By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — When the digital sign outside  Casco Central Fire Station flashed the message that the town office would close early on Friday for three days afterwards, a resident sent an e-mail to the town.

The incident brought to town officials’ attention the need to stay on top of the messages on the electronic sign.

The solution is to draft a policy that will lay out a set of rules such as who is responsible for putting the messages on the sign, what types of messages are allowed and the process for getting the information to the town in order to have a message displayed there. Also, the policy will determine whether or not non-profits’ messages will appear on the sign. 

The Casco Board of Selectmen discussed the electronic sign during the selectmen’s regular meeting on Tuesday. After the selectmen provided input, everyone agreed that the interim town manager would present a draft of an electronic sign policy at the next meeting on Oct. 20.

This policy is for the town-owned electronic sign only and not for digital signs owned by businesses in town. 

Most municipalities have a policy determining what a town-owned sign can be used for, who controls it, and what agencies, if any, can use the sign, according to Casco Interim Town Manager Don Gerrish.

The town is looking for some consistency in who changes the messages on the sign, which can be done remotely. Also, the town was seeking recommendations on what type of community groups could be permitted to have messages (mostly advertising events) put up on the sign.

Gerrish reached out to the Town Attorney Natalie Burns, Esq., for some advice.

In a letter, Burn outlined the pros and cons of allowing non-profits to use the signs.

“She raised some First Amendment rights. If you allow one group, you open it up for everyone,” Gerrish said. “Some towns don’t allow any non-profits. Others allow it.”

The digital sign has probably between seven and ten different messages that stay up for about 30 seconds each, including the time and temperature.

The town purchased the newest sign; and the Casco Days Association is in the process of reimbursing the town in order to give taxpayers a break by using Casco Days’ profits.

Selectman Holly Hancock provided some background on how the sign has been used.

“When Casco Days purchased the sign, it was for Casco Days, the fire station, EMS the recreation department and community activities,” Hancock said.

“Some of the problems that are happening with the sign — it was added to Pam’s [Town Treasurer Pam Edwards] list of duties. We have talked in the past about her workload. She has a new assistant treasurer and that is going to increase her workload,” she said. “I am concerned that we have added an additional workload to our treasurer” by putting her in charge of electronic sign messages.

Then, there is the issue of not removing information in a timely manner and omitting important data that the public could use — such as burning permit status during months people do yard work.

“I have managed the sign up until Sept. 11 when we got the E-mail. The challenge is that they [the town office] closed on Sept. 11 at 2 p.m.,” Hancock said. 

Then, the message about the early closure of the town hall on Friday remained on the sign through the weekend until it was noticed on Monday.

“It should have come off Friday night,” Hancock said. 

“I was immediately aware that the Maine Forest Service was not letting anyone issue burn permits. I would have put that right up. I have a concern that we are not getting fire and EMS stuff on there,” she said. “Here is the thing. It is all town office information. We are not putting fire and EMS stuff on it. When school opens, I always put up on the sign to watch for school buses and kids on the side of the road.”

Gerrish said that because there is not policy, there is not set-in-stone method for departments to get information to the person in charge of the sign messages.

The Town of Casco does not have an electronic sign policy, he said. If it did have a policy, every department would have the same process for getting information onto the sign, he said.

“Have a protocol for all the departments. Everyone should know how to get information on the sign,” he said.

“The information needs to be pertinent. It needs to be on there in a timely manner, and it needs to be taken off” as soon as event passes or information is no longer valid, he said.

The city manager or town manager is typically in charge of changing the sign’s messages — as outlined by most policies, Gerrish said.

He highly recommended that the board adopt a policy for the electronic sign.

Selectman Mary-Vienessa Fernandes favored including non-profits in the groups that can have information on the sign. Also, she preferred to have the town manager be in charge of the sign’s messages.

“I like the way Old Orchard addressed it. [That town’s policy] makes it all-inclusive not just the town but community groups, too,” she said.

“Since the town owns it, it should be managed by the town manager,” Fernandes said, adding that another reason to give that duty to the town manager is “because that is pretty much standard operations.”