Manassas leaders say no to U.S. flags on utility poles, kill pilot program
Updated at February 22, 2021 - Uriah Kiser
U.S. flags won’t be flying on utility poles in Manassas neighborhoods, after all.
City leaders on Saturday quashed a pilot program that would have expanded the city’s flag ordinance to include residential neighborhood streets. For the first time, Old Glory would be allowed to hang on city-owned utility poles in those neighborhoods, the same as it does downtown.
Under the plan, the city would agree to hang the flags. Residents would have needed to submit a petition with at least 60% approval from the street residents.
The Manassas City Council chose a replacements for Mayor-elect Michelle Davis-Youngerâs seat Wednesday night and said they will announce the pick on Monday.
Sixteen people initially applied to fill the seat before the Nov. 30 deadline. After a preliminary review of candidates earlier this week, council selected four finalists: Sandy Day, David Farajollahi, Ashley Hutson and Dheeraj Jagadev. By city law, the interim council person will serve one year but can seek election in November to the remainder of Davis-Younger s term if they so choose.
Vice mayor Pam Sebesky said she was impressed by the diversity among applicants.
âI canât tell you ⦠how excited I was to see so many people of color, so many young people and so many women who applied for the position,â Sebesky told InsideNoVa. âIt was just so much more reflective of the Manassas community than where we might have been in the past.â