CITY OF POMONA
COUNCIL REPORT
September 11, 2023
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: James Makshanoff, City Manager
Submitted By: Mark J. Gluba, Deputy City Manager
SUBJECT: ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE CLOSURE OF CITY HALL DURING THE 2023 HOLIDAY SEASON AND RESCHEDULING 2024 CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATES DUE TO HOLIDAY CONFLICTS RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council Adopt proposed Resolution No. 2023-155 (Attachment) to approve the following actions:
Authorizing the closure of City Hall from Monday, December 25, 2023 through Monday, January 1, 2024, to account for observance of the Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day Holidays and to avoid potential staff shortages during the holidays; and, Amending the ongoing calendar for regularly scheduled City Council Meetings and 2024 City Council Meetings by cancelling and rescheduling meetings, as noted below, due to holiday conflicts:
Changing the annual “dark” period for City Council Meetings to eliminate the meeting on the third Monday in August and restoring the first Monday in July as a Regular Meeting of the City Council Cancelling the January 1, 2024, regular City Council Meeting and rescheduling to Monday, January 8, 2024, to be conducted as a regular meeting of the City Council Cancelling the January 15, 2024, regular City Council Meeting and rescheduling to Monday, January 22, 2024, to be conducted as a regular meeting of the City Council Cancelling the regular City Council Meeting of February 19, 2024, and rescheduling to Monday, February 26, 2024, to be conducted as a regular meeting of the City Council Cancelling the regular City Council Meeting of April 1, 2024, and rescheduling to Monday, April 8, 2024, to be conducted as a regular meeting of the City Council.
Cancelling the September 2, 2024, regular City Council Meeting and rescheduling to Monday, September 9, 2024, to be conducted as a regular meeting of the City Council EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Traditionally, the Council has authorized the closure of City Hall between the Christmas and New Year Holidays and rescheduled Council Meetings that conflict with observed holidays. The recommendations contained herein are in line with these past practices. Additionally, per previous City Council direction, the proposed resolution reschedules the annual “dark” period for City Council Meetings to take place in the first part of July instead of the second part of August.
FISCAL IMPACT: NONE
Previous Related Action – On August 15, 2022, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2022-154 authorizing the closure of City Hall during the 2022 holiday season, canceling meetings between January 2023 and September 2023, to avoid potential holiday conflicts. On July 19, 2021 the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2021-79 modifying the ongoing Regular City Council Meeting schedule to go “dark” annually for the first Monday in July and to conduct two regularly scheduled meetings on the first and third Mondays in August. At a recent City Council meeting, the Council directed staff to bring back a resolution changing the annual “dark” period back to the second half of August, with the next resolution for rescheduling meetings due to holiday conflicts.
DISCUSSION
In the past, the Council has authorized the closure of City Hall for up to two weeks around the Christmas and New Year Holidays. The last such closure was approved on July 19, 2021 for the 2021 Holiday Season.
Resolution number 2004-32 established that regular City Council meetings were to be held on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month and study sessions were to be held, as needed, on the second Monday of each month. City Council meetings are rescheduled, as needed, to accommodate holidays and other conflicts. 2023 Holiday Closure
City Hall will already be closed on Monday, December 25th and Tuesday, December 26th in observance of the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day holidays as well as Monday, January 1st in observance of the New Year’s Day Holiday. As proposed, City Hall would reopen for normal business on Tuesday, January 2, 2024.
During this period, employees will need to use their own accrued time to cover the three days not designated as holidays. Those who prefer not to use accruals may take the time off without pay. New employees who may not have sufficient accruals to cover the days off will be advanced future accruals, which will then be deducted as they are earned. 2023 Holiday Meeting Conflicts
After reviewing the calendar for 2023, staff has determined there are five (5) holiday conflicts that could occur. Per Council direction, staff has herein recommended rescheduling any meetings conflicting with national observed holidays to the subsequent Monday, with the exception of the June 19, 2023, Council Meeting, which conflicts with the Juneteenth Holiday. This meeting has been proposed for cancelation, to preserve an appropriate “dark period” in the spirit of the original scheduling resolution.
Proposed Resolution No. 2023-155 would cancel and reschedule the following regularly scheduled Council Meetings due to holiday conflicts:
The regularly scheduled meeting on January 1, 2024, conflicts with observance of the New Year’s Day Holiday.
The regularly scheduled meeting on January 15, 2024, conflicts with observance the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.
The regularly scheduled meeting on February 19, 2024, conflicts with the Presidents’ Day Holiday.
The regularly scheduled meeting on April 1, 2024, conflicts with observance of the Cesar Chavez Holiday.
The regularly scheduled meeting on September 2, 2024, would conflict with the Labor Day Holiday.
Prepared by:
_____________________________
Mark J. Gluba
Deputy City Manager
ATTACHMENT: Resolution No. 2023-155 Rescheduling 2024 Holiday Conflicting Meetings 2023 City Hall Holiday Closure and Rescheduling of Meetings with Holiday Conflicts September 11, 2023