Town Hall Report
by James Rada, Jr.
Thurmont
ARPA Funds Reallocated
With the North Church Street water and sewer project substantially complete, Thurmont Chief Operating Officer Jim Humerick recommended that the remaining $272,111 for the project be reallocated to deal with one of the town’s infiltration and inflow problems. The 2,610-foot sewer line from the sewer plant to McDonalds leaks badly and the manholes along the line are deteriorating. Guyer Brothers, who is doing the North Church Street project, said they could reline the water line and replace the seven manholes for $258,080.
The funds are ARPA funds from the federal government, and if not used, must be returned to the government.
The commissioners also authorized the remaining excess of $14,041 and an additional $20,000 to be used by town staff to deal with smaller I&I projects.
Town Conditionally Approves Weather Station
The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners recently gave conditional approval to the University of Maryland to install a Mesonet weather station in Eyler Park close to the water tower. Mesonet is a University of Maryland project to improve weather forecasting and the collection of weather-related data. The new station will be enclosed by fencing in a 10×10 yard area and maintained by the University of Maryland. It is one of the 70 Mesonet stations planned across the state. The project costs the town nothing and should mean more accurate weather data, especially for the Thurmont area.
Access Agreements Accepted
The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners recently accepted the utility and access agreements for the new Sheetz rebuild project that is expected to start in December. The agreements cover easements and access to water and sewer infrastructure that town staff may need to get to from time to time.
Colorfest Update
Chief Operating Officer Jim Humerick updated the Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners on what the final permit totals for Colorfest were this year. The town sold 20 fewer permits than it did last year, primarily in the crafter category. This year 656 permits were sold:
462 crafter permits (502 last year);
22 for-profit food permits (22 last year);
14 non-profit food permits (12 last year);
24 parking permits (23 last year);
89 yard sale permits (70 last year);
9 information only permits (10 last year); and
36 cottage food/samples permits (37 last year).
Town Kicks Off Gateway to the Cure for the 11th Year
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Patty Hurwitz Breast Cancer Fund and the 11th year that Thurmont has sponsored Gateway to the Cure. The funds raised from the various events that the town sponsors in October are donated to the fund. The money stays within Frederick County and goes toward direct patient care. Thurmont’s first 10 years of donations have totaled $167,000.
Emmitsburg
First Look at New Comprehensive Plan
The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners was presented with its first look at the town’s comprehensive plan, which lays out the projected development and growth of the town for the next 25 years. It was last updated in 2015 and is typically updated every 10 years. The board will be considering and voting on the plan in the coming months. The draft and other information about the plan can be found on the town’s website.
Considering How to Handle Student Housing
Concerns raised about a multi-family dwelling on Main Street in Emmitsburg being used for student housing have not only brought that issue to the Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners, but also questions about how the town code deals with student housing, rental housing, and family homes.
The commissioners voted to hold enforcement of the housing code in abeyance until the Emmitsburg Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Commissioners can investigate the issue further and decide how they want to proceed comprehensively, rather than in a piecemeal fashion.
New Board Positions
With the addition of Commissioner Kevin Hagan to the Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners, new appointments to board leadership and town committees needed to be made. The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners made the following appointments:
President — Amy Boehman-Pollitt
Vice President — Jim Hoover
Treasurer — Valerie Turnquist
Planning and Zoning Liaison — Jim Hoover
Citizens Advisory Committee Liaison — Kevin Hagan
Parks and Recreation Committee Liaison — Cliff Sweeney
Water Clarifier Project Costs Jump Up
The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners approved a change order that nearly doubled the cost of the water clarifier project. The $226,319 change order is for engineering services during construction and for a resident inspector. The major reason for the increase is that, per a recommendation from USDA, only an hourly rate for the resident inspector was requested during the bid process because the clarifier’s design had not been completed at that time, so projected hours for an inspector could not be estimated.
The original amount of the contract from February 2020 was $243,200.
Appointments
The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners accepted the resignation of Brian McKenney as an alternate member on the Emmitsburg Board of Appeals. The commissioners also appointed former Commissioner Tim O’Donnell to serve as a member on both the Emmitsburg Parks and Recreation Committee for a term running October 7, 2024, to October 7, 2026, and on the Emmitsburg Planning Commission for a term running October 7, 2024, to July 11, 2027.
