For about 20 years, local civic groups and town agencies have had their colorful banners posted by the town above Queen Street, near Newtown Middle School, to promote various nonprofit events that are open to the public.

But a recent incident involving the presence of high-voltage electrical lines there has resulted in the town stopping that practice and recommending that those groups post their banners elsewhere, according to Fred Hurley, director of public works.

Those banners promote events such as local Earth Day festivities, town Parks and Recreation Department activities, concerts, and various fundraisers.

Roughly two months ago, a town road crew member who was involved in posting a banner above Queen Street later mentioned that while doing the task, he felt the sensation of electrical current, Mr Hurley said.

Ensuing inspections of the area indicated no electrical problems, Mr Hurley said.

But in reviewing the situation, Eversource, the electric utility formerly known as the Connecticut Light & Power Company (CL&P), in April told the town to not use a utility pole there that the town had been using as an anchor point for the banners due to those banners’ proximity to high voltage electrical lines, Mr Hurley explained on June 17.

An alternate location now recommended by the town for banner posting is the chain-link fencing positioned alongside the eastbound lanes of Wasserman Way at Fairfield Hills, near the site that formerly held Danbury Hall, he said.

Mr Hurley said that the Borough Board of Burgesses is considering installing a new utility pole on Queen Street, which would be positioned well away from high-voltage electrical lines and thus be safe to use for banner placements.

In the past, the utility poles on Queen Street had their high voltage electric lines positioned near the tops of those poles. But during the past several years, Eversource installed additional high-voltage lines lower on those poles for an electric customer that needed much electricity for its manufacturing, Mr Hurley said.

It is those lower-mounted high-voltage lines which now pose the safety conflict with hanging banners from the existing utility poles, he said.

To again display banners above Queen Street, the borough may need to get a specialized metallic pole that has a horizontal arm extending from it, Mr Hurley said. Such a device would allow banners to be safely hung in areas well away from high voltage lines, he said.

Borough Burgesses

At the May 13 meeting of the Borough Board of Burgesses, Borough Warden James Gaston reported to the burgesses that Eversource will no longer allow banners to hung from Eversource utility poles, according to the burgesses’ records.

Mr Gaston then said that installing poles on Queen Street that are suitable for banner display is being researched.

At the burgesses’ June 9 meeting, the Queen Street banner issue was again discussed.

Mr Gaston told the burgesses that a price quote for installing two poles on Queen Street for banner display was $39,500, according to the burgesses’ records. The burgesses discussed seeking better prices for pole installation.

The burgesses are involved in the banner issue because the Queen Street location for banner display lies in the borough. The borough is a 2.3-square-mile tax district located in the center of Newtown.

George Benson, director of planning, said June 18 that civic groups seeking to post banners should go to the town Land Use Agency office at Newtown Municipal Center to discuss the matter with land use officials.