[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6488693,"mediaKeyId","5683656-feec276d15e110172fd90cda052456d3","parentId",5683656,"title","Hagerstown council approves routine resolutions, tables Wellers Alley fence; multiple grants and agreements pass","audioSeconds",770,"startMs",2679000,"endMs",3449000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5683656-feec276d15e110172fd90cda052456d3&start=2679&end=3449","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5683656-feec276d15e110172fd90cda052456d3/thumbnail_2679000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6488693/Hagerstown/Washington-County/Maryland/Hagerstown-council-approves-routine-resolutions-tables-Wellers-Alley-fence-multiple-grants-and-agreements-pass","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6488693-1464006cb902085219835073ccdd4547/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144429&Signature=JFR2W-CoeNS9SBd6HnQxtPBb0IlVeC4Vq0Cq0hY23V3qLctXtxTR18z7wyfaG77sATz4UF9kQwgKBCes74b5Rq9Kz4lyhpvBflbFidizgAEArs9OZk3CMmWCN9S3A1JIQXfryDLwqvR7JqhhdsFfil1FNwZD6HSaAiadRdMudRF~4nLuMf5gkG~oM7UzuNRYr~bZM292ohsichSHkxD75BpKEb2CT82wgWT9g34iuDTY5sMtLS6GKjBeSIAOXJu0PpLssdzEgnSVA4qQFOohrqPDIptaZ1h~pzt3fHgV1qj0KQ4AMOGA60yagn0Myo90hRQJwABF9HYvxfH1c850cA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Hagerstown, MD","date","2025-08-27T13:12:08Z","article","At the Aug. 26, 2025 meeting, the Hagerstown mayor and city council approved a number of routine resolutions, grants and contracts and handled appointments and proclamations. The consent agenda passed with the exception of a decorative fence item for Wellers Alley, which council members removed and later voted to table for further review.

Notable approvals: The council approved a two-year parking agreement with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation for 10 spaces (term 12/1/2025–11/30/2027; annual rent $6,120.20). It approved a three-year user agreement with Hagerstown Fairgrounds Softball Association, Inc. for field use (01/01/2026–12/31/2028) and accepted multiple grants, including a $50,000 Chesapeake Bay Trust tree-planting grant matched by $2,027,750 in local stormwater funds and a $49,110 Maryland entertainment district security grant to enhance police presence in the Arts & Entertainment District.

Other routine items passed included a five-year 1 Call Center service agreement with 1 Call Concepts Inc., authorization to enter national opioid settlement participation agreements (including Purdue/Sackler and a multi-defendant package), an access easement for Columbia Gas of Maryland, irrigation meters for South Hagerstown High School athletic fields (sewer-deduction exemption per city code 240-69), a one-time stipend to employees for transition to a biweekly pay cycle, and a government relations engagement with Compass GR Partners ($48,000 through 06/30/2026).

Votes at a glance (selected items):
- Consent agenda (as presented, with Wellers Alley Decorative Fence removed): approved.
- Wellers Alley Decorative Fence: removed from consent; council later voted to table the item (motion to table passed).
- Donation of Steam Locomotive No. 202 to WMSR: failed (separate article covers this item in detail).
- Parking agreement with Maryland SDAT (10 spaces): approved; term 12/1/2025–11/30/2027; annual rent $6,120.20.
- User agreement: Hagerstown Fairgrounds Softball Association, Inc.: approved; 3-year term beginning 01/01/2026; no monetary rent but initial utility contribution required.
- 1 Call Concepts Inc. agreement (one-call service): approved; 5-year term with automatic renewal unless notice given.
- National opioid settlement participation (Purdue/Sackler): approved (contingent on Maryland state subdivision confirmation of distribution percentages).
- National opioid settlement participation (eight manufacturer defendants): approved (same state-contingent language cited).
- Access easement: Columbia Gas of Maryland across city property near 441 S. Potomac St.: approved.
- Irrigation meters for South Hagerstown High School athletic fields (sewer exemption per city code 240-69): approved.
- One-time stipend (20 hours pay) for employees transitioning to biweekly pay cycle: approved; funding from fund balance reserves; staff to report actual cost later in fiscal year.
- Chesapeake Bay Trust tree-planting grant ($50,000) with $2,027,750 local match for planting at least 130 trees in FY26: accepted.
- Entertainment district security grant ($49,110, no match): accepted.

Why it matters: Routine contracts and grants fund day-to-day services and capital projects, and the tabled Wellers Alley fence item shows council attention to design and property implications even on consent items. Several approved items require subsequent staff follow-up (e.g., stipend cost reporting; park/tree planting implementation).

