Ahead of centennial, Laguna Beach will solicit city flag designs

Coming up on its centennial year in 2027, Laguna Beach has revived conversations about adopting an official city flag.

- By ANDREW TURNER

The Laguna Beach City Council this month formed an ad hoc committee — consisting of Mayor Alex Rounaghi and Councilmember Sue Kempf — to consult with the city’s arts commission to develop a process for soliciting designs.

Longtime resident Chad Cooper created a flag that was first brought before the City Council in 2013. The banner features the Main Beach lifeguard tower with the sun setting over the ocean behind it. Wrapped around its base are the words “artistic freedom,” along with the year, “1927,” in reference to the city’s incorporation date. It also displays pelargonium, the city flower.

Cooper said his father, who lived on the East Coast, asked him to send a Laguna Beach flag. He began a search for a city flag, but even after attending a meeting of the City Council, he found the dais displayed only the American and California flags. That’s when he decided to take on the task of creating a municipal banner.