The Mason-Dixon Line

Managers Report for January

emmitsburg — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:59:05 +0000

Town Manager’s Report
January 2008

Prepared by David Haller

Streets:

Staff plowed snow and treated streets
Staff has repaired a number of street lights
Staff installed new 15 minute parking meters at the square
Staff removed Christmas decorations on Main Street
Staff installed Mt. St. Mary’s Bicentennial Banners on Main Street

Water:

Rainbow Lake is now at or near the spillway level and our five wells appear to be recovering very well
The roughing filters are now being backwashed three times per day and the DE filters are being done once per week
The previously existing water use restrictions which prohibit all outdoor water have been discontinued

Water production and consumption. We produced and purchased an average of 355,204 gpd. We consumed an average of 310,808 gpd (up 36,740 gpd or 147 taps over November 2007)
- The difference is “Backwash Water” …(12.5%). We purchased 339,200 gals. of water from MSM this month.
- 58.7% of this water came from wells
- 3.1% of this water came from Mt. St. Mary’s
- 38.2% of this water came from Rainbow Lake

Wastewater:

Staff shut-down the overland treatment system in mid December for the season
We received about 1.2 inches of precipitation this month (the average is 3.7 inches)
- We have a deficit of 1.8″ of precipitation over the last six months. The average precipitation for the period from Aug 1 thru January 31 is 22.1″ and we have received 20.3″ for that period.
Wastewater Treatment:
- We treated an average of 413,000 gpd (consumed 310,808 gpd) which means that 24.7% of the wastewater treated this month was “wild water”.
- We experienced no spills of untreated sewerage during the month of January
- We did not exceed the plant’s design capacity on any days during the month of January

Trash:

Trash pickup will remain Monday and Thursday for the Month of fEBRUARY, 2008

Parks:

Staff made all standard checks and emptied trash cans
Staff supervised the final construction of the new pavilion at the swimming pool
Staff worked on the reconfiguration of the parking lot at the Babe Ruth Field in Community Park
The Town Manager has negotiated with Frederick County to secure an $8,000 grant to help pay the estimated $25,000 cost of spraying the watershed for gypsy moths

General Note:

The Town Manager has submitted a list of all ongoing major projects and their status to the Mayor and Council for their review and comments

Meetings Attended:

01/07 meeting with Mt. St. Mary’s to discuss water contract extension
01/08 Meeting with Allegheny Power to discuss power pole relocations on Lincoln Avenue
01/09 meeting with Town forester to discuss and plan for spraying of watershed for Gypsy moths
01/10 meeting with engineering firm related to proposal preparation for new water treatment plant in Emmit Gardens
10/10 meeting with Mountain Trails Task Force
01/16 meeting with Mayor Hoover and the Town of Thurmont to discuss possible taxi service for both towns
01/16 meeting of Emergency Management Task Force
01/17 meeting of the Emmitsburg Alliance at NETC
01/23 meeting with MES and staff to review sanitary sewer meter project and progress of same
01/31 attended seminar related to improved customer service

List of prior months’ Town Manager’s reports

Town Meeting

emmitsburg — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:33:51 +0000

Minutes
Town Meeting
Emmitsburg Town Office
January 7, 2008

Present: Mayor James Hoover; Commissioners Clifford Sweeney, Glenn Blanchard, Joyce Rosensteel, and Denise Etris. Also present were Donna DesPres and Dave Haller, Town Manager.

Absent: Christopher Staiger with prior notice

Call to Order In the absence of Board President Christopher Staiger, Glenn Blanchard was appointed President pro tempore. The January 7, 2008 Town Meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m.

Approval of Minutes

The Minutes of the December 17 Town Meeting were before the Council for approval. In order to clarify a motion, the Mayor requested that these be resubmitted for approval at the January 23 meeting. Unanimous consent.

Commissioner Comments

The Commissioners highlighted their attendance at recent events to include the Vigilant Hose Company annual dinner. Thanks were given to the fire company and to the Emmitsburg Dispatch for the article on Frank Carter.

Administrative Business

Recent break-ins were mentioned and Mayor Hoover added that he had met with the Sheriff’s department a month ago regarding minor thefts.

Reports:

Treasurer’s Report – Commissioner Joyce Rosensteel. See attached report, Exhibit A.

Committee reports – Commissioner Blanchard reported that the Planning and Zoning Commission continue progress on the comp plan and that Mr. Haller is scheduled to make a presentation at the next meeting. Commissioner Clifford Sweeney reported that no one attended the Streets Committee meeting, members are seriously needed.

