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Mayor Larson’s 2019 City Hall in the City Sessions Kicks off on January 30

Mayor to introduce Flag Redesign Project

[Duluth, MN] – The best communities are those that have active and engaged citizens. Duluth is no exception and usually is above average in this respect. During the Imagine Duluth: 2035 planning process, we had over 4,000 people who shared their ideas, concerns or insights online and over the course of over 150 public meetings. Since the inception of the Mayor’s City Hall in the City community listening sessions, Mayor Emily Larson, City Councilors and City staff have held 27 listening sessions with residents of all ages in attendance.  

Mayor Larson is making it a priority again to get out into neighborhoods, hear from Duluth residents and learn about what is important to them. She will be hosting a City Hall in the City listening session on Wednesday, January 30, from 5:30-7 pm at City Center West, 5830 Grand Ave.

At the January 30th listening session, the City will unveil a new Duluth flag redesign project that will seek public input and offer a fun way for all ages and all residents to get involved. At the Imagine Duluth focus group sessions, the Duluth flag came into discussion. Focus group participants indicated that the current flag design was complicated by the presence of the City seal, that the current flag did not connect people to the community or represent the community we live in, fully reflect the City’s history, and that it did not evoke a vision for the future. To begin implementation of the Transformative Actions section of the Imagine Duluth: 2035 Comprehensive Plan, the Mayor and Community Planning division has created this project as a way for Duluth residents to continue their active civic participation.

“There are many reasons why people love Duluth: the Lake, beautiful green space, the Aerial Lift Bridge. The current flag is primarily anonymous and the people we talked to felt strongly about making it a point of community pride. I am excited to support the roll out of this flag redesign project to engage our citizens, help determine how Duluth’s history and future should be represented through a meaningful design and instill hope and deep pride in our community members,” said Mayor Emily Larson.

Under the guidance of a citizen volunteer Flag Committee, with assistance from City Community Planning staff, an open call for submittal of new flag designs will begin on January 30^th. The review process will provide opportunities for the public to view the proposed designs and vote on which ones best reflect the community’s goals, aspirations, and symbolism of the City of Duluth.

The final design will be decided by the volunteer committee with input from Mayor Larson, then presented to the Duluth City Council for action in the summer. The winning design will be honored and raised at a ceremony at City Hall.  Full details of the project, the timeline, and submittal information is available on the City’s website at http://duluthmn.gov/duluthflagproject/

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