(Este informe contiene informacion muy importante sobre su agua potable. Traduzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.)

The report can be found by clicking here or under “Documents” in “Annual Reports.”

The Town of Westernport is accepting sealed bids for the Resurfacing - Maryland Avenue Basketball Courts, until 1:00 p.m., 24th day, July, 2026, at 50 Main Street, Westernport MD 21562. Late bids will not be accepted. Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud immediately thereafter. All bids must be submitted in a sealed envelope clearly marked “Bid for Resurfacing Maryland Avenue Basketball Courts” and must include copy of business license, insurance certificate and references. For additional bid information contact Laura Freeman Legge by email at: townclerk@townofwesternport.com or at 301-359-3932. This project is funded in part by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources – Program Open Space. The Town of Westernport reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive informalities, and to accept the bid deemed most advantageous to the public interest.

By Order of:

Allen Shapiro, Mayor

Town of Westernport

6/23/26

Town of Westernport/Maryland DNR – Program Open Space

Bid for Resurfacing Maryland Avenue Basketball Courts

The Town of Westernport is accepting sealed bids for the Resurfacing - Maryland Avenue Basketball Courts, until 1:00 p.m., Friday July 24th, 2026, at 50 Main Street, Westernport MD 21562. Late bids will not be accepted. Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud immediately thereafter. All bids must be submitted in a sealed envelope clearly marked “Bid for Resurfacing Maryland Avenue Basketball Courts” and must include copy of business license, insurance certificate and references.

This project is funded in part by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources – Program Open Space. The Town of Westernport reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive informalities, and to accept the bid deemed most advantageous to the public interest.

Scope of Work: Area includes one full court and one-half (½) court with no separation between basketball courts. Clean and prepare existing court surface, repair cracks, holes, and surface imperfections. Apply and seal resurfacing material suitable for outdoor use and paint regulation basketball lines and markings. Remove three (3) existing basketball backboards, hoops and nets; install all new equipment to be provided by the Town. Contractor is responsible for removal of all debris, materials, and equipment from the site and restoring the area to a clean and orderly condition following completion of the work.

There will be no pre-bid meeting. Site visits are not required but may be conducted without Town personnel present at Contractor’s convenience.

Water Usage Rates will increase $1.50 from the current $4.00 per thousand gallons to $5.50 per thousand gallons used.

Residents will vote for the office of Mayor and two open seats on the Town Council.

Candidates for Mayor are:

• David Claycomb
• Allen Shapiro

Justin White is the only candidate who filed for the two available Commissioner seats.

Eligible residents must have been registered to vote by May 5th in order to participate in the election.

Please come out and help shape the future of the community through your vote!

The following candidates were elected:

• Mayor: Allen Shapiro - 203 votes
• Commissioner: Justin White - 247 votes

Additional results for the Mayor included:

• David Claycomb - 78 votes

Write-in votes for Commissioner included:

• Mary Catherine Bernhard - 7 votes
• Clinton Bradley - 1 vote

The Town of Westernport would like to thank all candidates who participated in this year’s election, as well as the residents who took the time to vote and support the municipal election process. The Town also extends its sincere appreciation to the election judges for their time, dedication, and service in helping ensure a smooth and successful election.

Election Judges consisted of:

• Patricia Metz (Chief Judge)
• Penny Alkire (Chief Judge)
• Steve Amann
• Jason Patterson
• Mary Pat Riggleman
• Heidi Moore
• Helen Morris

Congratulations to the newly elected officials as they prepare to serve the community. The swearing-in will be held on June 1st, at 7:00 PM.

• Want important alerts sent to your mobile phone or email? Click on the Nixle image below to register using our zip code 21562

The proposed budget outlines the Town’s anticipated revenues and expenditures for the upcoming fiscal year. The second reading provides an additional opportunity for review prior to the final adoption.

The proposed budget can be found under Documents in the Annual Reports category.

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

APPLICATIONS PERIOD CLOSED NOVEMBER 1, 2025

The Western Maryland Long-Term Recovery Committee, Inc. (WMLTRC) is seeking a Manager of Disaster Construction Operations to lead all management related to construction operations supporting the 2025 Western Maryland flood recovery efforts.

WMLTRC is a coalition of faith-based, nonprofit, governmental, and community organizations dedicated to coordinating long-term recovery services for individuals and families impacted by the 2025 Western Maryland floods. Our mission is to help survivors return to safe, sanitary, and secure housing as quickly and efficiently as possible by leveraging community resources, volunteer labor, and construction expertise.

The Manager of Disaster Construction Operations will coordinate, supervise, and manage all construction-related activities to ensure that volunteer teams, contractors, and material resources, necessary tracking, and reporting are organized and deployed efficiently to repair and rebuild homes for flood survivors.

