FR.4 - AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING CHAPTER 2/ARTICLE II / SECTION 2-33 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, TITLED “ADMINISTRATION / MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION / ORDER OF BUSINESS AND RULES OF PROCEDURE,” TO AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR AND EACH MEMBER OF THE CITY COMMISSION TO INDEPENDENTLY REQUEST CEREMONIAL PROCLAMATIONS AND OTHER PROTOCOL ITEMS, TO PROVIDE THAT SUCH PROCLAMATION AND OTHER PROTOCOL ITEMS MUST BE APPROVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION, AND TO PROVIDE FOR EQUIVALENT MINISTERIAL SUPPORT; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 4(g)(2) of the Charter of the City of Miami, Florida, as amended (“City Charter”), the Mayor is recognized as the official head of the City of Miami (“City”) for ceremonial purposes; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 4(e) of the City Charter, the City Commission is authorized to determine its own rules of procedure; and

WHEREAS, Section 2-33(m) of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida, as amended (“City Code”), addresses the signing and presentation of City proclamations and other protocol items; and

WHEREAS, the City Commission wishes to clarify that the Mayor and each member of the City Commission may independently request ceremonial proclamations, Keys to the City, and other ceremonial honors; and

WHEREAS, the City Commission wishes to require that each proclamation, Key to the City, or other ceremonial honor receive approval by a majority of the City Commission prior to issuance to ensure that such honors reflect the collective authorization of the City Commission; and

WHEREAS, the City Commission further wishes to provide substantially equivalent ministerial support for proclamations, Keys to the City, or other ceremonial honors requested by the Mayor or any member of the City Commission and to preserve its authority to establish the manner in which such ceremonial honors may be issued;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA:

Section 1.  The recitals and findings contained in the Preamble to this Ordinance are adopted by reference and incorporated as if fully set forth in this Section.

Section 2.  Chapter 2/Article II of the City Code is further amended in the following particulars:

“CHAPTER 2

ADMINISTRATION

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ARTICLE II. MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION

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Sec. 2-33. Order of business and rules of procedure.

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(m)The Mayor and each member of the City Commission may independently request the issuance of a proclamation, Key to the City, or other ceremonial honors. Each proclamation, Key, or other ceremonial honor must be approved by a majority of the City Commission prior to issuance.The protocol office, or another administrative office designated by the City Manager, shall provide substantially equivalent ministerial support for proclamations, Keys to the City, or other ceremonial honors requested by the Mayor or any member of the City Commission, including the preparation, production, scheduling, and maintenance of records relating to such ceremonial honors. Any commissioner who so desires may be a signatory on city proclamations. Any such proclamations or other protocol items may be presented at a city commission meeting or, in the discretion of the presiding officer, may be presented prior to the commencement of any city commission meeting. Nothing herein shall prevent a proclamation from being presented at a non-city commission meeting.

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Section 3.  If any section, part of a section, paragraph, clause, phrase, or word of this Ordinance is declared invalid, the remaining provisions of this Ordinance shall not be affected.

Section 4.  This Ordinance shall become effective immediately upon final reading and adoption thereof.