Decorations. How do you fund flags? Where do you buy them?

How many Public Works Departments decorate their communities, and how is it handled?  Right now it’s only American flags-but I assume if we start with those, it will grow into more.  

We have a volunteer group that raised money and put up flags on some poles for a couple of years, and now they’re asking that the Village take over.  I know they had issues with their flags twisting in the wind, and coming off completely.  So, if I am directed to take this on I was wondering what other communities do?

-what do you buy that works well? from what vendor?
-does PW staff handle all aspects, ordering, inventory, install and removal?
-budgeted item?  donations?  
-does anyone have anything that works well (particularly American flags) high up and susceptible to wind?  The area they’ve put these in the past is not a typical “downtown Main St.” location, but up along our main, wide thoroughfares (Hwy N & Hwy BB) where the wind really does a number on hanging flags.  They had “spinning poles” but still had a lot of issues.

The City of Columbus Public Works Department puts American flags up in our downtown area (Hwy 16/60 & Hwy 73) on our light poles, seeing our Hwy 16/60 was just redone last year the light poles came with new flag pole holders on them. As for the poles themselves we use fiberglass poles as they hold up the best and we put a no furl kit on the flag which helps with the flag not twisting as much. We do buy the cotton flags as they last much longer than the nylon flags do. Our flags are up from the end of May till we put our Christmas décor up in Nov, just after Veteran’s Day. Our Christmas décor then comes down the first or second week in January weather depending. Our W&L dept. assists with removing the Christmas décor.

As for purchasing our flags and supplies we use Display sales and we try to get the money for this out of our room tax fund. We also put buntings on our Pavilion in our Fireman’s park which is rented out for weddings/parties every weekend in the summer and also hosts our 4th of July celebration.