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Thurmont officials discuss new streetlights, phone system [The Frederick News-Post, Md. :: ](Frederick News-Post (MD) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) July 30--THURMONT -- Town officials discussed new streetlights and a new phone system for the new town hall Tuesday night. No decisions were made on those items at the meeting. During the discussion of the phone system, Town Commissioner Wes Hamrick, who works for AT&T, recused himself and left the meeting room to avoid any conflict of interest in the town's review of telephone systems. Jim Richards, of Catoctin Lighting, provided a presentation of various streetlight designs. Richards said an initial concept plan would include 13 streetlights from the town square on Main Street east to Center Street. That plan will probably be altered when considering trees and utility poles on both sides of the street. Mayor John Kinnaird said it would be prudent to think about the potential cost of putting lights eventually on West Main and Church streets. The lights could cost between $2,000 and $3,000 each. The State Highway Administration will redo sidewalks in the town on those streets, and it would be best to decide on a light design and placement so the base sites for the light poles could be placed with the new sidewalks, said Jim Humerick, Thurmont's chief administrative officer. Humerick said he would look into possible grant money from the state for the lighting. The commissioners agreed new lighting, which would improve safety and enhance the appearance of Main Street, will be worth the cost. The poles would be able to accommodate flag holders and fixtures to hold banners. Richards said the newer lights, using light-emitting diode bulbs, would cut power costs considerably and require less maintenance. Richards will look into the cost of the lights and work on a more detailed plan for placement of the lights. Humerick recommended a voice-over Internet protocol telephone system for the new town hall but is awaiting bids for the system. The VOIP system would eliminate current problems such as dropped calls or poor audio service in the existing town hall phones. Kinnaird said communication with the public and among town officials and staff is key to town operations. A new system would allow linking town hall phones to cellphones, conference call ability, and the ability to forward calls and leave messages for the public, such as when an emergency is being handled. Town staff would not have to keep answering the phone while trying to work on the power loss or water main break. Town officials did vote to send a letter of support to the National Park Service to change the name of Catoctin Mountain Park to Catoctin Mountain National Park. Mel Poole, park superintendent, said adding the "national" to the name adds prestige, will bring in more tourists and help eliminate the confusion between Catoctin and Cunningham Falls State Park. ___ (c)2014 The Frederick News-Post (Frederick, Md.) Visit The Frederick News-Post (Frederick, Md.) at www.fredericknewspost.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |