I am feeling incredibly proud of the NOMAD crew for presenting to the mayor of Burlingame today! We have had an entire semester to think about it, research the history of Burlingame, and design countless flags for the city, but we found ourselves still scrambling to pull all the parts together. Still, everyone pulled their weight, put on their most charming game faces, and delivered our presentation with impressive professionalism.
After our presentation, we had an informative discussion with Mayor Keighran about the process required to get changes and decisions like this one made in an organization like a city bureaucracy. She explained that she doesn't have the deciding power, but that she would discuss our idea with the city manager. Together, they will attempt to get us on the agenda for a city council meeting, but it won't likely be a priority for a while. She guesses we might get to present a couple months into the new year. She gave us some logical suggestions about our flag design(s), which we plan to use to iterate on our current designs.
She thought our presentation was educational, and she congratulated us on our efforts. She feels that city council may want a flag with lettering, and that the symbol of a tree is her preference. After talking with her, our group had a conversation about the differences of opinions. Roman Mars and apparently the North American Vexillological Association sit firmly one opinion, but many city officials have opposing opinions when it comes to flag design. We are prepared to compromise to meet the needs of the city, while arguing the power of meaningful simplicity.
We certainly aren't finished! On to the next step, the next phase, of this journey!