The ideal candidate will be a strong leader with construction project management experience, excellent communication skills, and a passion for helping communities recover from disaster.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee planning, scheduling, and completion of all construction projects related to disaster recovery.
• Coordinate work between case managers, construction coordinators, volunteer teams, and contractors to ensure projects meet survivor needs.
• Complete all necessary reporting, documentation and logging of necessary information.
• Develop detailed scopes of work, budgets, and timelines for home repair and rebuild projects.
• Supervise site assessments, permitting, inspections, and quality assurance for all construction projects.
• Recruit, orient, and support volunteer construction teams; ensure they have tools, materials, and safe working conditions.
• Manage procurement and inventory of building materials, supplies, and donated goods.
• Monitor construction progress, resolve project challenges, and provide regular status reports to the Long-Term Recovery Committee.
• Ensure compliance with building codes, grant requirements, and organizational policies.
• Collaborate with community partners, donors, and VOAD member organizations to leverage resources and avoid duplication of efforts.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in residential construction, construction project management, and/or disaster recovery operations.
• Knowledge of building codes, construction safety standards, and volunteer management best practices.
• Knowledge of HVAC and heating systems is preferred. 
• Excellent organizational and communication skills; ability to work with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills in fast-paced, evolving situations.
• Basic computer skills with the ability to update databases and forms appropriately.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel within the recovery area.
• Experience working with nonprofits, VOADs, or disaster response preferred but not required.
• Must be highly self-motivated and capable of managing responsibilities independently while coordinating effectively with the Long-Term Recovery Committee and project teams.

Compensation & Benefits

• Full-time position funded by WMLTRC.
• Year-to-year contract; position is a 1099 salaried role with a salary range from $50,000 to $60,000 per year.
• Must be prepared to occasionally work outside of normal business hours and weekends, as needed. 
• Position is grant-funded and expected to last 24–36 months.
• Hybrid work possible, with significant on-site presence required.
• Work location based in Lonaconing, MD, with frequent travel throughout the George’s Creek area using the manager’s personal vehicle
• This is a contract position and does not include health insurance, retirement benefits, or other employee benefits beyond those required by law.
• Opportunity to make a direct and meaningful impact on disaster recovery and community resilience.

Interested candidates should submit a resume including contact information to chairperson@westernmarylandrecovery.org.   Candidates may also drop their resumes off to Westernport Town Hall during business hours in a sealed envelope marked “Long Term Flood Recovery Construction Manager.” Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.      

We’ve transitioned to our new billing system and payment website. All customers have been assigned a new account number.

Your Account can be searched by name or address on the website.

Please Note:

We are no longer accepting in-person card payments at Town Hall. We will accept cash or check payments in person or the drop box, and card payments can be made through our new online payment site.

You can now set up autopay!

Thanks for your patience during this transition.

The wooden plaque commemorates the Braves’ 1995 World Series Championship, a season during which Mazzone served as the team’s renowned pitching coach. Widely regarded as one of the greatest pitching coaches in MLB history, Mazzone is known for developing elite pitching staffs and helping lead the Braves through their dominant run throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. Town officials expressed gratitude for the donation, noting that the piece is not only a sports keepsake but also a meaningful connection to a celebrated figure from the Town of Westernport.

Bids will be received by the Town of Westernport, 50 Main St. Westernport, MD 21562 until 6:50 PM on December 15, 2025, and then at said office publicly opened and read aloud at 7:00 PM on December 15, 2025. Sealed bids can be hand delivered to the Town of Westernport, 50 Main St. Westernport, MD 21562 Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Bids are for furnishing all labor, materials, equipment, and performance of work for the demolition and cleanup of one (1) units (approx. 5,080 sq. ft.) located at 107 Washington Street within the Town of Westernport. An optional pre-bid meeting will be held at the demolition site Monday, November 17, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. Representatives of the Town will be present to discuss the project.

A bid packet can be requested in person at the Town of Westernport, 50 Main Street, Westernport, MD 21562, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. or by emailing the Town Administrator at: townclerk @townofwesternport.com.

