Special panel to establish policy for placing ads on town property
By:Mark Moffa
HIGHTSTOWN The Borough Council voted at a special meeting Wednesday to establish a committee to address the use of borough-owned property for advertising.
The vote followed a discussion of signs placed at the bridge abutment before a crowd of about 24 residents, many of whom appeared to be members of local fire companies or their ladies auxiliaries. Another dozen audience members departed the council chamber before the meeting started when a fire alarm sounded.
The issue arose over a wooden sign posted earlier this month at the stone railroad bridge abutment adjacent to the firehouse on Main Street. The Ladies Auxiliaries of East Windsor Fire Co. 1 and Hightstown Engine Co. 1 erected a 12- by 8-foot sign out of two-by-fours and plywood to advertise an upcoming circus to benefit the fire companies.
Harry Retterskog, Hightstown construction code official, asked Councilman Mike Vanderbeck to look at the sign during the street fair three weeks ago.
"It was such a drastic change from what had been there in the past," Mr. Vanderbeck said. He stressed that he was concerned about the structure of the sign, not the content. Previous advertisements on the abutment have been in the form of plastic banners.
According to council President Bob Patten, the issue was placed on the agenda for the next council meeting, but removed at the approval of Mayor Amy Aughenbaugh.
"Since it is the council’s responsibility to set policy for the borough, the proper procedure was not followed," Mr. Patten said at Wednesday’s meeting.
Mayor Aughenbaugh was unable to attend the meeting, and instead submitted a statement to the council. She proposed that the council consider at least three options in the matter either create an ordinance specifying guidelines for advertising on the trestle, disallow all advertising on the trestle, or remove the trestle entirely.
Councilwoman Nancy Walker-Laudenberger suggested establishing a committee to create a policy for placing advertisements on borough property. The measure was approved, and Ms. Walker-Laudenberger will chair the committee, which will also consist of Mr. Vanderbeck and Councilman Ken Hitchner.
The Ladies Auxiliary currently has a plastic banner on the abutment to advertise the circus, which the council voted unanimously to allow it to remain, Wednesday.
Councilman Lawrence Quattrone was the only member of the council to vote against the formation of a committee. Until now, according to Mr. Quattrone, the mayor has decided which advertisements were appropriate.
"I don’t even think we need a committee," Mr. Quattrone said Thursday. "I think the mayor is doing a fine job."
Mr. Quattrone did admit that the wooden sign warranted removal, but did not feel the special meeting was necessary.
"I thought it was ridiculous," Mr. Quattrone said. "The meeting didn’t affect anything at all."
But Mr. Vanderbeck disagreed.
"For 10 years you haven’t had a policy and now you have one special meeting and we’re going to have a policy," Mr. Vanderbeck said.
At the meeting, Mr. Quattrone expressed his concerns over the inconvenience and cost of the special meeting.
"Why did we have to spend the taxpayer’s dollars when we could have done this on Monday (June 5)?" Mr. Quattrone said. Those in attendance, numbering at least two dozen, erupted in applause.
Mr. Vanderbeck said many people were concerned that the council may have been pitting itself against the ladies auxiliary, the Fire Department, or the circus. He stressed that this was not the case, and that substantive issues were at hand.
"We care about what goes on that wall," Mr. Vanderbeck said. "In a way, I have to thank the Fire Department for bringing it to a head. Finally we have a council and a mayor willing on take on a policy concerning advertising on that wall."