As approved at the Mach 4, 2024 Select Board Meeting

Purpose: This policy provides guidelines for the Town’s flying or displaying, on Town of Holliston-owned  properties, the flag of the United States of America, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as any other  flags deemed appropriate by the Town for parades, holidays, and other events and celebrations.  

The choice, by the Town, of which flag to raise on Town-owned properties is hereby declared to be government  speech, communicating a message to the public, to which the strictures of the First Amendment do not apply.  

The Town presently does not, nor does it intend to designate the flying of flags on Town-owned properties as a  public forum by permitting a non-governmental party to raise a particular flag.  

Accordingly, it is the Town’s choice, acting by and through the Select Board, of whether to raise, or decline to  raise, a flag on Town-owned properties. The manner in which such a decision is made, and the adoption of this  policy, shall not be interpreted as designating any Town-owned properties as a public forum for flying of flags.  This policy does not apply to the Holliston Public Schools or the properties that are controlled thereby. 

Policy:  

1. The Select Board or the Town Administrator as its designee shall ensure the proper execution of this  policy, as it may be amended in the future by the Select Board in its sole discretion.  

2. The flying or presentation of flags other than the ones stated above, such as ceremonial flags, are not  intended to create, or serve as, a forum for free expression by the public as stated above.  

3. Nothing in this policy shall be constructed to restrict or in any way limit the display of flags displayed  on privately held cemetery plots consistent with cemetery regulations.  

All Town-owned flag poles and buildings are restricted to the United States, POW/MIA, State and Town flags,  with the exception of the flag pole located at Blair Square (Corner of Central Street and Railroad Street,  specifically) for which the Select Board may publish an annual calendar with a proposed schedule for the flying  of flags. Any flag to be flown with the approval of the Board will be under the policy above.  

Town-owned properties: 

Approved changes March 4, 2024 (v2) 

BLAIR SQUARE* FLAG POLE SCHEDULE – CY2024

*Flag Pole at corner of Central Street & Railroad Street

Per the Town’s Flag Policy, adopted March 4, 2024, the Holliston Select Board may choose to fly flag(s) for the  purpose of government speech on the flag pole located in Blair Square, specifically at the corner of Central  Street & Railroad Street (pictured below):

The schedule for calendar year 2024 is intended as a communication document from the Select Board to the  community for advanced planning of events related to future flag raising(s); the schedule is non-binding and  ultimately the Select Board may choose to fly flag(s) for the purpose of government speech on the flag pole at its  discretion.  

Calendar Year 2024: 

• Pride Flag (see image below) to be flown for the month of June 

o Note that the normal operating hours of Town staff will require the flag to be raised on Friday,  May 31, 2024 through Monday, July 1, 2024 

The Select Board intends to release a schedule for calendar year 2025 no later than December 2024. Please note  that the process for reserving time/space at Blair Square can be found through the Town’s website at this link: 

https://www.townofholliston.us/sites/g/files/vyhlif706/f/uploads/blair_square_policy_and_procedures_4.pdf Approved March 4, 2024