Oregon City reviews redesigned seal and agrees to vetted, hybrid flag process
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Summary
Commissioners reviewed a revised city seal design and generally favored a hybrid flag‑design process: use vetted designers to create options, then solicit community input on a short list; staff will return with refined seal options and pursue a flag goal before July 4.
Oregon City commissioners reviewed proposed changes to the city seal and discussed how to commission a new municipal flag during the Jan. 13 work session.
A staff presenter showed a revised seal that removes Mount Hood, emphasizes the arch bridge and seeks improved perspective and typography. "Options tonight, we can make further refinements, or if you are happy with this direction, I'll then get the files over to a graphic artist who can then do the final work," the presenter said.
Several commissioners said they would prefer Mount Hood remain in the seal because it is an iconic regional landmark; others focused on accurately depicting the Oregon City Bridge by including its obelisk so the bridge is clearly recognizable. Staff agreed to bring back revised seal options that address scale, perspective and whether to include "INC 1844" or another typographic treatment.
On a city flag, staff recommended against an entirely open, public‑design contest and proposed a hybrid approach: recruit a vetted flag designer (or a small pool), produce a set of professionally vetted concepts, and then invite the public to select from that short list. Commissioners generally favored that hybrid model for design quality and usability. "So basically what I'm looking for tonight from the commission is direction on which direction you'd like to go and what kind of timeline you would like to see this happen in," staff said; commissioners set a target to have a flag ready before July 4 if feasible.
Next steps: staff will produce revised seal options for graphic‑artist refinement and will pursue a flagged timeline for vendor/design recruitment and a community selection process. No final design or formal vote occurred at the session.
