At the required April 27 public hearing on proposed charter amendments, Vienna’s Commissioners approved a Borrowing Powers Resolution — a necessary step for the town to secure loans for major water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades. The full resolution will be available for review at Town Hall and at ViennaRadio.com. If no objections are filed within 40 days, the charter will be amended accordingly.
Town attorney Pete Golba also clarified a point that surprised many: the version of the Town Charter currently in effect is the one posted on the State of Maryland’s website, last updated in 2018. That version still lists commissioners as serving two-year terms, not the four-year terms the Commissioners believed were in place. As Commissioner Frank Fluharty noted at the April 13 meeting, charter amendments passed in 2023 — including extending terms to four years and requiring commissioners to serve a full term before becoming mayor — were never incorporated into the official charter.
Because of that omission, Golba confirmed that an election must be held for the two seats currently held by Greg Cusick and Frank Fluharty.
During regular session, the Commissioners voted to set the election for Thursday, May 21, with polls open from 3–7 p.m. This establishes a May 11 filing deadline for candidates and allows time to secure election judges. Those wishing to file may do so at Town Hall, 214 Market Street, during operating hours: Monday 8 a.m.–7 p.m. and Tuesday–Thursday 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
As of April 28, the election notice was prominently posted — on bright yellow paper — at the Vienna Post Office, one of the four “conspicuous locations” required by the charter. Also posted is an ordinance approved on April 27 increasing water and sewer hookup rates. With no home mail delivery in Vienna, the post office bulletin board remains one of the town’s most reliable information hubs.
Mayor Pam Travers ran a focused and methodical meeting, making clear that she intends to see the town’s obligations met correctly and completely. The agenda was full, and she moved through it with purpose.
In follow-up to the April 13 meeting, Golba reported that he has received documents clarifying ownership of a small but critical parcel of land needed for the town’s wastewater (ENR) and water system upgrades — a matter that has been under review for some time. He is reviewing the materials and is hopeful the issue can be resolved soon.
The urgency of that resolution was underscored by Commissioner Cusick, who issued a sobering reminder: one of the town’s two wells is currently out of service. With the water system in need of repair or replacement, Cusick warned that Vienna is on borrowed time. The infrastructure agenda may be moving, but it remains far from finished.
Golba also agreed with Commissioner Fluharty’s suggestion that organizations using the town ballfield should have Memoranda of Understanding outlining terms of use and hold-harmless provisions. Fluharty noted that while the league that recently requested use of the field has not yet begun playing, he hopes to see the ballfield used more regularly — and wants the proper framework in place when that happens. Consulting with the Local Government Insurance Trust (LGIT), the town’s insurer, was recommended as a next step.
Commissioner Fluharty further noted that GMB engineer Chris Derbyshire has been trying to schedule a call with at least two commissioners to discuss next steps on the town’s lead service line replacement requirements.
Other updates included: the moratorium on building houses on new lots remains in place while previously approved ordinances move through the public notice and hearing process. A proposal for Vienna to participate in the Department of Housing and Community Development’s Town Manager Circuit Rider program was respectfully declined. Commissioner Cusick noted the town had tried the program more than a decade ago with results that left an impression. The Commissioners expressed confidence instead in the new town clerk and the grant-writing partnership of Valerie Mann and volunteer Candace Donoho — a quiet vote of faith in homegrown capacity.
Mr. Murphy recommended November 28 as the date for this year’s Christmas parade — chosen specifically because that’s when he could secure the North Dorchester marching band. Mr. Murphy also spotted an opportunity: Vienna’s website, ViennaMD.org, could help streamline parade logistics — posting the route, lineup, and other details where residents and participants could easily find them. Volunteer webmaster Ann Hillyer seconded the idea, encouraging the Commissioners more broadly to make fuller use of the site for public notices, agendas, minutes, and documents for public review. She noted the site has ample capacity and that she is willing to train the new town clerk.
Vienna residents are encouraged to visit ViennaMD.org for updates on town government and to attend Commissioners meetings at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. Meetings typically run about two hours, but the work continues long after adjournment. It may not be glamorous, but it is essential — and it affects every one of us who calls Vienna home.
A native Hoosier, Kathryn Masten, Ph.D., is a community informatics scholar who has spent her career helping small communities use information, technology, and local networks to address real‑world problems. She and her husband, Randy Cain, relocated to Vienna in 2021 from Ingleside on the Bay, Texas, a once‑quiet coastal village now surrounded by petrochemical expansion. Kathryn is President of the Community Informatics Institute, home of the Dorchester Connect initiative and the forthcoming low‑power FM radio station in Vienna. As advocates of renewable energy, she and Randy are currently transforming a former sailing catamaran into a fully solar‑electric “smart boat.”
