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Home My WebLink AboutA008 - Motion approving revisions to City's Street Banner PolicyITEM #:9 DATE:12-09-25 DEPT:ADMIN SUBJECT:MODIFICATIONS TO THE CITY'S STREET BANNER POLICY COUNCIL ACTION FORM BACKGROUND: The City's Banner Policy serves to protect public safety, protect City property, establish guidelines for the use of banner hardware, and guarantee a certain level of aesthetic quality. The policy was last modified in September 2025. Staff has reviewed the policy and is recommending changes to reflect the number of banner locations in Campustown and the appropriate methods of installation. A copy of the modified banner policy is attached. In addition to minor revisions and corrections, substantive changes are made to Page 4: "Total Number of Banners: 39 (1 banner/pole) Welch Avenue – 15 Lincoln Way – 14 Hayward Avenue – 5 Chamberlain Street – 2 Hunt Street – 1 Lynn Avenue – 2" This section was revised to reflect changes in the number of poles available and the locations of the available poles. "Banner Construction: Banners should have rod pockets or tabs that slide onto the banner arm. Metal grommets (minimum of 1/2" diameter) should be installed adjacent to the rod pocket or tab on the pole-side of the banner." This section was revised to update the banner construction requirements to match changes to the method of securing banners in Campustown. "Method of Installation: Slide banner rod pockets onto bracket arms. Secure banner to bracket mounted on the pole (top and bottom) with zip ties (see Figure 1). Zip ties shall be black, UV-rated for outdoor use, 0.35” width, and have a minimum tensile strength of 175 lbs." This section was revised to add instructions for securing the banners during installation. ALTERNATIVES: 1. Approve the revised Street Banner Policy as attached. 2. Direct staff to modify the proposed changes to the Banner Policy. 3. Do not approve the revised Street Banner Policy as attached. 1 CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION: These changes are needed to revise the number of street light poles available in Campustown as well as directions for installing and securing the banners in this area. Therefore, it is the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council adopt Alternative No. 1, thereby approving the revised Street Banner Policy. ATTACHMENT(S): Proposed Banner Policy December 2025.docx Campustown Banner Poles_Oct25.pdf 2 City of Ames Street Banner Policy 1 Revised 12/09/2025 The City of Ames Street Banner Policy is for regulating all banners to be placed in the following locations: Campustown, Downtown, University Boulevard - Lincoln Way to Mortensen Road, University Boulevard - ISU Research Park, South Duff Avenue, and Main Street. Requests for Display Applications for permits to display banners may be obtained from the City Clerk's Office or the City of Ames website (http://www.cityofames.org), and should be submitted to the City Clerk's Office. Reservations will be considered no earlier than one year prior to the first day of the month in which the display is desired (e.g. the earliest a request for June 10 display may be accepted is June 1 of the previou s year). Permits will be issued by the City Clerk's Office. In the event that display date requests conflict and cannot be resolved through the primary organization, the City Manager's Designee will attempt to mediate an agreement. If necessary, a final a ppeal for resolution may be made to the City Council. Length of Display There is no time limit on pole banner displays. Organizations may display a banner over Main Street at the intersection of Kellogg for up to fourteen (14) days at a time. Applicants can request a conditional extension of the 14-day limit for up to a total display duration of three (3) months. These requests can be approved on the condition that any new requests for display submitted for the conditional extension period automatically override the extension. Organizations may display a banner on the bollards located on Main Street at the intersections of Douglas, Kellogg, Burnett, and/or Clark for up to fourteen 14 days prior to and including the day and/or days of the special event approved by the City of Ames. Insurance Applicants and installers shall provide certificates of insurance evidencing general liability coverage in the amount of $500,000 combined single limit and naming the City 3 City of Ames Street Banner Policy 2 Revised 12/09/2025 of Ames and its employees and assigns as additional insured (with endorsement naming political subdivision). Installation & Removal Permit holders shall be responsible for coordinating installation and removal of banners by insured installers, with the following exception: Banners may be installed on poles and the bollards in the Main Street area by adult volunteers. Methods of installation shall conform with instructions provided by the City of Ames. Traffic control measures shall be employed as needed. Permit holders shall be responsible for the cost of repairing any damage done to banner hardware, light poles, bollards, landscaping or grass in medians and parking areas. Banners shall be removed on or before the permit expiration date. Maintenance of Hardware Routine maintenance of hardware on University Boulevard - Lincoln Way to Mortensen Road poles will be managed by Iowa