Allegany County meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

County board to consider land easement sale, tax credits, and emergency grants

Allegany County commissioners are scheduled to vote on several action items at their Aug. 20 public business meeting, including the sale of a land preservation easement, renewal of an emergency notification contract, and acceptance of a rural health grant. The meeting is one of five held in the past two weeks, all of which were agenda-only; minutes have not yet been published.

County commissioners

The board's public business meeting on Aug. 20 includes a public hearing on a road closing petition northwest of Bayberry Avenue in Cumberland. Action items on the agenda include:

• Resolution 26-20: Approve the sale of a 118.94-acre land preservation easement at 11306 Stotlemeyer Road to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF).
• Contract renewal with Everbridge for 2027: $28,792.31 for mass emergency notifications.
• Acceptance of a Rural Health Transformation Program Grant: $71,338.
• Resolution 26-21: Grant property tax credits for fiscal year 2027 to qualifying organizations, nonprofits, and the Cumberland Outdoor Club.

A separate work session on the same day will include a check-in from the Allegany County Health Department (with Dr. Corder and Gena Spear) and an update on Lonaconing Water presented by Adam Patterson. No formal votes or public comment periods are scheduled for that session.

Liquor board

The Board of License Commissioners will hold hearings on a special Class 'C' beer license for the Western Maryland Street Rod Association, to be held Sept. 4-6, 2026, at the Allegany County Fairgrounds (11490-11498 Moss Ave, Cumberland). The board will also address three liquor license violations:

• Bedford Road Liquors, 11506 Bedford Road NE, Cumberland (April 27, 2026)
• Liquor Market, 1262 Vocke Road Space 804, La Vale (March 12, 2026)
• Patrick's Pub, 7 Willison Place, Cumberland (April 14, 2026)

The board will also discuss operating hours for The Beach Club and a letter from the Cresaptown Eagles.

Emergency services board

The Emergency Services Board met Aug. 11. The agenda included approval of previous minutes, reports from Department of Emergency Services divisions (Communications, EMS, Emergency Management, Special Operations), and reports from partner agencies including LEPC, MDEM, MIEMSS, MSFA, Maryland State Police Aviation Command, and the State Fire Marshal. Committee reports from EMS, Fire, and Standards were also listed. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, at 18:00 hrs.

Administrative charging committee

The Administrative Charging Committee met Aug. 19. The public portion was largely procedural, including approval of July minutes. The committee then entered a closed session to evaluate law enforcement investigations into a police misconduct complaint and to consult with legal counsel. Two cases, 26-ACC-012 and 26-ACC-013, were anticipated for review.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are scheduled in the next 14 days, according to the provided data.

Allegany County boards to weigh land sale, bonds, liquor licenses

Allegany County government boards met or will meet this week on a range of items, from a proposed 65-home development on county-owned land to liquor license transfers and zoning requests. All items listed below are from published agendas; no minutes have been released, so no formal decisions have been confirmed.

County Commissioners: Land sale, bonds, settlements

The Board of County Commissioners held a public work session Aug. 6 to discuss flood projects, a proposed procurement policy revision, and recycling in LaVale. No votes or public comment were taken.

At a separate meeting the same day, the board is scheduled to consider several major actions:

• Adopt Resolution 26-17 authorizing up to $968,011 in general obligation bonds for the Bedford Road Phase VII Sanitary District Project.
• Adopt Resolution 26-18 authorizing the sale of 11.87 acres along Sedgwick Street to D.R. Horton, Inc. for development of 65 market-rate affordable homes.
• Approve a Land Development Agreement with D.R. Horton for the same 65-home project on the site of Old Allegany High School.
• Approve termination of a ground lease for Frostburg State University's ABC Business Park, settling a liability of more than $4 million for $100,000.
• Approve a settlement with PPG Industries, Inc. for $135,857.80 over alleged sewer overpayment.

A public hearing is also scheduled on a road closing petition for a portion of Heather Street.

Liquor Board: Special event licenses and a transfer

The Board of License Commissioners met Aug. 5 to consider five Special Class "C" licenses for events and one transfer of a Class "D" yearly license.

Special event licenses were on the agenda for:

• Orleans Volunteer Fire Company reunion at Twin Oaks Outdoor, 31307 Old Town Rd SE, Little Orleans, Aug. 7.
• Western Maryland Health System Foundation Golf Tournament at UPMC Western Maryland, 12500 Willowbrook Rd, Cumberland, Aug. 20.
• Cash Bash at Cumberland Masonic Temple, 15 Greene St, Cumberland, Aug. 15.
• Salvation Army Red Shield Club – Rock the Mountains at Allegany County Fairgrounds, 11490 Moss Ave, Cumberland, Aug. 20-23.

The board also considered transferring the Class "D" license from Niner's Canal Pub, 2-4-6 Pershing St, Cumberland, to Elvies Inc, 155 Washington St, Westernport.

Zoning Appeals: Storage building and convenience store

The Board of Zoning Appeals held public hearings Aug. 5 on two requests:

• Case No. 986: a storage building exceeding 1,200 square feet at Heather Street and Kite Avenue.
• Case No. 987: a variance to construct a convenience store nine feet from the Mount Savage Road (MD 36) right-of-way.

Other boards

• **Planning Commission** (July 29): Introduced new member David Madden, received a Comprehensive Plan consultation/development update from Smith Planning & Design, and approved June 16 special business meeting minutes.
• **Election Board** (Aug. 4): Agenda included disclosure of campaign contributions, approval of July 7 meeting minutes, and a potential Board of Canvassers meeting prior to the regular meeting.
• **Solid Waste Management Board** (Aug. 5): Reviewed monthly updates on Cumberland curbside recycling and Mountainview Landfill projects, and discussed household hazardous waste collection, the LaVale site, and a Buy Nothing event.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed in the next 14 days. Check the county's official meeting calendar for any newly scheduled sessions.