Agenda Items

MSM – Power Partnership

Brooke Donovan, assistant director of campus activities, described to the Board and audience the upcoming free (canned-good donation requested) 6 events offered in “bringing the community together through culture and fun”. This is a joint effort to recognize

Community needs: building partnership, personal conversation, group investment.

The Mayor commended Mt. St. Mary’s in their concern to provide opportunities for community events bringing the Mount and Town together. He stated that the Mount is a tremendous resource for the community and hopes to make this an annual event plus there will be coordination of additional projects.

Pay Scale Review

Mayor Hoover proposed a change in the pay scale to add a grade 12 for town manager. Upon survey and review of area towns with similar population and number of personnel, he proposed a base step beginning salary of 63,700 with a maximum step 12 salary of $80,764.

He explained that when the pay scale was introduced in 1999, the town manager position was seen as an executive position and left out of the scale being subject to Board action for salary change. He stated that this provides the position itself as subject to the same criteria as the balance of the staff and that it’s an important position to the town to protect. Commissioner discussion supported this action as fair and equitable.

Motion: To approve adding a grade 12 to the salary structure as presented by the Mayor.
Motion by Commissioner Rosensteel, second by Commissioner Etris
Vote: 4-0 in favor

Motion: To approve a rating of grade 12, step 8 for the current town manager effective July 1, 2008.
Motion by Commissioner Sweeney, second by Commissioner Rosensteel
Vote: 4-0 in favor

Hr Consultant Contract Review

In follow-up to the trial 90-day acceptance of the human resources consultant contract approved by the Board, Mayor Hoover asked for continuation of the contract. He and Town Clerk Donna DesPres outlined accomplishments of the consultant during this 90 day period.

Motion: To continue the Human Resources contract with Krauer Consulting
Motion by Commissioner Rosensteel, second by Commissioner Sweeney
Vote: 4-0 in favor

Set Agenda Items for next Meeting

Planner appointment

Water management update

FY 2007 audit presentation

Upon request by Commissioner Sweeney, Mr. Haller updated the Board that water consumption is now coming into line with normal consumption, that it has dropped to within 4000 gpd of the same time last year which equals 16 taps which happens to be the amount of houses built since last year. Also, the lake is now only 2 feet below the spillway, wells are down an average of only 2 feet per shaft and that the aquifers are recharging as winter is a time for regeneration.

Public Comments – none

Adjournment With no further Business, the January 7, 2008 Town Meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

Date Approved: January 23, 2008

December Managers Reprot

emmitsburg — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 22:17:45 +0000

Town Manager’s ReportDecember 2007

Prepared by David Haller

Streets:

Staff plowed snow and treated streets
Staff has repaired a number of street lights
Staff inspected all street lights on Ramblewood Drive

Water:

Rainbow Lake is now 2.0 feet below the spillway and our five wells appear to be recovering
The roughing filters are now being backwashed three times per day and the DE filters are being done once per week
The existing water use restrictions which prohibit all outdoor water use are showing showing some results, daily consumption has dropped over the last two months
Water production and consumption. We produced and purchased an average of 342,790 gpd. We consumed an average of 295,877 gpd (up 21,809 gpd or 87 taps over November 2007)
- The difference is “Backwash Water” …(13.7%). We purchased 515,800 gals. of water from MSM this month.
- 52.7% of this water came from wells
- 4.8% of this water came from Mt. St. Mary’s
- 42.5% of this water came from Rainbow Lake

Wastewater:

Staff shut-down the overland treatment system in mid December for the season
We received about 5.1 inches of precipitation this month (the average is 3.3 inches)
- We have a deficit of 2.3″ of precipitation over the last six months. The average precipitation for the period from July 1 thru December 31 is 22.1″ and we have received 19.8″ for that period.
Wastewater Treatment:
- We treated an average of 682,000 gpd (consumed 295,877 gpd) which means that 43.4% of the wastewater treated this month was “wild water”.
- We experienced no spills of untreated sewerage during the month of December
- We exceeded the plant’s design capacity seven days during the month of December
12/2        935,000 gpd    12/9 892,000 gpd    12/15 1,285.000 gpd

12/16   2,169,000 gpd    12/17 860,000 gpd   12/30   1,183,000 gpd

12/31   1,062,000 gpd

Trash:

Trash pickup will remain Monday and Thursday for the Month of January, 2008

Parks:

Staff made all standard checks and emptied trash cans
Staff supervised the installation of the concrete slab for the new pavilion at the swimming pool

Meetings Attended:

12/04 meeting with the Town’s After School Program staff to review and discuss program operations
12/05 meeting with Mayor Hoover, Commissioner Blanchard and Chris Jakubiak to review and discuss the Planning Commission’s Comp Plan update efforts and needs
12/14 meeting Frederick County Planning Staff to review new water allocation plan requirements
12/19 meeting with land owner to discuss his commercial subdivision and related issues
12/20 met with staff and design engineers to review East Lincoln Ave. water and sanitary sewer rehab project

