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Ossining board adopts one-day limit for ceremonial flag raisings
Summary
After discussing multiple flag requests including Juneteenth and a request to fly Uruguay's flag, the board agreed on a policy limiting ceremonial flag raisings to one day per request and keeping existing application forms; staff will generally perform raisings during workdays.
The Ossining Village Board agreed to a new, uniform approach to ceremonial flag requests that limits each approved flag-raising to a single day going forward.
Trustees said the change is intended to create a consistent practice for requests such as the Juneteenth and international-country flag raisings previously handled piecemeal. Board members clarified that the application form and process will remain unchanged; staff will typically raise flags during regular work days to avoid overtime, and organizations requesting an event will still sponsor the request and coordinate timing with village staff. Board members acknowledged exceptions may be requested and considered case by case.
The decision prompted some pushback from trustees who said a one-day limit may be insufficient for community observances. One trustee characterized a single-day limit as unnecessary for certain events and urged reconsideration; the board nevertheless signaled it will adopt the new approach as policy going forward and will revisit specifics with community organizations as needed.
Board members referenced prior instances in which flags for visiting ambassadors or specific community events were raised for only a short time and said the new policy codifies that practice. The board asked staff to update guidance for applicants and to incorporate the timing constraints (Monday–Saturday work hours) into the published instructions.
