Here is the May 2007 Town Managers Report.Town Manager’s ReportMay 2007Prepared by David HallerStreets:Staff installed the ‘welcome to Emmitsburg’ signsStaff has repaired a number of street lightsStaff installed speed bumps on Lincoln Avenue and North AvenueStaff coordinated several street paving projectsStaff repaired and cold patched a few sidewalks on Main StreetWater:Rainbow Lake is maintaining at the spillway and all wells are holding up wellThe roughing filters are now being backwashed twice everyday and the DE filters are being done once every weekStaff has recently flushed the raw line from Rainbow Lake to the Water Treatment PlantWater production and consumption. We produced and purchased an average of 336,537 gpd. We consumed an average of 303,816 gpd.The difference is “Backwash Water” …(9.7%). We purchased 240,800 gals. of water from MSM this month.48.2% of this water came from wells0.2.4% of this water came from Mt. St. Mary’s49.4% of this water came from Rainbow LakeWastewater:Mason Dixon Farms has started pumping and aerator maintenance has been performed on Lagoon No. 3We received about 1.4 inches of precipitation this month (the average is 4,5 inches)We have a deficit of 3.7″ of precipitation over the last six months. The average precipitation for the period from December 1 thru May 31 is 22.2″ and we have received 18.5″ for that period.There was an error in last month’s precipitation computation which indicated that we had exceeded the six month average by 3.5% when we exceeded by only 0.8″. It is also important to know that this six month average does not include Nov. 2006, a month in which we exceeded the monthly average precipitation by 1.4″Wastewater Treatment:We treated an average of 286,000 gpd (consumed 303,816 gpd) which means that 0.0% of the wastewater treated this month was “wild water”. This also indicat4es that approximately 67% of the 26,424 gpd increase in consumption this month went to outdoor useWe experienced no spills of untreated sewerage during the month of MayWe did not exceed the plant’s design capacity during the month of MayTrash:Trash pickup will remain Monday and Thursday for the Month of June, 2007Parks:Staff worked on the ball fields in Memorial ParkStaff coordinated and worked with S&W Construction on the replacement of the roofs on the Bathrooms and pavilion in Memorial ParkStaff coordinated the pouring of the concrete for the new bandstand in Community ParkStaff did some painting at the Community swimming poolMeetings Attended:05/05 With Hess Enterprises related to possible rezoning request at hotel site05/07 With sewer plant design engineers related to possible treatment methods05/09 With staff to review water capacity numbers05/10 With Dan Reaver related to his proposed commercial subdivision05/15 With Planning consultant to create water capacity section of Comp Plan update05/16 Water & Sewer Master Plan seminar-Hagerstown05/17 With Mayor and Representatives of MSM to discuss growth limits delineation05/24 Municipal/BOCC Water & Sewer Master Plan update05/24 MML POS funding meeting (Got $70,000 of POS money

For at least 10 years maybe longer, I have been advocating the idea that all the energy of the exercise machines in gyms be harnessed by way of generators to run the tv and lights in the gym. Link

Here is todays list of water related problems around the world.

