The following post was submitted by Christine Perry of Mt. Airy
Let the buyer beware. Colleen Colvin’s letter to the Times on April 18 confirms the suspicion among Mt. Airy town residents – we have not heard the last from the landowners of the failed South I-70 Annexation.
Colvin brings up some valid points; she states that the next council need be intelligent and tenacious enough to deal with complicated issues on the county and the state level and also endorses two individuals, Dave Pyatt and Chris Everich, both outspoken advocates of this reckless annexation. I hope nobody has forgotten that these families in the South I-70 stiffed the town for half of a $22,000 legal bill because they did not feel they should have to pay.
Not to my surprise, it appears that Colvin is banking to get Everich and Pyatt into office so they can join with Scott Strong to form a three person voting bloc that will throw caution to the wind and annex these folks once and for all. My opinion is only confirmed by seeing Pyatt and Everich’s campaign signs sit on the property of Dr. Paul Burkett’s dental practice. Burkett is a landowner in the South I-70 area and his interest best served by having Pyatt and Everich elected.
I am glad that Ms. Colvin brings up her concerns regarding the issue of Plan Maryland. Councilmen Pyatt, Strong and Helt recently approved an application to submit to the State of Maryland for sustainable community designation. This designation is tied to Plan Maryland, two principles of which are public transportation and equitable, affordable housing. How can we be assured as town residents, that if the state dangles the money applied for in front of these men, the same thing Colvin is so concerned about, will come to fruition? Mount Airy will certainly become similar to Gaithersburg, Germantown or Frederick.
Lastly, Colvin states in her
letter that in a July 2009 issue of the
Gazette, Everich was quoted as saying,
"the proposed business parks [in the
South I-70 area] will destroy the
character of this community."
Everich is currently advocating annexing the Harrison-Leishear property on
Route 27 at the corner of North Main Street to build a community center. This annexation includes a proposed business
park. Won’t this business park destroy
the character of the community too? What
hypocrisy! Mr. Everich seems to pose a
risky vote to this community by his political flip flopping and pandering to
earn support.
"We need to send a message-The time has come for the dysfunction of our debate to change." ~Mary Rice
The following letter was submitted by Mary Rice of Mt. Airy
Elections are fast approaching for the three available positions on the Mount Airy Town Council.I dare to speculate that most of the voters probably don't even know any of these candidates or have had any experience dealing with them in any arena.How then do voters make the right choices?
When I know I've chosen wisely, I feel at peace with myself.I've done my research, I've talked to people who KNOW the candidates, I'm INFORMED.I want someone with leadership skills, experience, common sense, and a person with a proven track record.I am voting for Bob King.
I had the pleasure of meeting Bob King 15 years ago when he was elected as the President of the Mount Airy Youth Athletic Association (MAYAA).I sat on the Board with him as the Secretary and came to know the man I respect today as a leader committed to excellence.I watched him within a 30-day time frame, integrate 3,000 children into the program who had been left hanging when the Mt Airy Rec Council suddenly disbanded.
He took over MAYAA with over $30,000 worth of bills while looking at a balance of only $10.86 in the account, spear-headed a new budget for the coming year and strictly adhered to it.He oversaw the re-writing of the association's by-laws and most importantly possessed the qualities to build a positive and healthy environment for all the children with the ultimate goal of building their character.Our Town Council will surely benefit from the same.
As a member of the Mount Airy Board of Parks and Recreation Bob began to see that a handful of MAYAA members and the newly-formed Four County Little League members were at odds with each other over ball-field usage and disrupting the monthly meetings with their attacks on each other.Bob's desire for civility compelled him to hold meetings in his living room where the fuses were quickly diminished.Good leaders remain calm and composed during the journey through storms and emotions.
Once again, our Town Council would certainly benefit from his ability to maintain his composure under any circumstance and give everyone the genuine respect they deserve, even if they disagree.
Bob has been on the board for Parks & Recs since 1997, holding the position of Chairman for the last 7 years.He remains active in the community in this capacity, implementing family events including Camp Night and Movie Night, held at Watkins Park, and Shakespeare in the Park at Wildwood.His desire to keep Mount Airy a place that has that small-town feel is strong and close to his heart.
