Kathy Graveman, chamber of commerce president, and Cheryl Hanback, chamber vice president, spoke to city council members last Wednesday about using the banners again.

Hanback unfurled one of the banners, which is dark red with “Tonganoxie, Kansas” and the city’s logo in yellow lettering.

The banners — which measure about 2 feet in width and 5 feet in length — were displayed downtown before Fourth Street was renovated about six years ago. Chamber board members recently found them in storage.

It’s unlikely the banners would return to downtown. But it’s possible they’ll be hung on U.S. Highway 24-40.

Butch Rodgers, city superintendent, said poles on which the banners originally were displayed were made of steel. The new poles are aluminum and taper down in size from the base and are not designed “to hold a lot on them,” Rodgers said.

City Administrator Mike Yanez said the banners were too long to be displayed on the downtown poles, noting they could be susceptible to theft.

But Hanback said the banners could be displayed elsewhere in the city.

Mayor Dave Taylor suggested placing banners at downtown intersections, where the aluminum poles are much taller.

Rodgers said he would contact the supplier to determine whether banners could be placed on the poles and what brackets would be needed to hang them.

Graveman asked about using the brackets that originally were used, but Rodgers said they had deteriorated and were thrown away.

As for other places to position the banners, Hanback said she received the OK from the Kansas Department of Transportation to place banners along the highway. Rodgers also urged Hanback to contact Westar Energy about putting banners along 24-40 because Westar owns the poles.

Council member Velda Roberts said any signage in the city should be uniform with signage downtown.

“My concern is if we’re going to do something with signs we include the downtown,” she said. “It’s something we’re trying to showcase to people.”