September 8, 2026 | Mayor & Council: Work Session

The City of Hagerstown held a Mayor and Council work session on September 8, 2026, focusing primarily on urban planning and infrastructure issues. Key procurement-related discussions included the potential impact of proposed bike lanes on downtown parking, with concerns raised about the loss of approximately 350 parking spaces and the associated revenue implications. The council discussed the need for city representation at upcoming public meetings to address these concerns. Additionally, the council reviewed the acceptance of a $1 million federal earmark for storm drainage system improvements, outlining plans to hire engineering consultants for evaluation and design phases, with no local matching funds required. The session also covered the initiation of a closed-circuit television inspection contract to assess the condition of the city's storm drainage network, funded by the stormwater protection fund. Other topics included amendments to the land management code, historic district design guideline updates, and a $75,000 Maryland Energy Administration residential energy grant application for low to moderate income households, which requires no local match. Motions to authorize additional expenditures for a customer service center project and to endorse the historic district guidelines with flexibility for non-policy updates were anticipated for the regular session.