Title
Update by City Council Ad Hoc Committee on Flag Raising and Staff Report for Proposed Amendments to San Leandro Administrative Code Chapter 1.7 on Flag Policy
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that Council discuss the matter and provide direction to staff regarding modifications to the existing Flag Policy.
BACKGROUND
Existing policies governing the lowering and raising of flags at City Hall are outlined in Section 1.7 of the San Leandro Administrative Code. Section 1.7.205, which governs the raising of special designation flags at City Hall specifically states:
"As a general rule, special designation flags (such United Nations flag, flag of a Sister City, Children's Memorial Flag, etc.) will be raised only upon the direction of the Mayor or City Manager. Such flags will only be flown at City Hall, and when raised, shall replace the flag of the City of San Leandro, not the flag of the United States or the flag of the State of California."
As a general practice, three flags are regularly raised in front of City Hall whenever the building is open: the U.S. flag, the flag of the State of California, and the flag of the City of San Leandro. On occasion, alternative flags have been raised. At the March 18, 2013 regular meeting, the City Council unanimously voted to direct staff to raise the Rainbow Flag in place of the City Flag on March 26 and March 27 (i.e. the same days that the U.S. Supreme Court was hearing oral arguments regarding Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act).
On September 16, 2013, the City Council directed staff by a vote of 4-3 to raise the Flag of the People's Republic of China on October 1st, in honor of National Day, a Chinese public holiday commemorating the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
Following substantial public discussion, the Mayor exercised his authority to suspend implementation of the above action, per Section 305(h) of the City Charter. Per t...
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