HAGERSTOWN, Md. – The Washington County Board of County Commissioners will hold its June 30 open session that will include a public hearing on a proposed ordinance to defer data center development at the forefront of the agenda.
The commissioners will consider an ordinance backed by Commissioners Randal A. Leatherman, Neil C. Parrott and Randall E. Wagner that would temporarily halt new data center projects. County Attorney Zachary Kieffer is scheduled to present details on the proposal, which comes amid growing concerns over infrastructure strain, energy demands and land use in the county.
The board will also review the updated county Emergency Operations Plan. Alan Matheny, director of Emergency Management and Communications, and planner Brian Lowman will lead the discussion on the document that guides county responses to disasters and major incidents.
Other notable items include:
• A public hearing on agricultural preservation easement rankings for fiscal 2027, presented by Rural Preservation Administrator Chris Boggs.
• Procurement of a Pierce Enforcer walk-in rescue fire truck and two Wheeled Coach ambulances for the Division of Emergency Services through intergovernmental cooperative purchases.
• Rehabilitation of Taxiway “H” at Hagerstown Regional Airport and approval to apply for state grant funds to design a replacement air traffic control tower.
• Renewal of sole-source support for the Munis utility billing software system.
Multiple other cooperative purchases and bid awards covering items such as John Deere mowers for parks, Motorola mobile radios for the sheriff’s office, roof replacement at the water quality pump shop and electronics recycling services.
• Several grant-related actions, including funding recommendations from the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund, support for the Miss Maryland Pageant and applications for rural health and children’s programs.\
• Personnel matters, reappointments to county boards and an update to the county investment policy.
The board will convene briefly as the Board of Health to consider opioid response programs before returning to county business. It will enter closed session near the end of the meeting for personnel discussions, business attraction strategy, legal advice and potential litigation matters.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m., and will be livestreamed on the county’s YouTube channel and local cable access.
See the full agenda here.
