Historic Downtown Westminster Farmers' Market

It was a beautiful morning at the Historic Downtown Westminster Farmers' Market. Sat., August 7, 2021.

Vaccination Clinic Sat. July 24, 2021 9 a.m. – 12 noon.

Vaccination Clinic Sat. July 24, 2021 9 a.m. – 12 noon.

The location for the vaccine is 160 S. Center Street Westminster, MD 21157.

Do you know family or friends that still need to be vaccinated?

Fairview UMC, Strawbridge UMC, Union Memorial Baptist Church, Union Street United Methodist Church, and West Falls Christian Community Church have joined with The Carroll County NAACP and the Carroll County Health Department to bring our community the COVID Vaccine because we know how important it is.

We are offering a free vaccine on July 24, 2021 to ages 12 and over. Come out and join us from 9:00am - 12:00pm. The location for the vaccine is 160 S. Center Street Westminster, MD 21157.

We Stand Together Because - We know the importance of Our Community

We Stand Together Because - Brown people matter

We Stand Together Because - It's not over!

https://www.facebook.com/kevindayhoff/posts/10222784743980766

Can you hear me now?

Decommissioned

Westminster Water Main Break, Sunday evening. July 18, 2021

Update: 7:30 p.m. Sunday evening. July 18, 2021 - After some preliminary investigation city workers determined that the small water leak needed some additional study before digging into the street and suspended operations this evening. The workers will deploy some leak detection equipment and revisit the leak tomorrow.  

Westminster Water Main Break, Sunday evening. July 18, 2021 - currently the City of Westminster is responding to a water main break at the corner of Anchor Street and Westmoreland Street. 

Crews first responded around 5 p.m. The break in the pipe has been located and crews are currently working to make the necessary repairs. The water will be temporarily turned-off while the repairs are taking place. We hope to have it repaired quickly. We thank for your patience, and we are sorry for the inconvenience.

 If the water is discolored when the water service is restored, let it run for a minute or two until it runs clear.

Grace Lutheran Church

Worship at Grace Lutheran Church. Sunday, July 11, 2021. This weekend we welcome our Interim Pastor Team, Pastor John Spangler and Pastor Becca Ajer Frantz.

This is the second in-person service with our interim pastor's: Pastor Becca and Pastor John. Pastor's Martha and Kevin Clementson retired in May. As of July 1, 2021, the CDC lifted most of the pandemic safety guidelines. 

In person services are held on Saturday at 5:00 pm in the Sanctuary and on Sunday at 10:00 am in Grace Hall. The online service can be viewed on YouTube Channel gracelc21 beginning at 8:00 am on Sunday.

The Westminster Fire Department, Westminster MD

The Westminster firehouse take a deep breath in the heat of Wednesday, July 7, 2021.

Sunset at Sandbridge 22Je2021 Set#1

Sunset at Sandbridge 22Je2021 Set#1

Please close the gate

Please close the gate

Double-decker kitty cats

Double-decker kitty cats

Classico Pizzeria Westminster MD.

Hi from Caroline, Grammy – Evelyn Babylon, and me.  We picked-up our dinner at Classico Pizzeria at the College Square Shopping Center. We loved our dinners. We each got one of the specials. Saturday, May 22, 2021.

Tiombe Paige at Cutivated

Caroline and I were happy to have a chance to stop by to see our friend and former neighbor, Tiombe Paige, at Cutivated in historic downtown Westminster. Next stop, Giulianova Groceria for pit beef sandwiches. It was a great day in historic downtown Westminster. May 22, 2021 Saturday.

Westminster Farmers’ Market

Westminster Farmers' Market - Saturday, May 22, 2021: Caroline and I enjoyed seeing so many friends at the Westminster Downtown Farmers' Market.

Westminster Downtown Farmers'Market

It is wonderful to have the Westminster Downtown Farmers' Market begin a new season. We saw so many friends and really enjoyed getting outside to spend time with local vendors. Hats off to the newly elected Mayor Mona Becker and looking forward to another season with the market's manager and huge downtown Main Street promoter Brooke Hagerty. Thanks for all your great leadership. Sat. May 15, 2021

April 23, 2021: Westminster budget workshop

Westminster mayor, council find way to raise salaries, fund new positions By KRISTEN GRIFFITH CARROLL COUNTY TIMES | APR 23, 2021 AT 5:00 AM

https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/news/cc-westminster-budget-20210423-wfu5m2qkknc5xemck63luuacei-story.html 

Westminster’s common council and mayor workshopped how to fund positions while also raising city employee salaries.

The group was faced with fulfilling position requests while also finding ways to adjust its pay structure. They agreed during a Monday budget work session to use federal funds and funds from a parking study to do both.

