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Council postpones decision on handing downtown banners to Rotary Club
Summary
The council postponed a vote on a draft resolution to transfer management of downtown banners and seasonal decorations to the Rotary Club of the CNE Valley after questioning who would manage purchases, retain final authority and where decorations are stored; the Department of Labor offered a soft handoff and apologized for miscommunication.
The City Council of Libby postponed a decision on a proposed transfer of downtown banner management to the Rotary Club, saying it needs clearer terms about authority, expenses and storage before granting any management role.
Janelle Kimin, who identified herself as a member of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry’s industry engagement team, told the council the Department’s intent was to have a local organization take over the industry-awareness banner project and that the Department apologizes for any miscommunication about the handoff. “Our end goal was for an organization to take over the entire project and to continue promoting positive awareness of the community,” Kimin said, offering a “soft handoff” in which the Department would continue to assist during a transition.
The council did not accept the draft resolution as written. The version read into the record would grant oversight authority to the Rotary Club of the CNE Valley over frames and banners on Mineral Avenue poles but reserved final city approval for purchases and prohibited banners intended for direct commercial advertising. Councilors questioned the draft’s use of the word “oversight” versus “management,” whether the city or the Rotary would be responsible for purchasing and maintenance, and how seasonal decorations (wreaths) stored at a local newspaper would be handled.
Councilor Ian Smith and others pressed for language that clarifies who pays for new banners and who must approve designs before purchase. One councilor suggested a letter of intent instead of immediately delegating authority, and several said the city needs a written agreement so responsibilities do not become an undocumented, informal arrangement.
Members of the public, including a self-described Rotary affiliate, urged the council to let the Rotary Club run the program. “Rotary is a community-minded organization; you can’t go wrong partnering with them,” a commenter said.
Because questions remained about management authority, expenditures and long-term stewardship of the frames and decorations, the council postponed action on the draft resolution and asked staff to return with clarified language at the Sept. 3 council meeting, when the Rotary can take the proposed policy back to its board for a decision.
The draft resolution and the department’s offer for a soft handoff leave the city retaining final authority over what goes on city poles, but the council asked staff to specify financial responsibility and a clear process for approving future purchases before granting any management role to the Rotary Club.
