HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 04-07-2026 Item No. 7 Establish a Policy on Flags on City Property_ Desk ItemCC 4-07-2026
#7
Establish a Policy on Flags on
City Property
Desk Item
CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE
CITY HALL
10300 TORRE AVENUE • CUPERTINO, CA 95014-3255
TELEPHONE: (408) 777-3212
CUPERTINO.GOV
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
DESK ITEM
Meeting: April 7, 2026
Agenda Item #7
Subject
Consider adopting Resolution No. 26-034 to establish a Policy on Flags on City Property.
Recommended Action
Adopt Resolution No. 26-034 to establish a Policy on Flags on City Property.
Background:
Staff’s responses to questions received from councilmember are shown in italics.
Q1: What is the policy for raising ffags for special events: Pride ffag, India's
Independence Day Flag? How long do these ffags keep ffying? Will stafl come back to
Council when there are other requests for ffags to be raised?
Stafi response: The current policy on commemorative flags was created in 2023 and is attached
with this desk item report as Attachment C. That policy does not mention speciffc special events,
but it clariffes that all commemorative flags must be approved by the City Council or the City
Manager. The new proposed policy (Attachment B) clariffes that commemorative flags (including
flags for Pride and India's Independence Day) may not be displayed without approval by the City
Council. Historically, the Pride flag is meant to commemorate June as Pride Month, so the flag is
raised for almost the entire month of June. The India flag raising event is meant to celebrate
India’s Independence Day so the flag is raised only for the day. The approval for these flag
raisings will be coming to council at the April 21 meeting. In the future, any other flag raising
requests will also be brought to Council for approval.
Attachments Provided with Original Staff Report:
A. Draft Resolution
B. Draft Policy on Flags on City Property
Attachments Provided with Supplemental 1:
C. 2023 Commemorative Administrative Policy
Version Jun. 2023
Policy on Flags on
City Property
Citywide Policy Manual
Policy #
Attachments:
Effective Date: June 1, 2023
Responsible Department:
City Manager’s Office
Related Policies & Notes:
Purpose
The City of Cupertino displays commemorative flags on City property from time to time. A
commemorative flag is any flag other than the United States flag, the State of California flag,
or the City of Cupertino flag. The purpose of this policy is to provide clarity on the usage and
control of displaying commemorative flags on City Property.
Policy
The City maintains exclusive control over the decision to display commemorative flags on
City property, and no commemorative flag may be displayed without approval by the City
Council or by the City Manager, consistent with the City Manager’s responsibility to
implement City Council policies.
The display of commemorative flags on City property serves solely as an expression of the
City’s official sentiment and does not create or serve as a forum for public expression.
Accordingly, the display of commemorative flags constitutes governmental speech.
Revisions:
City Manager’s signature: _______________________________
Date: _______________________________ Jun 1, 2023
Draft Flag Policy 2023
Final Audit Report 2023-06-01
Created:2023-06-01
By:Astrid Robles (astridr@cupertino.org)
Status:Signed
Transaction ID:CBJCHBCAABAA4oUyT7aoWCVh60EEIawxHqodR7F7DsTk
"Draft Flag Policy 2023" History
Document created by Astrid Robles (astridr@cupertino.org)
2023-06-01 - 7:54:43 PM GMT- IP address: 73.170.94.103
Document emailed to Pamela Wu (pamelaw@cupertino.org) for signature
2023-06-01 - 7:55:31 PM GMT
Email viewed by Pamela Wu (pamelaw@cupertino.org)
2023-06-01 - 8:57:53 PM GMT- IP address: 104.47.74.126
Document e-signed by Pamela Wu (pamelaw@cupertino.org)
Signature Date: 2023-06-01 - 8:58:07 PM GMT - Time Source: server- IP address: 64.165.34.3
Agreement completed.
2023-06-01 - 8:58:07 PM GMT