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Rapid City committee adopts resolution to limit banners on light poles, seeks agreements for veteran banners
Summary
Finance Committee approved Resolution 2025-042 to freeze non-city banners on light-pole mounts pending policy work; veterans’ banners will be discussed and a formal agreement sought, officials warned about viewpoint-discrimination risks for outside groups.
The Rapid City Finance Committee on April 16, 2025, approved Resolution No. 2025-042, which establishes a city policy to refocus banners on city messaging and freeze new outside-group applications for banners attached to light poles while staff develops formal agreements and procedures.
City Attorney Joel Landin told the committee the resolution responds to concerns that some banners have been installed without legal authority. “I think it's the mayor's hope that we can get kind of the banner mounts refocused on governmental and official government, and city messaging and not solicit from outside groups,” Landin said. He said the resolution would preserve existing, allowable uses made under prior approvals, allow Parks Department summer applications to continue, and buy time to draft formal agreements with recurring users.
Landin said the city plans to meet with the group that runs the veterans’ banners and intends not to remove those displays while negotiating a written agreement. “Honoring veterans is something that cities traditionally do, and we can just partner with them to essentially operate a city program,” he said. The attorney said he will bring a written agreement forward soon.
Committee members raised questions about how to define eligible users. Rod Pettigrew said the policy needs to clarify whether entities such as the South Dakota School of Mines or the school district count as government entities or outside groups. Landin warned that opening the poles to outside nonprofits could create First Amendment complications: if outside applicants are allowed, the city cannot discriminate on viewpoint and could face lawsuits from groups seeking controversial messages.
The motion (moved by Beberdorf; second by Pettigrew) passed on a voice vote recorded as “Aye.” Landin and several committee members said staff will draft clearer eligibility criteria and formal agreements for groups currently using the banners.
The resolution specifically addresses banners across Main and Saint Joseph streets and the use of light-pole mounts downtown; it does not remove existing approved banners, but it halts new outside-group applications pending policy work.
