At the June 9, 2020 City Council meeting, Council Member George Brietigam brought forward the idea of recognizing the City’s employees, both sworn and civilian, for their exceptional work as essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Council Member Brietigam proposed honoring City employees for going above and beyond during this unprecedented time by presenting them with a special COVID-19 ribbon that could be worn with their uniforms/clothing. The proposed recognition of City employees was unanimously approved by the City Council. City staff was directed to research, design, and prepare a potential ribbon option for consideration by the City Council.

City staff researched numerous ribbon options and worked with Council Member Brietigam, the Garden Grove Police Department, CARE Ambulance, and the Orange County Fire Authority to produce a ribbon pin that everyone would be proud to wear. The ribbon was designed using the patriotic colors red, white, and blue with “COVID-19” written across the center. The ribbon was also designed for production in a cloth version as well as an enamel version to accommodate the different style preferences across agencies (see attached design).

Should the City Council direct staff to move forward with the COVID-19 recognition ribbons, production will take approximately 30-45 days and can be distributed to City staff accompanied by a certificate of recognition.

Production of the COVID-19 recognition ribbons for all City employees, both sworn and civilian, is expected to cost approximately $1,600 and can be funded through the Council Contingency fund.

It is recommended that the City Council:

•  Consider and approve the purchase and production of the proposed ribbon design.