Commissioners Still Differ on Rules for Banners

Borough commissioners Tuesday admitted a policy on banning sponsored banners over streets in the historic district was still developing, even though they voted to reject a church banner with a sponsor earlier this month.

A banner with the name of engineering firm of Remington & Vernick across the top hangs this week over Kings Highway near Haddon Avenue. The banner advertises a Lions Club event.

The commissioners rejected a banner from Grace Church earlier this month because it included two sponsors in the bottom corners. Mayor Tish Colombi, one of three borough commissioners, said the Remington & Vernick banner was grandfathered into its developing policy on banners, and that similar banners that already had sponsors on them would be allowed to hang if no changes had been made to them since the new policy has been enforced.

Commissioner Jeff Kasko, an opponent to the ban that Colombi and Commissioner Ed Borden supported, pointed out the Remington & Vernick sign had changed a date on it from previous years which does constitute a change. The discussion took place before a commissioner's business meeting Tuesday.

"How do we police this?" Kasko asked.

"We need to see the banners before they go up," Colombi countered. "We need some way to check on them to make sure they are not changed."

Colombi and Borden said Tuesday that there are no regulations concerning whether sponsors can be on banners in the historic district. They said they rejected a request from Grace Church for a sponsored banner because they submitted a drawing of the banner ahead of time.

The commissioners earlier this month discussed requiring existing banners with sponsors on them to have the sponsors covered. They said Tuesday that policy has not been finalized and they plan to have a public discussion about it in a future commissioners meeting.

Remington & Vernick is the borough's engineering firm.