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Council adopts ordinance limiting flags on city buildings after debate over commemorative flags
Summary
Following a lengthy public comment period and debate involving the DEI commission, the Ellensburg City Council adopted Ordinance 4957 regulating banners, sidewalk flags and decorations in city right‑of‑way and removed language allowing commemorative flags on city flagpoles.
City attorney Terry Wyre presented Ordinance 4957 — a code chapter regulating banners, sidewalk flags and decorations in the city’s rights‑of‑way — for second reading and adoption. The ordinance had been through stakeholder meetings, multiple council study sessions and a prior first reading in which council removed a section on commemorative flags.
Public commenters voiced both support and opposition. Candace Comfort praised the council’s removal of commemorative flags and urged that only the U.S., Washington state, and POW/MIA flags be flown on government flagpoles. Other speakers, including members of the DEI Commission, urged the council to allow commemorative flags on certain occasions and to adopt more specific language that would set dates, processes and limits.
DEI Commission chair Nancy Goodloe urged the council to return the ordinance to staff and the committee to craft clearer definitions and processes for commemorative flags, saying commemorative flags can honor historically underrepresented groups. Council member Sarah Beauchamp said she supports limiting city flagpoles to the three government/military flags but did not close the issue for future discussion and suggested Unity Park as a potential location for other displays. Council members discussed private flagpole options and whether some poles are on private property in the right‑of‑way.
After deliberation the council conducted a roll‑call vote and adopted Ordinance 4957 as amended at first reading; the adopted ordinance deletes the commemorative‑flag language from the code. Several council members expressed the view that the city flagpoles should be reserved for national, state and POW flags while leaving other avenues for community recognition.
Why it matters: the ordinance establishes permanent rules for banners and flags in public rights‑of‑way and resolves a local policy disagreement about whether government flagpoles should display commemorative or cause‑related flags.