State University. Problems should be reported to Iowa State's Facilities Planning and Management Service Desk at 515 -294- 5100. Routine maintenance of hardware on University Boulevard - ISU Research Park poles will be managed by ISU Research Park. Problems should be reported to the Operations Manager at 515-296-0735. Routine maintenance of bollards located on Main Street will be managed by the City's Public Works Department. Problems should be reported to 515 -239-5160. Routine maintenance of hardware in all other locations will be managed by the City's Electric Services Department. Problems should be reported to 515-239-5500. Maintenance of Banners Problems with banners on display will be reported to permit holders. Corrective action shall be made within 24 hours of notification. The City of Ames reserves the right to immediately remove banners and/or revoke permits if any hazard is deemed present. 4 City of Ames Street Banner Policy 3 Revised 12/09/2025 Costs that may be incurred for the removal of banners by City staff shall be charged to permit holders. Prioritization Banner permits will generally be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. See supplemental information pages for prioritization standards specific to poles on University Boulevard. Content & Design The overhead banner on Main Street shall be utilized only to advertise or announce particular civic, political, religious, fraternal, or other non-profit activities. The bollard banners on Main Street and the banner space at the east end of Main Street shall be utilized only to advertise or announce activities occurring within the Downtown area. Pole banners are intended to celebrate and/or promote the Ames/ISU community or specific local events. Sponsorship recognition, if any, must be restricted to the lower 15% of banners designed for poles. All banners shall be non-offensive. Disclaimer The City of Ames does not assume responsibility for damage to all types of banners. 5 City of Ames Street Banner Policy 4 Revised 12/09/2025 CAMPUSTOWN POLE BANNERS Requests for banner displays are coordinated with the Ames Regional Economic Alliance (515-232-2310). Total Number of Banners: 39 (1 banner/pole) Welch Avenue – 15 Lincoln Way – 14 Hayward Avenue – 5 Chamberlain Street – 2 Hunt Street – 1 Lynn Avenue – 2 Minimum number to be used per application: 21 Banner Size: 5' H by 2.5' W (60" H x 30" W ) Note: Banner brackets should be double-checked and re-measured (preferably by the manufacturer) before orders are placed. These mounting brackets are moveable and also susceptible to rotation or wrenching by high winds. Banner Construction: Banners should have rod pockets or tabs that slide onto the banner arm. Metal grommets (minimum of 1/2" diameter) should be installed adjacent to the rod pocket or tab on the pole-side of the banner. Method of Installation: Slide banner rod pockets onto bracket arms. Secure banner to bracket mounted on the pole (top and bottom) with zip ties (see Figure 1). Zip ties shall be black, UV-rated for outdoor use, 0.35” width, and have a minimum tensile strength of 175 lbs. 6 City of Ames Street Banner Policy 5 Revised 12/09/2025 Figure 1 – Method of Securing Banner to Pole Bracket Traffic control measures must be followed. Guidance for traffic control for temporary work zones and short duration mobile operations can be found in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) at the Federal Highway Administration =s website (https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno_2009r1r2.htm). Part 6, Temporary Traffic Control, should be reviewed and special attention should be given to Chapter 6G for mobile or short duration operations. Any additional questions about work zones may be directed to the City of Ames Traffic Engineer at 515-239-5275. Length of season: Year-round Length of use: Unlimited 7 City of Ames Street Banner Policy 6 Revised 12/09/2025 DOWNTOWN POLES (MAIN ST., FIFTH ST., SIXTH ST., CLARK AVE., KELLOGG AVE., BURNETT AVE., DOUGLAS AVE.) Requests for display are coordinated with Ames Main Street (515-232-2310). Total Number of Banners: 191 (1 banner/pole) Main Street - 62 Fifth Street - 42 Sixth Street - 54 Clark Avenue - 4 Kellogg Avenue - 15 Burnett Avenue - 10 Douglas Avenue - 4 Minimum Number to be used per application: Main Street - 20 Fifth Street - 14 Sixth Street - 18 (Ames Main Street banners, artistic banners, and seasonal banners are usually displayed on every third pole in the Central Business District. When requests to use the hardware for other displays are approved, seasonal banners are removed first and artistic banners second.) Banner Size: 4' high by 22" wide Sewn Banner Sizes: approximately 49.25" high and 22" wide with 3.25@ rod pockets Note: Mounting brackets can shift, and should be double-checked and re-measured (preferably by the manufacturer) before orders are placed! Method of Installation: Remove the wire retaining clip holding the ball at the end of the rod; remove the ball from the rod. Remove seasonal banner; slide new banner onto rod. Replace ball to the end of the rod and secure with the wire retaining clip. Traffic control measures must be followed. Guidance for traffic control for temporary work zones and short duration mobile operations can be found in the Man ual on 8 City of Ames Street Banner Policy 7 Revised 12/09/2025 Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) at the Federal Highway Administration ’s website (https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno_2009r1r2.htm). Part 6, Temporary Traffic Control, should be reviewed and special attention should be given to Chapter 6G for mobile or short duration operations. Any additional questions about work zones may be directed to the City of Ames Traffic Engineer at 515-239-5275. Note: The lower banner arm is 11 feet above the base of all utility poles, but some poles are mounted on top of two-foot brick pedestals. Length of season: Year-round Length of use: Unlimited 9 City of Ames Street Banner Policy 8 Revised 12/09/2025 UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD - LINCOLN WAY TO MORTENSEN ROAD Iowa State University is the primary user of poles along this section of University Boulevard, and requests for display are coordinated with University Marketing and Communications (515-294-7958). Total Number of Banners: 74 (34 poles with double brackets; 6 poles with single brackets) Minimum number to be used per application: 70 (Two different designs may be used to provide a full complement of banners.) Banner Size: 7' x 2.5' Sewn Banner Sizes: 7' x 2.5' (84" x 30") laid flat, with 3" rod pockets Grommets should be installed on one side of the banner so it may be secured to the light pole. Method of Installation: Traffic control measures must be followed. Guidance for traffic control for temporary work zones and short duration mobile operations can be found in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) at the Federal Highway Administration =s website (https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno_2009r1r2.htm). Part 6, Temporary Traffic Control, should be reviewed and special attention should be given to Chapter 6G for mobile or short duration operations. Any additional questions about work zones may be directed to the City of Ames Traffic Engineer at 515-239-5275. Length of Season: April – November Length of Use: Unlimited Prioritization: 1) Major multi-day events with community-wide involvement (e.g. Iowa Games) 2) General community or ISU promotions and events (Ames High Homecoming) 3) Other major events and conferences (e.g. Order of the Arrow Conference) 10 City of Ames Street Banner Policy 9 Revised 12/09/2025 Note: Iowa State University purchases the University Boulevard banner hardware and donates it to the City of Ames. Iowa State's Office of Facilities Planning and Management maintains, repairs and installs banner hardware when necessary. It also is responsible for installing and removing banners on this roadway. The Office of University Marketing is responsible for scheduling displays and arranging for the installation/removal of banners. 11 City of Ames Street Banner Policy 10 Revised 12/09/2025 UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD - ISU RESEARCH PARK ISU Research Park is the primary user of poles along this section of University Boulevard, and requests for display are coordinated with the ISU Research Park Operations Manager (515-296-0735). Total Number of Banners: 49 (1 banner/pole) 20 (2 banner/pole) Minimum number to be used per application: 44 (Two different designs may be used to provide a full complement of banners.) Banner Size: 84” high x 30” wide, with the bottom of the banner at 10’ above grade Method of Installation: Traffic control measures must be followed. Guidance for traffic control for temporary work zones and short duration mobile operations can be found in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) at the Federal Highway Administration ’s website (https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno_2009r1r2.htm). Part 6, Temporary Traffic Control, should be reviewed and special attention should be given to Chapter 6G for mobile or short duration operations. Any additional questions about work zones may be directed to the City of Ames Traffic Engineer at 515-239-5275. Length of Season: Year round Length of Use: Unlimited Note: ISU Research Park purchases the University Boulevard banner hardware and donates it to the City of Ames. ISU Research Park arranges for Iowa State's Office of Facilities Planning and Management to maintain, repair and install banner hardware when necessary. It also is responsible for installing and removing banners on this roadway. ISU Research Park is responsible for scheduling displays and arranging for the installation/removal of banners by Facilities Planning and Management staff. 12 City of Ames Street Banner Policy 11 Revised 12/09/2025 SOUTH DUFF AVENUE Requests for display are coordinated with the Ames Regional Economic Alliance (515- 232-2310). Total Number of Banners: 13 (1 banner/pole) Minimum number to be used per application: 13 Banner Size: 8' high x 2.5' wide (96" x 30") Note: These brackets are moveable and may be affected by high winds or ice loading. Banner brackets should be double-checked and re-measured (preferably by the manufacturer) before orders are placed. Banner Construction: Banners should have rod pockets or tabs that slide onto the banner arm. Manufacturers may suggest a means of securing banners to the hardware. Method of Installation: Slide banner rod pockets onto bracket arms. Traffic control measures must be followed. Guidance for traffic control for temporary work zones and short duration mobile operations can