INNISFAIL - Plans are in the works to finally adorn the southwest corner of the Main Street and Highway 2A intersection with a modern electronic entranceway sign, one that could be up to a dozen feet tall and feature a two-minute loop of 20 local business ads and community events.
The idea was pitched by senior members of the Innisfail & District Chamber of Commerce at town council's Nov. 13 regular meeting. The town's elected members, who already discussed the idea during recent 2019 budget deliberations, later passed a motion to begin discussions with the chamber on a possible partnership.
"I think it is an excellent idea, a good proposal. There are some details to get worked out but I think everybody is pretty supportive of the idea," said Mayor Jim Romane, adding the recent budget deliberations did set aside some money for a possible signage plan for the entranceway intersection, which has been a popular site for many years for election signage. "We were looking for some kind of proposal anyways for the town entrance, so when they (chamber) proposed this they got some good ideas in it."
Last week Mark Kemball, the chamber's co-president who was at council on Nov. 13 with agency manager Carla Gabert, said he has since had a meeting with senior town officials about the options for the plan, which could have a total price tag of just over $67,000, with the town possibly picking up up to half of the cost.
"We want to make sure that it fits in with the sign study they (town) had done with the gateway signing as well," said Kemball, noting the proposed sign is intended to improve the visual aesthetics of the intersection "without looking junky," adding he believes it won't be any bigger than 10 to 12 feet tall. In the meantime, Kemball said chamber officials ratified the new sign plan at a followup meeting last month.
"If we can reach an agreement with the town we are ready to move forward. All systems are go at the moment," said Kemball.
During his presentation to council Kemball said the entranceway sign idea was not something that was on the chamber's recent radar, but added it was triggered by the chamber's need to upgrade its current Highway 2 electronic sign, which was installed about seven years ago between the overpasses on the west side of the highway.
"It just sort of evolved from a little bit of brainstorming, and very recently, only over the last four months maybe when we were thinking of what to do with our current sign," said Kemball, adding the overall plan calls for the current electronic highway sign to remain but be modernized. "We would still keep it but look at updating at some point down the road."
His presentation to council included unveiling a single-sided sign design, which came with a decorative base and town logo sign above the screen. The proposed electronic sign would be capable of displaying 20 rotating six-second advertisements, with 10 for local events and information, and another 10 to promote local businesses.
"There are different variations of that, but that is just our first proposal. A six-second view would give you a two-minute loop of 20 ads," said Kemball. "We are looking for a partnership but we don't know what that would look like yet. I would hate to speculate if it is a 50-50 or we work out an arrangement. That would be the next step, to try to solidify the actual sign, what it is going to look like and who will pay for what."
Kemball said the goal is to have the new entranceway sign up and running by next summer.
"Over the next six months I would love to see it," he said. "Whether that is reality or not I don't know. In my mind that is what I would like to see."
