Town Hall Report
by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Charter Review Committee Established The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners passed a resolution to establish a charter review committee, which will review the current town charter and make recommendations to the mayor and commissioners of suggested changes by September 1, 2027. The mayor and commissioners also approved the following residents to…
Town Hall Reports
by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Rezoning Hearing Held The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners recently held a public hearing about a rezoning request from property owners of 13 properties in town, and some that town staff identified that needed to be compatible with their zoning. Town Planner Kelly Duty reviewed the properties with the Thurmont Mayor…
Town Hall Report
by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Impact Fees May Be Raised The Town of Thurmont is considering raising its impact fees paid for new construction in town by 2.81 percent. They are paid for water, wastewater, roads, and parks. The fees currently total $23,320. If the increase is approved, the fees will total $23,965. The commissioners…
Town Hall Reports
Thurmont Swearing In and New Liaison Assignments The winners of the Thurmont town election were sworn in during a recent town meeting, bringing a new face to the Thurmont Board of Commissioners. Incumbent Mayor John Kinnaird, incumbent Commissioner Wayne Hooper, and new Commissioner Chris Stouter were officially sworn in on November 1 and ceremonially sworn…
Town Hall Reports
by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Colorfest Fees Continue Being Discussed The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners continue to talk about how to set fees related to Colorfest. After approving a 20 percent increase in permit fees, eliminating the yard sale permit, and increasing the town portion of the parking fee—from $4.00 per car to $6.00 per…
Town Hall Reports
Town Hall Report by James Rada, Jr. T h u r m o n tTown Makes Annual Contributions The Town of Thurmont recently presented checks to different organizations in town that provide needed services to town residents. The donations were: Guardian Hose Co. — $30,000 Thurmont Community Ambulance — $30,000 Thurmont Food…
Town Hall Reports
by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Simmers Property Annexation Proposal Cross & Company, LLC recently reintroduced a new annexation plan for the Simmers Property at 304 Apples Church Road. Nearly 8 acres of the 24.5-acre property is already within the town property. The property was previously presented for annexation in 2022 and was denied at a…
Town Hall Reports
by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Christmas Events The annual lighting of the Thurmont Christmas tree will be held at Mechanicstown Square Park on Saturday, November 30 at 6:00 p.m. The following Saturday, December 7, will be Christmas in Thurmont activities, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Then, on Friday, December 13, will be a Small…
Town Hall Reports
by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Public Hearing on Water and Sewer Rates The Town of Thurmont held a public hearing on the new proposed water and sewer rates for Fiscal Year 2025, which may be increased by 15 percent at all usage levels. The rates were last raised in 2012, and costs since that time…
Town Hall Report
by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Approved The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners adopted the budget for Fiscal Year 2025 by adopting the constant yield real estate tax rate of 29.87 cents per $100 of assessed value of the property. The constant yield rate is the rate needed so that the town collects…
Town Hall Reports
by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Town Considering Adjusting Water and Sewer Rates Chris Simms with Smart Utilities Management talked with the commissioners about the need to raise water and sewer rates in town. The town’s water rates haven’t been adjusted since 2012, and the water system is starting to run at a deficit as the…
Town Hall Report
by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Parking Option Explored Parking in downtown Thurmont has become a problem, with the municipal parking lot regularly filled to capacity. Thurmont Economic Development Director Vickie Grinder and Commissioner Bill Blakeslee investigated possible solutions to the problem and came up with a promising solution. They reached an agreement in principle with…
Town Hall Reports
by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Commissioners to Address Blocked Sidewalks The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners are looking to amend the town code to address obstructions to the sidewalk because of construction and renovation. Currently, there is nothing in the ordinance that addresses this problem. The proposed changes are based on the Walkersville town code and…
Town Hall Reports
by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Chicken Ordinance Forms Available The Thurmont Town Office now has the forms needed for people with existing chickens in their yards or who want to start keeping them. Those with existing chickens must have them registered by March 1. If not, and they have more than six chickens or a…
Town Hall Reports
by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont New Commissioners Sworn In Thurmont Mayor John Kinnaird swore in newly elected commissioners Marty Burns and Bob Lookingbill during the November 4th town meeting to serve four-year terms. Connection and Impact Fees Raised The Thurmont Mayor and Board of Commissioners raised impact fees for the town, and they are expected…
Town Hall Reports
by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Colorfest Services Approved Shentel Will Offer Fiber Optic Service The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners recently approved a franchise agreement with Shentel. The agreement, similar to the one the town has with Comcast, will provide the town with a 3 percent franchise fee. Shentel will be allowed to build a fiber-optic…
Town Hall Reports
by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Colorfest Services Approved The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners approved bids for services that are needed for Colorfest to run smoothly. Mays Security in Frederick will provide security with 26 guards, 2 supervisors, and 2 relief guards for $21,600. Rill’s Bus Service in Westminster will provide bus service with…
Town Hall Reports
by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Approved Bids The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners recently approved a bid for a new water department truck to replace a 2007 utility bed truck. Three bids were received, and the mayor and commissioners accepted the $72,504 bid from Crouse Ford in Taneytown for a new truck. The mayor and commissioners…
Town Hall Reports
by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Thurmont Volunteer of the Year Named The Thurmont Lions Club recently announced at a Thurmont town meeting that Bernie and Joanne Ricketts had been named recipients of the annual Thurmont Volunteer of the Year Award. They are volunteers at the Thurmont Food Bank and help with a variety of jobs…
Town Hall Reports
by James Rada, Jr. Thurmont Town Joins Mass Tort Action The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners voted to participate in a mass tort complaint against manufacturers of the PFAS chemicals that Thurmont and other municipalities are now working to remove from their water systems. The town’s vote is to retain a law firm to investigate, file…
