Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Light Pollution Dark Sky topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Harpers Ferry declares International Dark Sky Week after committee review; council adopts proclamation 5‑1
Summary
The council adopted an International Dark Sky Week proclamation for April 2025 after the town's Dark Sky Committee presented stakeholder outreach and a draft; one council member raised wording concerns but the proclamation in the packet passed 5‑1.
Harpers Ferry's Town Council voted 5‑1 on April 14 to declare April 2025 as International Dark Sky Week and adopt a model proclamation provided by DarkSky International's local chapter.
The council received a report from Karen Seges, chair of the Dark Sky Committee, who summarized stakeholder outreach, an April 3 open house and an online survey intended to gather community input for recommended lighting ordinances.
“We're moving now into working on our recommendations to town council,” Seges said, describing committee work to adapt ordinances from towns with similar historic, tourism‑oriented profiles.
Councilors debated minor edits to the packet proclamation. One council member objected to language characterizing the town's history as having been “not exposed to light pollution,” saying that sentence did not match local conditions; the council nevertheless voted to approve the proclamation contained in the packet.
The proclamation in the packet follows model language that describes the aesthetic, ecological and economic rationale for reducing light pollution, and it asks residents to support the protection of dark skies. The text declares International Dark Sky Week for April 21–28, 2025, and contains whereases about species that rely on dark nights and municipal environmental goals.
Why it matters: Council members said the proclamation supports the committee's work to craft a local lighting ordinance and public education, and it signals the town's interest in balancing tourism, historic character and nighttime lighting.
Next steps: the Dark Sky Committee will present a summary of survey results and formal recommendations to the council at a future meeting; the council asked that future proclamations and ordinance language reflect the committee's reviewed drafts.