This Request is subject to the following miscellaneous terms:

• The Town of Westernport may consider informal any proposal not prepared and submitted in accordance with the provisions herein and may waive any informalities or reject any and all proposals. No proposal will be allowed to be withdrawn, for any reason, after it has been deposited with the Town. Any proposal received after the time and date specified shall not be considered. The Town reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, or portions thereof, and to make such award and/or negotiate with any bidder as is most advantageous and in the best interests of the Town. The Town also reserves the right to postpone the award of the proposal and condition the acceptance of the proposal upon the Town’s checking the bidder’s references and qualifying the bidder.
• The proposal must contain the full name, business address, and the telephone number of the proposer interested in the same.
• Each proposal must be submitted in a sealed envelope bearing on the outside the name of the proposer, his/her address, and the name of the project for which the proposal is submitted. If forwarded by mail, the sealed envelope containing the proposal must be in another envelope addressed as specified in the Invitation for Proposals.
• Payment retainage amounts are to be broken down into a 50/50 post award/final product completion payment schedule.
• Any bidder with debarment sanctions, (an individual, organization, and its affiliates), are excluded from conducting business with any Federal Agency government-wide including this grant.
• Grant agreement complies with all federal and state requirements relating to Equal Opportunity 11246( FHEO), Conflict of Interest Disclosure, Non-collusion, Anti-bribery and kickbacks relating to any and all persons working directly or indirectly on this grant. Termination of contract and repayment of all funds will result if the above stated policies are found to be in violation.
• Potential contractors must submit a 5% bid bond with their bid submittals for construction projects over $100,000. For each contract in excess of $100,000, the Grantee must obtain a 100% payment bond and a100% performance bond in the amount of the contract.

Date: 11/3/2025 The Honorable Judy Hamilton, Mayor Town of Westernport

Specific Deadlines

FOR THE OFFICE OF MAYOR – ONE (1) OPENING

FOR THE OFFICE OF COMMISSIONER – TWO (2) OPENINGS

• April 28th, 2026 All Candidate Nominations to be filed with the Clerk
• May 5th, 2026 Last Day to Register to Vote
• May 11th, 2026 Last day to request absentee ballot
• May 19th, 2026 Revision Day - Residents not qualified to vote are removed from books on this day
• May 26th, 2026 Municipal Election

Filing Fees: Office of Mayor = $10.00

\ Office of Commissioner = $5.00

Petition must be signed by twenty-five (25) registered voters who are residents of the Town of Westernport.

Requirements:

• Applicant must be a property owner  
• Property must be located within a Sustainable Community Designated area 
• Project must remain for a minimum of 2 years or be subject to returning grant funds
• Project will only cover street-facing portions of the building 
• Project must be for the exterior of the building 

Preference may be given to the following situations: 

• Buildings that will keep or restore the historical integrity of a building 
• Renovation projects are prioritized over new construction 
• New Property Owners that have not previously received/been awarded a prior Façade Grant
• New properties that have not previously received/ been awarded a prior Façade Grant 

Project Examples:  

• Exterior painting 
• Removing inappropriate or incompatible exterior finishes/materials 
• Restoring exterior finishes and materials 
• Recessing/reconfiguring of existing doors and entrances 
• Signage (new, repairing, replacing, and removing) 
• Awnings; new, repairs or replacement of existing 
• Sidewalks for street facing portions of the building 

Ineligible Expenses Include: 

• Expenses incurred prior to award letter approval will not qualify 
• Improvements other than those outlined in the award letter 
• Work completed on the interior of the property  
• Work done on non-street facing sides of the building 
• Elements that are considered temporary, such as landscaping 
• Work completed with materials not approved in the scope of the work, examples include non historic elements like composite wood 

Façade Improvement Matching grants may be awarded for up to 50% of a project’s total costs (with the maximum award amount not exceeding $5,000) and are dependent upon the availability of awarded funds to the Town of Westernport through the Community Legacy Grant issued by the Maryland  Department of Housing & Community Development, more information about the Community Legacy program can be found here: dhcd.maryland.gov/Communities/Pages/programs/CL.aspx

Applicants whose adjusted gross income during 2025 was $50,000 or less may be reimbursed at a rate of 100%. Reimbursements will be issued only after the project has been completed and paid for by the applicant. 

Only completed applications will be considered. 

Grant Application Process 

Applicants must own the property and it must be located within the Sustainable Community  designated area, the town’s incorporated boundaries. Property owners may use the Neighborhood Revitalization Mapper to confirm their eligibility. 

A completed application packet must be submitted via email to the Town Grant Writer.  Application packet must include: 

• Grant Application 
• Photos of the Building/Site, minimum of 2 images depicting the project 
• Budget of project 
• Description of work to be completed, including materials that will be used on the project 
• If seeking 100% reimbursement—1040 showing Adjusted Gross Income $50,000 or less 

Completed applications are submitted via email, the timestamp will be used confirm submission date.  

Applications are prioritized in the following order: 

• New applicants who have not previously received a Façade Grant, opens April 1, 2026
• New property, returning applicant, opens June 1, 2026  
• Returning applicants continuing work on a previously awarded property, opens June 1, 2026 

Incomplete applications will be returned to the property owner with an explanation of items missing. The property owner will then have the option to resubmit the application and will be placed in the queue based on when the completed application is received. 

