The three bridges flag will again fly above Des Moines.

In a vote Monday, the City Council again approved the display of the red, white and blue flag as the capital city's official banner. The city first adopted it in 1974.

Before the meeting, Councilman Chris Coleman wrote that the flag — with three white, arched bridges spanning across a blue background to the right of a red quadrilateral — shouldn’t have been phased out in 2008 when the city adopted a new logo.

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The skyline logo currently occupies the city flag, sitting on a plain white background.

Coleman, who pulled on a flag T-shirt over his dress shirt for the occasion, said that was a mistake; the logo was only supposed to be used for letterheads, business cards or the city's website. Plus, the City Council in 2008, of which he was a member, never voted to replace the flag, but it changed when the new logo arrived.

“I was so embarrassed that I can hardly tell anyone that,” he said.

He and his City Council compatriots each sat behind small versions of the flag on the dias Monday. Councilman Josh Mandelbaum wore his usual three bridge flag lapel pin.

He and Coleman credited the work of Mason and Emily Kessinger, who've undertaken a grassroots campaign to bring the 1974 flag back, promoting it on social media and selling flags, hats, shirts and pins emblazoned with the flag.

“It’s really rallied people around this symbol of our city,” Mandelbaum said. “It’s what a flag can do. It unites the best of what our city is.”

Emily Kessinger said it was “hilarious” to hear Coleman’s story of the flag fumble. She and her husband have worked for more than a year to bring back the original flag, designed by publisher Walter Procter for a contest in 1974.

“That confirmation makes us feel good, in a weird way,” she said.

The vote was unanimous, and no one seemed sad to see the white flag go.

“I don’t like that flag,” Mayor Frank Cownie said. “I never liked that flag.”

Austin Cannon covers the city of Des Moines for the Register. Reach him at awcannon@registermedia.com or 515-284-8398.

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