The Hagerstown mayor and city council approved a slate of routine and time-sensitive items during their Nov. 25, 2025 regular session, including a $20,000 easement purchase for property on Mount Etna Road, grant applications for park improvements, withdrawal from a delayed emergency-management grant, an emergency demolition, and a $100,000 blanket purchase order for camera equipment.

Why it matters: The actions move several projects forward (or off the active ledger) with near-immediate financial or public-safety implications: the easement purchase clears a property title obstacle, the park grant applications seek state funding for playground and skate-park improvements, the withdrawal from a Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) grant acknowledges a funding delay, and the camera purchase funds citywide surveillance and monitoring hardware.

Key actions and outcomes

- Easement purchase (Mount Etna Road, Parcel 973): Council approved an ordinance authorizing purchase of an easement over Parcel 973 for $20,000 to be paid from the fund balance reserve. The motion was moved, seconded and passed by voice vote.

- FY2027 Program Open Space grant application: The council approved submitting requests to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for two projects — replacing playground equipment at Ridge Avenue Playground ($135,000) and constructing a skate-park shade structure ($36,000). The motion passed.

- Withdrawal from MDEM grant (hydraulic model): Council approved withdrawing from a $75,000 grant agreement previously awarded in 2024 for a hydraulic model of part of the city storm drainage system, citing that FEMA has not released the funds and there is no indication funds will be distributed before 2029; staff will reapply if the program reopens.

- Emergency demolition at 525 Frederick Street: Council approved emergency procurement for demolition of a garage structure deemed unstable by the chief code official. Allegheny Wrecking performed the work for $15,000, paid from the property-abatement account.

- Blanket purchase order for citywide camera equipment: Council accepted a blanket purchase order in the amount of $100,000 to maintain and expand the citywide camera system, with named potential vendors including Verizon, HCGI, PenNET, Fisher Security and Flock. The measure passed by voice vote.

Other items: Council introduced amendments to City Code Chapter 79 (juvenile curfew), introduced a zoning map amendment for the Lorich Property at 1912 Day Road (reclassifying roughly 1.93 acres from commercial general to neighborhood mixed use), approved guideline changes for the Invest Hagerstown sign/facade and fire-suppression grants, approved a fireworks exemption for Meredith Park for 12/06/2025 with required neighbor notification, and approved a Smithsburg-requested stream-restoration project on Beaver Creek at no cost to Hagerstown.

Voting and procedure: Nearly all items were approved by voice vote with the record stating "Aye" and no recorded roll-call tallies provided in the transcript. Where the transcript records only a voice vote, the article does not attribute individual yes/no votes to named council members.

What’s next: Several introduced ordinances (curfew and zoning map amendment) will return for additional consideration per the city’s normal ordinance-introduction process. Staff indicated it will reapply for state grants if the programs reopen; no additional deadlines were announced during the session.