Chris Longerbeam, CPA, relates some of the administrative tasks he has completed for the Corporation of Shepherdstown, during the November Town Council meeting in Town Hall. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — The Shepherdstown Town Council met for its monthly meeting in Town Hall on Nov. 13.

The meeting began with several public hearings, including the second reading of the Planned Unit Developments (PUD) amendment to increase open space requirements in subdivisions.

“As we move forward with potential annexations of developments, we anticipate those annexations will come in under this PUD amendment. This amendment will require more open space and more natural open space, increasing the amount of open space in developments from 10 percent to 30 percent,” said council member Marty Amerikaner, mentioning 50 percent of that green space will be required to be natural green space. “Before this, we were at 10 percent, which was less than Jefferson County. This was more in line with other communities.”

A number of first readings of amendments were also held. An ordinance amending section 9-103 in the Code of Shepherdstown, changed the Planning Commission’s membership requirements from seven to “no less than five [and] no more than seven members.” An ordinance amending section 9-104 in the Code of Shepherdstown, eliminated the requirement that Planning Commission members be freeholders and required that at least three-fifths of the membership to have resided in Shepherdstown for a minimum of three years. An ordinance amending section 9-107 in the Code of Shepherdstown, added qualifying language and eliminated the Planning Commission members’ authority to hire, remove and compensate employees. An ordinance amending section 9-108 in the Code of Shepherdstown, required the Planning Commission to hold monthly meetings. An ordinance amending section 9-1001 in the Code of Shepherdstown, revised the requirements for membership on the Board of Appeals, removing the requirement for members to be taxpayers but requiring that they have been town residents for three years prior to being appointed and that they not hold office or join the Planning Commission.

Public Works Director Charles “Woody” Coe told the Town Council that Public Works will be extending its water and sewer service a further 85 feet than it has already been providing, so the service will be accessible at the James Rumsey Monument.

Coe also announced that the town’s glass recycling truck is beyond repair.

“The bottom of the truck is gone,” Coe said, mentioning the town will have to start using a garbage truck to do the glass recycling pickups every month.

Shepherdstown’s restaurants will soon be required to use grease traps, to prevent further damage to the town’s sewer and water lines, according to Coe. Some of the damage caused by grease from Shepherdstown’s restaurants required Public Works to open up the concrete in front of the Market House at the beginning of the month, to do repair work.

The Market House’s new tenant, the Jefferson County Convention & Visitors Bureau, moved in last week, according to Town Clerk Amy Boyd. An open house for the new location for Shepherdstown’s visitors center will be held in December.

Mayor James Gatz ended the meeting with a positive report on a robbery that took place at the Shepherdstown Fairy Festival on Oct. 26.

“About $1,000 had been shoplifted from a booth at the festival,” Gatz said. “A person dressed as a fairy and a person dressed as another mythical creature caught the guy!”