[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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",6383842,"mediaKeyId","2123424-165ef4e568284235c91bc8cb1dcfcfd1","parentId",2123424,"title","Commissioners approve routine minutes, budget adjustments, grants and procurement; lease amendment deferred","audioSeconds",5176,"startMs",308000,"endMs",5484000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2123424-165ef4e568284235c91bc8cb1dcfcfd1&start=308&end=5484","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2123424-165ef4e568284235c91bc8cb1dcfcfd1/thumbnail_308000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6383842/Washington-County/Maryland/Commissioners-approve-routine-minutes-budget-adjustments-grants-and-procurement-lease-amendment-deferred","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6383842-790f7cb70a0dff6d37b1a66e507883d6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137340&Signature=Wbim2~qiJmbu9I2~3oImeR3D530aSjpqT5YK2DZvPEkjeUUXlRLHhZ7i8w6ZC-28riD44MyptAENUvxZfOfFlaISE4asxkOSDZ7Z7B3Z3Tw5KTyq0H2f7hwxXjlBDZJPeI7qiQj8RPMYzA5Z0g2Ri-53oLzviXGy-tRdbU3kITr~bMKBzlm8ak3Ek5XSj1jFXCtDqf9TuyqxVg69Q0tcl9j36G-tB8929SzCqZkfXPWJEN896WXgQmLmz--MrT8k5SmZWWJRYKVwlWvTfnRrwe3Wo7xG808ejaZ2Bd~~sGvJfTL5ERh-HvLOw3a0Iq79WaqPG4BruWeZm-tirXJGcg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Washington County, MD","date","2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","article","The Washington County Board of Commissioners moved through a series of routine and contract items at its Jan. 14 meeting and approved several fiscal and procurement actions by voice vote.

Minutes and budget adjustments
The board approved the minutes for previous meetings and a technical FY25 budgeting adjustment for the Washington County Board of Education. The Nov. 20, 2024 minutes were approved with three commissioners recorded as present for that meeting; the Dec. 10, 2024 minutes were approved with a unanimous voice vote. Commissioners also approved a cross‑category adjustment relating to an earlier appropriation to the Board of Education for security initiatives and the purchase of three buses.

Grants and procurement
The board voted to accept a Maryland Administrative Office of the Courts grant to Washington County Circuit Court to support multiple courthouse security projects, including access control, alarm notification upgrades, intercom systems and security film (grant amount presented at the meeting: $774,657.94). The Office of Grant Management said there are no unusual grant conditions.

Separately the board authorized a sole‑source procurement (PUR 1723) for Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) cloud enterprise licensing for county GIS operations; staff said the annual purchase amount for the current year is $113,300 and the three‑year agreement runs through Jan. 3, 2026. Commissioners also approved an intergovernmental cooperative purchase to buy one 2025 Ford F‑550 chassis truck from Apple Ford (contract leveraged through Baltimore County) for $89,175.30 and directed that the replaced 1990 Chevrolet be offered for sale on GovDeals.com.

Other approvals and actions
The board accepted the Division of Emergency Services'recommended distribution of FY2025 Senator William H. Amos Fire Rescue and Ambulance Fund (total $337,358) and approved allocations to city and county volunteer companies.

A proposed 3rd amendment to a lease involving Valicor (rail siding and industrial pretreatment facility) prompted questions about operational contingencies and reversion language; commissioners asked county staff and counsel to clarify whether the county retains sufficient operational protections if the pretreatment facility ceased operations. The board agreed to bring the item back for clarification at its Jan. 28 meeting.

The board also approved a standing agreement to engage a retired judge to chair police accountability trial boards on an as‑needed basis as a cost‑saving alternative to the Office of Administrative Hearings contract.

Finally, commissioners voted to enter a closed session to discuss acquisition of real property, confidential personnel matters and to consult with counsel for legal advice.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of County Commissioner Meeting - January 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Washington County Board of Commissioners approved several routine minutes, budget adjustments, grants and procurement items at its Jan. 14 meeting and deferred a lease amendment for further clarification.","taxTitle","Washington County, Maryland","taxId",4677,"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},6383850,"Local coalition asks county for $300,000 a year for ‘Hope for Home’ program to reduce family homelessness",496,1897000,2393000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2123424-165ef4e568284235c91bc8cb1dcfcfd1&start=1897&end=2393","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2123424-165ef4e568284235c91bc8cb1dcfcfd1/thumbnail_1897000.jpg","/articles/6383850/Washington-County/Maryland/Local-coalition-asks-county-for-300000-a-year-for-Hope-for-Home-program-to-reduce-family-homelessness","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6383850-1b4f28c0f205b07abbf432cb85755835/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137340&Signature=Cl84bki-NP0M4Mebd~csW0adXzg5N5HLVmV8meqatRo28RNTeX8Oj2RdrM7YusKMdKPS~hZMWU1CblRvTRGygjGu15lNcTTThld~40mi8yFdZnBmBVyzyWvf288T3WMK85eU7LwiSnU4xv3w9L0nqDaxqBM4FFJllyazB~shr6bEBpMyIV5DbMzGdhNFPnYYOCqWNA70CaxRhjSp7IT7Bu7F2ZE~mCh7ewuHp5Ptlhdh2AN~FAxFmqhqBMuRvnIENXs7jNFgYaRu4PWmj4WFhWKFdL4qj9ms37oHt2KYrsZ~oWcFVVR9dIzIuZFp0rDmnANaYAs6sFNs8JZxYuvs3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jeannie Asbury, executive director of Reach and chair of the local homeless coalition, told the Washington County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 14 that homelessness in the county has risen sharply and asked the board to fund a pilot program.

