TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND FROM: Toni J. Taber, CMC
CITY COUNCIL City Clerk
SUBJECT: SEE BELOW DATE: August 30, 2022
SUBJECT: Approval of Ethiopian Heritage Flag Raising and Tower Lighting Sponsored by the Mayor's Office as City Council Sponsored Special Events to Expend City Funds and Accept Donations of Materials and Services for the Events
Recommendation
(a) Approve the Ethiopian Heritage Flag Raising Ceremony scheduled on September 9, 2022 as a City Council sponsored Special Event and approve the expenditure of funds; (b) Approve the Ethiopian Heritage Tower Lighting on September 8-14, 2022; and (c) Approve and accept donations from various individuals, businesses, or community groups to support the events.
CEQA: Not a Project, File No. PP17-011, Temporary Special Events resulting in no changes to the physical environment. (Liccardo)
[Rules Committee referral 8/24/2022 - Item A.1.a]
COUNCIL AGENDA: 8/30/2022
ITEM: 2.12
FILE NO: 22-1312
1 RULES AGENDA: 08/24/2022
ITEM: A.1.a
Memorandum
TO: City Council
FROM: Mayor Sam Liccardo
SUBJECT: SEE BELOW
DATE: August 18, 2022
APPROVED:
08/18/2022
SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF THE ETHIOPIAN HERITAGE FLAG RAISING CEREMONY ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2022 AND TOWER LIGHTING ON SEPTEMBER 8-14, 2022, SPONSORED BY THE MAYOR’S OFFICEAS A CITY COUNCIL
SPONSORED SPECIAL EVENT, TO EXPEND CITY FUNDS AND AUTHORIZATION
TO ACCEPT DONATIONS OF MATERIALS AND SERVICES FOR THE EVENT RECOMMENDATION:
1. Approve the Ethiopian Heritage Flag Raising Ceremony scheduled on September 9, 2022 as a City Council sponsored Special Event and approve the expenditure of funds.
2. Approve the Ethiopian Heritage Tower Lighting on September 8-14, 2022.
3. Approve and accept donations from various individuals, businesses, or community groups to support the event.
4. Place the item on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 Council Agenda for action.
BACKGROUND:
On February 1, 2005, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 72517 which requires Councilmembers to submit a memorandum to the Rules Committee regarding proposed City Council sponsored Special Events and the proposed use of any funds in Special Events Accounts.
The Ethiopian Heritage Flag Raising will be held on September 9, 2022, at City Hall and sponsored by Mayor Liccardo. The Tower will be lit green, yellow, and red from September 8 – 14, 2022 in honor of the Ethiopian New Year which takes place on September 11th. The City has flown the Ethiopian Heritage flag, a simple green, yellow and red flag, for the past fifteen years, although it is not the official government flag. Over time, various governments ruling in Addis Ababa have altered the traditional flag by adding insignia of some type, most recently a five-pointed star. The Ethiopian American community will celebrate the Ethiopian New Year in San José by displays of their common heritage –including song, prose, and the heritage flag—not with any political statements about one particular sitting government or another. The Ethiopian
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
Subject: Ethiopian Heritage Lighting & Flag Raising
2 heritage is represented by this simple green, yellow and red flag. The flag raising honors the Ethiopian American community residing in the San José metropolitan area, and the event has no relationship to a specific political party or government in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian community made the request to continue to fly the same Heritage flag.
ANALYSIS:
City Council Policy 7-14, City Hall Event Lighting Policy, Sections B.1 and C.1 allows Tower lighting in conjunction with proclamations for official actions or ceremonial items as approved by City Council. It also allows for extended lighting beyond one cycle between sundown and sunrise.
Approval by the City Council of the event will ensure compliance with the Council's prior direction regarding Council Special Events. Approval of this memorandum will enable Council Mayor’s Office, City departments, and the Office of the City Clerk to proceed with the event.
PUBLIC OUTREACH/INTEREST
The Office of the City Clerk will post the item on the City's Website for the August 24, 2022, Rules Committee Agenda and the August 30, 2022, City Council Agenda.
CEQA
□ Not a Project, File No. PPl 7-010, City Organization & Administrative Activities resulting in no changes to the physical environment.
□ Not a Project, File No. PPl 7-011, Temporary Special Events resulting in no changes to the physical environment.
□ Exempt, File No. PP12-080. Minor temporary use of land having negligible or no permanent effect on the environment.
□ Exempt, File No. PP13-056, Activities associated with citywide litter clean-up activities. □ Exempt, File No. PP 11-046, Graffiti removal services.
Reviewed by:
TONI J. TABER, CMC
City Clerk
For questions, please contact Toni Taber, City Clerk, at (408) 535-1260.