AM
To: Scott Chadwick
Subject: Council flag policy
Consistent with my authority under Carlsbad Municipal Code 1.20.060 C, I am requesting the topic of a Carlsbad City Council Flag Policy be placed on the agenda on May 10 for City Council discussion and consideration.
Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
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Exhibit 1
May 10, 2022 Item #14 Page 3 of 3
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Tammy Cloud-McMinn
From: kelly.leberthon [email protected]
Monday, May 9, 2022 3:04 PM
Sheila Cobian; City Clerk
All Receive -Agenda Item# d
For the Information of the:
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Subject: city council mtg May 10 Agenda item 14
As the Carlsbad City Council discusses a Council Flag Policy, I urge the Council consider the following possible scenarios.
1. While the flying of a particular flag and the message of that flag may not technically constitute an official city endorsement, as a practical matter, it will. The effect of flying a particular flag will indeed be interpreted by passersby and citizens as tacit endorsement of the message of that flag.
2. There has been consideration of flying a flag for a month at a time in conjunction with "fill in the blank" month. But why stop there? Topics are honored by a special day as well-for example, National Donut Day falls each year on the first Friday of June. There is a panoply of special interests which have laid \:laim to a particular day of the year. My point being, that 12 flags for 12 months of the year may not meet demand, which could easily grow to 365 days of the year.
3. Lastly, it may not be enough to have a single flagpole; it might be necessary to plant a 2nd flagpole to accommodate a flag with an opposing viewpoint. For example, National Beef Burger Day is coming up on May 28. Perhaps vegan groups would want to be represented in opposition on the same day, flying their own flag at the same time. That scenario presents the possibility of approving up to 730 flags per year.
Although one might be able to see the humor in this hypothetical flag flying escalation, I believe that in our politically divisive times, these scenarios may indeed play out and the Council's flag flying policy should reflect careful and serious consideration. Perhaps simply flying the great American flag in all its (Old) Glory is the perfect solution.
Thank you,
Kelly Le Berthon
Carlsbad resident
CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless ou recognize the sender and know the content i 1 Tammy Cloud-McMinn
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Dear City Council,
Lennie A
Monday, May 9, 2022 8:27 PM
City Clerk
May 10, 2022: Agenda item #14, Council Flag Policy
All Receive -Agenda Item # 19
For the Information of the:
CITY COUNCIL
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It saddens me to see the City Council having to discuss a Flag Policy for our city of Carlsbad. What is the matter with our American, Red, White and Blue flag? A flag that symbolizes and is inclusive of: One Nation, under God, Indivisible with Liberty, and Justice for ALL!
Our American flag is perfect and tolerant of everyone, no matter their color, gender, ethnicity, age, size, socioeconomic status, sexual preference, disabilities, our thoughts or opinions. There is no other flag that should share the flagpole with our American flag and never should be overshadowed by any virtue signaling. vir·tue sig·nal·ing
~earn to pronounce
noun: virtue signalling
1. the action or practice of publicly expressing opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate one's good character or the moral correctness of one's position on a particular issue. "it's noticeable how often virtue signaling consists of saying you hate things" ~earn to prone
Sin cerely,
Elli e Arkans
1. CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless 4