The Boone City Council voted to table a request from Downtown Boone/Main Street for the city to buy and install permanent banner brackets on newly installed street lights.

Main Street representative (speaker S5) asked the council to purchase a specialized bracket system that would attach to the city’s new Story and 8th Street light poles and hold changeable banners. The presenter said the bracketing hardware is roughly $400 per pole and that the group estimated using about 16 poles, totaling approximately $6,400; Main Street proposed to pay for banner artwork and replacements while the city would own the physical fixtures.

Council members questioned earlier understandings about funding responsibility. One council member (speaker S3) challenged the request on precedent, saying, “If Main Street is just gonna sit around and think of ideas that the city is gonna pay for, what do we need Main Street for?” The Main Street representative responded that the organization had raised funds for past projects and that city ownership of fixtures would allow community groups to use the poles without private ownership concerns.

Council debate also touched on operational control and safety: officials asked who would manage banner approvals, whether the city administrator would be authorized to approve changes, and what height and banner sizes would be safe for pedestrian areas.

A motion to table the item for further information and updated quotes passed in a roll-call vote after the debate. Roll-call recorded: Kehoe Kelly — Yes; Mormon — Yes; Lamson — No; Angstrom — Yes; Berg — Yes; Henson — Yes. The council did not approve the purchase on the night; staff were asked to return with clarified cost-sharing options, a vendor quote update, and a proposed administration policy for banner use.