Once the completed application packet is submitted, the Town Grant Writer will review. Please check with the Town Code Enforcement officer to confirm if any permits are required before the project starts. He can be contacted at 301-359-3932 ext 14.

Once the Town Grant Writer approves, the application is then submitted to the Department of Housing & Community Development and the Maryland Historical Trust for review and approval. The review process by both DHCD (Department of Housing and Community Development) and MHT (Maryland Historical Trust) may take up to 60 days (2 months), no work may begin until official approval has been received from all review parties.  

Applicants will be contacted by the Town Grant Writer to advise them of the project’s decision and if funding will be awarded to them. Award letters will be communicated via email to the applicant. Only the scope of work listed in the final approval letter will be covered under the grant; any changes or amendments to the approved scope of work must be resubmitted and cannot be completed until a new approval is received. 

Projects must be started within three months of the approval letter being issued and completed within six months. Applicants who are approved under the Income guidelines and receive 100% award funding may delay beginning and must complete the project within 18 months of the award notification.  Any delays that could impact the timeline should be communicated to the Town Grant Writer as soon as possible. Failure to communicate delays could result in the funding being rescinded.

This grant is a reimbursement grant, once the project has been completed, a financial report showing proof of expenses and photos of the completed project will be submitted to the Town Grant Writer via email by the property owner. Documentation will be submitted to DHCD for reimbursement by the Town Grant Writer, and once approved, the funds will be sent to the Town of Westernport for payment to be issued to the property owner.

The reimbursement process may take up to 90 days (about 3 months) from date of submission.

Property owners should plan accordingly and understand they are responsible for expenses that can occur during the project and will be reimbursed once the project is completed for the award amount. If a project goes over budget, there will not be an increase in the award amount. Property Owners will be responsible for any late fees from contractors while awaiting reimbursement funds to be issued. The reimbursement amount cannot exceed the awarded amount, it may be reduced based on the financial report if the project comes in under budget.

Examples for the financial report should include receipts, canceled checks, credit card receipts, paid invoices, contractor’s sworn statements, subcontractor’s waivers of lien, etc. Reimbursements will be based on actual project expenses and cannot include “in-kind” labor or donated materials.

Any questions regarding the Façade Matching Grant Program should be directed to the Town Grant Writer, Cathy Lark at: clark@mrdc.net

Drafted 06/2026

The Application can be found as a PDF here or as an image below:

Please use this form to get in touch with the Town of Westernport to report issue areas or request resources. We will be in touch with you as soon as we can. Please click the button below to access the form.

• Flood Response Form

Water & Sewer Rates (Effective July 1, 2026) Water and sewer rates for both in-town and out-of-town customers will increase beginning July 1, 2026. These adjustments are required to meet Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) financial sustainability requirements associated with the Town’s Phase 5–7 Water System Improvement Project. The updated rates support long-term system operation, maintenance, and debt service for required infrastructure upgrades.

Garbage Rates (Effective January 1, 2026) Residential garbage collection rates will increase effective January 1, 2026, due to higher service costs under the Town’s newly awarded garbage collection contract. The new garbage rate will appear on the first utility billing cycle that includes January 2026.

• In-Town Customers: $24.00 per household per month
• Out-of-Town Customers: $25.00 per household per month

The full Water, Sewer, and Garbage Rate Schedule is available on the Town’s website under documents. Residents with questions may contact Town Hall for additional information.

Information currently viewable through the portal includes customer names, service addresses, water usage, and billing information from the past three months.

Residents who wish to have their information redacted from the online portal may contact the Town Office at 301-359-3932 ext. 13 and request that their information be removed from public display on the portal.

However, residents should be aware that utility billing information is considered public record and still available through a public information request, even if it has been redacted from the online portal. The Town appreciates residents bringing concerns and questions forward.

Respectfully,

Jim Wills

Water Commissioner, Westernport

Town Hall will be closed Monday, November 3rd - Wednesday, November 5th. We will be unable to process any bills during this time. Please call to schedule an appointment for other needs during this timeframe.

We’re so excited to be putting the final touches on the temporary Westernport Library at 121 Main Street, opening Monday, November 3, 2025!

This new space will offer both adult and children’s collections to browse and borrow, along with light programming to keep the community connected while evaluations continue at 66 Main Street.

 Temporary Library Hours:

Monday: 1:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

 Parking: Limited parking is available at the 121 Main St. building. If the lot is full, we’ve received permission from the Westernport Heritage Society to use the museum lot, across from the Williams Community Museum at 136 Main St. Library patrons are welcome to use this as overflow parking, just down the block from 121 Main St. 

If you’d like to support the recovery, monthly donations are now an option! Even gifts of $5 or $10 a month will add up to a powerful, community-sourced recovery effort. https://givebutter.com/WesternportLibraryFloodRecovery