Nowthen council debates whether to fly Minnesota's new state flag after public complaints

A motion to stop flying Minnesota's new state flag at city facilities underscored a wider debate about civic symbolism and process at the Feb. 10 Nowthen City Council meeting.

Council member Glazer introduced the motion and told the council he wanted the city to step away from flying the state flag because, he said, the state redesign was a partisan process that failed to represent some precincts. He proposed removing the new flag from the city pole until a future redesign is conducted in a bipartisan way.

Opponents framed the question differently. Several council members, and the mayor, urged that displaying the official state flag is a nonpartisan tradition and that removing it risks signaling political positions by the city. Council member Rainbow said the city has flown the state flag historically and recommended maintaining that practice. Others suggested alternatives such as keeping the prior flag where possible or placing the issue on a ballot so residents can decide.

The motion drew public attention: a resident who spoke during the public forum earlier in the meeting expressed opposition to the new flag and asked the council to revisit the earlier decision to change what flies outside city hall.

After discussion the motion was seconded and the council proceeded to a roll-call vote. The meeting record shows members voting both for and against the motion; city minutes list the vote as taken and recorded by roll call.

What happens next: the motion was handled as a formal council action at the meeting. Council members also discussed more deliberative options such as waiting for a statewide process or a local public vote; they asked staff to keep this item on future agendas if further steps are proposed.

Sources: Council discussion and roll-call vote during the Feb. 10 council meeting.