Bob has been involved in the planning and design of the Old National Pike Park, a member of the Windy Ridge Park Master Plan Committee, and maintains an active role in town council meetings.
Bob was the manager of 250+ people at a number of Giant Food Grocery Stores for over 25 years and has been a small business owner for 24 years.Anyone familiar with running your own business knows you are manager, accountant, buyer, marketing, human resources, quality control, the list is endless.You do it all.
Bob King has a proven record of leadership, experience, common sense and the desire to keep Mount Airy the best it can be for all people.He epitomizes determination, fairness, and civility.I am voting for Bob King on May 7th.I am asking you to vote for Bob, too.We need to send a message that the time has come for the dysfunction of our debate to change.
Every citizen or business owner has the right to put ANY candidates sign on their property or in their window! It’s their choice, not to mention, their right. But be careful, Mount Airy. If you’re paying attention, you’ll notice signs popping up, and then signs disappearing. Why? Because the kind folks in our Town have been asked to “please remove THAT SIGN” from their yards. In one case, someone has contacted a corporate office to report the business and the owner was forced to remove the candidates sign from their window.
Oh, and then we have the Carroll County Times letter to the editor from my friend, Susie Cole. Susie, where have you been? Haven’t heard from you since 2010! You see, Susie is not a Town resident, but she feels compelled to tell the Town residents who they should vote for, since she can't vote. Really, Susie? Our residents are much smarter than that.
When those with opposing views use their power and authority to ask law abiding, free citizens to “please take a sign down,” we are entering into scary territory. Reporting businesses to their corporate offices isn’t exactly conducive to creating a friendlier business environment, is it? What is this? Nazi, Germany? Doesn’t feel so quaint or charming anymore, does it? If anyone thinks they will win the election based on how much they intimidate others to put a sign up, or take a sign down, they’re sadly mistaken.
We’re all sick and tired of hearing candidates berate each other. We want candidates with a Pro-the People, and Pro- Mt. Airy, mind set. We want solutions.Never mind all this talk about Pro-Growth quorums and “friends with the developers.” Bob King said it right in his Blog post, We Deserve Better.
Pro-Growth and Pro-Developer are terms that have been used over the past 6 years to scare residents. However, I am not pro-growth. I am pro- Mount Airy. My philosophy is that we must all work together. The business community, the development community, the residential communities and the government. We all have a stake in the outcome and the future of our Town.
Shame on you, Susie Cole. Shame on you, Todd Eudy.And the rest, you know who you are. Shame on you for intimidating residents and using the same old antics, scare tactics and bullying to get what you want.
At the end of the day, it’s the little check mark in a box that will determine this election, not a sign on a lawn. At the end of the day, suchbehavior will leave a sour taste in the mouths of residents who only wish for peace and prosperity, and for some to stop clinging to the days of hate and anti-rhetoric towards anything with the word “growth.” At the end of the day, it will be the one thing people remember when it’s time to put a check mark next to your name, or decide to skip over it and put a check mark next to the candidates who stand with them, not over them.
Leave the citizens alone! Let them decide what they want to post in their windows and on their properties!
I knew it would happen soon, I just didn't know when or who would be the culprit of the innuendo that Bob King is pro-growth. Nothing could be further from the truth. Todd Eudy has never met with me and talked to me about my opinions on growth so I find it interesting as to how he knows my feelings on the subject.
I am fully aware of the findings of the recent Mt. Airy Needs Assessment prepared by Mt. Airy BeLocal and the 2007 Survey completed by the Growth and Development Task Force. The citizens of Mt. Airy are not interested in any residential growth that is not supported with infrastructure upgrades; neither am I. This is my home, too.
Let me tell you what I am interested in and what I do stand for.
#1) I am interested in the findings of the BeLocal survey that suggests the citizens would like to see more of a variety of business in Town. There are vacant buildings and empty lots. The Town should actively be seeking potential opportunities to fill these spaces with thriving businesses to serve our neighbors while strengthening our commercial tax base. This will also provide jobs for both our residents and our growing teenage demographic.
