Is it the City's Flag or McCloud's Flag?

"...I just thought it was kind of odd that a flag that's already been decided upon and nobody else got a say in the design of the City flag. Maybe there is something better than the Mission?...Is it possible that this could be a community kind of thing where people could put their opinions in as to what they think would be the best flag that represents all of the people in the City?

(Remarks by Mrs. Dogman McBill, Appearances, City Council 6 June 2006 meeting.)
After Appearances closed, Mayor Sue McCloud responded:

"The question of the flag was on an earlier city agenda and we did have a prototype here. This is the city seal. So. O.K."


The extent of "the question of the flag was on an earlier city agenda," according to Mayor McCloud:

MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
May 2, 2006

XI. ORDERS OF COUNCIL
A. Consideration and approval of a proposed City flag design.
Mayor McCloud answered questions regarding the proposed flag design.
Mayor McCloud declared the meeting open and closed to public comment at
6:23p.m., as there was no public comment.
Council unanimously approved the proposed City flag design.


COMMENTS:

• Here we go again!
Finding 7. Over-control of this process by mayors is not in the public interest.
(Reference: 2005 Monterey County Civil Grand Jury Report on Open Government, which focused on Carmel-by-the-Sea)

• Mayor McCloud has a public record of answering questions with tangential, non-germane blather, as this example aptly demonstrates.

• In Carmel-by-the-Sea, isn’t is possible to honor the city’s heritage by making the decision and/or design of a City Flag a “community kind of thing,” as Mrs. Dogman McBill asked?

• Isn’t it possible for the City Council to entertain more and other original designs for the city’s seal?

• Finally, then, is this a City Flag representing the people of Carmel-by-the-Sea OR Mayor McCloud’s edict.