Immigration enforcement fears and water-rate complaints surface in Frostburg public comment

Frostburg — Several residents used the open public‑comment period at the Jan. 20 Frostburg council meeting to voice alarm about immigration enforcement activity and to press the city on utility rates and staffing.

Carol Smith (250 Armstrong Ave.) told the council she has seen videos of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in other jurisdictions and said she feared similar activity in the region. "I'm scared... I will try to stay safe and out of the way, but I know that at times, innocent bystanders get accused," Smith said, and asked whether ICE has been seen in Allegheny County; a respondent in the meeting affirmed sightings and noted vehicles near a hotel on Willowbrook Road.

Other commenters criticized the size of city government and water‑rate arrangements. Rick Lommert (513 Grandview Drive) called for scrutiny of city staffing levels and for the council to check arrangements with Eckert County on water transmission and rates. Reverend Ed Clemons Jr., a candidate for state delegate, urged broader legislative fixes to regulation and funding that affect municipal finances, and said small government and better state/local coordination are needed.

Council staff and members responded to some practical questions: staff are preparing to renegotiate county water rate arrangements in periodic reviews and said they will follow up on specific rate questions. The city also encouraged residents to sign up for email alerts for outages and billing updates.

What happens next: Council said staff would follow up on the water‑rate and county arrangement questions and encouraged residents to use city email alerts; no formal council action was taken in response to ICE concerns during the meeting.