City of Santa Clara
Council Policy 009
CITY REPRESENTATION AT MEETINGS, CEREMONIES & EVENTS
Adopted DATE CP 00 9 Page 1 of 2
Resolution No. _________
PURPOSE The purpose of this policy is to outline the procedures for City representation at meetings, ceremonies, and events hosted by the City and invitations to events hosted by outside individuals or groups.
POLICY The City shall be officially represent ed at meetings, ceremonies, and special events by the Mayor and/or City Council. If the Mayor and/or City Councilmembers are unavailable, then the City Manager (or a designee ) will be requested to represent the City. City Board and Commission members may r epresent the City on certain occasions, provided they have obtained the prior authorization of the City Council.
If an invitation to an event includes a guest, a City Councilmember may bring along an individual who is not an elected or appointed official or City staff member.
This policy does not apply to i nformal events where attendance is not related to official City representation.
PROCEDURE All invitations for meetings, ceremonies and events received to the Mayor and Council office shall be distributed to the full City Council by staff. In some instances, the invitation may be solely for the Mayor or specific City Councilmembers, in which they will not be forwarded to the full City Council.
Based on the event program, which may include multiple speakers from partner agencies or community groups, City staff will work to ensure that programs do not surpass the length appropriate for the intended audience. To that end, there may be a maximum of two speakers from the City Council.
Primary Speaker:
1. The Mayor is the official City ceremonial head and speaker for all events.
2. If the Mayor is unable to attend as a speaker, the option goes to the Vice Mayor to speak as the City ceremonial head.
Second Speaker:
1. Option 1 District Councilmember – In addition to the Mayor’s speaking role, the Councilmember representing the district will be offered the opportunity to speak.
2. Option 2 Councilmember Rotation – Many events often occur in the same Council district; the Committee may choose to
recommend a rotational approach to the selection of a City Proposed Draft
City of Santa Clara
Council Policy 009
CITY REPRESENTATION AT MEETINGS, CEREMONIES & EVENTS
Adopted DATE CP 009 Page 2 of 2
Resolution No. _________
Councilmember to speak alongside the Mayor at City events. If a City Councilmember misses their rotational event, they will wait until their next scheduled rotational spot.
3. Option 3 Special Interest/Expertise – If a City Councilmember has a particular area of expertise or focus that relates to a City hosted event, they may serve as a secondary speaker.
External Events:
If staff receive a request for representation for an external event for a speaker, the following protocol shall be observed:
a. The outside entity/agency determines the planning of the event and shall request who represents the City of Santa Clara.
b. If not specified, the invitation shall be referred to the Mayor first.
c. If the Mayor is unable to attend, the invitation shall be referred to the Vice Mayor.
d. If the Vice Mayor is unable to attend, the invitation shall be referred to Councilmembers in order of seniority.
e. The City Manager (or a designee) may also be requested to represent the City.
f. The City Council may officially request a City Board or Commission member to represent the City on certain
occasions.
Reference:
Amends November 1995, Council Approved Policy 009