Emmitsburg November Managers report

emmitsburg — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 21:01:21 +0000

Report:

Town Manager’s ReportNovember 2007

Prepared by David Haller

Streets:

Staff installed swags on Main St. and decorated the town square for Christmas
Staff has repaired a number of street lights
Staff painted yellow curbs & striped a number of streets
Staff installed crusher run along the edges of Bunker Hill Drive’s new paving
Staff installed and decorated the Town Christmas tree

Water:

Rainbow Lake is now 3.1 feet below the spillway (down 0.4 feet from last month) and our five wells have dropped a total of thirty-nine (39) feet – an average of 7.8 feet each (which is up 4.4 feet from last month) from July 23, 2007 until December 10, 2007
The roughing filters are now being backwashed three times per day and the DE filters are being done once per week
The recently instituted water use restrictions which prohibit all outdoor water use are starting to show some results, daily consumption has dropped by 44,372 gpd over the last two months
Water production and consumption. We produced and purchased an average of 3346,068. We consumed an average of 274,068 gpd (down 2,049 gpd)
- The difference is “Backwash Water” …(20.8%). We purchased 736,400 gals. of water from MSM this month.
- 49.9% of this water came from wells
- 7.1% of this water came from Mt. St. Mary’s
- 43.0% of this water came from Rainbow Lake

Wastewater:

We have experienced another sewer back-up at MH-94 in Emmit Gardens, this back-up was again due to a grease buildup in that sewer main. Staff hopes to bring you a draft ordinance which will address our grease trap problem within the next three months
We received about 2.6 inches of precipitation this month (the average is 3.8 inches)
- We have a deficit of 6.2″ of precipitation over the last six months. The average precipitation for the period from June 1 thru November 30 is 23.1″ and we have received 16.9″ for that period.
Wastewater Treatment:
- We treated an average of 352,000 gpd (consumed 278,068 gpd) which means that 0.0% of the wastewater treated this month was “wild water”.
- We experienced no spills of untreated sewerage during the month of November
- We exceeded the plant’s design capacity one day during the month of November

Trash:

Trash pickup will remain Monday and Thursday for the Month of December, 2007

Parks:

Staff installed a new picnic table and grill in Community Park
Staff supervised the installation of additional new fencing at the Little League field in Memorial Park
Staff performed some additional repairs at the swimming pool
Staff removed a picnic table from the swimming pool which was thrown into the pool by vandals

Meetings Attended:

11/05 with a citizen related to meetings with developers and park benches
11/05 with CASS to discuss transportation needs in our community
11/06 meeting with MSM to discuss our water contract
11/07 Emergency Management task force meeting
11/08 meeting with MSM and PNC Bank to discuss and review possible bonding issue
11/09 MDE water & sewer rate setting seminar
11/13 meeting with property owner to discuss possible land uses and regulations
11/14 meeting with DNR to discuss and review reforestation requirements related projects
11/20 budget and audit review meeting
11/29 meeting with After-School Program staff to review program needs and operation
11/29 MML legislative update and dinner meeting

List of prior months’ Town Manager’s reports

Emmitsburg Town Manager May 2007 Report

emmitsburg — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 21:51:09 +0000

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

My Million Dollar Idea

emmitsburg — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 16:46:24 +0000

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

Sunday Morning Hymn

emmitsburg — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 18:33:03 +0000

Here is the Sunday Morning Hymn:Come, thou almighty King,help us thy Name to sing, help us to praise!Father all glorious, over all victorious,come and reign over us, Ancient of Days!Come, thou incarnate Word,gird on thy mighty sword,our prayer attend!Come, and thy people bless, and give thy word success,Spirit of holiness, on us descend!Come, holy Comforter,thy sacred witness bear in this glad hour.thou who almighty art, now rule in every heart,and ne’er from us depart, Spirit of power!To Thee, great One in Three,Eternal praises be, hence evermore.Thy sovereign majesty may we in glory see,and to eternity love and adore!

Words: Collection of Hymns for Social Worship, 1757Music: Moscow (Italian Hymn)

Water on a Sidewalk? By worlds greatest sidewalk artist.

emmitsburg — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 13:00:02 +0000

Rick Lee of rickleephoto.com posted some pictures of the sidewalk artist painting a water fall.

Water Water Everywhere

emmitsburg — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 12:51:42 +0000

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
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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

Summer Solstice Sunrise over Mason-Dixon Line

emmitsburg — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:50:21 +0000

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.