Google Search: water drought
Build pond now, but wait for drought to end to fill it – Birmingham News – Build pond now, but wait for drought to end to fill itBirmingham News, AL – 2 hours agoPutting one in operation, though, should definitely be delayed until water restrictions are lifted. You need to r
6:24 AM
Google Search: water drought
Drought challenges US south – Globe and Mail – Drought challenges US southGlobe and Mail, Canada – 5 hours agoEven without worsening drought, that will exceed the capacity of existing water supplies — and Phoenix has supplemented its groundwater s
6:24 AM
Google Search: water drought
Drought brings disease risk to dwindling dam – Cyprus Mail – Drought brings disease risk to dwindling damCyprus Mail, Cyprus – 2 hours agoHe added that the fish were the first to be hit by the water shortage the island is facing. “The water levels have dropped
5:56 AM
water sewer rates
Worcester approves solid waste, water and wastewater budgets – Delmarva Daily Times – Worcester approves solid waste, water and wastewater budgetsDelmarva Daily Times, MD – 1 hour agoThere was also a change in commercial rates from $180 to $240 minimum and $4.25 to $5 per 1000 gallons
3:24 AM
Google Search: water drought
Some South Florida associations still require house washing in drought – Sun-Sentinel.com – Some South Florida associations still require house washing in droughtSun-Sentinel.com, FL – 16 minutes agoTo Lopez, conserving water in the middle of a drought is more important. “In a couple of
3:24 AM
Google Search: water drought
Drought challenges US south – Globe and Mail – Drought challenges US southGlobe and Mail, Canada – 2 hours agoEven without worsening drought, that will exceed the capacity of existing water supplies — and Phoenix has supplemented its groundwater s
3:24 AM
Google Search: water drought
Spangenberg: Water wisely when it comes to established lawns – Northwest Herald – Spangenberg: Water wisely when it comes to established lawnsNorthwest Herald, IL – 6 hours agoEstablished trees and shrubs will also need water if true drought conditions develop. Water the entire roo
3:24 AM
Google Search: water drought
Internalizing the critical weight of water – News & Observer – Internalizing the critical weight of waterNews & Observer, NC – 3 hours agoThere is drought in China. Flash floods in Texas just killed four people. Once-farmed land is becoming desert in China w
3:24 AM
Google Search: water drought
Water alert in city – Jacksonville News – Water alert in cityJacksonville News, AL – Jun 21, 2007Jacksonville became the first city in the county Monday to impose mandatory water restrictions. A memo issued by the city Monday said washing veh
2:32 AM
Google Search: water restrictions
District bans watering indefinitely – KOAA – District bans watering indefinitelyKOAA, CO – 8 hours agoThe Cherokee Metropolitan Water District increased restrictions Friday because storage levels had dipped dangerously low. Only a third of the
12:24 AM
Google Search: water drought
China drought causes water shortages for millions – Washington Post – China drought causes water shortages for millionsWashington Post, United States – 7 hours agoBEIJING (Reuters) – Drought affecting large swathes of China has left more than 8 million people short of w
12:24 AM
Google Search: water drought
Spangenberg: Water wisely when it comes to established lawns – Northwest Herald – Spangenberg: Water wisely when it comes to established lawnsNorthwest Herald, IL – 35 minutes agoEstablished trees and shrubs will also need water if true drought conditions develop. Water the entire
Jun 22, 2007
water sewer rates
Saline water, sewer rates to get slight increases – Ann Arbor News – Saline water, sewer rates to get slight increasesAnn Arbor News, MI – Jun 19, 2007BY LISA ALLMENDINGER Saline water and sewer rates will rise slightly and some city employees will receive smaller than
Jun 22, 2007
“water saving”
Mayor plans to conserve water – Daily Sundial – Mayor plans to conserve waterDaily Sundial, CA – 13 hours ago… in conjunction with the LADWP, offers suggestions to businesses along with financial incentives to begin to implement water-saving mea
Jun 22, 2007
“water saving”
WaterFix Your Home – Wollondilly Advertiser – WaterFix Your HomeWollondilly Advertiser, Australia – Jun 19, 2007By Andre Boerema, New figures show almost 400000 households in Sydney have installed water saving devices in their homes. Each has s
Jun 22, 2007
Google Search: water drought
Conflict fuels drought, depletes water sources – Fort Worth Star Telegram – Conflict fuels drought, depletes water sourcesFort Worth Star Telegram, TX – 23 hours agoDAMRAT SURMI, Sudan — Decades of drought helped trigger Darfur’s violence as rival groups fought over scar
Jun 22, 2007
Google Search: water drought
Tips to help your lawn beat the heat – Seattle Post Intelligencer – Tips to help your lawn beat the heatSeattle Post Intelligencer – 52 minutes agoOne of the first signs I look for in a drought-stressed lawn is if my feet leave an impression in the grass as I walk ac
Jun 22, 2007
water sewer rates
City customers face planned increase in water rates – Santa Maria Times – City customers face planned increase in water ratesSanta Maria Times, CA – Jun 21, 2007By Malia Spencer/SENIOR STAFF WRITER A nearly 30-year-old city policy that allows for automatic annual increases
Jun 22, 2007
water sewer rates
Fitch Rates JEA’s (Florida) $41MM Water Revs 2007 Series C ‘AA … – Business Wire (press release) – Fitch Rates JEA’s (Florida) $41MM Water Revs 2007 Series C ‘AA …Business Wire (press release), CA – 17 hours agoJEA’s retail water and sewer rates are expected to remain competitive for
Jun 22, 2007
water sewer rates
Fowlerville council to vote on sewer, water rate hikes – Ann Arbor News – Fowlerville council to vote on sewer, water rate hikesAnn Arbor News, MI – 9 hours agoBY LINDA THEIL The Fowlerville Village Council will vote June 25 on a resolution to increase water and sewer rates
Jun 22, 2007
Google Search: water drought
Conflict fuels drought, depletes water sources – Fort Worth Star Telegram – Philadelphia Daily NewsConflict fuels drought, depletes water sourcesFort Worth Star Telegram, TX – 12 hours agoDAMRAT SURMI, Sudan — Decades of drought helped trigger Darfur’s violence as rival
Jun 22, 2007
Google Search: water drought
Drought effects on underground water – BlueRidgeNow.com – Drought effects on underground waterBlueRidgeNow.com, NC – 21 hours ago”When the well is dry we know the worth of water.” — Benjamin Franklin In spite of a drought that has been called the
Jun 22, 2007
Google Search: water drought
Drought May Further Impact Carpet Industry – WRCB-TV – Drought May Further Impact Carpet IndustryWRCB-TV, TN – 6 hours agoJ&J Industries and Shaw Industries have both already taken measures to help conserve water. However, if the drought continues, th
Jun 22, 2007
Google Search: water drought
Nursery professionals’ consensus: Go native, go green, give up St … – Naples Daily News – Nursery professionals’ consensus: Go native, go green, give up St …Naples Daily News, FL – 2 hours agoWhile plants may survive drought, ultimately all plants need water to thrive. “No plant can live
Jun 22, 2007
Google Search: water restrictions
Water restrictions to remain the same – North Kingstown Standard Times – Water restrictions to remain the sameNorth Kingstown Standard Times, RI – 15 hours agoNORTH KINGSTOWN – They’ve tried through education and water restrictions. But no matter what the water depart-
Jun 22, 2007
Google Search: water restrictions
Water Restrictions Could Soon Be Lifted – KCBD-TV – Water Restrictions Could Soon Be LiftedKCBD-TV, TX – Jun 21, 2007The city’s effort to conserve water takes a hit, but overall city leaders still believe water restrictions could be lifted as early
Jun 22, 2007

