Members of the Palmerton Chamber of Commerce discussed plans this week for a new sign off Route 248 as visitors come into town.

Chamber President Peter Kern said the current wooden sign was erected in 1997. Although it still looks good from a distance, the sign is nearly 20 years old.Chamber member Joe Federanich said a local Boy Scout Troop expressed interest in putting up a flagpole and American flag near the sign. He and borough Councilman Richard Nothstein have plans to meet with a representative from the Boy Scouts to discuss the suggestion.Federanich also said he would like to meet with the Palmerton Area School District Supervisor Scot Engler about getting student assistance with the new sign. He thinks it would be nice to have art students from the high school and vocational-technical school create designs for the sign, and maybe vo-tech students could build it, he said. Plans for the sign are in the very early stages.Kern used the luncheon meeting as an opportunity to inform members about the chamber's 2016 budget."The chamber is fiscally solvent," Kern said. "We always attempt to keep one year's net cash reserves on hand at all times."In 2015, the chamber took in $8,200 in revenue, but had expenses equaling $9,500. Kern said he tries to break even each year."This is not meant to be a profit-making operation," he said.Expenses for 2016 were estimated to be $8,770, and cover items such as billboard maintenance, parades and program services, insurance, office supplies and postage, professional fees and secretarial services.As of Dec. 31, 2014, the chamber had assets amounting to $20,889, but there was $10,796 worth of unredeemed merchant gift certificates provided by the chamber. These certificates are categorized in the budget under liabilities, because the money hasn't been withdrawn yet. It has already, in effect, been spent. Taking that into consideration, the chamber was left with $10,093 of unrestricted assets at the close of 2014."We've kept our expenses to a minimum," Kern said. "We've been able to get by the last five years because of the volunteers."Since becoming a member of the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Corporation, which is a member of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, members' dues go to those entities. The Palmerton Chamber does not receive any dues from its members, he said.Kern thinks the marketing and networking opportunities available through the CCEDC and GLVCC is a huge benefit to Palmerton businesses. Jim Thorpe's chamber is independent from the Carbon County chamber and GLVCC, but members have to pay dues for marketing."If we spent one-tenth on marketing as Jim Thorpe does, we would have to have a due structure," he said. "They spend $100,000 a year on marketing."Just the GLVCC directory alone with its 6,000 members is a source of networking for businesses, he said.