Council could consider new Topeka flag soon

The question of whether to adopt a new design for the City of Topeka flag could finally land back on the council's agenda in September.

The Greater Topeka Partnership unveiled the design in April at its State of the Community event. It was chosen by public vote in a contest that spanned several months.

Despite being displayed at several big events and announcements since then, Topeka City Council members have yet to officially adopt it.

The question was pulled from an earlier agenda so the mayor could be present for the vote. City Manager Brent Trout said during a Tuesday news conference that he's taken time since then to educate "doubters" on the reasons for the change.

"We are not trying to go away from the history necessarily of the old flag," he said. "The old flag was designed with strong purpose and understanding as to this community but, saying that, the new flag has the same type of purpose. It’s trying to still tell the story of Topeka and what we’re about but in a more modern way."

The current flag features the city seal. It was adopted in 1977 and designed by a local Boy Scout troop.

Organizers explained the symbolism tucked into the new flag this way:

Sunflower -- Topeka’s connection as the state capital

Golden City -- Topeka is known as the “Golden City” because of the way the sun washes over the land. The use of the sunflower was inspired by that visual.

Capital -- represented by the five-point star, located where Topeka is on a map

Ad Astra -- “To The Stars Through Difficulty,” a nod to our state motto, represented by the green arrow pointing to the white star; shows forward motion

Nine Petals -- stands for the nine founders of Topeka

Trout hopes the council can consider the new design at a September meeting.