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Two brothers hope the Billings City Council salutes when Mayor Tom Hanel runs their idea up the flagpole at City Hall.

Garidy and Gaven Sanders, who are 15 and 12, respectively, have designed a new flag for the city. The two sent their design to Hanel, who told the boys in an email he was “quite impressed with the design of your flag.”

Hanel said he plans to ask his city council colleagues for their comments on the boys’ design.

In an email, Gaven Sanders said they were inspired to propose the redesign of the current Billings flag — two vertical bars bracketing the city seal — by studying the flags of other cities, including Chicago’s.

“The residents of those cities are very proud of their flag,” he said, adding that the caskets of some Chicago residents are draped by the Windy City’s flag.

The brothers used computer software to design their Billings flag, which features a Western meadowlark perched on a series of brown, green and deep blue bars.

“At first look, it might not look too great,” Gaven wrote to Hanel, “but let me explain what it means.”

A light blue sky takes up about half the flag and honors Montana’s Big Sky heritage.