The City of Morro Bay is one step closer to adopting a new flagpole ordinance.
“I believe this policy represents a gross overreach of local government and by its very nature is divisive and not inclusive,” said City Councilmember Jeff Eckles.
“We need to be neutral,” said Rigmor Samuelsen, Morro Bay resident.
The city’s policy, which has been in place for the past three years, allows commemorative and non-traditional flags to be displayed at city facilities.
Councilmember Eckles wants the policy to be changed to display only three flags at city facilities.
“Which is the flag of the United States of America, the State of California, and the City of Morro Bay,” Eckles said.
“It’s definitely moving us backwards in a way where Morro Bay was being more open and more welcoming of groups that have been underrepresented,” said Courtney Shepler, Morro Bay resident.
Eckles says he wants the city to remain neutral in its stance on any topic.
“We are here to represent everyone, not to signal particular beliefs or causes, no matter how worthy they may seem to some,” Eckles said.
"In the old policy, city council, as long as they agreed, had the ability to display other commemorative flags, whether it’s a POW, MIA, or Pride flag, they had the ability to do that. It’s their ability to highlight issues that are of concern to residents,” Shepler said.
The Pride flag was also brought up at the last city council meeting two weeks ago.
“It just wouldn’t be going up in June, and I want to make sure that I was conscious of what we do here tonight, and it indeed is not about the flag, but it is about the acknowledgment of anyone in this community,” said Councilmember Cyndee Edwards.
Eckles said it is not about denying expression.
“People are free to fly any flag they wish on their own private property as they should be,” Eckles said.
“Do it on your own private property, and I love that flag with all those colors,” Samuelsen said.
“We also need to be sensitive to the fact that a lot of people did care about that policy and that change that Morro Bay made to fly the Pride flag during June,” Shepler said.
City Manager Yvonne Kimball says a motion was made to direct staff to revise the current policy and bring back a new resolution at a future city council meeting.
