Rolling Meadows considers ads on vehicles, trash cans

Rolling Meadows officials are considering selling advertising on city trucks and garbage cans to bring in additional revenue.

Alderman Mike Cannon proposed the idea of allowing Crime Stoppers to put signs on the back of public works vehicles and community development trucks to promote the police department and solicit tips.

Cannon said the signs would cost the city nothing and would be paid for by Crime Stoppers or other sponsors.

“I think it's a way we can generate a little bit of money. How much money I don't know,” Cannon said. “I'm just looking for ways to generate revenue that are not going to cost the city any money.”

The city council unanimously agreed that staff members should pursue the Crime Stoppers signs on city vehicles.

The council also directed staffers to look at the implications for selling ads on the village's new solar garbage cans, as is done in Chicago. Starting next year the city will have six large solar garbage cans around town.

But other ideas such as selling ads from private businesses on city trucks or looking for a sponsor for the Rolling Meadows sign outside city hall did not gain traction.

“I want residents to clearly know what the city vehicles are, and I think any other logos would be confusing,” Alderman Robert Banger said.

Cannon said he just wanted to bring the idea up for discussion, but he was not in favor of putting advertising on city police or fire trucks.

“There's a lot of opportunities out there that people would be willing to support,” Cannon said, citing advertising on signs for the All State Arena in Rosemont or the Rolling Meadows Park District sign along Route 53.

“I just think there's far too much of that in the business world, and we don't need any more of it in the government world,” Mayor Tom Rooney said of private businesses advertising on city signs or trucks.

For now, the village will move forward with Crime Stoppers stickers on public vehicles and get more information about selling ads on the solar garbage cans, officials said.