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Queenstown adopts odor-nuisance ordinance, approves snow policy and forwards water/sewer amendments to county
Summary
The Queenstown Town Commissioners on Jan. 22 adopted Ordinance 24-05 to prohibit odor nuisances, approved a town snow-removal policy and voted to send amendments to the county water/sewer plan; several routine procedural items, appointments and minutes were also approved.
The Queenstown Town Commissioners adopted Ordinance 24-05 on Jan. 22, 2025, moving to repeal and replace Chapter 7 of the town code to establish a prohibition on odor nuisances. President Al Hardee moved to adopt the ordinance; Commissioner Bryon Callahan seconded and the measure passed 3–0.
The ordinance was the subject of a public hearing immediately before the regular meeting; no public comments were offered or submitted. The ordinance text, described in the agenda as a repeal and replacement of Chapter 7 to prohibit odor nuisances, was entered into the record for later implementation by town staff.
Why it matters: the ordinance creates a local regulatory basis for the town to investigate and act on complaints about offensive odors. Commissioners said the measure aligns town code with enforcement tools the town may need, and staff will follow standard procedures for ordinance adoption and implementation.
In the same meeting, commissioners unanimously approved a draft snow-removal policy that Town Manager Amy Moore presented for review. President Al Hardee moved to adopt the policy and Commissioner Tom Willis seconded; vote recorded 3–0. Public commenter Di Quynn-Reno had asked whether the town maintained a severe-weather or snow-emergency plan and offered suggestions — including protocols for residents with special medical needs, contingency staffing and handling private-property damage during clearing — and Moore said she would provide the plan to Reno for review.
Commissioners also voted to forward proposed amendments to the Queen Anne’s County (QAC) Water and Sewer Plan, which the Planning Commission had reviewed and approved, to the county for its consideration. Hardee moved to send the amendments and Callahan seconded; the motion passed 3–0.
Other routine business passed without dissent. The board approved minutes from the Jan. 8, 2025 regular meeting (Callahan moved; Hardee seconded; vote 3–0) and reappointed current members of the Board of Appeals to new one-year terms (Hardee moved; Callahan seconded; vote 3–0). Town Clerk Aaron Horney reported the clerk’s fund summary in the meeting packet; the line items were recorded in the minutes but formatting in the transcript is unclear and the clerk’s report should be consulted for the official fund balances.
A closed session to discuss a personnel matter was held later in the meeting as authorized by Maryland law; the board announced the closed session purpose on the record and returned to the regular meeting before adjourning at 7:30 p.m.
What’s next: staff will proceed with ordinance implementation steps and follow up on the water/sewer-plan referral and snow-policy operational details. The commissioners did not take final action on development projects discussed elsewhere on the agenda and indicated they would consider those items at a future meeting.