#2) I am interested in the continued revitalization of our downtown. Several plans have been presented to our Planning Commission concerning the Rail Yard and the F&M Bank building. Once the requirements of our Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance have been met by the owner, approved by the Planning Commission and the Town Council, construction should begin.
#3) I am interested in improving our infrastructure, ensuring we have adequate water supply now and in the future and discussing traffic on Main Street and other areas of Town. I am interested in resurrecting the idea of the Rising Ridge Road Connector that will relieve traffic on Main Street and Rt.27 and create another north/south artery as an alternative.
#4) I know that the supporters of the current administration consider me to be a "wild card;" they are not sure if my vote will be conducive to their agenda, therefore they want to portray me as pro-growth as a scare tactic. Pro-Growth and Pro-Developer are terms that have been used over the past 6 years to scare residents. However, I am not pro-growth. I am pro- Mount Airy. My philosophy is that we must all work together. The business community, the development community, the residential communities and the government. We all have a stake in the outcome and the future of our Town.
#5) I am interested in beginning the discussion of a community center. It is what most people stated they would like to see. With everything else there needs to be open, honest , transparent and civil discussion on what we want and how we intend to pay for it.
#6) I am interested in finally, after more than a decade, seeing the Rails to Trails project come to fruition. I am interested in bringing together all the players that need to make it happen, reaching consensus and moving forward.
#7) I am interested in finding solutions. Solutions can only come from frank and civil discussions, and this letter from Mr. Eudy does not make for a good start to frank and civil discussion. As to the conversation on civility, this does not mean that if we disagree with others on the Town Council that we are uncivil. Civility is the manner in which the discussion is handled. Constant interruptions by others, attack style tactics, mus-characterization of statements and individuals, frequent berating from supporters at meetings are just some of the ways that those that claim to have the higher ground when dealing with dissent have acted. This is what must be curtailed. I was taught manners as a very small child, and will use those teachings in every situation.
Mr. Eudy, until you have sat down with me, and can say with certainty that you know who I am, you know about my philosophy and my beliefs, you have zero credibility. You have allowed yourself to be strung along by those who insist we go back to the attack days of the past; the days that tore this town apart. I will have nothing to do with tearing down my fellow candidates; I will not play along with your game of deceit. Truth always wins. Integrity always prevails. Honesty is always the best policy. Character is what our Town is made of. On your next rampage, I hope you will think twice about writing a letter about Bob King.
Thank you to the Mt. Airy Blog for allowing this post.
It’s All About Civility as Mount Airy Enters a New Political Season
The question on most residents’ minds is will this be a dog eat dog race as usual in Mount Airy? Or is it high time for Mount Airy’s elected officials to work together for the future and good of its residents?
It’s not a secret that Mount Airy is known for its contentious political battles. Mount Airy has always been divided by a county line, however, over the past seven years, the divide has grown deeper, often rearing its ugly head every month at the town council table. In fact, in the recent Town Needs Assessment the number one concern on residents’ minds is the lack of civility in town government.
Many residents are concerned about the constant never-ending personal attacks via the editorial pages, email and face-to-face exchanges at town council meetings. When leaders are constantly at each other’s throats, it hurts the reputation of the town.
Councilman, David Blais The Mount Airy Blog took a long vacation this summer, but we're back! Get ready for more posts and great information about what's happening around Mount Airy! Every month over at Want 2 Dish? a Mount Airy neighbor is featured. This month, get to know Mount Airy Councilman, David Blais. Meet Your Neighbor Series....Want2Dish?
Transparency and the truth. That’s what Americans want. And that’s certainly what the residents of Mount Airy want. It seems like the more we push for the truth, the more our Mayor and certain members of the Council and other Commissions push the other way.
I applaud Council Members Blais and Peters for having the courage to address the ramifications of balancing the budget with “reserve” funds has on the long term viability of the Town. As residents we should be questioning why the other council members aren’t doing the same.
Councilwoman Peters does a great job of responding to my friend Mr. Blatchford’s “Reserve funds needed for use ” Carroll County Times, May 24th. See Ms. Peters response.
The problem starts with referring to the Town’s “reserve” funds as a “savings” account. These funds aren’t just a simple “savings” account. These funds are primarily impact fees collected from developers during Mt. Airy’s boom plus interest earned over the past two decades. Real emergencies may constitute dipping into the funds, however compensating for a deficit in the budget due to raising salaries of Town employees doesn’t constitute an emergency, does it?
Council Members Peters and Blais repeatedly stressed they could not support dipping into “reserve” funds merely to balance the general operating budget with no long term plan to fix the deficit problem. What will we do next year if the deficit problem is not addressed? Instead of questioning council members Blais and Peters, perhaps we should be questioning the Mayor’s ability to manage the Town’s budget. Do we have a revenue problem, or a spending problem? And what is the Mayor doing to solve the problem?
--On Economic Development, Our Commercial Tax Base and Living Where You Work..
Perhaps it's time for a new survey?
It appears we have a Mayor who really isn’t getting the big picture of why economic development is so important for Mount Airy. At February 23rd's special meeting of the Economic Development Commission and the Town Council, the Mayor said>>
“I don't see a huge push or need for Economic Development beyond what we already have, we already have a good mix.”
There in lies the problem.
The philosophy of the Mayor, 2 councilman (Pyatt and Strong) and the entire Planning and Zoning Board towards the “greedy developers” is ‘go away.’ The Mayor also said>>
“We need economic development and the business here more as a convenience.”
He went on to say that the residents need to make more of an “effort” to support local businesses to ensure their survival. He states>>
"How we can help our residents and these businesses is to foster these businesses only as a convenience. If we don't support the businesses here in Mount Airy, those conveniences will go away. What I think EDC should focus on to help to foster these businesses and keep them thriving is a shop where you live campaign. We can educate these people, because if we don't frequent these businesses, we're not going to have them. I think that will help build our commercial tax base and keep our businesses thriving."
Really?
Don’t get me wrong; I try to frequent our local businesses as much as possible. I would hope other residents do the same; I mean, who wants to drive to Frederick, Columbia or Germantown? But the Mayor has it all wrong. It’s not the resident’s responsibility to patronize local businesses in order for them to survive. I, along with my fellow residents make our own choices when it comes to shopping for groceries, gas, eating out etc. It's a free society. That’s how it works.
Oh and by the way Mr. Mayor, encouraging a shop where you live campaign in town is just one component of EDC. Shopping here in Town will not grow the commercial tax base.Only new businesses opening their doors will add to the commercial tax base.
It’s the Town’s responsibility and in the Town’s best interest to ensure the Town remains a viable, attractive and welcoming place to start a business. A diversified business sector brings additional foot traffic for other businesses and creates a climate that would entice residents to make the choice to stay local more often.
The word “developer” is a bad word in this town, and the development community has been treated very poorly. Half the residents in this Town wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the development community and for the good hearted life long residents who said YES to us moving to their Town to raise our kids and open our businesses.
EDC Commission member Frank Dertzbaugh said “If we can’t at least bring potential investors in the door, and get them through at least a concept, then they will lose interest with all the other hurdles they will have along the way which are many.”
It’s an uphill battle to even get a project to the concept stage. It has become the mission of this administration and the Planning and Zoning Commission to create an atmosphere of negativity with no creative out of the box solutions to infrastructure challenges.
It's no secret that Mount Airy has a water issue...it's been that way for nearly two decades. The truth? These Town officials don’t want to find water. They don’t want to find a solution. The Mayor said so himself>>
"We have water for every resident in Mt. Airy now; I don't see a huge deficiency. I don't think we need big ground water and that's one of the things I campaigned on. We don't need these big resources. We have water resources.Now we need some more to build out center street. We are limited and I don't think we need to take great gains to change what we already have."
How quickly we forget when we hit a dry spell? If it were really up to them, they would seal the Mt. Airy borders. Perhaps they should just build a fence?
EDC member Mike VantSant said "there are a couple of very key things in the enabling legislation, and one that jumps right out at me is to promote the ability to work closer to home.” To which the Mayor replied>>
"A lot of people had a choice when they moved to Mount Airy of places to live and working the same area, while that can be some what desirable, I don't think that's the number one desire of the people that live here, to have their job immediately adjacent to where they work."
