REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 05/01/2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: City Manager’s Office
SUBJECT:
Title
COUNCIL MEMBER REQUEST: COMMUNITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN LIGHTING PROGRAM - UPDATE
End
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to provide direction on Council Member Daddario’s request to install permanent lighting to support Nationally recognized awareness campaigns.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council provide direction to staff on implementing a Community Awareness Campaign Lighting Program. If the City Council decides to implement this program, a policy will need to be established to provide guidelines for this program.
Body
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
For nearly 50 years, various colored lights have been used to illuminate private buildings for symbolic meanings. The Empire State Building is a historic example of utilizing lighting to bring public awareness to campaigns, non-profit organizations, and for-profit organizations. Government buildings, including the White House, have followed suit to support specific campaigns or movements.
The City of Corona does not have a program to use different colored lights to support or bring awareness to various nationally recognized campaigns. On September 13th, 2023, Council Member Tony Daddario requested staff provide an overview of implementing community lighting to support nationally recognized awareness campaigns.
During the City Council meeting on January 17, 2024, City Council received a presentation on installing permanent color-changing LED light fixtures to illuminate a side or multiple sides of a City facility by strategically installing 10 to 20 color-changing fixtures or spotlights around the facility. These lighting fixtures would project a decorative white light year-round for non-recognition days. Members of the City Council identified the Historic Civic Center the preferred building if a Community Awareness Campaign Lighting Program was implemented.
The City Council provided direction to bring this item back before the City Council for further discussion on potential policies.
ANALYSIS:
Lighting campaigns are one way for a city to endorse or express support for campaigns, promote civic engagement, and create an aesthetic appeal. However, some awareness campaigns may be viewed as controversial. There are over 180 different national awareness and recognition campaigns for various causes (Exhibit 4). Some of these campaigns exist for a day, a week, or an entire month. Due to logistical concerns, the City would not be able to recognize each of these campaigns. If the City Council plans to move forward with this project, staff recommend that the Council adopt a policy (Exhibit 5) to guide which campaigns and holidays to support.
Staff has identified with three potential options:
Option 1: Policy with Pre-Selected Holidays and an Application Process for Organizations
Option 2: Policy with Pre-Selected Campaigns
Option 3: Status Quo / No Program
Option 1 consists of having a policy with pre-selected holidays (and/or organizations) and the option for organizations to submit applications for recognition. This policy could contain language that includes the following:
• The organization must be a not-for-profit and community-focused
• Requests will be limited to a maximum period of up to one day
• The HCC will be lit a maximum of 15 days per month
• The application must be submitted by authorized personnel of the non-profit organization
• No automatic renewal (must apply each year)
• Blackout dates: The end of November through the second week in January will be reserved for seasonal lighting
• City of Corona Reserved Holiday Lighting Days:
• Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Veterans Day, 4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, September 11th, Halloween, and Thanksgiving Day
• Only one request application per organization per 12-month period
See the possible draft application (Exhibit 3) attached to this staff report for further information.
Option 2 is a specific policy that will list all specific campaigns. The City Council will need to create a list of holidays and campaigns that will be listed in the policy. There will be no exceptions to this list, and outside organizations will be unable to apply for recognition. Once the list is established, it will not change until the City Council creates a new list. This list would not be updated more than once annually.
Option 3 is to not implement a Community Awareness Support Lighting Program.
Staff recommends Option 3 since it does not create controversy, there are no concerns about fairness or free speech, and there are no initial costs or ongoing expenses.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Options 1 and 2 have an anticipated initial cost between $50,000 to $150,000. Additionally, these options have de minimius recurring expenses, including electricity, maintenance, and eventual replacement/repair costs. Option 3 has no fiscal impact.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action seeks direction from Council regarding the potential implementation of a Community Awareness Campaign Lighting Program and there is no possibility that obtaining direction will have a significant effect on the environment.
PREPARED BY: ANDREW KIM, CITY MANAGEMENT FELLOW
REVIEWED BY: JUSTIN TUCKER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Presentation
2. Exhibit 2 - Future Agenda Item Request Form
3. Exhibit 3 - Potential Application for Policy Option #1
4. Exhibit 4 - List of Potential Awareness Campaigns and Holidays
5. Exhibit 5 - Potential Policy for Option #1