(2/1) Happy 2022 Town of Walkersville! I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Holiday. I wanted to focus this month’s article on the need for citizen involvement on the Town’s various Boards and Committees.

The elected board called the Burgess and Commissioners are elected for three-year terms and the last election was September 2021 so those terms run through the first meeting in October 2024.

Then we have Boards and Commissions where citizens are appointed to serve.

The Planning Commission consists of seven members with one member being a liaison from the Burgess and Commissioners. Commissioner Tom Gilbert served from 2018-2021 as the commissioner liaison and Commissioner Michael McNiesh will begin serving as the liaison during this term. Citizens are appointed to this Board for a 5-year term. This Board handles site plan and subdivision plat review; development and review of planning and zoning-related code amendments; review and adoption of the Comprehensive Plan; and initiating planning and zoning studies. The Planning Commission has workshops on the Second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the meeting room at Town Hall and holds its regular monthly meeting on the Fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m..

The Board of Appeals consists of three members and an alternate. The terms of this Board’s members are three years. The Board of Appeals is a quasi-judicial board that is charged with the following: Hearing appeals involving a claim of administrative error with regard to the administration of the zoning ordinance, Granting variances of the zoning ordinance requirements when specific legal criteria are met; Reviewing land uses for which special exception approval is required by the Zoning Ordinance. The Board meets on an as-needed basis on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m..

The Parks Commission is a seven-member board with one member being a commissioner liaison. Commissioner Mary Ann Brodie Ennis is the Commissioner liaison. This Commission’s member terms are three years. This Board serves as advisors to the Burgess and Commissioners for policies and procedures for the use of all Town parks. The Parks Commission meets at 7pm on the 1st Wednesday of the month.

The Ethics Commission consists of three members serving for two-year terms. This board reviews and responds to complaints filed under the Towns ethics code and reviews all of the required filings that the Town Ethics code requires employees and other individuals to file annually. This Board meets as needed.

Economic Development Commission. This Commission was re-established in May and serves as an advisory board to the Burgess and Commissioners for issues tied to marketing of the Town to welcome businesses, advise on policies from zoning, land use, and grants to further Economic development within Walkersville. This Commission consists of a minimum of 5 and maximum of seven members appointed for three-year terms. Two members can be business owners in town who are not necessarily residents of the town and the rest of the board must be actual Walkersville residents. This Board meets at 7 p.m. on the 3rd Monday of the month.

The Town also has a Veteran’s committee that oversees the annual Veteran’s Day program at Memorial Park, and has organized a Veteran appreciation picnic, bus trips and other activities to support Walkersville area veterans. This committee meets as needed and its membership is not officially appointed by the Burgess and Commissioners.

If any of these commissions or groups are something you may be interested in, please send an email to town hall info@walkersvillemd.gov or call 301-845-4500. The Town would like to create a pool of candidates interested in these positions so that when openings occur, we would not have to wait to advertise, then review applications, then make appointments. So again, if interested let us know at Town hall and we can answer any questions you may have. Finally remember Town Burgess and Commissioner meetings begin at 7 now not 7:30 p.m. as was the past tradition.