12-A City of CharacterDRAFT
LISA~RESOLUTIONS\CURRENT\City of Character Res
September 26, 2001
RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS,
PARIS, TEXAS, ESTABLISHING THE CITY OF PARIS AS A CITY OF
CHARACTER WITH THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
CHARACTER CITIES; MAKING OTHER FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS
RELATED TO THE SUBJECT; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, cities have experienced an increase in juvenile crimes being committed by
younger and younger juveniles and of a more serious nature, and,
WHEREAS, a greater number of school children are coming from single-parent families,
which makes them more vulnerable to peer dependence, drugs, promiscuity, and gangs, and,
WHEREAS, youth offenders are showing less and less awareness of behavior that is wrong
and unacceptable, and are exposed to an increased amount of anti-social influences, and,
WHEREAS, rehabilitative programs available for these juvenile offenders are faced with the
challenge of lack of adequate facilities and a high rate of recidivism, and,
WHEREAS, there is a compelling need for the teaching of positive character traits such as
attentiveness, truthfulness, respect for authority, diligence, gratefulness, self-discipline, personal
morality, punctuality, forgiveness, and resourcefulness, and,
WHEREAS, a growing number of cities throughout the United States and other nations have
experienced an amazingly high rate of success in rehabilitating juvenile delinquents, and restoring
broken families by practical, time-proven programs, and,
WHEREAS, cities such as Baton Rouge, Louisiana, have adapted these programs into a
city-wide emphasis on character, which includes teaching character in public schools, emphasizing
character in local government and in businesses, promoting character in churches and homes,
proclaiming character qualities on billboards, and featuring it in the media, and,
WHEREAS, an international conference for building character cities was held in Indianapolis,
Indiana, April 2 - 4, 1998, and attended by over 150 mayors and government officials from
twenty-four states and seven nations, and,
WHEREAS, the City of Paris now has an opportunity to benefit from the ideas and
experience of many other cities by participating in the International Association of Character Cities;
NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, PARIS,
TEXAS:
Section 1. That the findings set out in the preamble to this resolution are hereby in all things
approved.
Section 2. That the City of Paris hereby agrees to actively pursue the resources and
programs that are available to it in making the city of Paris, Texas, a City of Character.
Section 3. That this resolution shall be effective from and after its date of passage.
PASSED AND APPROVED this 4th day of October, 2001.
ATTEST:
Michael J. Pfiester, Mayor
Mattie Cunningham, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Larry W. Schenk, City Attorney