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Kent, Ohio (U.S.)

Portage County

image by Cody Topp, 18 May 2020

New flag competition
Earlier flag
Seal

See also:

New flag competition

The finalists for a new city flag are announced at
https://theportager.com/kents-flag-committee-released-a-shortlist-of-its-favorite-city-flag-designs/:

Earlier this year [2022], city leaders put out a call for submissions to replace its little-known 1975 official flag and ended up receiving 68 designs from 33 contributors. You can view all the submissions here. The then-newly formed flag committee decided not to use color references to Kent State University or Kent Roosevelt High School, instead settling on green, blue, white and sometimes black or red, the most common colors in the submissions.

The committee is preparing to roll out the designs in January with a display at the Kent Free Library and a multi-faceted media release. The flag committee has been meeting since July.

To anyone hoping to see designs featuring Kent’s silos or bridge silhouettes, Flag Committee Chair Jon Ridinger told city council that pictures on flags don’t typically look good at a distance.

Dave Fowler, 9 January 2023

I wanted to let you know that the flag of the city of Kent, Ohio, has been updated. I am the chair of the City Flag Committee and we have been working for a year now going through submissions, designs, modifications, and feedback collection to get to this point. City council approved a new design at its meeting last night (June 21). The symbolism still needs to be officially approved (and will likely be modified), but this is roughly what was included during the feedback phase:

"The burgee-shaped of the flag reflects both the shape of the flag for the State of Ohio and Kent’s original flag.
Blue symbolizes the Cuyahoga River and canals, which were a central piece of Kent’s past and a point of charm and appeal in modern times.
Green symbolizes Kent’s nickname "The Tree City" and its environmental history.
White symbolizes Kent’s history of seeking peace and harmony locally and globally.

The simple modern design is meant to suggest Kent’s goal of civic progress and the city’s forward-looking spirit. A letter "K" can be seen from the green vertical center stripe and intersecting blue diagonal stripes. All the stripes point to the central star, forming arrows that are meant to point to the future.

The four stripes, both green and blue, are meant to recall Kent’s four major eras of history, from pre-settlement, settlement and canal, railroad, and college town. They are also meant to celebrate an "intersection of cultures". The saltire ("X") formed by the blue stripes also symbolizes the railroads, which played a major role in the development and naming of Kent.

The converging stripes form an eight-pointed star that symbolizes the North Star, which was sometimes used on quilts that guided enslaved people escaping captivity. It also symbolizes Kent’s history of inclusion, diversity and forward thinking."

Jon Ridinger, 22 June 2023

From the draft ordinance:
DRAFT ORDINANCE NO. 2023 - 037 AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE NEW DESIGN FOR AN OFFICIAL FLAG FOR THE CITY OF KENT, OHIO, REPEALING RESOLUTION 1975-155, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
WHEREAS, City Council appointed a Flag Committee on June 15, 2022 to propose design specifications that designers should follow when submitting proposals for a new city flag; and
WHEREAS, the Committee received 68 designs from 33 contributors, from in and out of the City; and WHEREAS, the Committee ultimately decided on its top 3 designs and submitted those for a vote of the public; and
WHEREAS, the designs received 812 votes and the Committee recommended the flag that received the most votes be adopted as the City’s new flag.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Kent, Portage County, Ohio:
SECTION 1. That Council hereby adopts the new design for an official flag for the City of Kent, Ohio, and is more fully described in Exhibit “A” attached hereto and made a part hereof.
SECTION 2. Resolution 1975-155, passed on October 15, 1975, is hereby repealed.
SECTION 3. That it is found and determined that all formal actions of this Council concerning and relating to the adoption of this Ordinance were adopted in an open meeting of this Council and that all deliberations of this Council, and of any of its committees that resulted in such formal action, were in meetings open to the public in compliance with all legal requirements of Section 121.22 of the Ohio Revised Code.
SECTION 4. That this Ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety and welfare of the residents of this City, for which reason and other reasons manifest to this Council this Ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force immediately after passage.
PASSED: _______ Date Jerry T. Fiala Mayor and President of Council
EFFECTIVE: _______ Date
ATTEST: ________ Amy Wilkens, CMC Clerk of Council

