Town Hall to get a flagpole

Come spring, the Belgium Town Hall will be flagpole-less no more.

The Town Board on Monday agreed to get cost estimates for a flag and pole and could approve the purchase next month.

Town Chairman Tom Winker said a resident who is a veteran brought him the idea.

“One of our residents questioned me one day, ‘Why doesn’t the Town of Belgium have a flagpole?’” he said. “I never noticed it.”

But Winker wants one.

“Because we are a government building, we should have an American flag out there,” he said.

Winker said he talked to the dentist who operates his practice in the other half of the Town Hall, Vali Kiaie, and said he is supportive of the plan.

Kiaie even offered to move the flag to half staff when necessary.

“He volunteered to do that, and it’s very important,” Winker said. “It’s all about flag etiquette.”

Clerk Ginger Murphy said she has had a flagpole in her budget notes since the Town Hall building was purchased a few years ago but didn’t bring it up because she didn’t want to handle moving the flag up and down.

Resident Bob Hubing, who is purchasing a flagpole for his property, said the American Flag Express website has a feature in which people may sign up to receive emails telling them when the flag needs to be put at half staff.

Winker said he wants the pole to include a light so the flag is illuminated at night.

He said the Village of Belgium paid $1,300 for its flag and pole in 2017, but the town may have to pay more.

“Steel went up. We all know that,” he said.

Winker said he would bring cost estimates to the November meeting to put the item in the 2022 budget.

Supr. Bill Janeshek said the old town hall at 814 Main St. had a flag and pole.

“We had a homemade one. It was a painted tree,” he said.