Steelville aldermen on June 1 recommended entering into a partnership with the American Legion of Steelville to display American flags along Main Street on a more consistent basis.

As the current understanding consists of a local group of veteran volunteers who organize to display American flags during military holidays, they are unable to be consistent, as they heavily depend on the availability of individuals. On Memorial Day, flags were displayed in the morning and removed that evening.

Mayor Duane DeRennaux said residents complained that the flags are not displayed consistently.

“I’m always set on the question, why aren’t our flags set?” said DeRennaux. “I don’t want to pull the rug out from under them. They’re citizens of the town. But we can do our part.”

He added that he didn’t know if the veteran group would take offense to having the flags out two days before the official holiday. The local veteran group displays the flags on recognized federal holidays only.

Alderman Jason Ward said that he is in communication with the local veteran group.

“The relationship between the American Legion and the city has not been great,” said Ward.

In a conversation on May 30, Ward said the Legion is open to having conversations with the city to partner to display the flags more consistently for federal holidays.

Ward said that keeping attendance numbers in the volunteer group is hard because they don’t know whether two or 20 people will show up when it’s time.

“I think we could work toward something that is mutually beneficial for everybody,” said Ward. “We’ll take on some responsibility, like if they need to replace, repair or need to get more mounts up.”

He said the flag displays will encourage patriotism in town.

“We want to make sure that we show that,” said Ward.

At present, the volunteer group meets in the morning and takes them down in the afternoon because the city doesn’t have the proper illumination to have them out overnight.

According to the US Flag Code it is the universal custom to display the colors from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.

DeRennaux said that he hopes to be like other cities surrounding Steelville by displaying flags during holidays. Bennett said that the city of Cuba’s flags are not set up by the city, but a family.

“They leave them up for a week and sometimes two weeks,” said Bennett.

Bennett said that he organizes flag displays at his business, Mayor Duane DeRennaux said residents complained that the flags are not displayed consistently.

Britton-Bennett Funeral Home, for example, displays flags for three days during Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.

DeRennaux recommended raising the flags out of a driver’s line of sight because they’re hanging too low and causing issues for people driving through town.

“We’ll come up with who can put them up and who can take them down. That’s not going to be the issue,” said DeRennaux.

DeRennaux recommended a calendar to have volunteers scheduled for when people are able to set up the flags on Main Street.

Ward is expected to reach out to the local veteran’s group to see how the city can partner with them.

In other news, the city approved a new business licenses for Chadwick Duggan and Mark Bond to restore the Steelville Supply Store, which will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays. They will be open on Sundays during the summer months.

Bond said the store is going to sell apparel and food supplies, adding that it has a social media presence on Facebook and Instagram.

The next meeting will be at 6 p.m. on June 15 at City Hall.