(A) Purpose. To establish guidelines for:
(1) The exhibition of the flags of the United States of America, the Indiana State flag, and the Vincennes City flag from city buildings and light or service poles owned by the city;
(2) The display of street flags for parades and holidays; and
(3) The display of ceremonial flags and banners.
(B) Policy.
(1) It is the policy of the city that flags should be displayed in conformance with federal and state policies, as stated in the federal “Our Flag” publication of the Congress, House Document No. 96-144; and the State of Indiana Government Code.
(2) In order to establish a policy with respect to the locations and days when the United States of America, Indiana State, and Vincennes City flags should be displayed, the following standards should be followed.
(3) The Board of Works and Public Safety is responsible for ensuring the proper execution of this policy at all city facilities.
(C) Standards.
(1) Federal, state, and city flags.
(a) Outdoor flags will be flown at city facilities in the following order of precedence: first, the United States flag; second, the Indiana State flag; and the third, the Vincennes City flag.
(b) Weather permitting, flags should be displayed daily in front of or at a location near City Hall, the Police Department Building, the City Garage, Animal Shelter, and all fire facilities during business hours. (Including any city building structure, or park.)
(c) Flags should not be displayed in inclement weather. However, all-weather flags may be flown on a 24-hour basis as long as they are illuminated from sunset to sunrise.
(d) The Vincennes City flag will be flown wherever there are sufficient poles to do so in accordance with division (b) above. The city flag may be displayed on the same pole with, and underneath the state flag, whenever the pole is of sufficient height. The federal, state, and city flags shall not be flown on a single pole of any height.
(e) New city facilities where any flags are to be flown shall be constructed with a sufficient number of poles to allow the city flag to be flown.
(f) Indoor city flags shall be displayed at a minimum in the City Council Chambers and in the Mayor’s Office.
(g) On recognized federal and/or state holidays, and on other special occasions as listed below, flags should be flown from all locations listed in division (1)(b) above:
1. January 1, New Year’s Day;
2. Third Monday in January, Martin Luther King’s birthday;
3. Third Monday in February, Presidents’ Day;
4. Second Sunday in May, Mother’s Day;
5. Third Saturday in May, Armed Services Day;
6. Last Monday in May, Memorial Day. The flags shall be flown at half-staff (first raise to top, then slowly lower to half-staff) until noon and at full staff from noon until sunset. Note: The United States flag must always be flown by itself when displayed at half-staff;
7. Third Sunday in June, Father’s Day;
8. June 14, Flag Day;
9. July 4, Independence Day;
10. First Monday in September, Labor Day;
11. September 17, Constitution Day;
12. The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of a presidential election year and gubernatorial election days;
13. November 11, Veteran’s Day;
14. Fourth Thursday in November, Thanksgiving Day;
15. December 25, Christmas Day;
16. State holidays; and
17. Special occasions of federal, state and local proclamation.
(h) Flags at all city facilities shall be displayed in accordance with the above standards. However, the Mayor may order flags to be lowered to half-staff including, but not limited to flags of the United State of America and State of Indiana in honor of the death of a city employee killed in the line of duty or other appropriate occasion or in compliance with Gubernatorial or Presidential Proclamations.
(2) Street flags and banners. Street flags are defined as flags flown on a guy wire over a city street or on city owned utility or light poles. The guy wire is generally attached to city streetlights and is oriented perpendicular to the flow of traffic. Street flags or banners may be flown in the downtown area on Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day and Independence Day, if requested by a group sponsoring an event on that day and approved by the Board of Works and Public Safety. Funding for these flags or banners may be provided by an outside agency or at the city’s expense, depending on the decision of the Board of Works and Public Safety.
(3) Ceremonial flags or banners. The city’s flagpoles are not intended to serve as a forum for free expression by the public. The following flags or banners may be displayed by the city as an expression of the city’s official sentiments:
(a) Flags of governments recognized by the United States. Flags of the governments recognized by the United States may be displayed upon the request of the Mayor or a member of City Council.
(b) Flags of sister cities. The flags of official sister cities of Vincennes may be displayed in conjunction with an event involving the sister city.
(c) Flags or banners displayed in conjunction with official actions, ceremonial events or proclamations of the city.
(d) The Board of Works may approve banners to be displayed on major arteries upon application and approval by the Board of Works promoting city events.
(Ord. passed - -23)