Middlesex Township is embarking on a street sign replacement program, similar to what many communities in this county need and will eventually have to initiate.

But the Middlesex project would be better if there was a way to make theft of such signs much more difficult, if not nearly impossible, by more secure installation.

At least 62 signs currently are missing in the township. While those thefts don't represent an inordinate amount of money, and the sign thefts occurred over an extended period of time, the township shouldn't have to divert any money that should be available for other worthy purposes.

As long as the prospect for sign thefts remains high, the township board of supervisors should weigh seriously whether adding a decorative design panel to the basic new signs would be a foolish idea from a financial standpoint.

While, as township manager Scot Fodi reasonably pointed out, the signs with the decorative panel would be an investment in community image, the question that the supervisors and township residents must answer is whether the theft risks associated with the more decorative signs would make such signs a bad investment.

The cost for 181 signs with the decorative panels would be $4,500; the cost for 243 signs without the panels would be $5,600.

Thus, it would cost more than $6,000 to buy 243 signs with the decorative panels, if the supervisors were to choose that option.

It was reported that the project would require $7,600 for posts and hardware, in addition to the cost of the signs, making the possible total project cost in excess of $13,000.

Some residents might be wondering why the township is considering anything more than replacing missing signs, but the township is being responsible in trying to achieve early compliance with the state Department of Transportation's new reflectivity requirements.

Ninety-two existing signs are said to be worn and lacking the reflectivity that the new PennDOT requirements stipulate. Combined with the missing-sign total, that means the township needs to buy at least 154 signs.

The question then becomes whether the township wants all of its signs to be uniform in color. The current street signs are green; the new signs would be blue.

The plan also is to replace the current bright red private lane signs with blue signs.

One township resident at a supervisors meeting last Wednesday reminded township officials of the additional cost involved in buying the fancier street signs. However, local police Sgt. Randy Ruediger said the decorative panels would make it easier for police to identify stolen Middlesex signs that were discarded in other municipalities.

But it's difficult to fathom that the sign-recovery rate would be much larger for signs with decorative panels. Most signs aren't stolen just for the purpose of throwing them away.

That's why so many stolen signs have eluded Middlesex police over the years.

Again, it's not a huge amount of money involved. However, the township must look at the purchase from all perspectives.

It's clear that the township needs many new signs. It's not so clear that the township should be opting for the most expensive option, as long as there isn't a more permanent way of installing them.

Other communities, like Middlesex, should weigh their options carefully whenever they begin their road-sign-compliance and missing-sign-replacement exercises.