Town Hall Report
by James Rada, Jr.
Thurmont
Town Election at the End of October
The Town of Thurmont will hold its town election on October 28 from 7 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Guardian Hose Activities Building at 123 East Main Street. The positions of mayor and two commissioners are open. They are currently held by John Kinnaird, Wayne Hooper, and Bill Blakeslee, all of whom have filed for re-election. In addition, Meredith Wivell, Ethan Beard, and Christopher Stouter are running for a commissioner seat. Former Mayor Marty Burns has also announced he is running for mayor.
The final ballot will be determined at the town’s nominating convention on September 30. That is also the last day to register to vote in Thurmont. However, absentee ballots can be applied for until October 21.
Electric Rates To Go Up in January
The Thurmont Mayor and Board of Commissioners voted to increase its electric rates by 14.6 percent to help cover a needed $1 million in funding to run the electric department. Some changes are required by the State of Maryland, but capacity charges from other electric suppliers are increasing, and other increases are due to the rise of material costs. The increase will not go into effect in January. Despite the increase, Thurmont’s electric rates remain lower than those charged to county residents.
Gold Star Families Memorial Considered
The Mayor and Commissioners of Thurmont are considering placing a Gold Star Families Memorial in Memorial Park. Gold Star families are families who have lost a loved one in one of the country’s military conflicts.
These memorials have been installed in parks around the country to acknowledge the sacrifice of our country’s veterans and the loss their families have suffered. The black granite memorial is 8 feet tall. The Woody Williams Foundation would install the memorial, but the town would be responsible for pouring the concrete pad on which the memorial would sit.
The mayor and commissioners expressed their support of the idea last month, but they wanted to hear what the American Legion and AMVETS think of the idea. In particular, the American Legion first established the park in honor of the town residents who died in World War I.
Representatives from both the Thurmont American Legion and AMVETS attended a recent meeting to give their support to the project. The commissioners then gave their support for the project to move forward.
It was proposed that the memorial be placed on the right side of the park between two trees. Fundraising will now start to raise the $60,000 needed for the memorial.
Accessory Dwelling Units May Be Allowed
The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners are considering adopting an ordinance that would allow accessory dwelling units in all zoning districts as long as they are detached from the primary residence on the property, the lot is at least 8,000 sq. ft. in size, and the accessory dwelling unit is no larger than 800 sq. ft. If an existing structure on the property is larger than 800 sq. ft., it would be allowed to be converted into a dwelling unit. The property owner must live in one of the dwelling units.
Pavilion Rental Policy Adjusted
The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners have amended the pavilion rental policy specifically for the large pavilion in Community Park. Rather than being able to rent the pavilion all day on Saturdays when the town is sponsoring its Farmers Markets, rentals will begin after 11:00 a.m. The change was necessitated after a family rented the pavilion this summer and found it being used by the farmer’s market.
This led to an incident between Commissioner Bill Blakeslee and a Thurmont Police Officer over who had the right to the pavilion. That incident went viral on social media and drew unfavorable attention to the town in the Frederick News-Post and on WFMD radio. Blakeslee also apologized to the town citizens and the police officer for his behavior during the incident.
Emmitsburg
Town Seeking Funding for West Main Street Waterline
The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a resolution allowing Mayor Frank Davis and Town Manager Cathy Willets to apply for $2.8 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Rural Development, Rural Utilities Service to pay for replacing the West Main Street/Waynesboro Pike waterline.
Commissioners Still Contemplating How to Deal With Student Housing
The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to table an ordinance that would establish a rental registration program. The ordinance would provide the town with a tool to deal with student housing in single-family home neighborhoods. However, in reviewing the proposed ordinance, the commissioners found they needed more information and clarification of elements of the proposed ordinance. They decided to table further action to allow town staff time to gather the information they requested.
Commissioners Contemplating How to Deal With Vacant Properties
The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to table an ordinance that would require vacant properties to be registered and incur steep fines if they are not maintained. The ordinance would provide the town with a tool to deal with the problem that poorly maintained properties create in how the town appears to visitors and people considering opening businesses in town. However, in reviewing the proposed ordinance, the commissioners found they needed more information. They decided to table further action to allow town staff time to add additional amendments to the proposed ordinance.
Election Judges Appointed
The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners approved four election judges to oversee the 2025 town election on September 30. All of the judges have previous experience working as election judges. Sharon Hane will serve as the chief judge, and Tammy May, Melissa McKenney, and Mark Long will all serve as judges.
New Grant Awarded
The Town of Emmitsburg recently received a Tourism Reinvestment in Promotion and Product (TRIPP) Grant to advertise Emmitsburg as a destination in two annual print publications (2026 Destination Gettysburg and 2026 Visit Frederick guides). The $3,179.33 grant requires a $1,589.67 town match and will pay for half-page ads in the two guides.
Committee Appointments Made
The Emmitsburg Board of Commissioners appointed Andy Crone to the Parks and Recreation Committee, with a term of September 8, 2025, to September 8, 2027. They also appointed Zenas Skyes to the Citizen’s Advisory Committee, with a term of September 8, 2025, to September 8, 2027.
Bids Approved
The Thurmont Mayor and Board of Commissioners approved a bid of $20,640 from United Utilities to replenish 6,000 feet of underground primary cable. The wire will be used to complete the connection to the new pump station on Radio Lane and for other repairs. The amount came in below the amount budgeted for the purchase.
The mayor and commissioners also approved a $52,000 bid from Playground Specialists for new surfacing, climbing equipment, a park bench, a weather panel, reconfiguring the playground, and replacing the plastic barriers with wood timbers at the Carroll Street Park Playground.
A set of bids was approved for services needed for Colorfest. Rill’s Bus Service will provide 9 regular buses and 2 handicapped buses on Saturday, and 7 regular buses and 2 handicapped-accessible buses on Sunday for $27,000. Key Sanitation will provide and service 114 regular toilets and 16 handicapped-accessible toilets, and provide trash service for $24,950. May’s Security Service will provide 26 security guards, 2 supervisors, and 2 relief guards for Colorfest for $26,640.
The mayor and commissioners also accepted bids to upgrade the audio-visual equipment in the town meeting room. Audio Video Group is to replace the cameras, and they will add an additional camera, a new mixing board, a new touch control panel, a new component rack, a new encoders, and a new virtual meeting connections, wiring, and other related items. Since the bid came in below what was budgeted, the commissioners are also considering purchasing an additional television monitor.
Town Decides Use of PFAS Funds
The Town of Thurmont was recently notified of the amount of money it would receive on the PFAS mass tort settlement, which the town got involved with a few years ago because of the polyflourocarbon water contamination that municipalities are dealing with. The town has received its first payment of $131,200 from 3M, with another $852,000 expected over the next few years. Dupont is expected to pay about $66,000 by the end of this year, and Tyco and BASF are expected to pay $32,000 by the end of this year. The Thurmont Mayor and Commissioners agreed that the funds will be used by the water department
