For the past several months the Town has been advertising
for volunteers to serve on several different committees. The
Town has always had difficulty filling these volunteer
positions and, at the same time, the Town receives much
criticism for not involving more town residents in the
decision making process.
The Parks & Recreation, Streets & Transportation, and the
Water committees are all used as advisory boards to the Town
Council. These committees are asked to recommend suggestions
to the Town Council for consideration. The Planning &
Zoning, Board of Appeals, and Ethics committees are
committees which have final authority; the Mayor,
Commissioners and Town Staff may not require them to take
direction from them when voting.
Except for the Economic Review Board, there are no
written specifications as to who is deemed qualified to
become a member of any of the town committees. However, due
to the power of the Planning & Zoning Committee, I have been
a little more selective as to whom I will recommend to
Planning & Zoning.
The Planning & Zoning Committee must maintain a board
which has some members with some form of actual experience
in land development (planner, surveyor, contractor,
engineer, etc.). Without experience on the board, developers
will take advantage of the Town and, unless something was
done illegal, the Mayor and Commissioners cannot overturn
the Planning and Zoning Committee's decisions.
The Ethics Committee is another committee of major
importance. This committee is the only committee that allows
for non-residents to become members. The Town has advertised
for interested individuals to fill the Ethics Committee
since January. Since that time, only one person applied to
fill one of the 3 vacancies; due to the applicant's current
appointment on the Board of Appeals, he is not eligible to
serve on the Ethics Committee. At this time the town
continues to be without an Ethics Committee.
All Town committees are advertised on the Town's cable
channel (channel 99) and, for the past several months, the
Town has also advertised vacant committee positions in The
Emmitsburg Dispatch.
Before being appointed to the Town Council, I served on
the Streets and Transportation Committee and on the Planning
and Zoning Committee. I found that my experience on these
committees gave me a better understanding of Town
government. In my previous position as commissioner, and in
my current position as mayor, I find that I still base many
of my decisions on the experience I received from these
committees. These committees helped me to see and understand
more of the "big picture" when discussing and voting on Town
matters.
If you are interest in serving on any of the Town
committees, please contact me at the Town office. Except for
the Ethics Committee and the Board of Appeals, all other
committees meet once a month. The Ethics Committee and the
Board of Appeals meet as
