Thank you to everyone that has expressed your views on flying the flag of China at City Hall. Here is a press release we issued today: Mayor Cassidy Suspends Decision to Raise the Flag of the People’s Republic of China at San Leandro City Hall September 19, 2013 - Mayor Stephen Cassidy today suspended the City Council’s decision to raise the flag of the People’s Republic of China at the San Leandro City Hall on October 1, 2013. “San Leandro does not fly the flags of other nations at our City Hall. We need to call a ‘time out’ and allow the community to weigh in on whether or not we should raise the flags of other governments. We should not rush to host the flag of a specific government at City Hall and set a precedent before we listen to the community and carefully review our options,” stated Mayor Cassidy. “I recognize that my decision will disappoint many persons. I greatly value and am tremendously thankful to our Chinese-American community for its extensive and significant contributions to the welfare of the people and economy of San Leandro,” added Mayor Cassidy. "Our Chinese-American community has helped make San Leandro one of the most diverse cities in California and the U.S. Those in our community wishing to celebrate the founding of the People’s Republic of China are welcome to use one of our parks, as do other groups that celebrate key events of their nations of origin.” Background The City of San Leandro does not possess any guidelines on nor have a practice of raising the flags of other nations at its City Hall. On September 16, 2013, on a 4 to 3 vote, with Mayor Cassidy and Council members Pauline Cutter and Michael Gregory dissenting, the City Council approved the flying of the flag of the People’s Republic of China in place of the flag of the City of San Leandro at the San Leandro City Hall on October 1, 2013. The National Day of China, marking the founding of the People’s Republic of China, falls on October 1st. Under the San Leandro City Charter, the Mayor possesses the authority to suspend implementation of any action taken by the Council, within three days after such action. The matter is then placed as a motion for reconsideration for the Council to consider at its next regularly-scheduled meeting. The next regularly-scheduled meeting of the City Council will occur on October 7, 2013. About San Leandro A diverse community of nearly 85,000 residents, San Leandro maintains a safe, small town feel while offering a wide range of shopping, dining, recreation amenities, miles of shoreline, and easy access to nearby regional parks and nature areas. With access to two international airports, BART, two highways, the Port of Oakland, Silicon Valley, the highly-skilled Bay Area workforce, and a business-friendly approach by City staff, San Leandro is an ideal location for both established tech businesses and start ups to be more productive and successful. San Leandro features miles of shoreline and award-winning restaurants and coffee shops. The city is ready and able to meet the needs of the businesses today and in the future. Learn more by watching the San Leandro "Get Connected!" video at youtube/watch?v=2SnQI7cQ0UY. Visit the City’s website at sanleandro.org for more information on the City’s programs and services. To register to automatically receive press releases, meeting agendas or other electronic notifications, go to sanleandro.org/portal/default.asp.
Posted on: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 22:31:53 +0000