\"This is not a statistic. This is a humanitarian crisis affecting the heart of our community, the future of our community,\" Asbury said, and asked the county to commit $300,000 annually from the community reinvestment and repair fund to launch Hope for Home.

The request matters because county officials indicated cannabis tax revenue and the community reinvestment fund could provide new local resources for homelessness services. Coalition leaders said the program would target families who do not qualify for existing funding and provide 12‑month leases plus intensive, tailored wraparound services to promote housing stability.

The coalition presented data and service details. Asbury told commissioners that overall homelessness in the county \"has escalated by over 340% since 2021\" and that there are \"more than 600 homeless school‑age children\" in Washington County (January figures not yet available, she said). Dr. Mark Sewell, the county's Continuum of Care lead, described program components: case management, financial literacy, tenant‑rights education, child‑centered supports (tutoring and after‑school programs) and required participation by families in services.

\"We are requesting $300,000 annually to be used from the community reinvestment and repair fund,\" Sewell said, tying the ask to the fund established under Maryland's Cannabis Reform Act of 2023, which the presenters said designates homelessness solutions as an eligible use. Sewell said the coalition will supply research backing the model, including studies on eviction costs and child health impacts.

Carrie Johnson, executive director of the Washington County Mental Health Authority, described an existing, longer‑running Continuum of Care rental assistance program to show how supportive housing models work locally. Johnson said that program currently serves 19 households (28 people), including six households with children, and that many households in that program have long tenures in the program; she detailed the program's case management and landlord‑engagement practices as comparators for Hope for Home.

Presenters asked the commissioners to review the research and funding request and to work with the coalition to design a local pilot. No formal appropriation or vote took place; presenters said they would follow up with additional materials the commissioners requested in December.

Next steps: coalition leaders said they will provide the research comparisons and program details requested by commissioners; any county funding decision would return to the board for formal consideration and appropriation.","Jeannie Asbury, executive director of Reach and chair of the local homeless coalition, told the Washington County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 14 that homelessness in the county has risen sharply and asked the board to fund a pilot program.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6383847,"Fire and EMS leaders warn of high attrition as county approves state Senator Amos allocations for volunteer companies",2135,2627000,4762000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2123424-165ef4e568284235c91bc8cb1dcfcfd1&start=2627&end=4762","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2123424-165ef4e568284235c91bc8cb1dcfcfd1/thumbnail_2627000.jpg","/articles/6383847/Washington-County/Maryland/Fire-and-EMS-leaders-warn-of-high-attrition-as-county-approves-state-Senator-Amos-allocations-for-volunteer-companies","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6383847-092feb2717a843860bc0f755ea0c98f4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137340&Signature=T3v3PRGF38ZpVqkuokRaZC7ejkqg1~SeeAB12fxsT81nxEwUUKu5dDEnoG0RRT2oc~xLa7HP5UvD1UFgcgU7MVOy~nUN3KLmS1mycxIVDwwBavbjVwOexulEKbn839Pw3X-hAxYgs5xkzVPEE4gEeS5WEBp-bzUgXHQHF3VWwF7omeMLOvN5dhhBpojyoxSCM~GSSOxdQcmfHmb4Xp9ik7Cm6TjZ2LpEhVra84EFtrhyfZGic2IYRIMVSpr-Y2nHP3RuQOw3bW8elDlubiauIOpRjibh3h9YmB9HSLHIMSPPkGh-s7kYoVb7YvFGxpbs4IJ-S6Cfzmdh9KqlygCF6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mark Kopps, a member of Local 1605 and a Washington County resident, told commissioners on Jan. 14 that career fire and EMS personnel face a nearly one‑third attrition rate and urged caution before reducing property taxes or other actions that could worsen public‑safety staffing.

\"This is not sustainable,\" Kopps said, urging the board to wait for a full evaluation from the director of emergency services before moving forward on potential tax cuts. He said the county invests heavily in training staff who then leave for better pay elsewhere.

Casey McKnight, speaking as a representative of Washington County Division of Emergency Services, addressed common public misconceptions about emergency responders' schedules and work. He said staff are on duty for entire 24‑ or 48‑hour shifts and that brief rest periods are used to recharge between unpredictable calls. McKnight underscored that many responders hold part‑time work outside their department to support families and that competitive pay is necessary for retention.

Separately, David Hayes, director of emergency services, presented the county's required distribution of FY2025 Senator William H. Amos Fire Rescue and Ambulance Fund. The county received $337,358 for FY2025 and commissioners approved a recommended allocation. Under the division's recommendation approved by the board, the City of Hagerstown will receive $77,858 to distribute to six city volunteer companies; each volunteer fire and rescue company outside the city will receive $12,975. Hayes said the county does not withhold the small administrative allowance and distributes the full amount to local companies. The motion carried by voice vote.

Speakers in the public comment period included a range of firefighters and residents. One speaker, identified in the record as a resident, made sharp, profane criticisms of county pay decisions and singled out a county economic development official's pay as unfair; that speaker's remarks were not a formal complaint the county acted on during the meeting.

The board approved the Senator Amos fund notifications and allocation to volunteer companies; no change to county tax policy was decided. Emergency services leaders asked commissioners to weigh workforce and retention analyses before considering tax reductions or other budgetary shifts that could affect staffing.","Career and volunteer emergency responders told commissioners they face rising staff loss and pay concerns; the board approved distribution of FY2025 Senator William H. Amos Fire Rescue and Ambulance Fund totaling $337,358 to local volunteer companies.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioners approve routine minutes, budget adjustments, grants and procurement; lease amendment deferred

Local coalition asks county for $300,000 a year for ‘Hope for Home’ program to reduce family homelessness

Fire and EMS leaders warn of high attrition as county approves state Senator Amos allocations for volunteer companies