Selecting and installing colorful street banners promoting public events is typically the purview of cities.

In Thousand Oaks, a business association may be taking on the responsibility.

Tonight, the City Council will be asked to sign off on the creation of a street banner program that will be administered by the Thousand Oaks Boulevard Association.

"We haven't had any sort of formal program in place before," city spokesman Andrew Powers said. "This is a group that approached the city, wanting to put together a structured program."

If the council approves the new program, the association would handle banner requests, apply for the necessary city permits, install the banners and monitor the need for replacement or repair of damaged banners.

"The main purpose is to add the vibrancy and color to the boulevard," association President Cal Johnston said. "We don't have enough information out a lot of times and don't get a great enough attendance at a lot of our cultural arts events at the performing arts center."

How the association plans to do the work has not yet been determined.

Johnston said they are looking at a number of options, but he was not prepared to elaborate on them because the association has not decided which route to take. One possibility is contracting with the Boys & Girls Club of Conejo & Las Virgenes.

Currently, the city handles banner requests through the city manager's office on a case-by-case basis. Two recent examples were last year's "Celebrate Your Library" banners for National Library Week and the "Open Studio Tour" banners that were installed along Dallas Drive, the entry road to City Hall, Powers said. The library banners cost $12,000, and another set of library banners cost $8,000.

Under the proposed program, the city would not have to spend any money.

The association has proposed seeking sponsorship for the banners. Sponsors would have their logo on 30 percent of a banner.

The Thousand Oaks Boulevard Association would set fees for the banners.

The banners must promote a public event produced in part or fully by a government agency or a nonprofit. Seasonal banners also would be allowed.

The contract will run for three years and is renewable for another three years.

After the first 18 months, the association will have to submit a report to the city detailing events promoted through the program.

The City Council will meet at 6 p.m. in the Forum Theatre at the Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd.