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Broomfield council adopts formal flag policy after debate over pride and other flags
Summary
Council adopted a resolution setting rules for flags on city‑owned property including a list of permitted flags and a requirement that some nonstandard flag uses be announced to council and the public.
The Broomfield City and County Council approved a formal policy governing flags displayed on city‑owned or controlled property, after a lengthy discussion over whether certain non‑government flags — including the pride/inclusivity flag — should be permitted and how the city should explain those displays to residents.
City and County Attorney Rogers summarized the proposal as a formalization of current practice: the U.S. flag, the Colorado flag and the city flag are primary; other permitted flags in the policy include flags flown under presidential or gubernatorial proclamations, a POW/MIA flag at the Veterans Museum, fallen‑hero flags for memorial events, a pride/inclusivity flag along Midway during June, and flags associated with council proclamations or city events. Rogers said the policy was adapted from Erie’s policy and tailored to local practice.
Some residents and several council members urged more public explanation when the government displays a nongovernmental flag. John Ewalt, a resident, proposed a “flag description document” (FDD) posted at flag locations or accessible by QR code explaining why a nonstandard flag is flown. Rogers and other staff expressed concern about weatherproof signage costs, vandalism and fraudulent QR‑code replacement, and said the better approach was to respond to inquiries with contextual explanations and to post information online when warranted.
Council approved two amendments before voting on the resolution: an amendment clarifying that flying a flag can constitute governmental speech and an amendment explicitly listing sister‑city flags as permitted; a second amendment required the city manager to notify council and the public before flying a permitted flag during dates not already fixed in the schedule, with an exception for routine U.S., Colorado and city flags. The resolution passed 9–1.
Ending: The new policy lays out permitted flags, sequencing (U.S. flag highest), a Midway display schedule, and procedures for managers to notify council and the public when certain flags are flown; staff said they will continue to answer resident questions and can amend the resolution if council requests.
