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Students present two city-flag finalists; committee asks staff to refine designs with youth and local artists
Summary
Students from Voices of Oxnard Youth presented 15 flag designs and recommended two finalists; the youth committee removed one design after determining it was likely AI-generated. The committee voted to direct staff to work with the students and local artists and return with refined concepts.
Students in the Voices of Oxnard Youth presented 15 submissions for a proposed Oxnard City flag and recommended two finalists during the Community Services, Public Safety, Housing and Economic Development Committee meeting on May 26.
The student presenters described a two-stage outreach and anonymous review process that yielded 15 accepted entries. "We were clear in our messaging that no AI submissions would be accepted," said Aisha Castellanos, a junior at Rio Mesa High School and member of the flag committee, adding that "we determined that the flag design in question was likely AI generated," and that design was removed from consideration.
Why it matters: the flag project is intended to create a permanent city flag that reflects Oxnard's coastal, agricultural and cultural identities. Presenters said a public survey (147 responses) favored blue for ocean and sky and highlighted strawberries, waves and farmland as preferred elements.
The students described outreach that included flyers posted at schools, colleges, libraries and senior centers, bilingual materials in English and Spanish, and distribution via the Oxnard Union High School District superintendent. Participants were asked to supply a short description of their design; the student committee compiled the entries and held an anonymous vote to select two top recommendations.
Committee members praised the students' work but emphasized a deliberative approach before final selection. A councilmember said she did not feel comfortable with three committee votes deciding a final design and urged broader participation from all seven council members and local professional artists. Chair MacArthur and staff agreed to a cautious path forward: the committee voted 3–0 to direct staff to incorporate the feedback heard at the meeting, work with the Voices of Oxnard Youth and consult local artists, and return to committee with further refined concepts.
The committee's direction stops short of recommending a single design to the full City Council; instead, staff will develop next steps with the youth cohort and cultural services staff for a future committee review. The committee did not take a final vote to adopt any single flag design at the May 26 meeting.
Next steps: staff will coordinate with the Voices of Oxnard Youth, the cultural and community services department and local artists to refine the recommended designs and present a follow-up to the committee.