Jon Ridinger, 22 June 2023

Earlier flag

image by Masao Okazaki, 12 November 2024
based on photo of flag (image by Cody Topp, 18 May 2020)

The city of Kent, Ohio, has informed me that it does not have a flag.
Valentin Poposki, 20 December 2010

The City of Kent, Ohio, recently informed me that the City doesn't have a flag. However, a discussion in the City Council from 06.01.2010 adds some light on that issue:

"...Ms. Shaffer asked if they have a City flag, and Mr. Roberts said they do, somewhat. He said there is some recollection of a flag that mimicked the Tree City logo, but he has not seen it for a long time. Ms. Shaffer asked if it had its own separate pole, and Mr. Roberts said it flew below the American flag on the same pole. Ms. Shaffer asked if they adopt this policy if they are beholden to follow all of the events, and Mr. Roberts said the events listed by date are currently being followed. He said they are either in the US Code or by presidential proclamation. He said one example is the Korean Veterans Day, which is by presidential order. Ms. Shaffer asked if they already do them, and Mr. Roberts said that was correct. Ms. Shaffer asked if this would be an addendum, and Mr. Roberts said it would be an additional policy. Ms. Shaffer asked who is in charge of the flag, and Mr. DeLeone indicated Mr. Wilson was in charge. Mr. Roberts said it falls to the Service Department, and Gerald Shanley, their arborist. He said Mr. Shanley has made it his persona mission to be sure they are raised and lowered, which comes from his strong military background. Ms. Wallach said she liked the idea where they would lower the City flag, except no one knows where the City flag is and it does not have its own pole. She said that takes care of it. Mr. Roberts said they would have to resurrect the City flag, and erect a pole. Ms. Wallach commented it is not an alternative. Mr. Kuhar asked how they can live in a free country, and not have the right to honor their heroes or exemplary people by lowering the flag, and noted he did not expect an answer.

There was no further questions nor audience comment at this time.
MOTION TO APPROVE THE FLAG POLICY AS PRESENTED.
Motion made by Mr. Wilson, seconded by Mr. Kuhar, and carried by a voice vote of 7-0-1, with Mr. Valenta abstaining."
- from www.kentohio.org/gov2/2010/Jan6-CD.pdf
Valentin Poposki, 8 January 2011

103.05 OFFICIAL FLAG DESIGN ADOPTED.
The design of the City flag from and after the date of this resolution (Resolution 1975-155, passed October 15, 1975) shall be as follows: the background shall be blue symbolizing the Cuyahoga River, trimmed in gold, the City color; within the borders of the flag shall be a tree symbolizing the tree city motto and a lamp of knowledge symbolizing the presence and contributions of our school system and Kent State University.
(Res. 1975-155. Passed 10-15-75)

City to fly new flag
By ALLEN BARTLETT
Nine-year-old Keith Bauer had his name recorded in the city books Wednesday night. Bauer, 1624 Chadwick Drive, is a fourth grader at Holden Elementary. He won a contest sponsored by the Kent Jaycee Janes, wives of Kent Jaycees, for designing an official city flag. Kent City Council unanimously adopted his design at their meeting. BAUER'S CREATION is the same size and shape as Ohio's state flag. Colors are blue and gold, symbolizing the Cuyahoga River and city color, respectively. The design includes a tree for Kent, "The Tree City,' and a lamp of knowledge for the city's school system and KSU. Mayor Joseph Sorboro indicated at an Oct. 1 meeting he would check into the cost of flags and the number needed.
Cody Topp, 18 May 2020

Seal

image located by Paul Bassinson, 9 November 2019

Source: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D1JU94vWwAIM90w.jpg
Paul Bassinson, 9 November 2019