Community Banner Program
The Economic Development Committee recommends the adoption of the following
report (January 29, 1999) from the Commissioner of Economic Development, Culture
and Tourism:
Purpose:
To seek authority from the Millennium Task Force to proceed with the Community Banner
Program initiative as described herein and to request Council approval to waive any
administrative and/or permit fees normally imposed on banner and pennant applications.
The Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services has been consulted on, and concurs
with, this report. Additionally, staff from Finance and Economic Development have been a
part of the consultation process.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
The Community Banner Program is intended to be cost neutral to the City and no source of
funding is requested for this Millennium initiative. The Program will be self sufficient through
sales of the banners to community groups. Actual production of the banners will not
commence until an appropriate number of orders have been confirmed.
Rationale for Waiving of Processing and Permit Fees:
Although this report requests City Council to waive any administration and/or permit fee
normally imposed on banner and pennant applications, such waiver would not constitute a
loss of revenue, given that this is a new, time-limited initiative which is not expected to
encroach on current banner activity.
It is also pointed out that the names and identifying symbols of sponsoring organizations or
companies appearing on the banners or pennants are incidental to the City's message on the
banner or pennant so that the principal purpose of the sign is the promotion of the City's
millennium celebrations. Additionally, the Community Banner Program will be targeting a
community, charitable or other public event and not the commercial affairs or products of a
sponsor. Under the former Metropolitan Toronto policy, community, charitable or other public
events are exempted from paying all processing fees. At the former City of Toronto, however,
such fees would apply equally to community, charitable or other public event, except in
special circumstances where Council waived such fees. One example of Council waiving
permit fees is the 1996 "200 Years Yonge Street Celebrations", citing the City's "direct role in
encouraging and supporting the celebrations". Similarly, the Community Banner Program is a
City initiative, designed to promote the City and to encourage community participation in
Toronto's millennium celebrations. Therefore, Council's intention in waiving these fees
would be to achieve a benefit for the municipal corporation and its citizens.
Recommendations:
(1)That the Millennium Community Banner Program initiative outlined in this report be
endorsed.
(2)That any administration and/or permit fees normally applicable for applications to install
banners and/or pennants over City streets be waived for the Millennium Community Banner
Program.
(3)That authority be granted to enter into an agreement, satisfactory to the City Solicitor,
with Toronto 2000 for the services outlined in this report.
(4)That the appropriate City officials be authorized to take the necessary action to give
effect to the foregoing.
Summary:
The proposed Community Banner Program involves the sponsorship and purchase of City of
Toronto millennium banners or pennants by Business Improvement Areas, Chambers of
Commerce, businesses and other interested parties. The purpose of the Community Banner
Program is to, among other things, create excitement in the City, as well as to encourage and
support community participation in millennium celebrations across the City throughout the
year 2000. The City will be responsible for the design and production of the banners, as well
as the installation and deinstallation of the banners. Subject to requests for quotations, plans
include outsourcing this work. It is recommended that the City contract the services of
Toronto 2000 for the promotion and marketing of the banners and the subsequent delivery
(upon deinstallation) of the banners to the purchaser. The proposed fee/price structure will
ensure the costs of the Program are recouped.
Discussion:
In its adoption of the September 9, 1998 report from Councillors Korwin-Kuczynski, Jakobek
and Ashton (adopted by City Council at its meeting of October 1 and 2, 1998), the Millennium
Task Force concurred, inter alia, with the statement that "the City will play a key role in being
a central registry and information centre for all of Toronto, as well as ensuring that the
millennium message is highly visible over the course of 2000 with the use of street banners".
In the appendix to that report, the Department of Works and Emergency Services indicates
that it would provide assistance in the processing and approvals for street banners, as one of
its departmental contributions to the City's millennium plans.
The Community Banner Program involves the sponsorship and purchase of City of Toronto
millennium banners by Business Improvement Areas, Chambers of Commerce, businesses
and other interested parties. The primary purpose of the Program is to create excitement in the
City and to encourage and support community participation in millennium celebrations across
the City. The City will be responsible for the design and production of the banners, as well as
the installation and deinstallation of the banners. Staff have been communicating with
suppliers and feel confident that the costs of the proposed Banner Program can be recouped.
Toronto 2000 Services:
In its consideration of the aforementioned report (September 9, 1998) from Councillors
Korwin-Kuczynski, Jakobek and Ashton, the Millennium Task Force adopted the
recommendation that the City work cooperatively with Toronto 2000, a non-profit corporation
initiated by the Toronto Board of Trade and mandated to coordinate the involvement of
community organizations, by sector, across the City. Integral to the City's relationship with
Toronto 2000 would be an arrangement which enables us to utilize the outreach capabilities of
this organization.
It is recommended, therefore, that the City enter into an agreement with Toronto 2000 for the
purposes of marketing the Banner Program. In addition to obtaining sponsorships for and sales
of the banners, Toronto 2000 would deliver the banners (upon deinstallation) to the
purchasers, anticipated to total a large number across the community and its 28 wards.
Toronto 2000 would receive a fee, based on a percentage commission, for its services. The
City would contract with an external supplier for the installation of the banners and, at the
conclusion of an approved display period (which would be subject to pole availability),
deinstallation of the banners.
Processing of Applications:
A variety of policies and fee schedules for banner and pennant installations currently exists in
the former municipalities. Harmonization is expected to be completed in March of this year. It
is anticipated that the new City's policy will contain some form of processing and permit fees.
