Subject
title
Discussion and Possible Approval of Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines for Proclamations and Certificates of Recognitions.
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Department
City Clerk/Director of Council Operations Office
Recommendation
Staff recommends Mayor and Council receive the presentation, provide direction and approval on the new procedures for issuing and approving Proclamations and Certificates of Recognition requests.
Discussion
1. HISTORY
The City Clerk/Director of Council Operations office presented the topic of procedures for handling Proclamations and Certificates of Recognition to the Mayor and Council at their May 6, 2024, meeting. The Mayor and Council received the presentation and provided direction to staff to bring it back at a future meeting for further discussion. Staff will bring back the list of criteria for accepting requests for proclamations and certificates of recognition, additional research from other jurisdictions, a list of proclamations by categories and a draft proclamation online request form.
Definitions:
A. Proclamation - Formal or official public statement issued to honor an observance (day, week, month, or period), a civic celebration, program of significance, recognition of a community, regional, state, or national occasion that pertains to a municipality, locality, or jurisdiction.
B. Certificate of Recognition - Formal acknowledgement or commendation of an achievement of an individual, group, organization, or business with a connection to a City, State, or local jurisdiction.
2. RESEARCH
The Mayor and Council issue proclamations that affect and reflect the greater good of the residents of Rockville. Mayor and Council may wish to issue declarations to make certain City initiatives known. Majority of the requests are standard and initiated by the Mayor and Council, City departments, and national organizations.
Research was conducted on how neighboring jurisdiction, municipalities, and other states handle the proclamation and certificates of recognition process.
A. Jurisdictions Reviewed
Staff received research and responses to inquiries from the following jurisdictions and states on their processes and how Proclamation and Certificates are approved and issued.
i. Maryland - City of Annapolis, City of Bowie, City of College Park, City of Frederick, City of Gaithersburg, City of Greenbelt, City of Hyattsville, City of Takoma Park
ii. Virginia - City of Alexandria
iii. Montana - City of Bozeman
iv. Colorado - City of Ft. Collins
3. PROCLAMATION PROCESS
Proclamations requested by Mayor and Council should be reviewed, discussed, and approved in an open meeting with the full body. Community and organizational Proclamation requests will be submitted via an online form and issued and approved by Mayor and Council.
A. Criteria for Issuing Proclamations
i. Proclamations are issued to celebrate and acknowledge the milestones and achievements of individuals, school organizations and other organizations within the City of Rockville, Maryland.
ii. Proclamations are issued offered that offer great value and provide consistent opportunities for positive engagement to the Rockville community.
iii. Proclamations are issued that recognize and celebrate all types of diversity and inclusion in the Rockville Community.
iv. Proclamations are issued that offer opportunities to address critical health-related topics that bring awareness to areas such as mental health awareness, and sickness and critical and chronic disease awareness.
v. Proclamations are issued to recognize public awareness, charitable endeavors, and events of cultural significance to the City of Rockville, Maryland.
vi. Proclamations may recognize an event, day, week, or month that is significant in the life of the Rockville Community.
vii. All proclamations are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are at the sole discretion of the Mayor and Council. No individual or organization’s request has a guarantee that its proclamation will be granted.
viii. When the City of Rockville, Maryland issues a proclamation, in accordance with its policies, such proclamation do not constitute a personal or civic endorsement by the Mayor and Council or City of Rockville.
ix. Requests for new proclamations require a 3-week turn around for evaluation, approval, research, and completion prior to proclamation due date.
x. Proclamations are read and presented by Mayor and Council in an ordered rotation, starting with the Mayor and Councilmembers in alphabetical order.
B. How Proclamations are presented at Mayor and Council meetings
i. During the first meeting of each month at 5:30 pm, proclamations will be read, presented, and approved by Mayor and Council.
ii. Mayor and Council will read the first (and sometimes second, for context) and last “WHEREAS” clause of each Proclamation.
iii. Proclamations will be presented to community members, academic, civic, professional, and other organizational representatives with a vested interest, and/or achievement related to the City of Rockville.
iv. Proclamations are posted to the City’s website.
