Policy for Placement of Banners on Municipal Property
Introduction:
The Town of Monson owns two poles on Main Street suitable for the placement of a banner making community announcements. The poles are located on Main Street near the Senior Center. This policy is designed to regulate the process relative to the placement of banners at this location, and in any other location owned by the Town of Monson.
Purpose:
The Monson Board of Selectmen allows the placement of banners relative to civic, educational, philanthropic, and recreational purposes having a substantial nexus to the Monson community. At a minimum, such a nexus requires that any group seeking the placement of a banner provide a sponsor who is a resident of Monson and signs the application form prescribed below.
Placement of a banner for municipal purposes shall take precedence over all other requests. Placement of banners on municipal property for private entrepreneurial or commercial purposes is not allowed.
Exceptions to this policy may be made at the discretion of the Board of Selectmen as it deems in the best interest of the community, and no decision by the Board of Selectmen will be considered precedent setting for future requests.
Conditions:
1. No banner shall be placed for a period less than one week or more than three weeks.
2. The banner must be constructed with air vents.
3. The banner must be maintained in good condition at all times.
4. The Selectmen’s office must be furnished with an emergency contact who will be able to provide for immediate repair of the banner at all times.
5. The Board of Selectmen is authorized to have the banner taken down at any time for any reason, e.g. disrepair, severe inclement weather, or any other reason it may find.
6. The Monson Fire Department will assist at its own discretion in placing the banner and removing it. The Monson Fire Department is not obligated to provide this service and may be unable to due to equipment or manpower needs.
7. In the event the Monson Fire Department is not able to install the banner or remove it, the sponsoring organization is required to hire a professional vendor to do so. If a professional vendor is hired, it must submit to the office of the Board of Selectmen a certificate of liability insurance naming the town of Monson as an additional insured before any work is completed.
In the event the Monson Fire Department is unable to remove a banner that it installed for whatever reason, the sponsoring organization/individual must accept responsibility for hiring at their own expense a private vendor to complete this task.
8. If a professional vendor is used, the Selectmen’s office must be provided the name and telephone number of the vendor so it may be contacted in the event of an emergency and also be notified that the town may order the removal of the banner at its own discretion.
Indemnification:
The organization or individual requesting the installation of a banner on municipal property must agree to hold the Board of Selectmen, and the town of Monson and its employees, harmless from and to indemnify them against all costs, damages, losses, claims and expenses incurred, directly or indirectly, as a result of such organization or individual’s use of municipal property for placement of a banner. Such costs, damages, losses, claims and expenses shall include, without limitation, any damage to the municipal property, the cost of employee overtime if occasioned by the use of the property, the cost of any police coverage if deemed necessary by circumstances relative to the banner placement, and any claim asserted by any third person against the Board of Selectmen, the town of Monson, and/or any town employee
on account of any alleged injury casually related to the banner, together with defense costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees.
Banner Policy
Amendment #1
“Support our Troops” Banner
It is the intent of the Board of Selectmen, on behalf of the Town of Monson, to display the “Support our Troops” banner upon request of residents with family members returning on leave from active military service.
In the event a request is made which does not allow a response from the Board of Selectmen due to its meeting schedule, the office of the Board of Selectmen shall contact the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen. The Chairman shall have the authority to approve the placement of the banner for a time period not to exceed two weeks or until the next regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen.
If a previously-approved banner is already in place on the municipally-owned poles in front of the Senior Center, the Chairman shall have the authority to approve the placement of the “Support our Troops” banner at Dave Grieve Park, for a time period not to exceed two weeks or until the next regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen.
This policy amendment is specific to the “Support our Troops” banner and does not apply for any other banner requests or other situation(s).
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