Town Council member Shannon Thomas speaks about the need for spring event funding, during the March Town Council meeting in Town Hall. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — The Corporation of Shepherdstown’s Town Council met for its monthly meeting in Town Hall on March 12.

During the meeting, the Town Council approved the volunteer appointments of Nancy Stewart and John Workman to the Board of Appeals, along with the funding for Easter and spring events being organized in Shepherdstown.

“We’ve gone throughout downtown, interviewing the businesses. A lot of these businesses are really struggling — some of them are barely holding on. About 75 percent of them, when we asked how we could bring them more business, said they need more events, because that’s what brings people to town,” said Town Council member Shannon Thomas.

Thomas, who is a member of the Experience Shepherdstown board, initially asked for $6,500 to cover funding needs for marketing and event costs this coming year, before backing down to just asking for the immediate funding needs for the Easter events and Spring Parade next month — a total of $800. She said Experience Shepherdstown was hoping to meet the need of local businesses, by continuing to hold popular town events and adding on other attractions throughout the year.

“There are certain core events that the town has sponsored: Easter/spring time, BooFest, Christmas in Shepherdstown and Dog Fest,” Thomas said, mentioning Dog Fest will likely not take place this year, due to planning difficulties. “If nothing else happened in town, these are the things that the town sponsors, to invite people in and enhance the quality of life for residents. People come from all over for these events!”

First Fridays will likely be held from April through June, featuring late night shopping opportunities combined with free entertainment, such as art showings and live band performances. This will depend, somewhat, on the ability of the town to provide the necessary funding for these events.

Providing funding proved difficult for the Town Council to agree upon during the meeting, after Chris Longerbeam, CPA, told them that the town had recently fallen short of its budget. The situation was caused by an increase in salaries, paving costs, the Business and Occupation Tax and the cost of refurbishing a plot of land given to the town by the late Jay Hurley.

“Since July, we’ve been moving toward cleaning up the property,” Gatz said. “We’ve moved about 8-10 derelict mobile homes, at the cost of about $8,000 a piece, I believe.”

That plot of land was the subject of great debate, during the meeting. Half-a-dozen people spoke on behalf of giving an extension, to allow the five people living in the three remaining trailers on the property some extra time to move out. Hurley’s will required the town to give them two years to relocate, but that amount of time has proven too short for them to work with, due to health and financial reasons. One of the couples living there have already been struggling to make ends meet, due to a cancer diagnosis.

Mayor James Gatz and the Town Council heard these requests and said they would consult with the town attorney, to determine whether any leeway could be given, within the confines of the will.

“This is a great opportunity to highlight the spirit of our town,” Gatz said, mentioning the town has already made various efforts to help the property residents with the move. “This is really important, to set the standard for the town in the present day.”

The mayor also made a resolution in favor of forming a task force on town banners and Hometown Heroes Banners. The Town Council unanimously approved this measure.

“We don’t want to put up the banners just anywhere in town,” Thomas said, mentioning locations should be selected for their aesthetic appeal.

Also approved during the meeting were event requests for the Back Alley Garden Tour & Tea, Shepherd University Farm to Table on Sept. 21, Easter Egg Hunt, Spring Parade on April 19 and Street Fest on June 28.