Here is my ode to the first day of summer 2007. This is the day that the sun is 75 degrees elevation above the horizon at noon.

This email that follows was sent to Emmitsburg Commissioners and to Newspaper Reporters January 3rd, 2007. The Audit report March 19th 2007, for the FY ending June 30, 2006 had a surplus of over $100,000 which went into this years 07 budget as “found money” which the Town Govt. could spend at will without having to do budget transfers or Commissioner oversight.
That $100,000 plus unspent money amounted to almost a 7 cent surplus in the property tax rate of 36 cents as each 1 cent amounted to about $14,000 revenue in FY 2006. Or the town could have operated on 29 cents tax rate to have provided the services that they did supply.

In the Budget Message for FY 2008 there is no estimate of the amount of unspent surplus factored into the 08 budget.

Now each of the past 3 fiscal years there has been an increase in the sum of money that town residents pay for the priviledge of living in Emmitsburg. A 13 cent increase for the Emergency Service Fund, a 3 cent increase FY 2007 (via the increase of 3 cents over the constant yield rate) and the proposed FY 2008 3 cent increase (via the increase of 3 cents over the constant yield rate) Meaning the town gets more total money with out raising the tax rate.
Yet my propery tax bill for Emmitsburg rental properties is larger each and every year which means every one in town including low income residents (which we are trying to help afford a home) pays more rent which is driving long term residents out of town or even out of state.

