(7/15) The public will once again be able to attend Emmitsburg town meetings after more than a year of being limited to only "attending" or viewing municipal meetings virtually or on cable television.

Although the public will be able, for the first time since May 2020, to once again see town staff and elected officials in 3-D at town meetings, some COVID restrictions will remain in effect.

Mayor Don Briggs stated at the commissioners’ July 12 meeting that he had written to County Executive Jan Gardner on July 7 requesting permission to re-open the town offices and public meeting room to the public beginning July 12.

"It’s (re-opening the town offices} been approved by the county executive… it will be before the county really opens (all county buildings), so we’re getting a break here" he said,"

The town offices and meeting room are located in the Community Center, which is county-owned. County Executive Gardner has yet to direct county buildings to cease being "locked down," except for libraries, which have been permitted to resume public access. Town Manager Cathy Willets previously stated that Gardner is planning on opening-up all county buildings on September 1.

The mayor stated that business hours for the town office will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays, although the public will be restricted to using the entry hallway and service-desk area, as well as the public meeting room.

The public, he said, will not be able to go to any other part of the office suite other than the hall and the service window, further noting that the public must wear masks in the building (and thus the town office areas). The public may only meet with specific town staff members by making appointments.

Additionally, the public must also wear masks while attending the town meetings, noting that those wishing so may continue to participate in the town meetings virtually.

Regarding the stipulations regarding access to town facilities and the continuance of the imposition of some COVID protocols, Briggs stated, "This (list of proposed protocols) was accepted, these terms, by Jan Gardner."

The town also manages the gym located in the Community Building for the county, and the county has approved proceeding with making appointments for its use beginning September 1. Basically, the mayor said, "We’re open to the public. We’re getting there. We are back in business."

The announcement of a re-opening was made in the wake of some disagreement expressed by staff and commissioners at the board’s June 21 meeting, when it was expressed that Gardner, while opening-up the county library of the first floor of the Community Center, had not permitted the town offices to be opened to the public.

Gardner stated that no one from the town had asked her about opening the town office facilities, and that she had no objections to municipal facilities located in county buildings from opening… and that the health restrictions only applied to county facilities located in county-owned buildings.