4. ON-LINE FORM FOR REQUESTING PROCLAMATIONS
The City Clerk/Director of Council Operations office has drafted and prepared the online request form for proclamations and will move forward with uploading the online request form for public use upon approval from the Mayor and Council.
5. ANNUAL PROCLAMATION LIST
Staff recommends the Mayor and Council review the annual proclamations list, each year in December to approve the list for the next year.
6. CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION PROCESS
Requests are submitted by email, regular mail, as well as to accompany the Mayor or Councilmember for an event, to which they are invited. Certificate of Recognition are at the sole discretion of the Mayor and City Council.
Note: Staff request 3 business days to prepare and draft a new request for a certificate of recognition.
A. Criteria for Issuing Certificates of Recognition
i. Certificates of recognition are received from the Mayor and Council, other interested parties, community engagement partners, stakeholders, and outside organizations. Examples: Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI), Rockville Chamber of Commerce, Business Week, business grand openings, ribbon cuttings, major milestone birthdays, milestone anniversaries, special events for individuals, churches, organizations, and dedications, nursing facilities, Troops (Boy, Girl, Eagle), Boards and Commissions, acknowledgement of volunteers in the community, etc.
ii. Ad hoc certificates of recognition typically come from Local School/ Community Achievements (e. g., Examples: Woodley Robotics Team, Richard Montgomery HS Girls Swim Team, Wootton HS A Cappella Group) ad hoc requests will follow the same procedures as regular Certificates of Recognition.
Note: Certificates of recognition do not have an online request form at this time.
7. PROCLAMATIONS AND CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION WILL NOT BE ISSUED BY THE CITY IF THE REQUESTS PERTAINS TO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
A. Matters of political or other controversy, political party affiliation, or political organizations
B. Individual convictions, illegal matters
C. Discriminatory, obscene, or inflammatory matters
D. Attempting to influence City policy
E. Celebrations of a personal nature, campaigns, or events contrary to City Charter or Policies
F. Matters which defame others, mischaracterize, impugn, or defame the City of Rockville
8. FEEDBACK
Staff needs feedback and approval from Mayor and Council for the online guidelines, procedures, and form for requesting proclamations and clear guidance for certificates of recognitions.
Staff has already implemented the following:
A. Per direction from the Mayor and Council staff has already implemented the process that proclamations will be presented during the first meeting of the month with the following criteria:
i. There may be 10 or more proclamations to be read in a month.
ii. Mayor and Council will only read the first and last “WHEREAS” clause.
iii. CC/DCO Office will provide a copy of the proclamation to be read with the appropriate “WHEREAS” Clauses in BOLD.
iv. Proclamations to be read if there is someone in-person to accept them.
v. Proclamations with no one to accept them may or may not be read at a meeting and all will be posted to the City website along with all other monthly proclamations.
Mayor and Council feedback for approval:
A. How important in the proclamation process to the Mayor and Council’s Community Engagement and Outreach Goals?
B. Does the Mayor and Council agree that proclamations and certificates of recognition will be issued that only pertain to the City of Rockville?
C. How should/will proclamations be prioritized?
D. How will Regional, State-wide, and National proclamations be handled? Should they be shared online only and not read?
E. How will Mayor and Council handle cultural observance proclamations moving forward (i.e. Diwali, Israeli Independence Day, etc.)?
F. How will heritage proclamations be handled?
G. How will health proclamations be handled?
H. How will professional proclamations be handled?
I. How will Educational Awareness proclamations be handled?
9. The following attachments and supporting documents for this presentation:
Attachment 1 - Annual Proclamation List
Attachment 2 - Proclamations by Category
Attachment 3 - Draft - Online Request Form
Mayor and Council History
This is the second presentation to Mayor and Council regarding the Proclamations and Certificates of Recognition Process.
Public Notification and Engagement
The City Clerk/Director of Council Operations office will work with the City Web Administrator to release the online process for requests to the public upon approval from Mayor and Council.