Agenda Item 11
February 14,2012
Public Hearing
MEMORANDUM
February 10,2012
TO:
County Council
FROM:
SUBJECT:
Robert H. Drummer, Senior Legislative Attorney1iJ
Public Hearing:
Bill 3-12, Personnel- Special Days of Commemoration
Additions
Bill 3-12, Personnel - Special Days of Commemoration - Additions, sponsored by
Councilmembers Leventhal and EIrich, is scheduled was introduced on January 24, 2012. A
Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee worksession is tentatively scheduled for
March 12 at 2:00 p.m.
The religious, ethnic, and cultural heritage of County residents is very diverse. The
County benefits economically, intellectually, culturally, and socially from the richness and
strength of its diversity and seeks to promote an inclusive community for all residents. The
Council enacted Bill 1-06 on March 28, 2006 to designate certain days of commemoration in
order to recognize this diversity. The ability of County employees to provide high quality
customer service is enhanced when County employees know that certain days have special
religious, ethnic, or cultural meaning that will affect the daily activities of a significant number
of County residents.
In addition to the days of commemoration designated in law by Bill 1-06, Code §33
4B(b)(2) authorizes the Chief Administrative Officer to designate additional days of
commemoration that have "special religious, ethnic, or cultural meaning that may affect the daily
activities of a significant portion of the County's total population." The CAO has already
designated 21 additional days of commemoration under this authority. Bill 3-12 would codify
each ofthese additional days. These additional days and their dates for 2012 are:
Three Kings Day
January 6,2012
Three Kings Days (also called Dia de los Reyes, Epiphany, Feast of Kings, Twelfth Day,
Twelfthtide, Day of the Three Wise Men). This major festival of the Christian Church is
observed in many parts of the world with gifts, feasting, last lighting of the Christmas lights and
burning of Christmas greens.
It
is the Twelfth and last day of the Feast of the Nativity. It
commemorates the visit of the Three Wise Men (Kings of Magi) to Bethlehem. It is one of the
oldest Christian feasts, originating in the Eastern Church in the second century, and predates the
Western feast of Christmas.
It
was adopted by the Western Church during the same period in
which the Eastern Church accepted Christmas.