Title
[Pass for Publication] Ordinance Amending Section 12.74.030 of the Sacramento City Code Relating to the City Hall Facilities
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FileID
File ID: 2025-01330
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Location
Location: Citywide
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Recommendation
Recommendation: 1) Review an Ordinance amending Section 12.74.030 of the Sacramento City Code relating to the City Hall Facilities; and 2) pass for publication the Ordinance title per City Charter 32(c) for the Ordinance to be considered by the City Council for adoption on July 22, 2025.
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Contact
Contact: Office of the City Manager, (916) 808-5704
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Presenter
Presenter: Office of the City Manager, (916) 808-5704
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Attachments
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Ordinance (Redline)
3-Ordinance (Clean)
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Description/Analysis
IssueDetail
Issue Detail: The City Hall Facility (“Facility”) is comprised of Historic City Hall, New City Hall, and the property encompassing those as bounded by H and I streets and 9th and 10th streets, including, but not limited to, Sa’Cumn’e Plaza (“Plaza”). The Facility is open to members of the community while conducting city business, attending public meetings, or engaging in expressive conduct. As the seat of city government, the City Council has ratified ongoing designation of the Facility as “critical infrastructure” within the meaning of chapter 8.140 of the Sacramento City Code since July 20, 2021.
Use of the Facility includes the ability for groups to obtain a permit to hold events in the Plaza. The Plaza also serves as a fire access road for firefighting apparatuses (e.g., fire engines, ladder trucks) to fight fires at the Facility in the front of New City Hall and the rear of Historic City Hall. The Facility has permanent benches for dedicated seating in several locations behind New City Hall, in the Plaza, and around New City Hall, whose locations do not hamper the access of firefighting apparatuses in the event of fire. Currently, Sacramento City Code section 12.74.030, subsection A, paragraph 9, allows the public to sit or lie down at the Facility, including the Plaza, between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. of the following day whether or not the member of the public is sitting or lying on one of the benches dedicated for seating.
The proposed amendment to section 12.74.030 seeks to regulate the use of the Facility in a manner that maintains a suitable working environment for city employees and access to firefighting apparatuses in the event of an emergency while allowing members of the public to use the exterior of the Facility in a manner consistent with its purpose and hours of operation by prohibiting sitting or lying down at the Facility at any time on anything other than designated seating. The proposed amendment is consistent with the Facility’s existing designation as “critical infrastructure.”
Policy Considerations: None.
Economic Impacts: None.
Environmental Considerations: None.
Sustainability: Not applicable.
Commission/Committee Action: None.
Rationale for Recommendation: This is a mayoral ordinance proposal, pursuant to Sacramento City Charter section 40, subsection (b), paragraph 6. The proposed amendment to the ordinance is designed to regulate use of the Facility in a way that maintains a suitable working environment for city employees and ensures that the Facility is safe and secure for the public and city employees as well as accessible to first responders and their equipment in case of an emergency while still allowing members of the public to use the exterior of the Facility in a reasonable manner. The proposed amendment would further the following purposes:
(1) ensuring a working environment for city employees that is free from impediment;
(2) ensuring access to, and unobstructed use of, the Facility for city employees, the public, and first responders;
(3) preventing incompatible uses of the Facility; and
(4) coordinating multiple uses of Sa’Cumn’e Plaza.
Financial Considerations: There is no financial impact associated with implementing the proposed Ordinance.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.