Federal Way committee hears hours of public comment and council debate on city flag policy; no change adopted

Dozens of residents and several council members spent the committee’s public-comment period urging opposite outcomes on Federal Way’s flag policy, and a lengthy debate among committee members ended without a formal policy change.

During first-hour public comment, veterans and longtime residents urged the committee to keep a conservative policy of three flags — the U.S. flag, the Washington state flag and the City of Federal Way flag — citing unity and veterans’ service. “We the people is everybody,” said resident Mike Rutland, who identified himself as an Air Force veteran, and urged the city to “follow those three flags and those three flags only.” Other speakers said the current policy is too restrictive for community promotion or to recognize Federal Way’s diversity. “The current flag policy doesn’t even allow the city to advertise its own events with flags and banners in high-traffic areas,” homeowner Sarah Lee said, arguing the city is losing opportunities to welcome visitors and businesses.

The committee then moved through its agenda. When the flag item came up, council members debated competing limiting principles: some said municipal display policy should avoid government selection of identity groups and potential political controversies; others argued the city should use limited, defined mechanisms to recognize civic observances and to promote city events. Council President Susan Honda and Council Member Jack Walsh emphasized the legal and political complexity of choosing which identities to elevate and urged caution. Council Member Melissa Hamilton and others said the city’s prior practice of raising commemorative flags (for example, Juneteenth or cultural heritage days) fostered civic recognition and should be restored in a clear, bounded way that excludes partisan political messaging.

No final ordinance or motion to change policy passed tonight. Instead the committee agreed to a next step of focused drafting: committee members requested one-on-one discussions with the city attorney to develop specific language that could be returned to the committee for formal consideration. Chair Les Cessums said staff would draft options and that committee members who favor changes would meet with legal staff to identify a limiting principle and specific rules (locations, allowed commemorations, duration and an approval process). Committee members signaled divergent views during the discussion; several said they would seek a compromise, while others said they prefer the status quo.

What’s next: staff will work with the city attorney and individual council members to produce draft language for the committee to consider at a future meeting (committee members discussed scheduling follow-ups and noted the committee’s next meeting date). No changes are effective until the council adopts an ordinance.

Sources: public comment and the committee discussion at the Parks, Recreation, Human Services & Public Safety Committee meeting on May 12, 2026.