RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, ESTABLISHING A PROPER FLAG HANDLING AND DISPLAY POLICY FOR FLAGS ON ALL CITY-OWNED OR CITY-MAINTAINED FACILITIES AND FOR THE DISPLAY OF COMMEMORATIVE FLAGS WHEREAS, the City of Riverside displays flags at City facilities in accordance with Federal and State law; and WHEREAS, the City does not have a policy regarding the display of flags; and WHEREAS, the City’s flagpoles are not intended to serve as a forum for free expression by the public, but rather for the display of federal, state, and city flags, and any commemorative flag as may be authorized by the City Council as an expression of the City’s official sentiments; WHEREAS, a commemorative flag under this policy means a flag that identifies with a specific date, historical event, cause, or group of people, whereby the City honors or commemorates the date, event, cause, or people by flying the flag; WHEREAS, commemorative flags shall be displayed at City Hall and other City facilities only as authorized by resolution of the City Council and as an expression of the City’s official sentiments, consistent with the City’s vision, mission, and ongoing and strategic priorities; and WHEREAS, the Government Speech Doctrine, defined by the United States Supreme Court, establishes that a government organization, such as the City of Riverside, may advance its own expression without requiring viewpoint neutrality when the government itself is the speaker, so long as its expression does not show religious preference or encourage a certain vote in an election. If the City Council adopts a resolution to display a commemorative flag, the display of the commemorative flag would be an exercise of government expression, where the City is the speaker.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Riverside, California, as follows:
Section 1. The above recitals set forth above are incorporated herein as findings by the City Council.
Section 2. The City Council hereby approves the Proper Flag Handling and Display Policy as shown in Exhibit “A” attached hereto and incorporated by reference.
ADOPTED by the City Council this _____ day of ___________________, 2023. _____________________________________
PATRICIA LOCK DAWSON
Mayor of the City of Riverside
Attest:
_____________________________
DONESIA GAUSE
City Clerk of the City of Riverside
I, Donesia Gause, City Clerk of the City of Riverside, California, hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly and regularly adopted at a meeting of the City Council of the City of Riverside, at its meeting held on the ______ day of _________________, 2023, by the following vote, to wit:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Riverside, California, this ________ day of ______________, 2023. __________________________________
DONESIA GAUSE
City Clerk of the City of Riverside
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21-0543.5 RMS/as 12/21/22
Exhibit “A”
City of Riverside Administrative Manual
Proper Flag Handling and Display
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