Electronic Message Board Information

The Village’s Electronic Message Boards are located at the southeast corner of Main St. and Wilson Avenue and in front of both of Lombard’s Fire Department stations, 50 E. St. Charles Road and 2020 S. Highland Avenue.

Not-for-profit, Lombard based community groups as well as government agencies and sitting elected official offices may request information to be shared on the message boards. See below for information specific to each. Requests will be considered based on the Village’s Electronic Message Board Policy. Requests should be submitted through the online request form. 


GENERAL INFORMATION

What type of messages are displayed on the electronic message board?
The primary use of the sign is to convey Village of Lombard messages to residents and to communicate in times of emergency. The focus of the new signage shall be on village news, events, and information. 

How will the board be used?
The Village of Lombard owns and operates the electronic sign located at the southeast corner of Main Street and Wilson Avenue. The Village utilizes the sign to provide pertinent news, announcements, and information to the public. In an emergency, all messages will be suspended and only crisis related information will be displayed. Messages will be displayed on a rotational format, which will be managed by the Village. Village of Lombard messaging of any type will always maintain top priority with use of the sign.

Are there any regulations on how the sign will be used?
Yes. The Village’s Community Relations Committee recommended, and the Village Board adopted a Public Information Notification System Policy in May, 2017. The FAQ’s on this page should answer most people’s questions, however the policy is available online. 

Will any community members/organizations be able to submit a request for a displayed message?
Yes. The electronic message board is designed to take the place of the outdated and inefficient banner system that was previously located at the corner of Main & Wilson. Similar to the previous banner program, Lombard based community organizations may submit a request for a message to be displayed.

What types of messages can a community group request to be displayed?
The following entities are eligible to submit requests for electronic sign messages. Priority for messaging is in the following order: 

  • Village of Lombard messaging including emergency messages.
  • Other units of local government and school districts with jurisdictional boundaries which overlap the corporate limits of the Village, in whole or in part. (Please scroll down for more information.)
  • Lombard not-for-profit organizations that are sponsoring an event within the Village of Lombard which is open to the community, whose primary purpose is not-for-profit and not for commercial gain. 
  • Formal recognition of Lombard student athletes, Lombard athletic teams or Lombard student individual all-state academics (Please scroll down for more information.)

How will the messages be structured?
The electronic sign is in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Community groups and external Government agency messages must following regulations: 

  • Messages must not exceed 4 lines of text; 
  • Messages cannot exceed 18 characters per line; 
  • Any message would be displayed for a period of no less than 10 seconds at a time; 
  • Messages will change instantaneously and will not fade out or dissolve; and 
  • Each message shall be limited to one screen.

Will all submitted requests be accepted?
Not necessarily. Due to the limited structure of the message schedule, a message may be denied. Additionally, the Village maintains the authority to create and edit all messages. No message will be displayed that includes comments that may be deemed inappropriate. The Village will contact the message requester to notify them of their message request status. 

When will I know if my message has been approved?
The Village will contact you once your message request form has been considered for approval. 


LOMBARD BASED NOT-FOR-PROFIT COMMUNITY GROUP REQUESTS

What specific information can I request to have displayed?
Lombard not-for-profit community groups may request to have content displayed which includes:

  • Group/Event Name
  • Time & Place of Event
  • Website or Phone
  • Student Recognition

Can I submit a photo, logo, or inspirational message to be displayed as part of my organization’s event?
No. External content may NOT include video, logos, imagery, or additional messaging. 

I own a business. Can I advertise on the electronic board?
No private business messages can be displayed on the electronic sign and no outside advertising will be permitted.

How many events can my Lombard based not-for-profit organization request?
Each entity or organization may request 1 message to be displayed per quarter year. (Jan 1 – March 31, April 1 – June 30, July 1 – Sept. 30, Oct. 1 – Dec. 31.) 

How long will my message be displayed?
Each message will be displayed for a maximum of 2 weeks. 

How will requests be handled?
Message board requests from not-for-profits are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to the eligibility and priority standards set forth above in this policy. The Village reserves the right to display or deny messages. There will be no more than 6 non-Village messages in the queue at any given time. 

How do I submit my own request for a message?
To Submit a message: Please complete the appropriate Village of Lombard Electronic Sign Request Form and send to messageboard@villageoflombard.org, no earlier than 8 weeks prior to an event, and no later than 4 weeks prior to an event. A submission is not a guarantee that a message will be displayed. Messages may not be displayed due to unexpected Village business, weather events or numerous requests for the same time frame.

When should I submit my message request form?
Requests must be received no earlier than 8 weeks and no later than 4 weeks before the event date. 


LOMBARD BASED GOVERNMENT AGENCY
(LIBRARY, PARK DISTRICT, AND PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS)

While the majority of the above information also applies to Lombard based Government Agencies, the below FAQ defines several differences. 

How often can I submit a request for a message to be posted?
Governmental agencies are not limited to 1 per quarter as listed above for not-for-profits. Please submit your form for approval. 

I work at a Lombard school and I’d like to recognize a student/group for their achievements. What are some of the qualifications for this type of message?
Formal recognition of Lombard student athletes, Lombard athletic teams or Lombard student individual all-state academics, under the following conditions:

  • The individual student athlete has placed first in State for his/her respective sport/program; or
  •  The athletic team is the State Champion in its respective sport/program; or
  •  The individual student receives an all-state academic award;
  • And a school representative contacts the Village office to request posting of a message


When should I submit my message request form?
All requests require a filled out and submitted request form. For events, requests must be received no earlier than 8 weeks and no later than 4 weeks before the event date. Since some items, including school recognition, may not be able to adhere to these specifications, please email messageboard@villageoflombard.org with any additional requests.