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St. Petersburg council refers proposed ‘Harmony’ and ‘History’ flag resolutions to committee after heated debate
Summary
Councilmember Gina Driscoll asked the council to adopt two official flag variations to be flown at city facilities; after hours of public comment and debate about process and legal risk, the full council voted to refer the proposal to a committee-of-the-whole meeting Oct. 23 for further work.
Councilmember Gina Driscoll proposed two official flag variations — a “Harmony” flag and a “History” flag — for the City of St. Petersburg and asked the council to direct the mayor to fly them at city facilities on appropriate dates.
The proposal was referred to a committee of the whole for discussion on Oct. 23 after a lengthy exchange among council members, legal staff and public commenters about process, community outreach and the risk of state preemption.
Driscoll said the flags were intended as “variations” on the official city flag to recognize history and community harmony and described the designs as inclusive. “I want these to be evergreen and all-encompassing,” she said, noting the images were created by local artists and paid for with private funds.
The item prompted sustained public comment. Artist Andrea Paulus, who said she designed the flags, urged approval and framed the flags as an…
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