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Commissioners approve contracts, policy updates and land-preservation items in year-end session
Summary
In a largely procedural final meeting of 2024, Washington County commissioners approved multiple contracts and policy changes — including a $193,425 adolescent clubhouse contract, an airport engineering award contingent on FAA approval, an intergovernmental purchase for emergency chairs, and several land preservation items — and deferred a sole-source Esri license to the January meeting.
The Washington County Board of County Commissioners approved a slate of contracts, policy updates and land-preservation items at its final 2024 session and deferred one sole-source information-technology contract until the full board can vote.
Actions approved by voice vote included:
- A hiring approval for Haley Restar as Public Relations Coordinator (position 1574).
- A $193,425 contract award to Horizon Goodwill to continue an adolescent clubhouse program for the period 09/30/2024–06/30/2025, funded by SAMHSA through the state; the award was approved by the board while sitting as the Board of Health.
- An aviation engineering services contract (PR1714) for Hagerstown Regional Airport to Airport Design Consultants, Inc. (ADCI) of Ellicott City, Md., with the award contingent upon FAA approval. Staff reported one bid was received and the selection committee voted unanimously to recommend ADCI.
- An intergovernmental cooperative purchase of 18 Iron Horse 4,000 series chairs from Evans Consoles (via a Houston-Galveston Area Council contract) for $56,992.68, funded from a department grant for Emergency Management and Communications.
- Approval of the county’s five-year recertification report to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) so the county may retain eligibility for state 60/40 matching and ag-transfer tax retention.
- Approval of the Hayes CREP easement protecting approximately 130.21 acres (including 64 acres of woods, 39 acres of cropland and 25 acres of pasture) and buffering about 6,400 linear feet of Konigajig Creek and Rush Run; commissioners approved the proposal to accept state CREP funds and record a permanent easement.
- Approval to add a Roth contribution option to the county’s Nationwide 457(b) retirement plan, to be available in 2025 once payroll changes are implemented.
- Approval of an updated drug-and-alcohol workplace policy (PR-5) to align testing thresholds and clarify removal and reinstatement standards for safety-sensitive positions.
- Authorization to proceed with drafting an agreement to accept a donor-funded pole-barn (approximate $500,000 stock value) for the Washington County Ag Education Center, with the final agreement to return to the board for formal adoption.
- Approval of insurance renewals for the Washington County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association with total recommended premiums of $933,166 across packages; staff noted much of the loss history is vehicle backing incidents and discussed training and enforcement improvements.
One item deferred: the recommended sole-source Esri (Esri, Environmental Systems Research Institute) enterprise licensing agreement for $113,300 for 01/04/2025–01/03/2026 requires a four-of-five commissioner vote under county procurement code; because only three commissioners were present the board agreed to bring the item back on January 14, 2025.
Several approvals were completed by unanimous voice votes recorded as three in favor, zero opposed. The board recessed to enter a second closed session near the end of the meeting.
