From the Burgess

Woodsboro

Burgess Heath Barnes

On April 11, we held a public hearing before our regular meeting to discuss two proposed code changes and both passed. The first code change was to allow chickens in town, based upon the regulations that had been previously proposed and passed 4-0. An overview of the ordinance is that residents with lots less than one acre will be allowed up to five chickens. Residents with more than one acre will be allowed to have up to 12 chickens. Absolutely no roosters will be allowed. All wishing to have chickens can apply for their permit at the town office, beginning May 11, 2023. The second code amendment, which passed 3-1 from the council, with Commissioner Crum voting no, was to change the grass height allowed. Current code allows up to 18-inch-high grass. The new code will be changed to a maximum height of eight inches. Per town ordinance, both code changes will go into effect 30 days after the vote, which will be May 11, 2023. I thank the residents who came and spoke out about their concerns on either issue.

The town council was approached in March with a proposal to allow a third cellular phone company to rent space on our water tower. In the past, we have had three towers, but recently we have just had two. The council sent it back to the company for negotiations and our request was met, so it was unanimously voted on to allow them to rent the space, which will bring in more funds for the town.

This meeting was also the night to nominate candidates to run for the upcoming town election that will be held on May 13, 2023. Two of the four commissioner positions are open. Commissioner John Cutshall and Commissioner Dana Crum’s seats are both up for election. Commissioner Cutshall expressed interest in running again and was nominated to be on the ballot. Commissioner Crum has chosen not to run again and, unfortunately, no one else accepted a nomination to run. Although it is too late to appear on the ballot, if you are considering running, please do so as a write-in as we will have an empty council seat if no one runs. To be eligible, you must be at least 18 years of age and reside in the town limits for at least one year before assuming office. If you are not able to vote in person on Election Day, you may request an absentee ballot at the town office up until end of business on May 6, 2023.

On Sunday, May 28, the American Legion will host its annual Memorial Day parade. All are welcome to participate in the parade or just come out and enjoy watching. In addition, there will be a service pre-parade at the war memorial, along with a service in the American Legion post-parade to honor our military that we have lost. As always, I encourage everyone to support Glade Valley Community Services (GVCS) if you have clothes or food donations as they are always in need of items for members of the community.

If you have any questions, concerns, complaints, or compliments please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] or by phone at 301-401-7164.

Woodsboro Town meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. In addition, Planning and Zoning meetings are at 6:00 p.m. on the first Monday of the month, as needed. If you have an item for the agenda, it needs to be submitted 14 days before the P&Z meeting. The current location for meetings is the St. Johns United Church of Christ, located at 8 N. 2nd Street Woodsboro, MD 21798. The public is always invited to attend.