Allegany County commissioners act on $2.8M in grants, road and waterline projects

The Allegany County Board of County Commissioners moved on more than $2.8 million in grants, contracts, and infrastructure purchases at its July 23, 2026, business meeting, according to the posted agenda. Minutes for the meeting have not yet been published.

Commissioners: Grants, road and waterline work, vehicle purchases

The agenda lists the following items as approved by the board:

• Accept a $361,573 Homelessness Solutions Program Grant.
• Award a $298,750 contract for the Depot Road Waterline Replacement to First Fruits Excavating, Inc.
• Approve a $1,381,220.15 County Road Rehabilitation Project to Belt Paving, Inc.
• Purchase a 2025 Peterbilt dump truck for $238,804 and a 2026 Ford F-250 for $49,433.
• Accept a $363,269 State Opioid Response IV Grant for Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and Reentry Programs.

The same day, commissioners held a separate public work session to discuss upcoming business meeting agenda items and receive department updates. The work session was informal, with no formal votes or public comment period.

Note: Both July 23 entries are listed as "agenda only (minutes not yet published)," so vote tallies and final action details are not yet available in the public record.

Ethics Commission reviews 2025 disclosures

On July 24, 2026, the Allegany County Ethics Commission was scheduled to approve previous meeting minutes, review financial disclosures received for calendar year 2025, and hold a closed session to discuss ethics complaints and personnel matters and consult with legal counsel. The commission may also set the date for its next meeting. Minutes are not yet published.

Planning Commission gets Comprehensive Plan update

The Planning & Zoning Commission met July 29, 2026, to introduce new member David Madden and review minutes from the June 16, 2026, Special Business Meeting. The commission also received a consultation and development update on the County's Comprehensive Plan from Smith Planning & Design. No decisions were listed on the agenda; minutes are not yet published.

Coming up

• **Board of Elections — August 4, 2026:** Regular business includes approval of July 7, 2026, meeting minutes, reports from the attorney and administrator, and disclosure of campaign contributions. A potential meeting of the Board of Canvassers may be held prior to the regular meeting.
• **Board of Zoning Appeals — August 5, 2026:** Public hearings on two cases: Case No. 986, a request for a storage building exceeding 1,200 square feet at Heather Street and Kite Avenue; and Case No. 987, a request for a variance to construct a convenience store nine feet from the Mount Savage Road (MD 36) right-of-way.

Allegany County boards weighed property sales, liquor licenses, and police misconduct reviews in mid-July sessions

Allegany County's elected and appointed boards held a series of meetings in the first half of July, addressing county property transactions, alcohol license requests, and a closed-session review of police misconduct investigations. Minutes have not yet been published for any of the meetings below, so outcomes and vote tallies are not yet available; the items reflect what was listed on each agenda.

County Commissioners: property sales, leases, and appointments

The Board of County Commissioners met July 9 for a public work session and a separate public hearing agenda. The work session included labor-management agreement negotiations with IAFF #1715 (Department of Emergency Services), potential appointments to the Animal Control Board, and a proposal for a new business to locate in the State via the Department of Economic & Community Development. A planned closed session was listed to address labor negotiations, board appointments, and the business location proposal.

The commissioners' hearing agenda included a public hearing on a road opening petition northwest of Bayberry Ave in Cumberland, a memorandum of understanding with the Long Term Recovery Committee for use of State Disaster Recovery Fund money, and Resolution 26-11, which would ratify five sales and seven leases of county-owned property. The consent agenda listed a $500 community event promotion for the 2026 Ellerslie Day's Annual Festival and appointments to the Board of Zoning Appeals (Thomas Ferleman, Eric Bowlus) and the Planning and Zoning Commission (David Madden).

Because minutes are not yet published, it is not confirmed which items were approved or how commissioners voted.\n

Liquor Board: special event licenses and a new yearly license

The Board of License Commissioners met July 15 to consider several Special Class "C" beer and wine licenses for upcoming events, including the Allegany County Chamber of Commerce Crab Feast at Ali Ghan Shrine Club, 13300 Ali Ghan Rd, on Aug. 7, 2026; an Allegany County Chamber of Commerce After Hours event at 60 Pershing Street on Aug. 19, 2026; the Orleans Volunteer Fire Company at 12210 Orleans Road NE on July 18, 2026; and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at Town Hall B & B, 31101 National Pike NE, Aug. 6–8, 2026.

The board also was scheduled to consider a new Class "C" yearly beer, wine, and liquor license for the Cumberland Cultural Foundation's C. William Gilchrist Museum of the Arts at 104 Washington Street. Violation hearings for JZ's Pub and Queen's Point VFW were also on the agenda.

Administrative Charging Committee: closed session on three misconduct cases

The Administrative Charging Committee met July 15, approving April meeting minutes before entering a closed session to evaluate three investigations — cases 26-ACC-009, 26-ACC-010, and 26-ACC-011 — related to a police misconduct complaint and to consult legal counsel on personnel matters. The committee was scheduled to reconvene in open session to address other business and set its next meeting date.

Upper Potomac River Commission: quarterly operations review

The Upper Potomac River Commission held its rescheduled regular quarterly meeting July 15, moved from July 8. The agenda listed reviews of waste treatment plant operations, commission finances, and Savage River Dam operations, plus other matters raised at the meeting.

Board of Elections: campaign finance disclosures

The Board of Elections met July 7 to conduct regular business, including a review of campaign contribution disclosures. The agenda was described as procedural boilerplate.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed for the next 14 days. Residents seeking confirmed outcomes from the July sessions above should watch for published minutes from each respective board.