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CC - ACTION ITEM: Adoption of a Resolution Expanding the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee to Include a Juneteenth Celebration and Approval of the Amended Committee Bylaws.
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Meeting Date: April 8, 2024
Contact Person/Dept: Adam Ferguson/Parks, Recreation, and Community Services
Phone Number: (310) 253-6685
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No []
Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (04/03/2024)
Department Approval: Ted Stevens, PRCS Director (03/19/2024)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council adopt a resolution to expand the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee to include a Juneteenth Celebration and to approve the amended committee bylaws.
BACKGROUND
The Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK Jr.) Celebration Committee initially began as a small group of people who rented the picnic shelter at Veterans Memorial Park the weekend before the MLK Jr. holiday. They used Veterans Memorial Park as a place to remember his words and honor his legacy. With time, this celebration grew, and a committee was created to help plan the celebration. Since the celebration began at a park site, PRCS was assigned to oversee the committee and the event. The committee was structured similarly to other committees that at that time were not Council appointed bodies, such as the Fiesta La Ballona Committee and the Sister City Committee.
In 2019, the last active period for the volunteer committee, it consisted of five members and two alternates. Bylaws, mirroring the bylaws of the Fiesta La Ballona Committee, were created for the committee; however, the bylaws were never ratified because City Council recommended at that time to keep the committee a volunteer committee, rather than an official City committee.
Their involvement was as an advisory committee to staff . At the July meeting, staff would explain the $5,000 budget that PRCS had for the event. The MLK Jr. Celebration Committee would vote if they wished to have a one-day event, or a multiple-day event. Throughout their meetings, MLK Jr. Celebration Committee members would recommend entertainers and speakers and staff would see if the recommendation would fit within the budget. All contracts, program designs, purchases, and invoices were handled by staff.
On July 10, 2023, City Council discussed the importance of the MLK Jr. Celebration Committee and the need for community involvement in the event. The City Council directed staff to bring back an item making the MLK Jr. Celebration Committee an official City Council appointed advisory committee to support staff in the planning and implementation of the event.
On January 8, 2024, City Council approved a resolution to create the MLK Jr. Celebration Committee.
DISCUSSION
On February 26, 2024, City Council agendized an item to discuss expanding the MLK Jr. Celebration Committee to include a City budgeted Juneteenth Celebration.
Staff has drafted a resolution with expanded bylaws (Attachment 1) for City Council’s consideration. These Bylaws are expanded from the MLK Jr. Celebration Committee Bylaws. Some important highlights of the expanded bylaws are:
• The committee’s name is changed from the MLK Jr. Celebration Committee to the MLK Jr. and Juneteenth Celebration Advisory Committee (Committee).
• The Committee shall be comprised of nine persons instead of the seven mentioned in the MLK Jr. Celebration Committee Bylaws. The increase in persons allows for more opportunity to assign responsibilities for both events without increasing the workload of an individual.
• The terms limits for each committee member have remained the same.
• The Committee shall meet for a 12-month period, which will be from July 1-June 30. This aligns with other full-year committees.
• As an official City Committee, the meetings of the Committee are subject to the requirements of the Brown Act (including public participation and notice).
The budget of the MLK Jr. Celebration Event would remain $5,000 and is part of the City’s budget. A Juneteenth Celebration is currently not an event within the City’s budget and funding would need to be assigned during the budget process.
Should the City Council approve the proposed action, the City Clerk’s Office would advertise for vacancies on the newly formed Committee during its traditional spring recruitment for Commission, Board and Committee (CBC) members. City Council would consider such appointments in the spring/summer along with appointments to vacancies on other CBCs. The Committee would be able to hold its first meeting in July 2024.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
There is no fiscal impact associated with the adoption of the Resolution; however, the creation of this Committee would result in additional staff time and resources dedicated to its implementation and monthly facilitation. Funding would also need to be assigned to the Juneteenth Celebration during the budget process.
ATTACHMENT
1. 2024-04-08 - ATT 1 Proposed Resolution with MLK Jr. and Juneteenth Celebration Advisory Committee Bylaws
MOTION
That the City Council:
Adopt a resolution to expand the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee to include a Juneteenth Celebration and approve the amended committee bylaws.