Page 4 - November Banner 2017_Neat

Page 4 November 2017
T own H all R eports
O c t ob er 2 0 1 7
by James Rada, Jr.
Emmitsburg
Town Hopes to Dedicate New Flat Run
Bridge to Fallen Firefighter
Mayor Don Briggs asked the
Emmitsburg Commissioners for their
support in a proposal he is making
to the Maryland State Highway
Administrate to dedicate the new Flat
Run Bridge in Emmitsburg in honor
of a fallen firefighter. Terry L. Myers
was a member of the Vigilant Hose
Company and died in the line of duty
on February 15, 1999.
“I believe he’s the first and only
company member to die in the line of
duty,” Briggs said.
Approaching the commissioners
was Briggs’ first step in preparing to
send an application to MSHA.
Emmit Garden Playground May Become
Handicap Accessible
The Thurmont Civitan Club,
which spearheaded a new fully
accessible playground for special
needs children in Thurmont, has
expressed interest in creating a
similar playground in Emmitsburg.
Emmitsburg currently has
enough money set aside to build
a playground in Emmit Garden.
However, since it will be located
in a floodplain, the Maryland
Department of the Environment will
need to approve the project. With
the Civitan Club showing interest in
the project, new plans may need to
be drawn up.
Town Changes How It Will Handle
Accrued Leave
As of June 30, 2017, Town of
Emmitsburg employees had accrued
leave time that totaled $128,328.
Although it is unlikely that the town
would have to pay out all of that
time at once, the commissioners have
seen that even one employee retiring,
who has accrued a significant amount
of time, can be costly. Also, a number
of town employees have more than
twenty years of time in and are
nearing retirement.
To plan for future payouts, Town
Manager Cathy Willets asked the
commissioners to be allowed to
create a new line item in the budget
and begin making budget transfers to
the line item, which will be used to
cover personal time payouts.
The commissioners told her to
proceed with the idea and plan to
add between 20-25 percent of the
needed amount into the line item
each year until it covers the required
amount.
The Catoctin Banner Newspaper www.TheCatoctinBanner.com Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com
Thurmont
Thurmont to Allow Cluster Development town staff investigated, it was
The Thurmont Commissioners discovered that for some unknown
approved an amendment to the reason, the ground beneath the
town’s subdivision regulations. town’s sewer lines in those areas
The new change will allow for lots had changed, leaving the sewer
Dog Waste Bag Theft in a subdivision to be smaller and lines unstabilized.
Emmitsburg has had a thief clustered together to allow for more Chief Administrative Officer
stealing the dog waste bags that it open space in the subdivision. The James Humerick asked the
provides for people who walk their smaller lots are expected to make commissioners to authorize
pets in the town’s parks. Three housing more affordable. Also, repairs to the ground and sewer
times so far, a thief has taken all the clustering of lots requires less lines on Apples Church Road,
of the bags, and it is beginning to infrastructure, so it is easier to behind Gateway Printing, into
add up for Emmitsburg. Each time, maintain. The open space can be the residential areas off the road.
the town orders the bags, it costs used for a variety of things, including The lines themselves aren’t badly
$150. a town park. damaged at this point, but the
Commissioner Elizabeth longer the problem continues, the
Buckman suggested that perhaps Moser Road Sidewalk Project more costly the repairs become.
the town should consider buying Approved W. F. Delauter and Sons was the
waste stations where people could The Thurmont Mayor and low bidder of three bids submitted,
recycle their plastic grocery bags. Commissioners approved the Moser and the commissioners approved
Road sidewalk project, although the company to do the work for
Algae System Adapting to New Algae it may cost more than initially $238,134.68.
Emmitsburg’s new LG Sonic projected. The sidewalk will run
Algae Control System in Rainbow along the south side of Moser Board of Appeals Positions Filled
Lake has been performing as Road, from Fredrick Road to the The Thurmont Mayor and
promised since it was installed. Thurmont Regional Library. Commissioners appointed Rob
Town Manager Cathy Willets Originally expected to cost Renner to serve as a member of the
told the Emmitsburg Mayor and around $181,000, the final Thurmont Board of Appeals and
Commissioners that now that the bid came in at over $215,000. John Woelfel to serve as an alternate
water level in the lake is dropping However, Mayor John Kinnaird member on the board.
somewhat, a new type of algae is said that $20,000 of that amount
appearing. The algae control system is to manage traffic, which the Well Building Repairs Approved
got feedback on the new algae commissioners will have town staff The Thurmont Mayor and
and is changing its sonic pulses to do. This should reduce the costs. Commissioners approved a bid from
effectively destroy it. Also, the county has allocated Blue Line Home Improvements
$100,000 in its budget to go of Emmitsburg to repair the well
Leak Detection Survey Results towards the project. Highway user No. 7 building. The repairs and
Fluid Pinpointing Services revenue from the State of Maryland improvements include removing
conducted a system-wide leak is expected to cover the difference. the shingles and tar paper, making
detection survey of Emmitsburg’s Romano Concrete Construction any needed repairs to the plywood,
water system this summer. The town will be doing the project. The replacing the shingles and paper,
owns about 75 miles of water lines. company is currently installing installing new drip edge, soffits and
The system found four leaks that new sidewalks in the Town of fascia, and new ridge vents. The cost
accounted for nearly 55,000 gallons Emmitsburg. of the contract is $6,800, which is
of water wasted each day. One of well under the $15,000 budget.
the leaks had to be addressed by Unexpected Sewer Repair Needed
a property owner, and the town Sinking roadways had been For more information on the Town of
fixed the other three leaks. Town noticed in the area of Rouzer
Manager Cathy Willets pointed out Court, Mantle Court, and Apples Thurmont, visit www.thurmont.com or
that the leaks amounted to nearly Church Road. When Thurmont call the town office at 301-271-7313.
5 million gallons of water lost each
quarter.
“This is a recurring thing that
we’ll have to stay on top of with our
aging infrastructure,” she said.
Fluid Pinpointing Service is
recommending that the town
conduct a system survey at least
annually, preferably semi-annually.
Board of Appeals Position Filled
Richard Kapriva was
unanimously re-appointed to serve
another three-year term on the
Emmitsburg Board of Appeals.
For more information on the Town of
Emmitsburg, visit www.emmitsburgmd.
gov or call 301-600-6300.