The council received requests to fund three new positions: a fulltime help desk attendant, which would cost $82,400 including benefits, and two equipment operators that would cost $71,000 each.

A firm the city hired to recommend adjustments to its pay structure, Evergreen Solutions, suggested positions be reclassified and to adjustment its pay structure by 3%, which would increase salaries of 92 employees. The firm gave three options on how to do that. However, those options would affect hiring new people.

Barbara Matthews, the city administrator, said option one is the most aggressive and would move employees to the midpoint pay raise. It would cost nearly $664,000, but it would not allow for new positions to be added. Option two would be the “middle of the road” and allow for the help desk attendant. It would cost about $557,000. Option three would be the least aggressive in moving employees to a midpoint range. It would cost just over $501,000, but it would allow for one equipment operator and the help desk assistant. None would allow for all three positions. Matthews recommended option one or two.

Mayor Joe Dominick suggested relying on an expected federal grant to fund budget items the grant allows and freeing up operating budget money to help with salaries and also fund all three positions.

The city is anticipating $15.6 million from the American Rescue Plan Act passed by the United States Congress under the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. Half the money is expected in about a month and the rest 30 days later.

Council President Gregory Pecoraro noted if they use the mayor’s suggestion, they could end up using reserved funds to balance the budget if they do not receive the federal money by the time the budget needs to be passed.

Matthews said it’s best to make decisions based on the information they have, and the full spending guidance for the federal money has not been released yet. She added option two is the “reasonable approach.” Lydia Colston, the city’s director of finance, agreed.

“I’m hesitant to make decisions based on what we believe can happen,” Colston said.

Dominick said budget planning is based on educated guesses and comes with a certain level of risk.

“This is another one, and I think it’s a safe bet,” he added.

Council member Tony Chiavacci agreed and also suggested option one. He said later in an interview that the city has enough money in its budgets to fulfil option one. And if by some reason the federal funding does not come through, the new positions would not be funded.

Council member Ben Yingling later noted there was $200,000 allocated for Wakefield Valley Park improvements though that project expects to have grant money. He said if they used those funds, they could pick option two and fund the help desk and one equipment operator position.

However, fellow council member Ann Gilbert suggested using the $190,000 that was assigned to fund a parking study they are “most likely not going to be using.”

“If we have $190,000 we could fund all three,” the mayor said about the positions.

“That would make me very happy,” council member Kevin Dayhoff said.

Chiavacci said in an interview the parking study could be funded later.

The city’s fiscal 2022 budget totals $62 million in revenue and $60.8 million in expenditures, which includes $30.6 million in the sewer fund, $17.1 million in the general fund, $6.5 million in the water fund, $5.2 million in the capital fund and $1.4 million in the fiber fund.

The budget allows for no change in property taxes and the revenue of Ting is insufficient to cover its debt service.

No comments were made during the first public hearing for the budget on Monday. The next public hearing is April 26, the same day as the public work session. The budget is expected to be adopted May 10.

Kristen Griffith

CONTACT  

________________________________________

Kristen J. Griffith covers community news with a focus on education for the Carroll County Times. Kristen came to Baltimore Sun Media from The Enterprise in St. Mary’s County where she was honored by a state press association as the Rookie of the Year. She earned a master’s degree American University and a bachelor’s degree from Wesley College.

20210423 Budget cct

+++ Dayhoff Westminster +++

Kevin Dayhoff for Westminster Authority Caroline Babylon, Treasurer.

Carroll County Times: www.tinyurl.com/KED-CCT

Baltimore Sun Carroll Eagle: http://tinyurl.com/KED-Sun

Westminster Patch: https://patch.com/users/kevin-e-dayhoff

Facebook Dayhoff for Westminster: https://www.facebook.com/DayhoffforWestminster/

Facebook: Kevin Earl Dayhoff: https://www.facebook.com/kevindayhoff

Dayhoff for Westminster: www.kevindayhoff.city

Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net

Dayhoff Carroll: www.kevindayhoff.org

Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/

Kevin Dayhoff Time Flies: www.kevindayhoff.info | https://kevindayhoff.wordpress.com/

Westminster Mayoral Candidates Forum 2021

The Community Media Center (CMC) partnered with the Carroll County Times to hold a virtual Westminster Mayoral Candidates Forum on 4/21/2021. Mr. Bob Blubaugh, editor of the Carroll County Times will serve as the moderator for the event.

Happy Easter.

Happy Easter

A Marine’s Easter dinner

A Marine's Easter dinner. Happy Easter and Semper Fi to all my brothers and sisters in uniform. God bless. Be safe out there.