David Springer is sworn in immediately after the Town Council approves his appointment to a vacant seat left by a shortage of candidates in the June election. Chronicle photo by Michael Theis

A new Town Council, elected in early June, gathered on Tuesday evening in Town Hall for their first monthly Council meeting of their two-year terms. One of the first things they tackled was the appointment of Shepherdstown resident David Springer to a Council seat left vacant by a shortage of candidates in this years municipal elections. In addition to Springer, The Town Council features three other new faces in the form of Duke Street resident David Rosen, Church Street resident Josh Stella and German Street resident Bane Schill.

Springer, in a letter written to the Town Council on July 6, says that he has lived in the Shepherdstown area since 1998, and has served on the Board of Zoning Appeals for the last several years. Springer says that with retirement on the imminent horizon he will have more time to devote to municipal affairs. “I will have more time available and would like to contribute back to the unique town which I and my family have grown to love,” wrote Springer. Springer’s letter also states that he has a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in geography

The Town Council members also have to choose which of the nine municipal committees and commissions they would like to serve on. Only Town Council members may serve on four standing committees: the Finance Committee, the Personnel Committee, the Police Committee and the Public Works Committee. All standing committees require a minimum of three members.

Town Council members can also choose from among five non-standing committees for which membership requirements are more relaxed, allowing non-elected officials to also serve. The seven-member Parks and Recreation Committee requires one Council member to serve, the nine-member Planning Commission requires two Council members, the five-member Tree Commission and the seven-member Water Board each require one Council member to serve and the three-member Sanitary Board requires the mayor to serve.

Milling and paving project moves forward

The Town Council awarded a $172,000 contract to W-L Construction to mill and pave many of Shepherdstown’s more notoriously pock-marked and deteriorating streets. The process of milling and paving will remove the existing pavement, which will be replaced with a new asphalt surface.

Work dates for the project have not yet been nailed down, but Mayor Jim Auxer hopes to start work as soon as possible, with a goal of completing the work before Shepherd University students return on Aug. 9 for the fall semester.

High Street, between the train tracks and Duke Street, is the highest priority in the project, said Public Works Director Frank Welch at the meeting. Also to be milled and paved are North Mill Street, Washington Street, between Duke and Church streets, and two sections of King Street, from Washington to New streets and German to High streets.

Residents can expect road closures while the work progresses. Once a work schedule is determined, municipal officials plan on notifying residents by mail of the schedule of street closures.

Two companies, W-L Construction and Jefferson Asphalt, submitted bids on the project. W-L was not the low bid on the project, with Jefferson Asphalt submitting a bid of $169,000, roughly $3,000 less expensive that W-L Construction’s bid of $172,000.

Special Town Council session next week

The Town Council will hold a special session on July 20 at 6 p.m. at Town Hall on 104 N. King St. On the agenda for the meeting are appointments to municipal committees, a general fund budget revision as well as the formal awarding of a bid to construct a new Town Hall.