Washington County to revise monument policy; Muscogee Creek Nation application deferred for amendments

County staff presented a proposed resolution and application process to govern placement of cultural-historical monuments on Washington County property and brought a submitted request from the Muscogee Creek Nation for initial review.

The resolution would create an application process and set uniform size and design requirements for monuments and associated flagpoles. Shelby Lopez, County staff, said the Muscogee Creek Nation’s submission included monument dimensions, a flagpole specification and photographs of the proposed monument. "They have all their documentation, the dimensions of the monument, dimensions of the flagpole, the inscription that will be on there," Lopez said.

Commissioners discussed several changes before final approval. They asked that the board of county commissioners be explicitly named as the designated county authority for application review, and that applicants be responsible for installation and ongoing maintenance. Commissioners also debated whether flagpoles should be allowed at monuments and, if so, what limits and standards should apply. One commissioner said flags must be maintained or lit and cautioned that monuments—and any flags—should "look presentable at all times." Another commissioner proposed limiting monument flags to those that "represent the monument" rather than a general-purpose or American flag, noting an American flag already stands on the lawn.

County staff and the planning official noted that parts of the county’s land development code impose restrictions on flagpoles and that the application document must be updated to conform to those standards. Lopez recommended amending the resolution and application to incorporate legal and code requirements and bring the items back on a regular agenda for final action. The board agreed to amend the resolution to: (1) designate the board of county commissioners as the review authority; (2) require applicants to install and maintain monuments; and (3) add language on flagpole standards tied to the monument’s commemorative purpose. The board also agreed to return both the resolution (as a regular agenda item) and the amended application for final consideration.

The submitted Muscogee Creek Nation application will be revised to match the pending resolution. Ron Phillips, identified in the packet as a public affairs director who submitted the application on behalf of the Muscogee Creek Nation, is listed as the applicant contact in the materials provided to the county. County staff said the Muscogee Creek Nation plans to place the monument on the lawn and that the monument company will transport and install the stone; the company will ship a flagpole to the county’s public works office for local installation.

The board did not take a final vote to approve the monument placement at this workshop; staff will return with a revised resolution and application and any necessary code modifications for board action on a future regular agenda.