Special to The Observer by Mayor Lance Dom

It seems like I’ve been mayor for ten years but I’m told it has only been one. For a town of about 803 permanent residents Shepherdstown is a very complicated, very active, and very interesting place. For a mayor, Shepherdstown is a lot of work. So, what has been going on? I would like to take some of your time to give you my perspective on that question and also tell you a little about what I see is in store for the future.

Two New Groups
Newly created this year are the Shepherdstown Historic Landmarks Commission (SHLC) and the Environmental Sustainability Committee. These two groups share a common goal of conservation—one, of our historic past and the architectural values that created this appealing town we call home, and the other, of our astonishingly complex and greatly endangered natural environment. Neither of these groups are invested with the spirit of telling other people what to do and how to behave. They are, rather, working hard to educate themselves and the rest of us how not to lose what is so precious in what we already have. Please give them your support. They are working on your behalf.

Streetscape Project
Coming up soon is the final proposal and exhibition of the streetscape plan that has been in the works for a long time. This means that by early spring construction will begin and we shall all have plenty to talk about. I will do my very best to oversee this critical project and to do everything possible to insure that it has the least possible impact on the daily life of the downtown area. The streetscape committee has been led admirably and has weathered a number of adverse circumstances without a losing sight of its goal. We may yet have walkable streets.

Town Hall
This fall we expect to move a big step forward with the plan to build a new and much needed town hall. We will be hosting a two-part competition, supported by your participation and input, to select a design firm that will be awarded the final contract. We are asking for a building which complements the town’s historic past and at the same time can serve as a modern example of the latest techniques in energy conservation.

Wastewater Treatment Facility
Additionally, we are moving closer to the time when we will begin construction on the new wastewater treatment facility, an approximately $10 million project that has been under exploration and review by the water and sewer boards for some time. The new facility will enable us to meet the increasing demand on our old system and the more stringent regulations designed to protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed. I expect construction to begin next year around this time. We have recently chosen Chapman Engineering to do the design and construction. Please note, it not only takes time and expertise to serve on these boards, it takes courage. You have been served well.

Planning Commission
With the explosion of growth in Jefferson County these past few years we have, like it or not, entered into a new phase of relations with the county. “Regional Planning” has become more than just a slogan; it is a necessity. All land is not real estate and much of it needs to be protected from development if we are to be good stewards of our region. And that part of our environment that is developed needs to meet some important criteria. One, it is more productive of community, of diversity, and long term environmental health to develop less land at higher density (like our own town) and to leave the rest of the land untouched. Two, it has been demonstrated by those municipalities that have been active and visionary, that it is possible to make clear to the development community what is wanted and valued and what is not, where development is to occur and where it is not, and most importantly, howan area can be built out.

For all of you who are justifiably concerned I want to express clearly that strategies like “annexation” and “density” are not necessarily tools for the growth of empire. They can be, if rightly used, very conservative measures for preventing sprawl, encouraging minimal use of the automobile, and creating attractive, close-knit, traditional communities like the one we currently enjoy. We would be in a better position today if in the past we had looked ahead, made the tough decisions, and used these tools and others to insist upon a greater influence upon our built environment.

Shepherd University
I have met twice with Shepherd University’s new president Dr. Suzanne Shipley. I believe that she will mark a welcome transition in our town’s relationship with the school. We have already begun to explore the abandoned idea of an East Campus parking lot, one that the student’s will actually use, and that has the real potential of getting student automobiles off town streets—and we are talking about doing it sooner rather than later. We are seriously discussing annexation of the west campus into the corporation of Shepherdstown, and we have discussed an exciting design proposal to create a park-like setting on the grounds of McMurran Hall and extending back toward White Hall and the property behind the Entler Building. I have come away from our meetings with the feeling that I am engaging in serious conversations that can produce positive results. Thank you Dr. Shipley.

Police Department
There have been some changes recently at the Police Department. Chief Keller is now gone and Officer Terry Bellomy has begun to serve as interim chief of the department. Officer Dusek has resigned, effective August 15. Officer Mauck has resigned, effective September 15. I am enough pleased with the responsiveness and straightforward qualities of acting Chief Bellomy that I am going to give him the opportunity to keep the top job for a probationary period. I have confidence that the department will be stable and capable of meeting the law enforcement needs of the town.

Our current plan is to hire one new officer. After review we may consider hiring one more. I have not forgotten my pledge to seek national accreditation for our police force under the CALEA “recognition” program for small towns. It will provide our officers and the town with the highest and most professional standards of conduct and an objective standard for law enforcement that I hope will help us get beyond the conflicts which have beset the town and the police department for too long. Please give your encouragement and respect to the officers and the staff who remain on the job. They will need your help to create a community-oriented police force that exemplifies the unique qualities of Shepherdstown. We will get there.

Town Manager / Full-Time Mayor
Managing this town is definitely a full-time job. Although the previous administration, under Peter Wilson, had already come to the conclusion we needed properly paid full-time management, I had not formed my own opinion. I am here to say that they were completely correct. This is a very complex, demanding job. It is my hope that we will create this “new, improved” position in time for our next election cycle. Depending on how we do it, it may require a referendum.
At the same time, we must legislate the same built-in continuity many of our commissions and boards have by demanding staggered terms for council members. Electing a new mayor and a potentially completely new slate of council members is a bad idea we must soon replace. I personally believe longer terms should also be considered, either three or four years instead of two.

I guess I am saying that for a variety of reasons, it is time to review and publicly discuss our town’s charter, originally put together in 1876, and not revised or amended since 1941. The original is a very interesting historical document with its references to barbed wire and pigs in the street. The current revision (of 1941) still has the hogs as well as considerable mention of “loitering in houses of ill-fame,” the mistreatment of horses, and faro or blackjack gaming houses. These past documents should be properly memorialized, but as an operating manual for the town, the charter should be thoroughly revised and rewritten in order to properly serve our current needs.

I apologize for the length of this article. They don’t let me out much. I hope to get back to you more frequently this year. As demanding as it has been I have very much enjoyed being mayor. I am served by an excellent staff without whom the job would be far more difficult. To Amy and John and the Town Hall staff, to Frank and the guys in the field, to the people working to make ours the best police department we can have, and to all the council members and other volunteers who help run our town government—it has been a pleasure seeing how much work is done by so many for so little.