Town Hall Reports

by James Rada, Jr. Emmitsburg

April 2015

Town Employees Will Soon See Bigger Paychecks The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners approved a fifteen percent salary adjustment to employee salaries during their March 16 meeting. The increase will come in stages, with the first increase being five percent. The town had contracted with a human resources consultant to see if employee salaries were in line with employees of towns of similar size. The initial recommendation was for a twenty-five percent increase, which Emmitsburg could not afford. The vote to approve the increase was 3-2, with commissioners Glenn Blanchard, Joe Ritz, and Tim O’Donnell voting for the motion. Emmitsburg Gets a Clean Audit The Town of Emmitsburg received an unmodified opinion for their annual audit, which means that the Frederick accounting firm, Draper and McGinley, found no financial record-keeping mistakes that needed to be addressed. Michele Mills, with Draper and McGinley, reported the highlights of the audit to the commissioners during the April 6 meeting. The town’s fund balance continues to grow, which indicates that the town is spending less than it takes in. Copies of the audit report are available at the town office for residents who wish to review the details. New Wastewater Treatment Plant Nearing Completion Emmitsburg’s new wastewater treatment plant on Creamery Road should be online by the end of May, according to Mike Schultz, senior manager with RK&K. Vigilant Hose Company and Emmitsburg Ambulance Could Merge Vigilant Hose Company President Tim Clarke spoke before the Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners and told them that although it is a “contentious issue,” the possibility of a merger between the fire and ambulance company is a definite possibility. When the Emmitsburg Ambulance Company was placed on suspension due to problems with response times for calls, career staff was brought in to be on hand to answer calls. However, the career staff was eventually moved to Vigilant Hose Company because of an “uncomfortable work environment” at the ambulance company, according to Clarke. The move turned out to be successful. “We’ve become a stronger company as a result,” Clarke said. Now with the suspension lifted, the career staff will be removed. Clarke worries that the problems with the ambulance company could return. “The problem is that no one is being held accountable for their actions,” Clarke said. The solution may be for the two companies to merge. For more information about the Town of Emmitsburg, log onto www.emmitsburgmd.gov or call 301-600-6300. Thurmont April 2015 Thurmont Considers Adding Ornamental Planters The Thurmont Board of Commissioners is considering adding ornamental planters on the sidewalks of downtown Thurmont after Maryland State Highways have finished their sidewalk repairs. Some of the trees and ornamental plantings downtown have already been removed because of this process and Mayor John Kinnaird suggested adding planters to replace the lost greenery. “Downtown is sort of a tree desert right now,” he said during the March 17 meeting. The suggestion was to purchase 24-inch wide planters made from recycled material or vinyl. Annuals would be planted in them and the nearby businesses would be asked to keep them watered. During the winter, the planters would be removed so as not to interfere with any clearing of snow in the winter. Sign Up for Emergency Notification If you would like to receive emergency notifications regarding Thurmont, you can sign up at www.frederickmd.gov/ALERT to receive notices about weather emergencies, power outages, fire/rescue emergencies, and others. If you need help signing up, contact Jim Humerick at 301-271-7313 x204. Art, Wine, and Cupcake Walk Friday, May 8th, Main Street will be hosting an Art, Wine, & Cupcake Walk. We have several artists, wineries, and cupcake makers! Entertainment will be provided by Paul Zelenka and Mary Guiles in Mechanicstown Park. Local artists will be displaying their work. Gourmet cupcake samples and wine tasting will also be available. Thurmont Wants to Become Sustainable The Town of Thurmont is going to pursue becoming a Sustainable Maryland Certified Community and is seeking volunteers to serve on its “Green Team.” The team will guide the town through the process of documenting its steps in the state certification process. For more information, contact Jim Humerick at 301-271-7313, x204. Town Begins Looks at Budget Numbers Although a budget hasn’t been presented yet, the Thurmont Board of Commissioners got a look at some of the potential revenue numbers. Each year, the state provides a constant yield rate to the town. This is the tax rate that is needed in order for the town to receive the same property tax revenues for this year’s budget as it did last year. That rate is 30.2 cents per $100 of assessed property value. This is down slightly from last year, which means that Thurmont’s property tax assessments have risen. The town will also be receiving $58,534 in Highway User revenue. This is also up slightly over last year’s amount of $57,624. A one-time grant has also been set aside for Highway User revenues. Thurmont’s portion of this grant should be $157,900. Highway User revenue must be spent on road projects. View the Town of Thurmont’s website at www.thurmont.com or call the town office at 301-271-7313 for more information.