Lake Bluff trustees debate formal flag/display policy and special-event permit limits, take no final vote

Lake Bluff trustees spent the June 23 Committee of the Whole meeting debating whether to adopt a formal display policy for flags and signs on village property and whether to change special-event permit rules, including who may sponsor events and how long displays may remain on the Village Green. No final policy was adopted; trustees asked staff to develop options and return to a future workshop.

The discussion opened after staff summarized two items in a memorandum: a proposed display policy to ‘‘capture what’s how the village is displaying messages and its government flags and government announcements,’’ and possible changes to the village’s special-event permitting program, including limits on event duration and which applicants are eligible, Drew, village staff, told trustees.

The proposal would formalize how the village treats government vs. private speech at public sites such as the gazebo and Village Green. ‘‘I will tell you from a staff’s perspective, it does make it easier if the village does adopt a display policy,’’ Drew said, noting the policy packet also contains language about holiday decorations and that the village…