After several months of study the town council adopted a modified sign ordinance as part of the building and construction section of the Code of Emmitsburg

The intent of ordinance #01-03 is to produce signs which are non-obtrusive and blend with the character of the village zoning district. The purpose of the signs is to advertise to pedestrian traffic and vehicular traffic.

The following are some of the major changes of requirement.

1. All hangers for signs shall be in the form of a bracket and be made of metal.

2. All signs will be no larger than thirty inches long by twenty-four inches high and will not protrude from the building farther than thirty-six inches.

3. On multi-story buildings, signs shall be installed so that the top of the sign shall be even with the bottom of the second story window.

4. Signs may not be lighted other than by means of indirect lighting.

5. Flat signs (one-sided signs attached directly to a building) shall not be located anywhere above the bottom of the second floor window and no window or part of a window shall be covered by any sign, supporting structure, or part thereof.

6. All signs must have zoning administrator approval before issuance of any permits.

7. Temporary signs/banners will be approved by the town zoning administrator. No temporary sign/banner shall be displayed for a period longer than forty-five days. Temporary signs/banners must maintain thirty-day consecutive days between use or display of sign/banner being displayed or re-displayed, at the same location or property.

The complete Ordinance 01-03 is available at the town office. Other sections of the ordinance apply to the approval of the placement of signs prior to installation on one-story building; free-standing signs; conditions for "grandfathering" current signs; and non-conforming signs.

During the month of November, there were thirty-five vehicle traffic stops made by members of the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, thirty-three of them made by the resident deputies. This number does not reflect the stops made during a selective enforcement card. Eleven cards were opened for selective enforcement using radar. Five cards were opened for follow-up investigations. Fifteen cards/investigations were opened for Patrol Checks in Emmitsburg, 6 by patrol deputies and 9 by the resident deputies. Four cards were opened by off-duty officers working security at the Sleep Inn on weekends.

On 09-11-2001, the World Trade Center was attacked. Members of the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office and Troopers from the Maryland State Police have been working around the clock to supplement the security force at FEMA. This has continued throughout the months of October and November, and will be extended through December. On several occasions, one or more of these officers have assisted or backed up calls in Emmitsburg.

The Community Center was broken into twice during the month of November. A juvenile was found to be in the possession of a set of keys taken from the Community Center several months ago, and was charged with theft. There remains a problem with so many people using the Community Center, with the building being locked when everyone has left. A couple of the outer doors have been found unlocked on numerous occasions. It appears that they do not close with enough force to properly latch or lock when they close. Nightly checks are being made by the resident deputies.

Criminal investigations:

• Burglary - 1
• Destruction of Property - 2
• Disorderly Conduct - 4
• Dispute - 2
• DUI - 2
• Juvenile Complaint -2
• Mental Subject - 3
• Noise Complaint - 2
• Request Officer - 8
• Suspicion Vehicle - 5
• Theft - 4
• Warrant Service - 2

Traffic Duties:

The resident deputies are utilizing both stationary and moving radars. Several locations in town have been selected for setting up stationary radar sites. The moving radar may be used at any time and at any place in town while the patrol vehicle is moving.