Page 4 - January Banner 2018_Neat

Page 4 January 2018
T o wn H all R epor ts
D e c emb er 2 0 1 7
Emmitsbur g
Fewer Residents Paying Water Bills
Late
Emmitsburg Town Manager
Cathy Willets reported to the mayor
and commissioners that by changing
the due date for the quarterly water
bills, fewer people are paying their
bills late. The change began with
the quarterly bills that went out
September 17, 2017, and seventy
fewer later notices had to be sent to
residents.
This meant that residents saved on
late fees and town staff saved on time. of the Environment needed to
“We can attribute that mostly to
changing our due date to the fifth,”
Willets said.
Emmit Garden Playground Gets
Approved
The proposed Emmit
Garden playground—which the
commissioners would like to see as
a handicapped-accessible one, like
the new playground in Thurmont—
received state approval for its plans.
The next step is to get the town
permits for it. The playground is
For more information on the Town of Emmitsburg, visit www.emmitsburgmd.
gov or call 301-600-6300.
T hur mon t
Cpl. Duhan Promoted
Thurmont Police Cpl. Tim
Duhan was promoted to the rank of
lieutenant on November 3, 2017. He
is the Thurmont Police K-9 officer and
has been with the department for five
years. Prior to Thurmont, he served as
a Frederick City Police Officer.
Power Saver Retrofits Program
Update
The Thurmont Mayor and
Commissioners were updated on
how well the Power Saver Retrofits
Program has been doing in the
town. The program has been around
for five years and was introduced
to Thurmont in 2016. Homes in
the program are given an energy
audit to find where improvements
can be made to make them more
energy efficient. The program can
then provide $7,000 to $10,000 to
qualifying homeowners to make
those improvements. Currently, fifty- donation was made to the fund; next
five homes have used the program.
Homes that qualify for this
program also automatically qualify
The Catoctin Banner Newspaper www.TheCatoctinBanner.com Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com
“It’s always a lot of fun,” said The new dealership will be at the
Maggie Doll with Gateway Candy corner of Moser Road and Frederick
and Gateway Liquors. “The kids Road.
by James Rada, Jr. always get into it out there, and
we get pictures on Facebook with Town Gets a Clean Audit Report
everybody dressed in pink. It’s a good The Town of Thurmont received
cause, and we’re happy to be a part its annual financial audit report
of it.” from Zelenkofske Axelrod, LLC.
expected to be built in the spring of Nicki Eyler with the Eyler Stables The auditor looked at the finances
2018. Flea Market said that ribbons were for Fiscal Year 2017. The town’s
hung throughout the flea market and
net position improved by $615,507,
The Thurmont Civitan Club, many vendors donated a percentage while its debt decreased by $737,316.
which spearheaded the new fully of their October sales to the fund. The total revenues for the year
accessible playground for special “We also had a donation jar were nearly $12.8 million for all
needs children in Thurmont, has on our counter, so our customers government services, while expenses
expressed interest in creating a participated as well, and we actually were $12.15 million.
similar playground in Emmitsburg. quadrupled what we did last year,”
Emmitsburg currently has Eyler said. Town Gets Colorfest Update
enough money set aside to build Dr. John Moles dyed his beard Hosting Colorfest each year
a playground in Emmit Garden. pink for October and donated $1.00 costs the Town of Thurmont tens of
However, since it will be located in a for every patient who got pink on her thousands of dollars in security costs,
floodplain, the Maryland Department braces. sanitation, town staff overtime, and
Promotional items such as t-shirts, bus rentals. The town pays these
approve the project. pinwheels, and tote bags were sold at costs primarily out of the vendor
the Thurmont Town Office. permit fees, but also from a portion
Brookfield Subdivision Lots Sold All of the donations raised by the of the parking fees each year.
Emmitsburg Mayor Don Briggs
announced in December that town and town businesses amounted For Colorfest 2017, permits and
Richmond American Homes had to $15,000. Total donations over the parking brought in $63,222. The
four years the town has participated
town paid out 59,570 for all of its
put a contract in to purchase the in the Gateway to the Cure have expenses. This left the town $3,652
remaining forty-seven home lots in amounted to $43,000. in the black, which is not always the
the Brookfield subdivision. As part of case. Also, Colorfest, Inc. donated
the purchase, the developer will also Criswell Gets Site Approval for $5,000 to the town’s general fund
have to level out a crest on Irishtown Expansion and $1,500 to the Thurmont Police
Road. Once that is done, there can be The Thurmont Planning and Department out of its earnings.
two-way traffic between Brookfield Zoning Commission conditionally “The town does not try to
and Pembrook. approved the preliminary plans for make anything,” said Thurmont
Criswell Chevrolet to add a Chrysler, Commission Marty Burns, during a
Dodge and Jeep dealership in town. recent town meeting. “We just don’t
A major concern about the new want to lose money.”
dealership is the additional outdoor It was a good year for Colorfest,
lighting that it will add to the area with seventy-two more permits being
and how it will affect residents. issued over 2016. Chief Operating
However, the lighting also needs to Officer Jim Humerick also pointed
be bright enough for surveillance out that there appeared to be record
for the Green Homes Challenge cameras to function properly. B&R crowds on Saturday.
Program, an online tool to help Design Group presented a plan that For the most part, things ran well.
people save energy. The tool can help reduces the intensity of the lights Friday evening before Colorfest,
estimate energy savings, gasoline from 150 watts to 104 watts, which the town started experiencing some
savings, carbon emissions savings, is roughly the lighting intensity at the power problems in the park. Town
and other metrics. Thurmont McDonald’s. staff fixed it only to have another
Town Planner Chris Jakubiak felt problem on Saturday that had to be
Gateway to the Cure Results that the intensity of the lights over addressed. There was also a minor
The Town of Thurmont made the employee and customer parking issue with U. S. Postal Service and
its presentations from its October area could be further reduced since Kountry Kitchen employee access to
fundraising efforts for the Patty those areas are empty at night and do certain areas, but there’s a plan in
Hurwitz Fund. not have inventory that needs to be place to deal with them next year.
Catoctin High School Football protected. The commissioners also discussed
held its 2 Annual Pink Out Game. Town staff will continue working whether dogs were causing a problem
nd
T-shirts were sold during the game, with B&R Design Group to further at the event, but they were split on
and $1,447 was raised. Five football reduce the lighting and to decide this.
players from the school made the on the trees and shrubs to use for The most significant problem that
presentation to Patty Hurwitz. landscaping along the Moser Road needs to be dealt with for this year’s
A number of town businesses frontage. The site plan also includes Colorfest is to add some additional
participated in the Gateway to the privacy fences to separate Criswell port-a-potties at Criswell Chevrolet
Cure with donations and promotions. from the bordering residential areas. and Deerfield Church.
For instance, at Gateway Candyland,
anytime a special chocolate breast For more information on the Town of Thurmont, visit www.thurmont.com
cancer lollipop was sold, a $1.00 or call the town office at 301-271-7313.
door at Gateway Liquors, anytime
a bottle of pink wine sold, a $1 P a tr onize Our Adve r tise r s!
donation was made to the fund. The Catoctin Banner newspaper exists due to the advertising support of those featured in each issue.