Editor’s note: Ask Us is a weekly feature published online Mondays and in print on Tuesdays. We’ll seek to answer your questions about items or trends in Rowan County. Have a question? Email it to askus@salisburypost.com.

SALISBURY — Generally, flags are not allowed to be attached to utility poles.

A reader asked about rules for private citizens placing flags on utility poles. Duke Energy spokesperson Jeff Brooks said the utility company does not allow pole attachments because they are a safety concern for crews working on the poles and the public. Crews will remove items attached to pole if they are in violation.

Duke inspects utility poles on a regular basis. The utility is legally allowed and required to maintain utility poles on other people’s property, and it may use contractors for inspections.

Duke may allow attachments if they are made through an agreement with the utility. Those agreements have to follow rules for dimensions and placement.

“Those agreements have strict requirements,” Brooks said.

Brooks said municipalities and county governments can request certificates to make pole attachments. Interested communities can contact Duke Energy.

Flags may be permitted on street lights through a lighting attachment agreement with Duke Energy. But those agreements are separate from utility pole agreements.

Most municipalities have specific ordinances regarding the display of signs in other areas and special exceptions for flags. Salisbury, for example, does not consider “noncommercial flags or any other flags displayed from flagpoles” to be considered as signs. In April, Landis amended its ordinances on signs to allow U.S. , N.C., Rowan County and Landis flags on flag poles as long as they are not more than 50 square feet in total area and 48 feet in height.

Carol Herndon said RSS did not track Allotments in 2017 as we have just started doing. What we can say with certainty is that we used the state Allotment this year.