Despite No Public Comment, Local Group to Protest ICE Warehouse at County Commissioners Meeting

Washington County residents are invited to attend the upcoming Board of County Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, February 3rd, at the Washington County Administration Building in Hagerstown. The meeting, scheduled to run from 9:30 AM to 11:10 AM for public observation, will feature a range of agenda items including presentations from Hagerstown Community College and the Washington County Free Library, discussions on grant approvals, contract awards for various county services, and updates on infrastructure projects. While the County does not permit public comment during Commissioner meetings, a protest by Washington County Indivisible is planned to take place inside the meeting room, with participants aiming to convey their concerns regarding an ICE warehouse in the county through a silent protest with signs.

The formal Board of County Commissioners meeting is slated to begin at 9:30 AM with the invocation and pledge of allegiance, followed by commissioner and staff reports.

The agenda includes a comprehensive presentation by Dr. James Klauber, President of Hagerstown Community College, and its Board of Trustees, who will discuss the college’s current status and budget. This presentation is expected to involve a fiscal impact of a 3% increase in the General Fund Operating Budget, alongside an additional $25,000 for paramedic program support. Following this, Jenny Backos, Executive Director of the Washington County Free Library, will present the library’s annual budget request, which seeks level funding from the previous fiscal year.

Further into the morning, the commissioners will consider the approval to submit an application for the FY27 Rural Legacy Program Grant. This grant, amounting to $9,500,000.00, is intended for the purchase of easements within the county’s designated Rural Legacy Area, which is primarily located around the Antietam Battlefield. The program has already played a significant role in Washington County’s efforts to preserve land, having contributed to the preservation of over 9,700 acres to date. The recurring operational expenses associated with this program, such as easement property inspections, are covered by the Department of Planning and Zoning’s Land Preservation Budget.

Several contract awards are also on the agenda, including a requirements contract for facility design services. This contract, valid for an initial two-year period with options for extension, will provide engineering support for projects outlined in the Washington County Capital Improvement Plan and the general operating budget. Other contract considerations include the award for an Oracle Fusion Consultant to implement Human Capital Management recruitment and onboarding systems, which will introduce an Applicant Tracking System and new automation for the Human Resources department’s recruiting and onboarding processes. Additionally, a sole source procurement for NICE maintenance support for emergency communications is proposed, with a total cost of $213,546 over three years. This maintenance agreement is deemed necessary due to the specialized nature of the NICE Inform Recorder system.

The meeting will also address potential infrastructure and operational needs. A discussion is scheduled regarding a potential filter replacement change order for the Smithsburg Wastewater Treatment Plant. The existing filters, installed in the mid-1990s, have shown significant deterioration, and the manufacturer recommends full replacement. The estimated total cost for this project, including consultant design fees, new filters, temporary filtration systems, and building modifications, is approximately $731,000.00. A service proposal for GEA Engineering will also be reviewed for the maintenance of two sludge dewatering centrifuges at the Conococheague Wastewater Treatment Plant, with a combined cost of $54,606.00 for major and minor services.

In terms of personnel and operations, the commissioners will consider repurposing a vacant 911 dispatcher role to hire a second training coordinator for the Emergency Communications Center (ECC). The fiscal impact of this change is expected to be offset by dispatcher vacancies. Furthermore, approval is sought to offer hiring bonuses totaling $90,000 for fully trained and certified dispatchers to address staffing needs in the 911 call center, with an initial recommendation to limit these bonuses to nine experienced new hires.

Appointments to various advisory boards are also on the agenda, including the reappointment of Tom Hoffman and Julie Sanders to the Washington County Recreation and Parks Advisory Board, with a waiver requested for the two-term limit for Ms. Sanders. Frank Quillen is also slated for reappointment to the Building Code Board of Appeals for a second term.

Finally, the board will address easement agreements related to infrastructure projects. This includes the acquisition of an easement interest in real property for the Eastern Boulevard widening project, specifically for the Shaool Property, to facilitate public purposes. Additionally, a temporary easement agreement for an alley used by the Washington County Transit facility is to be reviewed. This agreement will define the terms for the Orchard Hills Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ continued permissive use of the alley until transit facility expansion proceeds and the alley is formally closed.

Citizens are also reminded that comments regarding agenda items or other county business can be directed via email to contactcommissioners@washco-md.net.

Article by Ken Buckler, based upon information from Washington County Government and social media posts from Washington County Indivisible.

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