Fountain Hill Borough Council met March 19 for their monthly work session.

Christian Birch, founder and CEO of Map Decisions and former chairman of Fountain Hill's Zoning Hearing Board, came to the meeting to pitch his company's software, called MapCollect, for the borough's use in cataloguing street signs. The software, which can be used on mobile devices, assigns GPS coordinates to a picture of a sign creating a digital inventory.

Birch said his program allows municipalities to comply with the Pennsylvania Sign Inventory and Management Program, which was instituted to comply with Federal Highway Administration standards. The state had initially asked for compliance by 2012, but the requirement has since been delayed because of the difficulty in implementation according to Birch.

Questioning the usability of the program, Fountain Hill Mayor Jose Rosado asked Birch if the borough would be able to do the work internally?

The concern was shared by Councilwoman Helen Halleman, who asked, "Does it require any special training?"

Birch responded that using the program required computer literacy and that training was brief. He went on to say the program requires a $1,500 annual subscription fee and that he leases tablets to use the software for an additional $250.

According to Birch, the City of Bethlehem has been using the software for a year and that alternative methods of complying are more expensive and time consuming. Birch said the software can also be used to track fire hydrants, trees, storm drains and other dispersed assets.

Council President Larry Rapp thanked Birch for coming to the meeting.

In other news, the borough council motioned to approve the submission of a Community Development Block Grant proposal for the reconstruction of Jeter Avenue. The motion carried without dissent.

Councilperson Carolee Gifford was absent for the Wednesday night meeting.