be found in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) at the Federal Highway Administration ’s website (https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno_2009r1r2.htm). Part 6, Temporary Traffic Control, should be reviewed and special attention should be given to Chapter 6G for mobile or short duration operations. Any additional questions about work zones may be directed to the City of Ames Traffic Engineer at 515-239-5275. Length of Season: Year round Length of use: Unlimited 13 City of Ames Street Banner Policy 12 Revised 12/09/2025 MAIN STREET OVERHEAD BANNER Total Number of Banners: 1 Banner Size: Vertical height – 3 feet (33-34 inches when hemmed) Horizontal length – 30 feet Banner Construction: Banners shall be constructed of heavy-duty canvas or plastic tarpaulin material or netting. Metal grommets shall be imbedded near each of the four corners and along the top and bottom edges. The upper and lower edges should each have at least six grommets. Wind-relief flaps approximately 6" by 6" in area shall be evenly distributed throughout the banner. A minimum of one wind -relief flap per five square feet of banner area is required. Method of Installation: Banners shall be attached to the permanent cables and chains with metal chains, threaded links and snap links. Corner connections must be capable of carrying a 1000 lb. load; all others must carry a 500 lb. load. (Wire may not be used.) Banners shall be secured via metal grommets as described above. Length of Season: Year round Length of use: 14 days. Conditional extensions can be requested for up to a total display duration of 3 months. These extensions can be approved on the condition that any new requests for display submitted for the conditional extension period automatically override the extension. 14 City of Ames Street Banner Policy 13 Revised 12/09/2025 Figure 2 – Sample Banner Configuration 15 City of Ames Street Banner Policy 14 Revised 12/09/2025 MAIN STREET BOLLARD BANNER Requests for display are coordinated with Ames Main Street (515-232-2310). Total Number of Banners: 8 Douglas and Main – 2 Clark and Main – 2 Burnett and Main – 2 Kellogg and Main – 2 Banner Size: Vertical height – no more than 3 feet (36 inches when hemmed) Horizontal length – 5 feet. Banner Construction: Banners shall be constructed of heavy-duty canvas or plastic tarpaulin material or netting. Metal grommets shall be imbedded near each of the four corners. Method of Installation: Banners shall be attached to the bollards with bungee cords to the metal grommets on the four corners of the banners as described above. Length of Season: Year round Length of use: 14 days prior to and including the day and/or days of the special event approved by the City of Ames. 16 City of Ames Street Banner Policy 15 Revised 12/09/2025 MAIN STREET - EAST END BANNER Requests for display are coordinated with Ames Main Street (515-232-2310). Location Description: Banners in this location may be placed within the area bordered by Duff Avenue to the west, the Union Pacific Railroad property to the south, East Main Street to the north, and the Power Plant fence to the east. Banners shall not be placed in a manner that interferes with pedestrians, traffic, railroad operations, or the visibility of motor vehicle operators. Total Number of Banners: 1 Banner Size: Vertical height – 4 feet (45-46 inches when hemmed) Horizontal length – 10 feet Banner Construction: Banners shall be constructed of heavy-duty canvas or plastic tarpaulin material or netting. Metal grommets shall be embedded near each of the four corners. Wind-relief flaps approximately 6" by 6" in area shall be evenly distributed throughout the banner. A minimum of one wind-relief flap per five square feet of banner area is required. Method of Installation: Banners shall be attached to stakes with metal chains, threaded links and snap links. Corner connections must be capable of carrying a 1000 lb. load; all others must carry a 500 lb. load. (Wire may not be used.) Banners shall be secured via metal grommets as described above. Length of Season: Year round Length of use: 14 days. Conditional extensions can be requested for up to a total display duration of 3 months. These extensions can be approved on the condition that any new requests for display submitted for the conditional extension period automatically override the extension. 17 134 215 2528 129 2530 200 109 2514 2530 135 120 2300/2302/2306/2310 2513 2613 2338 119 2519 232 129 224 2228 140 221 123 2618 2500 2607 303 111 2515 2401 2546 204 304 117 127 2522 2622 207 2602 2520 2516 112 309 127 218 103 133 2518 124 300-216 108 2320 223 307 228 2617 299 Stanton Ave 212 211 2502-04 2612 225 120 120/1 22/1 24 206 301 125 113 203 2536 107 126 2408 304 210 2303/2307/2309/2311 223 131 217 200 301 2540 116 207 2601 121 105/1 07 116 23202402-08 137 211 2608 2520 242025082532 Chamberlain Pl Chamberlain St Lynn Ave Stanton Ave Welch Ave Lincoln Way Hunt St Lincoln Way Chamberlain St Hayward Ave MEI 10/28/2025Campustown District Banner Pole Locations - 39 Total NO SCALE ¯ Banner Pole Locations(14 on Lincoln Way) G GG G GG G GGGGG G G G G G G G G G G G G GG G G G G Banner Pole Locations(15 on Welch Ave) G Banner Pole Location(1 on Hunt St) G Banner Pole Location(2 on Chamberlain St) Banner Pole Locations(5 on Hayward Ave) G G G G G Banner Pole Locations(2 on Lynn Ave) G G 18