Main Street says city did not provide direct funding for veterans' banners; resident seeks clarity

A resident asked the council whether the city had stopped funding veterans' banners; the mayor and a Main Street representative said the city does not provide direct financial support for the banner program and that the program's rising costs have shifted more expense to participants.

Bob Edinger asked whether the city had quit funding the banners and said he had been given an invoice from the mayor's office that prompted the question. The mayor responded that, based on last year's claims, the city provided a $5,000 payment to Main Street and that banners were hung recently, noting the street department performs the physical hanging and removal.

A Main Street representative explained the program's finances more fully: "The city has never provided direct financial support for the banner program. People buy into the program. They pay for the cost to produce the banner," and the organization covers storage costs separately. The representative said storage runs "in excess of $2,000 a year" at a local storage company, that participant fees increased (noting a rise from around $120 to $175), and that the duration the banners are hung was adjusted in coordination with the mayor and staff.

Speakers discussed whether the Main Street Facebook post about seeking long-term funding was appropriate; Main Street said the post was factual and aimed to discourage repeated calls to the banner vendor while the organization sought sponsors. Council members confirmed the city's street department will continue to hang banners and maintain brackets but that long-term storage and production costs are handled by Main Street or third parties.

No formal council action was taken; the discussion served to clarify who pays for production and storage and how the city supports the program operationally.