Feedback pours-in for redesign submissions

It’s a “Cinderella story” – but, for a city flag.

What’s deemed as the “ugliest flag in the United States” is another step closer to getting a heavy makeover. In this case – the “fairy godmother”? The community.

If a secret ballot could tell a story, it would be someone’s history, drawn inside a three-by-five inch box, folded-up neatly, and placed inside a bigger box.

A total of 709 design submissions, the City of Pocatello was shocked by this response.

“I never would have thought that when we, as a committee, started this whole endeavor, we would have had anywhere near 700 designs,” city spokesman Logan McDougall said. “100, maybe 200 – that would have been really good, but 700 is just astounding.”

Not only has the community come together to voice, in the form of art, what the real Pocatello should be viewed as from here on out, but those who didn’t submit a design have also moved-in on the action to voice their opinions as well.

McDougall said there have been more than 300 comments, both online and handwritten, in only one week. That number was from his latest count on Friday. That number has been rising every single day.

He said there will be an “expert panel” who will review all of the comments at the beginning of April. That means, folks will have until the end of March to submit their comments and suggestions.

That panel will narrow these flag designs down to 10, and depending on how smoothly the process goes forward, Pocatello could see a new flag design by this summer.

Folks can either head down to the Marshall Public Library in Pocatello to take a look at all of the redesign submissions, or head to this website here: http://flag.pocatello.us/