Subject
title
Discussion of Proclamations and Certificates of Recognition
end
Department
City Clerk/Director of Council Operations Office
Recommendation
1. Staff recommends Mayor and Council review proclamation list each year to determine which proclamations will be presented.
2. Mayor and Council review and confirm the attached list of Monthly Proclamations to be announced at the first meeting of each month and posted on the City’s website, for public viewing. This discussed process will be followed instead of reading and presenting proclamations during Mayor and Council meetings. This would allow for more efficient use of meeting time.
Discussion
In an effort engage with local, regional, and national events and occasions, the Mayor and Council offers annual and ad hoc proclamation and certificates of recognition.
SUMMARY OF THE PROCLAMATION PROCESS IN NEIGHBORING JURISDICTONS
The City of Gaithersburg:
The Gaithersburg Mayor and Council review the annual list of proclamations in December. The Mayor approves the list of proclamations and certificates recognitions that will be presented. Typically, these proclamations are tied to an event in the city. Proclamations and Certificates of Recognition are presented at every other Mayor and Council Meeting on Mondays. Usually no more than one or two proclamations and/or certificates of recognitions.
Please see the proclmation list from the City of Gaithersburg attched to this staff report.
The City of Frederick
Request for a Certificate of Recognition or Proclamation can be made online through the following form:
<https://www.cityoffrederickmd.gov/FormCenter/Proclamations-17/Request-Recognition-for-a-Person-or-Even-55>
Proclamations are granted at the Mayor’s discretion and are reserved for organizations, individuals, and/or events within the City of Frederick and are presented at Mayor and Board of Aldermen Meetings.
The City of Greenbelt
Proclamations are approved at the discretion of the Mayor and Council. Proclamations can be found in the meeting minutes online. Council Meetings are held at 7:30 pm on the second and fourth Monday of the month (except for July, August, and December, in which meetings are held once a month).
<https://www.greenbeltmd.gov/government/city-council/minutes-agendas-videos-and-documents>
The City of Hyattsville
Proclamations are approved by the Mayor and Council. Proclamations are viewed in meeting minutes online which occur every other Monday.
The City of Annapolis
Used as educational tools, City of Annapolis Proclamations are issued by the Mayor to build awareness on a range of topics. Requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and issued at the Mayor's discretion. The Mayor's Office reserves the right to edit all draft language. These documents are strictly ceremonial and not legally binding. The Mayor’s Office reserves the right to deny any request. Please note: Mayoral Proclamations are NOT automatically reissued each year.
City of Takoma Park:
The Mayor, at his or her sole discretion, may make ceremonial proclamations that shall be read into the record during Council meetings. Proclamations shall not have any substantive effect or fiscal impact. (Ord. 2004-3 (part), 2004). Proclamations for the City of Tacoma Park are listed on their website. For this year, they have had one proclamation in February, two in March, and three in April.
<https://takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/meetings-and-documents/mayoral-proclamations/>
The City of Bowie:
The City of Bowie offers a limited number of proclamations at the discretion of the Mayor and City Council. Bowie presents their Proclamations during their City Council Meetings that occur every other Monday.
The City of College Park:
The City Clerk presents the Mayor & Council with a list of Proclamations around November -December for the following year, with the upcoming schedule for Mayor & Council Meetings. This list is based on the proclamations that were presented throughout that current year. Any new Proclamations throughout the following year are suggested and approved at the discretion of the Mayor & Council. Sometimes, there can be up to 5 proclamations in a single Meeting. Proclamations are viewed in Meeting minutes. As an example: the April 23, 2024, meeting had proclamations for Arbor Day and Children’s Mental Health Week. May 7, 2024, meeting will have a proclamation for Building Safety Month.
<https://www.collegeparkmd.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_02062024-1766>
1. REVIEW - ANNUAL PROCLAMATION LIST
a. Discussion of Proclamation Criteria
i. The City Clerk’s staff has used the attached proclamation list from the previous elected bodies.
ii. Process for current Mayor and Council - Staff recommends the Mayor and Council review the annual proclamation list in December and determine which proclamations this body wants to retain for next year.
2. PROCLAMATION PROCESS
a. Special Requests - Proclamations requested by Mayor and Council should be reviewed, discussed and approved in an open meeting with the full body. Direction for moving forward should be provided to staff.
b. Community and Organization Requests - These types of requests are submitted by letter or email and should be discussed in an open meeting with the full body, for discussion and approval, to provide direction to staff.
c. Staff recommends Mayor and Council review the comprehensive list from January - December 2024 and provide direction to staff.
3. CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION
Note: The majority of these types of requests are submitted by email, regular mail, as well as to accompany the Mayor, or Councilmember for an event, to which they are invited, or to recognize a prior event.
a. Certificates of Recognition - requested by Mayor and Council, interested parties, community, and outside organizations. Examples of these include: milestone birthdays, ribbon cuttings, grand openings, milestone anniversaries, events for individuals, churches, organizations, and dedications, etc.
b. Ad Hoc Recognitions
i. Local School/ Community Achievements (e. g., Examples: Woodley Robotics Team, Richard Montgomery HS Girls Swim Team, Wootton HS A Cappella Group, REDI, Inc., Business Week, nursing facilities, Boy Scout and Girl Scout Troops, family reunions, etc.)
ii. Boards and Commissions, acknowledgement of volunteers in the community, etc.)
4. RECOMMENDATIONS
a. Mayor and Council review and confirm list of Monthly Proclamations to be announced at the first meeting of each month, and posted on the City’s website, for the public viewing. This process will be followed instead of reading/presenting proclamations during Mayor and Council meetings. This would allow for more efficient use of meeting time.
b. Staff recommends Mayor and Council review proclamation list each year to determine which proclamations will be presented annually. If additional proclamations are requested outside of the annual list, they must come before the body for discussion and approval.
5. NEXT STEPS
a. The City Clerk/Director of Council Operations Office, with directions from the Mayor and Council, will create a Proclamation and Certificate of Recognition Process Guideline.