Welcome Signs for Forks Still An Option

Welcome signs for still might be a possibility.

Alison Miers, vice president of Easton Initiatives for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, said that the township's business organization will discuss the issue at the next Board of Supervisors meeting.

"It's not dead yet," Miers said Wednesday.

Miers said that despite, the Business and Commerce Association of Forks Township is proceeding with plans to apply for a grant for the welcome signs.

The news caught Supervisors Chairman Erik Chuss by surprise.

"They are going to go for the grant without money from the township? I hadn't heard," Chuss said.

At a meeting last month, the supervisors rejected a motion to contribute $1,000 to match BCAF funds to apply for the grant with the chamber's foundation.

Some supervisors, like David Billings, said there was little time before the May 31 grant deadline for supervisors to make a decision.

Others, like Bob Egolf, were worried that the signage would not best represent the township, especially using the BCAF logo "You're in Good Company."

Those concerns, though, didn't scare off BCAF.

"We're still going to apply," Miers said. "We are going to move forward with it." Miers said BCAF will appear before the next supervisors meeting on June 7 and present several signage options.

"I hope they'll be receptive to it," she said. "We hope they will appreciate these options and that they will be welcoming to them."

Chuss said he hoped BCAF would work with the township on coming up with signs that everyone could agree on. "I don't think the door was closed at our last meeting," he said. "We just had concerns that there wasn't enough information and that the timeline was too soon."

Supervisor David Billings said that if the signs are just for BCAF, then "I am very supportive of the effort."

"If the signs create a township motto without public input, then I cannot support that effort," Billings stated.

Miers said if BCAF gets the grant, the organization would go back to the supervisors and get their input since BCAF would need the supervisors' approval to put up the signs anyway.

"We want to find a sign that everyone is happy with," she said. "With the signage, we want to keep the historic nature of the township while also keeping it modern. We hope everyone will be in agreement."