2023-57 DISPLAY OF FLAGS ON CITY OWNED PROPERTY

2023-57 AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING NEW SECTION 204.04 OF CHAPTER 204, OFFICIAL STANDARDS, ENTITLED “DISPLAY OF FLAGS” OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF VERMILION TO STANDARDIZE THE TYPES OF FLAGS THAT MAY BE DISPLAYED ON CITY OWNED PROPERTY.

WHEREAS, as the Chapter 204 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Vermillion contain official standards of the City, including regulations of the flag of the City of Vermilion;

WHEREAS, this Council desires to provide for consistency and standardization in the flags that are displayed on city owned property in the City of Vermilion and that the display of those flags is an expression of the City of Vermilion’s official government speech;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Vermilion, Counties of Erie and Lorain, State of Ohio:

SECTION 1.  New Section 204.04 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Vermilion is hereby adopted as follows:

204.04  DISPLAY OF FLAGS

  1. Flags displayed on property owned by the City of Vermilion shall be displayed in accordance with United States Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, and Ohio Revised Code Section 5.012.
  2. City of Vermilion property shall only be used as a non-public forum for the display of flags authorized by this Ordinance and those flags are an expression of the City of Vermilions official government speech. 
  3. Except as set forth in Section (d) below, City of Vermilion property, including without limitation City of Vermilion parks, buildings and rights-of-way, shall only be used to display the following flags: the flag of the United States of America, the flag of the State of Ohio, the flag of the City of Vermilion, and the flag that depicts the profile of a prisoner of war against the background of a prisoner of war camp watchtower, commonly known as the POW/MIA flag.
  4. In addition to the flags referenced in Section (c) of this Ordinance, the Rotary flag may be displayed at the Rotary Centennial Park.

SECTION 2:  This Council finds and determines that all formal actions of this Council concerning and relating to the passage of this Ordinance were taken in an open meeting of this Council and that all deliberations of this Council and of any committees that resulted in those formal actions were in meetings open to the public and in compliance with all legal requirements, including Section 121.22 of the Ohio Revised Code.

SECTION 3:  That this Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon its passage and approval of the mayor and providing it meets the statutory requirements for passage; otherwise, it shall take effect and be enforced from and after the earliest period allowed by law.

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