Pocatello city flag committee narrows it down to top design

It all comes down to one. On Thursday, the Pocatello city flag design committee met to discuss all the recent public comments it received on its top six selected designs. It also discussed the next step in the selection process.

The committee received just fewer than 1,900 comments and responses. After reviewing the data from the voting and comment period, the committee decided to select one design to send to the city council.

The design the committee chose was called “Mountains Left.” About one in every three public responses rated that design as their favorite. It also received the most five-star ratings of any of the designs.

The committee felt it was a solid design and since it had the public support, they decided to put the design before the city council.

The design will first go to a professional design shop for some minor color enhancement and adjustments. It won’t be anything that anyone would even be able to notice, said Logan McDougall, flag committee chairman. McDougall said it’s just some minor polishing touches to clean it up.

After that, it will be presented to the city council for possible approval.

McDougall said after a year and a half of work, getting it narrowed down to one is gratifying.

“I never thought this process, personally, was going to get this big,” McDougall said. “I don’t think any of us thought on the committee thought this process was going to get this big. It’s been amazing to get to here and it’s been, I think, a really great experience for the committee and the community as well.”

Even though the committee selected its top design, it does not mean it will automatically be the next official city flag. The city council could reject the design and ask for a different one, it could ask the committee to go back to the drawing board, or it could approve it. If approved, the committee would then have to draft a resolution to formally adopt the design as the new city flag.

“There’s still a few more steps we would have to take before this process is finished, even if the council approves our design selection,” McDougall said.

So the next step is up to the city council. The design will be presented to the council next week.