For City Council Meeting [June 13, 2023]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Arron Brown, Acting City Manager
FROM: Shama P. Curian, Director of Human Resources & Risk Management
Title
Request City Council to Adopt Resolution No. 8088, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Rialto Establishing Juneteenth National Independence Day, A Federal Holiday, to be an Officially Observed Holiday for the City of Rialto.
Body
BACKGROUND
Juneteenth, or “Juneteenth National Independence Day”, commemorates and celebrates the historical significance of June 19, where on that day in 1865, more than 2 years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved Americans in Galveston, Texas finally received word that they were free, to mark the end of slavery in the United States of America.
One of General Gordon Granger’s first orders of business was to read to the people of Texas the “General Order Number 3” after which, established tradition and the Juneteenth celebration was instituted. General Order Number 3 began:
“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor."
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery and is celebrated annually as a historical and memorable tribute to our country’s African American Heritage.
DISCUSSION
On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the “Juneteenth National Independence Day Act” into law, which designated Juneteenth National Independence Day as a legal Federal Holiday and is observed annually on June 19th.
Mayor Deborah Robertson requested that City Staff review and present for City Council consideration the recognition and establishment of Juneteenth as a paid holiday beginning June 19, 2023. The proposed resolution included with this report would designate Juneteenth as a holiday for City employees, thereby providing for the closure of most City facilities for the day. The City of Rialto already observes the following holidays:
|
Date |
Observed Holiday |
|
January 1 |
New Year's Day |
|
Third Monday in January |
Martin Luther King Jr. Day |
|
Third Monday in Febraury |
President's Day |
|
March 31 |
Cesar Chavez Day |
|
Last Monday in May |
Memorial Day |
|
July 4 |
Independence Day |
|
First Monday in September |
Labor Day |
|
November 11 |
Veteran's Day |
|
Fourth Thursday in November |
Thanksgiving Day |
|
Friday following Thanksgiving |
Day After Thanksgiving |
|
December 24 |
Christmas Eve |
|
December 25 |
Christmas Day |
Safety personnel and others working in a 24/7 environment subject to MOU provisions would receive the value of the additional holiday as holiday pay. Human Resources and Risk Management discussed with the City’s Labor groups the intention of designating June 19th as a City observed Holiday and received unanimous support.
Instituting Juneteenth as a City observed holiday is an important opportunity to honor the principles of the Declaration of Independence and recommit ourselves to diversity, equality, and inclusion throughout the City of Rialto to continue to make it a better community for all.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
This request is not a Project as defined by Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. A “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Pursuant to Section 15378 (b) (5) a project does not include organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
This action is consistent with Guiding Principle 3A in the General Plan:
“Our City government will lead by example, and will operate in an open, transparent, and responsible manner that meets the needs of the citizens and is a good place to do business.”
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed and approves as to form.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Operating Budget Impact
Adopting the Resolution as proposed will have an estimated expenditure cost on the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 operating budget in the amount of $99,040. There is ample Salary Savings in the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Budget to fund the expenditure cost.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
This action will have no impact on the current capital improvement budget.
RECOMMENDATION
Request City Council to Adopt Resolution No. 8088, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Rialto Establishing Juneteenth National Independence Day, A Federal Holiday, to be an Officially Observed Holiday for the City of Rialto.