Given that the Millennium Community Banner Program is a City initiative to encourage and
promote City-wide celebrations throughout the year 2000, it is recommended that these fees
be waived.
It is anticipated that the Community Banner Program will be consistent with City guidelines
for the installation and design of banners and that the applications will be processed by Works
and Emergency Services, with a coordinating role performed by Millennium Office staff.
Upon completion of a sale, it will be the responsibility of Toronto 2000 to submit application
details to the Millennium Office, together with payment and subsequent invoice for its
services.
Costing:
Upon approval of this report, staff will determine design specifications of the banners and
invite supplier quotations. Subsequent pricing and cost decisions will be based on the
quotations, as well as uptake of the program and associated economies of scale. However,
based on preliminary discussions with suppliers, the following is an example of a price
schedule that would be feasible (example is based on the quotation in Appendix A):
Sample Pricing Schedule
Unit CostUnit Cost
Based onBased on
Quantity ofQuantity of
3,000 1,500
($)($)
Production*:19.0019.45
Hardware:20.7523.25
Installation:26.9026.90
Contingency: 10.00 10.00
Sub-total:76.6579.60
Marketing Fee/Commission (20.0%): 15.33 15.92
Sub-total:91.9895.52
Applicable Taxes:13.8014.33
Total Cost of Banner: 105.78 109.85
(*Production costs include one-time design fee of $300.00 per 3,000 banners, or $0.10 per
banner. This fee disappears after initial 3,000 banners are produced.)
There could be other pricing scenarios. If, for example, a BIA already owns the necessary
hardware and it is permanently affixed to designated poles, then the price per banner is
substantially reduced. The above-noted sample pricing scenario includes a surcharge of
$10.00 per banner. A surcharge is recommended for contingency purposes to help ensure the
Banner Program remains cost neutral to the City.
Dependent upon community reaction to the Banner Program, it may be feasible to expand the
Program to include related items such as millennium flags, pennant strings or patio umbrellas.
Appendix A contains quotes for such items as well.
Conclusion:
The Community Banner Program is a vehicle through which the City can promote itself
throughout the year 2000 at the community level. It is a self-supporting program which is
designed to blanket the City with brightly coloured banners, whose purpose is to create
excitement in local neighbourhoods and communities and to encourage participation,
celebration and involvement. The Program confers the ancillary benefit of supporting the
activities of Toronto 2000 by providing it with a fee for services arrangement with the City.
Contact Name:
Irene Bauer
Acting Project Manager
Tel:392-4218
Fax:392-3355
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Appendix A
1.Description:Millennium BIA Style Street Banners
Material:Duralux, Knit Polyester
Process:Print
Size:24" X 48"
Heading:Sleeve Top, "D" Ring and Batten Bottom
Colours:(A) 5 Spot Colour (B) 6 Spot Colour
Face:Single Reverse
QuantityA-unit PriceB-unit Price
1500$19.25$19.95
3000$18.90$19.50
Film and Set-up:(A) $300.00(B) $360.00
2.Description:Millennium Street Banners
Material:210 Denier Nylon
Process:Applique
Size:3' X 25'
Heading:Banner Clip and Rope
Colours:3 - 4
Face:Single Reverse
Extras:Ball Park Quote Only - Date Patches Approx. $40.00
QuantityUnit Price
6$475.00
Film and Set-up:N/A
3.Description:Millennium Flags
Material:Duralux, Knit Polyester
Process:Print
Size:3' X 6'
Face:Single Reverse
Colours:(A) 4 Spot Colour (B) 5 Spot Colour (C) 6 Spot Colour
QuantityA-unit PriceB-unit PriceC-unit Price
500$18.00$18.25$18.95
1000$17.00$17.25$17.75
Film and Set-up:(A) $225.00(B) $300.00(C) $325.00
4.Description:Millennium Pennant Strings
Material:Duralux, Knit Polyester
Process:Print
Size:60' with 10' Square Pennants
Heading:Poly Plastic Header String
Colours:(A) 4 Spot Colour (B) 5 Colour (C) 6 Colour
Face:Single Reverse
QuantityA-unit PriceB-unit PriceC-unit Price
100$38.00$40.00$41.50
200$34.00$35.50$36.25
Film and Set-up:(A) $300.00(B) $350.00(C) $400.00
5.Description:Millennium Patio Umbrellas
Material:Duralux, Knit Polyester
Process:Print
Size:6' Umbrella
Heading:2 Piece Tilt Head Pole
Colours:(A) 5 Spot Colour (B) 6 Colour
Face:Single Reverse
QuantityA-unit PriceB-unit Price
250$66.00$68.00
500$63.00$65.00
1000$58.00$61.00
Film and Set-up:(A) $300.00(B) $360.00
6.Hardware
Street Pole Top Arm and Bracket
Description:(A) 1 Piece, Galvanized Steel Top Arm and Bracket "S" Hooks Included
Size:28" (To Fit 24" - 26" Banner)
Bottom:(B) Stand-off Bracket with Eye Bolt
QuantityA-unit PriceB-unit Price
500-1000$22.25$6.00
1000-2000$18.00$5.25
2000+$15.80$4.95
7.Installation and Removal of Hardware and Banner
QuantityUnit Price
500+$26.90
Using Existing Hardware, Minimum of 50 Per Location: $14.00 Per Banner, Based on 500+
(Includes Removal of Banner) - (Where Hardware is Permanently Affixed to Poles)
