At their regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday the Penn Forest Township Supervisors took steps towards requiring crowd permits for gatherings in the township. The motion specified that any business having more than 1,800 people at an event would be required to obtain a permit.

As it reads, the motion, which was unanimously passed, will require the township supervisor Tom Nanovic to begin a process of reviewing and writing the necessary ordinance. If everything goes according to schedule the new ordinance could be on the books in as soon as a few months.A question of legal responsibility in the event of an accident is the reason for the new ordinance. In the past, when organizations holding large events have approached the township asking to use the fire police, the township has said no due to insurance regulations. The lack of a clear hierarchy of responsibility leaves open the possibility that the township would be held legally liable in the event of an accident caused by a large crowd.Another concern for the supervisors was the safety of township residents. When such large gatherings occur it creates possibly unsafe driving conditions.The township does not plan to be stingy or cause problems for businesses. They will issue permits to any organization proving that it is providing adequate security and crowd control measures.Supervisor Alan Katz, who introduced the motion, said that the township was "acting responsibly to protect Penn Forest Township residents" by passing the measure. He declined to name any specific businesses but said, "you can use your imagination."The three businesses to which Katz was likely referring are Penns' Peak, Whitewater Rafting and Skirmish. When Skirmish holds its annual D-Day paintball event there are more than 4,000 attendees. At a recent concert at Penn's Peak, high attendance forced the parking lot to be closed, which led to a large number of cars parking on the shoulder of the Maury Road.