Local civic clubs may soon be clearly advertised on a new sign in LaGrange, according to discussion at the LaGrange City Council work session on Tuesday.

According to LaGrange City Manager Meg Kelsey, Rotary Club of LaGrange President Susan Ferguson approached her and Mayor Jim Thornton asking for permission to place signage in prominent location in LaGrange listing local civic clubs. One of the proposed locations is on Hogansville Road where a sign was placed decades ago for a similar purpose.

“The sign they designed would be compatible with our wayfinding signage, probably have our logo up there, and then each of the civic clubs that participated in raising the money for it would put their logo up there,” Thornton said. “So, there is no cost to the city. It would just be [a matter of giving the clubs] permission for them to locate it on city property.”

Council Member Willie Edmondson asked that Kelsey make sure that the signs are inclusive of any civic clubs that wish to participate. Meanwhile, Council Member Tom Gore asked if the sign would have a way to accommodate new civic clubs.

“There is going to be someone else that wants their name up there too, and is it the type of sign that can be continually expanded?” Gore asked. “Or are you going to limit the number of spaces?”

The possibility of the signs changing in a way similar to DOT Interstate signs noting local restaurants was briefly mentioned but was not discussed at length. Kelsey did confirm in the meeting that a variety of civic clubs are supposed to be included in the sign.

“[Ferguson] has met with various clubs to see if they would want to participate in this project, so when we talked to her, we said we would like the signage that you do to match the wayfinding signage that will be in place around the parkway area,” Kelsey said. “She was trying to find a spot that she wouldn’t have to go through the DOT process.”

Kelsey said that after the new signage is installed, the old chain link fence sign will be removed.

“These [chain link fence signs] are all over the southeast,” Thornton said. “At some point, every little small town that had civic clubs put up one of these chain link signs, and most of them are rusted and unattractive, so I think updating it would work.”

According to Kelsey, this sign listing local civic clubs could be the first of several, but other similar signs likely won’t be seen immediately.

“They would like to do more than one, but it is going to be expensive to do one,” Kelsey said. “So, I think they will start out with one [sign], and maybe over time [install signs in other areas].”

The LaGrange City Council will meet again at 208 Ridley Avenue on Nov. 12 at 5:30 p.m.