Following a debate over the use of “thin blue line” flags in the city’s annual Fourth of July event, Merriam has adopted a new official flag display policy.
The Merriam City Council on Monday unanimously approved the new flag rules for city property and city-run events, which came after the decision to exclude “thin blue line” flags and display only U.S. flags during the city’s Flags 4 Freedom event that starts later this month.
The new policy approved Monday goes beyond that one event and outlines what flags the city can display on city-owned flag poles and at citywide events. It also offers a way for the governing body to request additional flag displays at the base of several flag poles at the city’s municipal plaza, 9001 W. 62nd St.
Concerns over Flags 4 Freedom led to new policy
- Last month, the city council decided to display only U.S. flags during the city’s Flags 4 Freedom event, which occurs each year during the week of the Fourth of July.
- This is the first year that the city is sponsoring and managing the event, which was previously overseen by a group of volunteers, and there were concerns over displaying a handful of “thin blue line” flags as has been done in previous years.
- Some “thin blue line” flags — black and white American flags with a single blue stripe — have been used in Merriam’s display in recent years in honor of local law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
- The flag, first created in 2014 by a college student, is intended to show solidarity with law enforcement but has also been used as a symbol of opposition to the ongoing racial justice movement and appears frequently at conservative political events.
- At a Merriam City Council meeting last month, more than two dozen speakers asked the council to keep “thin blue line” flags as part of the Flags 4 Freedom display.
- The council ultimately decided in a 6-2 vote to display only U.S. flags during the event, and asked city staff to develop a formal citywide flag policy.
A look at the new policy
The new policy outlines the following:
- Only the national, state, county, city and POW/MIA flags will be flown on city-owned poles.
- Only the U.S. flag will be displayed during the Flags 4 Freedom event, which takes place the week of Independence Day.
- Blue, red, white and green line flags (similar to “thin blue line” flags that show support for various first responders and the military) will be displayed at the Merriam Police Department during the week of Oct. 28 in honor of National First Responders Day.
- The city may display local sports team flags “along the Johnson Drive bridge during significant periods of the year.”
The governing body can request, approve additional flag displays
- Beyond the approved instances, the city council has authority to request and approve other flag displays.
- Councilmembers or the mayor can request flags to be displayed at the base of the flag poles at the municipal plaza outside City Hall.
- The base of the flag poles can accommodate up to four flags.
- Requests must be submitted by the last day of August, annually, and detail the number of flags, a context for the request, a sample of the flag and the duration of the display, which must be 30 days or less.
City council unanimously approves policy with little discussion
- Councilmembers Bruce Kaldahl and Jacob Laha asked whether the policy covers someone placing a flag on city-owned property.
- Assistant City Administrator Caitlin Gard said the policy does not address others placing flags on city-owned property.
- If someone were to place a flag in a park, for example, then public works would likely remove the flag at a later time, Gard confirmed.
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