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Lynnwood formalizes commemorative-flag policy and plans inaugural City Pride event; council debates park access and authority
Summary
City staff introduced a written flag/commemorative-flag administrative policy after repeated requests to fly a pride flag. Staff described Wilcox Park's historic avenue of flags, operational constraints, and that commemorative flags are treated as government speech and authorized by the mayor; council members discussed allowing council action to authorize commemorative flags at designated parks, technical flagpole limitations, visibility, and a City Pride event planned for June 6.
Director Joel Faber and City Attorney Lisa Marshall presented an executive administrative flag policy to council that formalizes longstanding practice for flag displays and establishes procedures for commemorative flags and banners. Staff said the written policy follows federal and Washington state flag guidance, was created after repeated requests from community groups (including Lynnwood Pride), and clarifies that commemorative flags at City Hall may be authorized by mayoral proclamation as government speech.
Faber described Wilcox Park (often called "Flag Park") as an avenue of 27 flagpoles installed in 1976 to display historical iterations of the American flag; 26 of those poles are installed without a mechanism to raise and lower flags, and only the center pole has attachment points (two flags can be flown there), which limits visible commemorative-flag options at that site. Staff noted operational and staffing constraints for raising flags, and that some commemorative-flag requests in prior years were handled informally because no written policy existed.
Council members suggested several paths: allow council action (a formal motion and vote) to authorize commemorative flags at designated parks; add specific guardrails to maintain the distinction between government speech and private requests; consider installing visible flagpoles at the Civic Campus or other high-visibility locations; or use banners, temporary poles, or other short-term measures to increase visibility for observances such as Pride or Juneteenth. The city attorney cautioned that government-speech doctrine requires formal, written action (proclamation or council action) to avoid turning public flag displays into a forum for private speech, and warned of slippery-slope risks if the policy becomes a rubber stamp for any private group's request.
Staff confirmed the city will host a City Pride event on Civic Campus Saturday June 6 from 1 to 4 p.m., with food trucks, performers, and a public flag-raising; staff and council discussed operational feasibility and options to improve visibility, including adding a permanent commemorative pole near City Hall as a compromise so Wilcox Park's historic poles remain dedicated to the avenue of flags while more visible civic space houses commemorative displays.
Next steps: staff will provide cost estimates for new or modified flagpoles, explore temporary/pull-out poles for near-term visibility, consider whether the mayor will amend the administrative policy to allow council-initiated commemorative flags (or take the item to ordinance or resolution), and return to council with options ahead of June where feasible.
