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Above, Atty Mark Cerel explains his understanding of the implications of a recent Supreme Court ruling.
A good portion of Wednesday evening’s Town Council meeting was absorbed in discussing the pros and cons of allowing Pride or other flags to be displayed on Town property. Town Manager Jamie Hellen began the discussion with a summary of his memorandum for the Council, summarizing his views and those of the DPW Director and Town Attorney, all of whom felt opening the flag poles to “other” flags in the wake of a recent Supreme Court ruling, was unwise.
The Council then took up the matter, beginning with measured remarks from Ted Cormier-Leger, who spoke passionately in favor of displaying the Pride flag, in particular, while acknowledging the important concerns raised in Hellen’s memo. Councilor Cobi Frongillo also spoke in support of Cormier-Leger. But other Councilors took a more nuanced approach, stressing the risks and the possibility that by allowing one flag, many other flags might also need to be displayed in the future, representing causes that many in the town might find objectionable.
Several citizens spoke in favor of posting the Pride flag, regardless of the risks. One of those speakers proposed a group of suggestions for controlling and vetting future flags based on groups or causes that had “earned” a Presidential proclamation. Another speaker offered a closer reading of the Supreme Court decision which, he said, seemed to allow flags to be posted if a municipality offered the cause represented its official support.
A final speaker, via Zoom, simply urged the Council to just do what is right, namely, keeping anyone’s sexual preferences, or for that matter any other potential divisive issues, off of town flag poles.
In the end, by consensus, the Council agreed to work on an ad hoc subcommittee – potentially including citizen members – to weigh the issues and come up with a recommendation.
During the discussion, Hellen noted that some existing regulations may permit groups and causes to display banners on the Town gazebo.
In other matters, the Council approved a liquor license transfer, heard a report on the Open Space and Recreation Plan from Conservation Agent Breeka Li Goodlander, and accepted a large grant of ARPA money that came by way of Norfolk County.
