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Home My WebLink AboutRES 4543 CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON RESOLUTION No. 4543 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON ADOPTING POLICY 800- 14. WHEREAS, the Council desires to adopt a policy that authorizes certain commemorative flags to be flown as a form of government speech in accordance with applicable state and federal laws; NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON, DO RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: SECTION I. The Council hereby adopts the City of Renton Policy 800-14, Flag Policy, as attached and incorporated hereto in Exhibit A. PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL the 18th day of November 2024 #mber i y Clerk APPROVED BY THE MAYOR this 18th dayof Nov 2024 Ar ndo avone, Mayor Approved as to form: .... Shane Moloney, City Attorney B S � RES- ESD:24RES028:11/13/2024 'Wye A4 rED1 Sto 1 RESOLUTION NO. 4543 EXH I BIT A CITY OF RENTON FLAG POLICY NO. 800-14 2 POLICY & PROCEDURE Subject: Index: COUNCIL FLAG POLICY Number: 800-14 Effective Date: Supersedes: Page: Staff Contact: Approved By: 11/18/2024 N/A 1 of 3 CAO Resolution No. 4543 1.0 PURPOSE: To establish policy and procedures for displaying flags on city-owned property in alignment with federal and state laws, including United States Code (4 U.S.C. Ch. 1) and the Revised Code of Washington (RCW 35A.21.180, RCW 1.20.017, RCW 1.20.015). This policy ensures that: 1.1 Flags on city property are displayed consistently with federal state, and local guidelines. 1.2 To ensure any commemorative flags represent the city's official city government speech and not private speech, the Mayor is only authorized to display commemorative flags on city property as authorized by this policy. 1.3 This policy is intended to apply to city property designated by the Mayor for official purpose of displaying flags. It does not apply to flags displayed on individually owned property such as clothing, permitted signs in rights- of-way, handheld flags on public property that is open to the public, or placed by employees in personal workspaces/on desks, which displays are subject to other applicable rules or laws such as personnel policies, park rules, or other laws or rules governing use of city property. 2.0 ORGANIZATIONS AFFECTED: All departments/divisions 3.0 REFERENCES: United States Code 4 U.S.C. Ch. 1 The Flag RCW 1.20.010 State Flag RCW 1.20.015 Display of national and state flag Flag Policy Policy& Procedure 800-14 p. 2 RCW 1.20.017 Display of the national league of families POW/MIA flag RCW 35A.21.180 Flags to be displayed 4.0 POLICY: 4.1 The National, State, and National League of Families POW/MIA flags shall be displayed on city-owned property following federal and state laws and regulations regarding placement, size, and order. 4.2 Commemorative flags may be displayed pursuant to the Mayor's direction on city flagpoles only as authorized by this policy and solely to reflect the city's official policies, values, or community priorities. 4.3 Commemorative flags must be the same size or smaller than the U.S. or Washington State flags displayed. 4.4 Any commemorative flag displayed will follow half-staff protocols if the U.S. and Washington State flags are flown at half-staff. 4.5 The following commemorative flags may be displayed at the Mayor's direction: 4.5.1 CITY OF RENTON Flag: The Mayor may order the display of the official flag of the City of Renton to create civic pride, denote a sense of place, and reflect the vibrancy of our community. 4.5.2 PRIDE Flag: The Mayor may order the display of the Pride flag in support of the LGBTQ+ community and recognition of PRIDE events. This action affirms the city's stance against discrimination and harassment and promotes awareness of the ongoing commitment to equality. 4.5.3 JUNETEENTH Flag: The mayor may order the display of the Juneteenth flag in honor of the federal, state, and city Juneteenth holiday. This action acknowledges the significance of Juneteenth in commemorating the end of slavery in the United States and promoting awareness of the ongoing commitment to equality. 4.5.4 SISTER CITY Flag: The Mayor may order the display of flags of recognized Sister Cities during official Sister City visits. Flag Policy Policy& Procedure 800-14 p. 3 5.0 DEFINITIONS: Commemorative Flag: A flag representing an event, cause, or group, chosen by the City Council to recognize and align with the city's values and official positions. 6.0 PROCEDURES: 6.1 Limitation on Display of Commemorative Flags: 6.1.1 Commemorative flags not authorized by Section 4.3 of this policy may not be displayed on city property unless separately authorized by the City Council as an expression of the City's official government speech. A Council authorization to display a flag more than one time or year should be memorialized with an amendment to this policy. 6.1.2 The City Council shall only consider requests to display a Commemorative Flag made by the Mayor or a member of the City Council. To ensure flags are displayed as government speech, requests to raise a Commemorative Flag made by members of the public or other private groups will not be considered. 6.2 Flag Display Management: 6.2.1 Approved flags may be flown on the dates and locations designated by the Mayor and pursuant to the Mayor's direction, this policy, and applicable laws and protocols. 6.2.2 If the Mayor orders the U.S. or Washington State flag at half-staff, commemorative flags shall also be lowered. 7.0 Documentation and Records 7.1 All commemorative flag displays shall be documented, including the purpose, authorized dates, and any special instructions. The records are maintained by the Mayor's Office.