Council Policy 1-08 Advertising Policy

SUBJECT:  ADVERTISING POLICY

PURPOSE: To establish a nonpublic commercial advertising forum within the City of Lawton and establish standards for advertising within that forum, which encourages long-term commercial advertising, avoids the appearance of governmental favoritism, governmental entanglement with particular viewpoints, and does not disrupt government by creating controversy.

BACKGROUND: The City of Lawton in an effort to alleviate some of the financial

burden for the operation of government is desirous of allowing

commercial advertising on real or personal property in which the

City of Lawton has a property interest sufficient to authorize advertising

to generate revenue.

POLICY: All advertising to occur on City Property or in connection with City sponsored events occurring within its corporate limits must be submitted to the City of Lawton for approval of text and graphics based upon the following criteria:

1. Only commercial advertising will be allowed. Commercial advertising is

defined as advertising with expressions related solely to economic

interests and offers for sale a product or service;

2. Advertising for illegal activities will not be accepted;

3. Advertising which violates any federal, state, or local law will not be

accepted;

4. Advertising which is false, misleading or deceptive will not be

accepted;

5. No obscenity will be allowed. Obscenity is defined as any

communication, picture, image, graphic image, or other matter that the

average person, applying contemporary community standards, would

find, taking the material as a whole, appeals to prurient interest and

whether it depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual

conduct.

6. All advertising shall be located only on properties designated by contract.

7. Marketing/advertising of alcohol, tobacco, or any vapor device designed to simulate the act of smoking will not be allowed. This provision does not prohibit the sale or consumption of alcohol when in accordance with Section 4-1-1-109 of the Lawton City Code, the listing of vendors in announcements of a City sponsored events, or the use of way-finding/directional signage or other signage at the point of sale/consumption.

REFERENCES: None

RESPONSIBLE DEPARTMENT: Parks and Recreation

EFFECTIVE DATE: This Council Policy, as modified, shall become effective on June 1, 2014

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Fred L. Fitch, MAYOR