January 14, 2025 | Town Council Meeting Minutes
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Council Meetings
Council Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month at the meeting room behind St. Johns Church, 8. N. Second St. These public meetings start at 7:00 PM. The public is encouraged to attend. Please contact the Town Office at least two (2) weeks prior to a Council Meeting if you would like to get a topic on the agenda.
Planning and Zoning
Regularly scheduled Woodsboro Planning & Zoning Meetings are held on the first Monday each month at the meeting room behind St. Johns Church, 8. N. Second St. The public is welcome to attend these meetings, which start at 6:00 PM.
Woodsboro Planning & Zoning Meetings are held on the first Monday of the month as needed at 6:00 PM at the meeting room behind St. Johns Church, 8. N. Second St. Please contact the town office to be added to the agenda one (1) month prior to the meeting if you have business to discuss. If there are no topics brought forth to be placed on the agenda 1 month before this meeting, the committee will not meet that month.
Town Offices:
Corporation of Woodsboro
Mary E Rice | Town Clerk
Council Drive
P.O. Box 88
Woodsboro
MD,
21798
Phone:
(301) 898-3800
Town Council Meeting Minutes
Woodsboro, Maryland
January 14, 2025
The Woodsboro Town Council met today at 7:00 PM in the fellowship room of St. John’s UCC with the following members present:
Burgess Barnes, Commissioners Cutshall, Case, and Eckenrode. Absent from the meeting was Commissioner Rittelmeyer.
There was one guest and seventeen residents in attendance.
Burgess Barnes called the meeting to order and led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance.
After review of the December 2024 minutes, a motion to accept them as presented passed 3 – 0.
After review of the December 2024 financials, a motion to accept them as presented passed 3 – 0.
Burgess Barnes began business by taking responsibility for allowing the December 2024 meeting to get a bit out of control. He reiterated public comments will be going back to three minutes per person and it is not a question/answer period.
Burgess Barnes reported the budget hearing will be held during the April meeting and the Council will vote on it at the May meeting.
Under unfinished business, Burgess Barnes opened discussion on the contract with Glo Fiber, a cable provider interested in installing cables in town. Council members were asked in December to review the contract and be prepared to vote at the January meeting. Commissioner Cutshall wants to make sure the town gets the same rate per customer that we get from Comcast. A motion to move forward with the contract passed 3 – 0.
Burgess Barnes reported a conflict with the February meeting and suggested moving it up one week to February 4 th . Motion passed 3 – 0 to do so.
Burgess Barnes reported a meeting with the water/sewer operating company will be held on February 6th . He and Commissioner Rittelmeyer will be in attendance.
Commissioner Case reported on being notified by residents concerning the transparency of the water/sewer operational expenses and asked if there would be an update at the March meeting. Commissioner Eckenrode had nothing to report.
Commissioner Cutshall reported on a driveway being blocked on N. Second Street where the new townhouses are. He reported the issue was resolved and asked residents to please call the Sheriff’s Department to report it as the town does not have law enforcement.
Under comments from the public, resident Anthony Winkey, N. Second Street reported he was the car owner blocking the driveway. Mr. Winkey apologized and said he knows better.
Resident Rick Bontz, North Main Street, would like to see “artistry” plans of the new town hall. He would also like to see minutes and financials handed out during the meetings. He would also like to know what happened from July to the current date with the lead pipe inventory project. Indicating the town signed a nine-thousand-dollar contract with a company and he has not seen them.
Resident Edward Mordan, North Main Street indicated the agenda needs to be posted 24 hours in advance of the meeting. He asked if anyone went through the training. He then reported on minutes that have not been posted on the website since July 2024.
Resident Andrew Velnoskey, North Second Street had a question on the budget, but it was answered earlier in the meeting. He also spoke on the lead pipe inventory project.
Burgess Barnes intervened and informed the residents in attendance that the town is not doing a thing on the lead pipe inventory. The town was provided with a letter by the State of MD to distribute to residents whose homes were built prior to May of 1972. The town has fulfilled their requirements and anything else that gets done is the homeowners responsibility.
Resident David Williams, Adams Street opened by saying he was disturbed and upset by the story in the paper. He admitted not coming to meetings because he has faith in the politicians, he votes for to respect him as a citizen of the town. He now feels disrespected by the increase in town taxes. He believes there is a viable and financial way to reverse this dramatic and acute trail. He asked residents to do the math, we have an eight-hundred-dollar mortgage and with the interest over thirty years that brings us to eight hundred and thirty-five- or eight hundred-and-fifty-dollar loan. Mr. Williams thinks things should be turned around as fast as possible.
Guest Mike Hillman approached the podium asking residents of the town to please stop emailing him about the goose in the park. The goose has been there approximately four years, and he has a young lady doing a story on it for February’s paper.
Tracy Sando, North Main Street, understands there will not be a budget workshop as recommended by the residents of the town. Burgess Barnes informed her the residents will have time during budget discussions to comment, they will not have to wait until the end of the meeting.
There being no further business, a motion to adjourn the meeting passed 3 – 0.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary E. Rice
Corporation of Woodsboro
