GEDP Says Ambassadors, Main Street, Will Continue

Even though residents and , the programs that it would have supported will still continue.

That's the message from the Greater Easton Development Partnership, which says it's committed to keeping the Easton Ambassadors and Main Street Initiative, despite the end of the NID.

"While the proposed NID will not be a part of that funding plan moving forward, GEDP is committed to work with the City and other community partners to ensure that these programs continue," the group said in a news release.

GEDP had hoped to use the NID to fund the Ambassadors -- the folks you see in red jackets cleaning up and doing other work Downtown -- and Main Street, which runs numerous , including the . 

And while there was for the NID among property owners, there was a number of people opposed to setting up the district, which would have assesed a fee on Downtown property owners.

Under state law, if 40 percent -- or more -- of those property owners filed written objections to the NID, it wouldn't be able to continue. That's what happened earlier this month, leaving the city looking for ways to find funding for the Ambassadors and Main Street.

includes funding for the GEDP, but the group still needs to find something more long-term. Gretchen Longenbach, the GEDP's Executive Director, told the Express-Times