Ending: Staff and council members indicated follow-up reporting on some items will return to the council in future meetings; the Wellers Alley fence will be reconsidered as new business or after further information is provided.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","August 26, 2025 | Mayor & Council Meeting: Regular Session","oneSentenceSummary","At its Aug. 26 meeting the Hagerstown mayor and city council approved a slate of routine resolutions and grants, and removed and tabled the Wellers Alley Decorative Fence item from the consent agenda for later consideration.","taxTitle","Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland","taxId",4678,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6488699,"Hagerstown council rejects donation of Steam Locomotive No. 202 after weeks of public appeals to keep it",642,2713000,2071000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5683656-feec276d15e110172fd90cda052456d3&start=2713&end=2071","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5683656-feec276d15e110172fd90cda052456d3/thumbnail_2713000.jpg","/articles/6488699/Hagerstown/Washington-County/Maryland/Hagerstown-council-rejects-donation-of-Steam-Locomotive-No-202-after-weeks-of-public-appeals-to-keep-it","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6488699-2b252eb228edc5d5b035e40373287a4a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144429&Signature=ZQhTtn2g2Y1KH9KW~-j8kLMU3-DiB4ABO2cGq96JpOStjiHsY-qtFEIz8eFkHzZG5ZzYtqDsL95EA6sxzmMZ8KxXircypIj2jqFfbR7OHoFrz4ZWDG09Lu~a7WXl5B-4BfL16tWJ-tJ9aNrGMnLv3c64m4IWtHODyEPltpMLw~nDJfRziy4LOfrEoUSPUmERSfWsl~NTtIas1tjtV4Sf5srUNqdQ4JgRl5m-tuyDkwLFX2oo0QzysPFXxA5tb3QvEnhDvI2z8E2hZ~7dUNMmqtQ~tOiyOL9INCmYXBIHemDoz6lanFJzrR7SzFaTjmoDzK8Ef15-3y3nKpi~FxYZFw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","On Aug. 26, 2025, the Hagerstown mayor and city council declined to approve a resolution to donate Steam Locomotive No. 202 to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Development Corporation (WMSR). The donation measure would have conveyed the locomotive “as is” to WMSR, contingent on WMSR restoring the engine to meet or surpass Federal Railroad Administration standards (49 CFR part 230) within 10 years or else return it to the city.

The issue drew sustained public comment at the meeting. Dozens of speakers and more than 100 signed postcards urged the council to keep the locomotive in City Park, calling the engine a long-standing local landmark and a resource for children. Several speakers asked the council to delay or reverse the proposed transfer and to put the matter to a referendum.

Why it mattered: Locomotive No. 202 has been displayed in City Park since 1953 and is referenced in local preservation materials. Supporters said the engine provides low-cost, intergenerational access to local history and helps heritage tourism; opponents of the donation argued the city should keep control of the artifact rather than permanently transferring ownership.

Motion details and contingency: The donation resolution would have transferred the locomotive in “as-is” condition to WMSR, with a provision that WMSR renovate and repair the locomotive to the applicable FRA standard no later than 10 years from the effective date; if WMSR failed to comply, the city would have the right to demand return of the locomotive. The motion text explicitly cited 49 CFR part 230 as the regulatory standard WMSR must meet for operation.

Public comments: Longtime resident Lou Scully, who described himself as a local radio/TV personality, said, “I am in favor of keeping locomotive 2 0 2 in the city of Hagerstown,” and urged a referendum so citizens could decide. Sam Cuthbert, who said he taught locally for decades, told the council, “Locomotive 202 belongs to the children of Hagerstown.” Emily Conrad, a former Parks and Recreation employee who worked on the site’s recent improvements, warned that a $1 sale would not cover removal costs: “If you sell 2 0 2 to another community for $1, that does not even cover the cost of removing the signage that celebrates its history here.”

Council discussion: Councilman Alshar said documentary review left questions about the city’s legal ownership and described the city’s historic role as caretaker: “we're the caretakers of a piece of property, rather than the root owner.” Alshar also said he had voted against transferring the engine to another party. The council debate included questions about long-term stewardship, nonprofit capacity to maintain the engine, and how a transfer would affect City Park interpretive displays and heritage tourism.

Outcome: The donation resolution did not pass. The motion was moved and seconded at the Aug. 26 meeting, and although several council members voted in favor when polled, the motion ultimately failed on the council floor. The record in the meeting transcript does not list an individual roll-call tally by name; the council’s stated outcome was that the resolution did not carry.

Community response and next steps: Meeting staff announced that the city had received 106 signed postcards and a list of emailed supporters. Some speakers asked the council to pursue alternatives, including nonprofit-led fundraising or a city-supported preservation plan. Council members noted interest in continued public engagement and in clarifying the city’s legal interest in the locomotive before any future transfer.

Ending: The locomotive discussion dominated public comment at the Aug. 26 meeting; council members said they expect further communication with citizen groups and staff before any new proposal is brought back to the council for formal consideration.","On Aug. 26, 2025, the Hagerstown mayor and city council declined to approve a resolution to donate Steam Locomotive No. 202 to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Development Corporation; public speakers urged the council to keep the engine in City Park.","actionData","errors"]

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Hagerstown council approves routine resolutions, tables Wellers Alley fence; multiple grants and agreements pass

Hagerstown council rejects donation of Steam Locomotive No. 202 after weeks of public appeals to keep it