THURMONT — Next spring, Thurmont residents may see a change in water and sewer billing procedures.
Now, utility costs can be billed either to the building’s occupant — often a renter — or the property owner, according to town staff. But a recent rash of tenants running up high tabs before moving out and leaving the unsuspecting landlord to foot the bill may be cause for change.
Most other municipalities place utility accounts in the property owner’s name, leaving no chance of getting stuck with a big bill without his or her knowledge, Thurmont Chief Administrative Officer Bill Blakeslee told the mayor and Board of Commissioners on Monday night.
The new process would be cleaner, Mayor Marty Burns said.
“Most landlords we’ve spoken to have no problem with it,” Blakeslee said. “I think in the long run they would prefer it.”
The town is planning to hold a public hearing next month to gauge residents’ reactions.
Snow emergency plan
In preparation for winter weather, the town is close to nailing down a snow emergency plan that will make room for road plowing.
Soon, Blakeslee expects to make a recommendation to the mayor and board that certain areas of town be designated “no parking” zones while the emergency plan is in effect; other roads may allow parking on only one side of the street.
During recent meetings between town staff and the public, some residents expressed concern, Blakeslee said, about not having enough off-street parking to move their vehicles out of the way of snowplows.
“Some of us have no off-street parking,” Commissioner John Kinnaird said during Monday’s meeting.
The issue, Burns said, is not being able to clear the snow off the road, but freeing up the space for plow operators to drive.
“The real issue,” he said, “is being able to get emergency vehicles down the road.”
Commissioner Ron Terpko agreed, saying that while he realizes it may be an inconvenience for some, there will be problems if an ambulance or a firetruck can’t navigate the streets.
When the commissioner needs a space to park his family’s five cars — his home has a two-car driveway — he pulls them onto his lawn, out of the street.
Sympathetic to the common issue in a town where many homes don’t have driveways, Kinnaird suggested the plan be voluntary for the first couple of snow incidents, to see how it works out.
“I want to say that the desire and our guidance would be to tow and ticket (as a) last resort,” Burns said. “I want to have some teeth potentially for those who say, ‘There’s no enforcement, I don’t have to move.'”
Blakeslee is waiting to hear back from a local business that may allow some room for cars in its private parking area.
“Some people will honestly not be able to find off-street parking,” Kinnaird said. “If it’s not within a block or so, there are a group of elderly people that won’t be able to move their cars.”
A final plan has not yet been implemented, though Kinnaird said he wanted to get the ball rolling.
“We’ve already had one snowfall this year,” he said.
New appointees
The mayor and Board of Commissioners on Monday filled vacant positions on the following town commissions:
Planning and Zoning Commission: Sabrina Massett.
Police Commission: Patrick Hait.
Ethics Commission: Jack Campbell and Mary Hollomon.
Copyright 2011 The Frederick News-Post. All rights reserved.