It borders on the obscene that the Town of Emmitsburg cannot , in light of tremendous FY 2006 and Fy 2007 surplus, cannot operate on the same amount of money raised by the property tax each year. With huge surplus’s left over at the end of each FY the tax money extracted could actually be decreased to help keep citizens able to afford to live in Emmitsburg.
As the town keeps receiving more revenue , the “Affordable Housing” initative is further damaged. Rental property investors have to receive a reasonable return on their equity and they are in competition with other areas as to affordable housing so they may have to sell out and relocate or not even enter the Emmitsburg market in the first place if they cannot raise the rent to cover each increase in the tax bill on a given rental property.

Now I respectfully ask the Town Staff to tighten up on spending. The residents of the town have to adjust to changing income cash flow, so should the Town as it is not a god given right that tax revenue must go up just because Staff says it is so.
The town spends money like a drunken sailor. A christmas party which no one needs, a $25,000 playground that no one uses, no bid contracts which enriches the contractor, free water and sewer for emergency services, forgiveness for building fees, mowing the grass too often, donating to charity’s, etc. Its easy to tighten up if, if the commissioners have the fortitude to cut and slash and readjust.

From: ojmartin@gmail.com
Subject: Emmitsburg Budgets 2006, 2007, 2008
Date: January 3, 2007 7:13:11 AM EST
To: hooverje@msn.com, cvstaiger@verizon.net
Cc: richard_fulton@emmitsburgspirit.com, imjmezo@yahoo.com, jrada@thedispatch.us

The accountants report is now available for the Emmitsburg FY 2006 budget year that ended June 30, 2006.

Now (early 2007) is a good time to get the numbers from the accountant as to the amount of

surplus from FY2006 in the General Fund and the Enterprise Fund.

She should make a report in public as she did last year. What recommendations will she make about the budget process?

These funds must be separately broken out to see how much carryover funds are available this year (FY2007) to add to the rainy day funds for the two major accounts (General fund and Enterprise fund) or what ever is decided on how to spend the funds.

As part of the budget process there should be an estimate made as to the surplus projected in the budget on June 30 2007 so that can be incorporated in the 2008 budget.

Also the preliminary deliberations for budget for 2008 which starts July 1. 2007 is to be announced in a January 2007 meeting by the Mayor and Staff per request by council at a previous meeting.

PS; The City of Frederick has their report already available (by the same accounting firm as Emmitsburg) and they had a $3M surplus for last fiscal year which they placed in their “rainy day fund”

Here is the link.

Rick of Right Wing Nuthouse gets it right with this excerpt from his blog:

Yes, she’s a “Grand Old Flag.” A little tattered perhaps. A little careworn as a result of neglecting some of the principles on which our nation was founded; self reliance, tolerance, and that fighting for freedom is a good and sometimes necessary thing. But despite her appearance, she still flies proudly, snapping in the breeze as a reminder to all that choose to see it, that this is still the greatest country ever created filled with the most remarkable people ever born. And despite all of our problems, disagreements, mistakes, and failures, there is still no place on earth I’d rather live.

Here is a link to the rest of the post.

Michelle Malkin has a story on the support for the Blue Angels in San Francicso. She mentions that the maybe if the Blue Angels fly naked, San Francisco would support their air show!

Here is a link to an article by Jeff Jarvis who wrote in The Guardian thus in conclusion:

Zuckerberg’s ambition for Facebook -which he has so far refused to sell, even though it is said he has been offered more than $1bn – is nothing less than for it to become the social operating system of the web, the Google of people. If the service opens up yet more – if it becomes the twine to tie together my lives online in my blog, my work, my town, YouTube, Flickr, Del.icio.us, Amazon, eBay, Twitter, and more – then his ambition may be attainable. That would be elegant organisation indeed.

Its time to check this out. Facebook is now available to anyone.