Friday, May 26, 2023 | Issue 22

In Observance of Memorial Day, Town Hall will be Closed on Monday, May 29, 2023.

At the Town Commissioners' Meeting on May 23rd, the Board of Commissioners appointed Jackie Akers to fill the vacancy.

Jackie has been a resident of our Cool Springs community since 2019. Her family is currently serving Active Duty in the Army and will be retiring here. She is employed by the Department of Defense and works at Aberdeen Proving Ground with Emergency Operations, Real Property, DPW and other stakeholders to oversee many aspects of community life for those who live and work on the installation. Her knowledge and experience from her role on APG will be a great addition to the Board and the Town.

We look forward to working with Jackie, and hope you will join us in welcoming her. Congratulations, Commissioner Akers!

Façade Improvement Grant

The Façade Improvement Program supports exterior façade projects to recover and promote the integrity of the buildings and improve the visual characteristics of the Town’s Sustainable Community Area (please see attached map).

Some Eligibility requirements include:

• Applicants must use licensed home improvement contractors for all work or may elect to complete the work themselves.
• Maximum grant award is $5,000.00 per property.
• Applicants are encouraged to provide a contribution toward the project. Contributions can be monetary, materials, and/or labor. 

Eligible projects include:

• Door and window replacement/repair
• Porch and step replacement/repair
• Painting
• Masonry repair
• Roof repair

Please see link to application and other guidelines.

APPLICATIONS DUE TO TOWN HALL ON OR BEFORE JUNE 2, 2023, AT 4:00 PM

Have you noticed our new Town banners yet?

We want to thank our incredible maintenance staff, who have been working hard to put up our new banners throughout Town. It's still a work in progress, but we are so excited with the results so far!

We take pride in where we live and the communities that make up Charlestown, and we want to show it! So far, the banners are displayed along Baltimore, Bladen and Water Streets, but they'll soon be displayed on the North-side of Town, as well. The banners will let visitors know that they've entered Charlestown, that we are proud of our Town, and that we are worth exploring. After all, we were the first town in Cecil County to be founded in 1742, and we have a rich history.

Did you know that we offer walking tours of our Historic District? There will be another tour planned for Fall 2023, which is open to the public, but we also offer private tours throughout the year. To set up a tour, contact Town Hall. More information about our history and the walking tours can be found on our website at https://www.charlestownmd.org/charlestown-history/.

The Town is currently seeking to fill a Part-Time Park Ranger position to work seasonally from May to September.

Click here to view the job ad for details.

If interested, kindly forward resume with experience and job history to Bryan Lightner, blightner@charlestownmd.org.

The board currently has a vacancy and is looking for an interested candidate to participate for a three-year term.

Are you interested in the Town's historic district ordinance and willing to share the responsibility of revising it, along with creating a Historic Preservation Plan, in order to help implement a shared vision for the Historic District? If so, we would welcome your service!

The Commissioners may appoint by a majority vote, a candidate who is willing to serve in this capacity.

If interested in joining the Board, please contact Bryan Lightner, Town Administrator, at 410-287-6173, ext. 2, or via email at blightner@charlestownmd.org.

We've made some changes to our schedule for Bulk Trash Collection. From May to August, collections will be on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of every month. Collections from September to April will continue to be on the last Wednesday and Thursday of every month. Sometimes, however, collection days will fall into the following month, so please check our Bulk Trash Collection schedule at the bottom of this email for exact dates.

As a reminder, if your collection day is on Wednesday, please place your bulk items separate from regular household trash bins so there aren't any issues with collections. Household trash is collected by Trash Tech, and bulk items are collected by Town Maintenance staff.

Please contact Town Hall at (410) 287-6173, ext. 5, to schedule your collection. Thank you!

The future flooding models have been completed for the Watershed Master Plan, and it's now time for us to try to understand the results, so we can begin to develop solutions that benefit entire neighborhoods, not just individual properties.

Please consider attending the upcoming community workshop on June 5th to give your feedback on shared solutions and priority projects. We'll also be posting videos of the different flooding scenarios on our project website next week.

Pull up your pant legs and wade into the North East River to measure water quality using the "sneaker index." This free event is fun for all ages, rain or shine!

The entrance to Foot Log Park is located at the intersection of Bladen and Conestoga Streets.

More information to follow.

All meetings held at Town Hall, unless otherwise noted, and via Zoom.

Meeting Dates

Historic District Commission

Held on the 1st Tuesday of the month at 6:00pm.

• Next Meeting: June 6, 2023

Planning & Zoning Commission

Held on the 1st Thursday following the 1st Tuesday of the month at 6:00pm.

• Next Meeting: June 8, 2023

Town Commissioners

Held every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 6:00pm.

• Next Meeting: June 13, 2023 (Legislative)

Bulk Trash Collection

Schedule for May thru August:

South of Route 7 - Last Tuesday of the Month

North of Route 7 - Last Wednesday of the Month

Town Hall must be notified by 4pm the day prior.

Next Collection: May 30 & 31, 2023

Yard Waste Collection

Every 2nd and 4th Monday of the month.

No need to notify Town Hall.

Next Collection: June 12, 2023

Household Trash & Recyclables Collection

Every Wednesday, starting at 6am.

Place trash and recyclable bins at your curb the night before.

All holidays included, unless otherwise noted.