Wow! I'll say it again.. Really?
The Mayor is out of touch with reality and with most residents and business owners in this Town. If we have the opportunity to work closer to home, most people would jump on that, that doesn't mean we want to become an "employment hub." It just means that we create more opporutnity whether it means more jobs for our Teens, stay at home Moms or business professionals.
Most businesses are eager to see business development. Businesses want to grow. They want the town to be a place where prospective business owners can come and be treated with respect, given an honest process and not subject to the political BS of the almighty Planning and Zoning commission.
Businesses in Mt. Airy-if you want to grow and prosper, it’s time to take a stand against the unorthodox treatment of our development community. Stand up if you believe Planning and Zoning, Economic Development, and the Town Council should all work in concert to create an atmosphere that is conducive for economic growth and vitality in our small Town.
Today I am sharing a letter from my friend, Rita Misra. Rita and I share similar passions regarding schools and recreation as it relates to small town life.
Four years ago, I definitely would not have called Rita my friend. Rita was a staunch advocate against the ever famous Zeltman annexation that I strongly supported.
We were both able to see past those differences and quickly reach consensus when we worked together on the Committee for Schools. While analyzing the possibility of bringing a regional school to Mount Airy, we recognized right away that although our challenges in each county were indeed different, we both shared the same philosophy and ideology; bringing schools within the communities they serve.
Over the past four years I have gotten to know Rita and have come to greatly respect her views and advocacy for our Town. I am proud to call Rita my friend.
The same goes for many people in Town who I have come to know after the 2006 election. We have such a vibrant community filled with many residents who feel very strongly about the Town they so love. It is for that reason I feel compelled to reach out to each and every citizen of this great Town and emphasize that we must come together. I have said it this in many public statements; we must stop drawing lines in the sand.
Rita originally wrote this letter to the editor of the Carroll County Times and the Frederick News Post. However, they are no longer accepting letters regarding Mount Airy's election. Rita agreed to allow me to publish this message on the Mount Airy Blog.
Thank you Rita!
Peters Better Qualified to Manage the Town
I live in Mt. Airy.In 2005 I actively opposed the Zeltman annexation because I believed the agreement tied to it did not account for the impacts associated with bringing substantially more homes to town.
On Monday, I will be voting for one of the Council members who supported that annexation, Wendi Peters, in her bid for Mayor.Let me try and explain why:
Both mayoral candidates are good neighbors and both should be honored for their years of dedicated service on behalf of the town. But at this juncture, I believe Ms. Peters is better qualified to manage the town and bring more voices to the table.
Ms. Peters did not move to Mt. Airy to “get away” from anywhere.She grew up in Mt. Airy, went to school to get a political science degree and train as a paralegal, and then returned to raise her son in the house in which she was raised.Although her son attends Frederick County schools she graduated from South Carroll High; this gives her unique insight into the complexities of improving facilities and services in a town split between two counties.Ms. Peters has also witnessed, firsthand, the transformation of Mt. Airy from a small rural town to what some now describe as a bedroom community.I believe she understands the challenges associated with preserving all of our existing neighborhoods, while enhancing opportunities, and keeping taxes low.
I am concerned by the lack of rigor and consistency in the recommendations made by the other mayoral candidate during his recent term on the Planning and Zoning Commission.For example, last year P&Z recommended against the annexation of an 8 acre parcel that has long been designated as future growth area, surrounded by densely developed property within town.P&Z decided this parcel should only be annexed as “passive open space'” effectively shutting the door to proposed economic and recreational opportunity that the majority of citizens have consistently expressed the desire for.Only months later, P&Z recommended annexation of a 600 acre parcel that was never included in the town’s Master Plan, which includes no open spaces designated for public use, but which includes over 200 homes, aging roads, and a variety of commercial entities.Furthermore, it was recommended that the 600 acres be annexed under zoning that encourages low density residential sprawl.
At a time when revenues are plummeting and public safety and educational funding is being cut, I believe it is more important than ever to elect a mayor who will bring together a broad cross section of citizens, staff, county and state representatives, and even investors, so that we can preserve the best of what we have and pave the way for a brighter future for our children.
