Hagerstown City Council briefs

September 17, 2003|by SCOTT BUTKI

Council discusses funding requests

During Tuesday's Hagerstown City Council meeting, the council discussed its requests for state Program Open Space funds.

Each year, municipalities ask for money, provided through a state program, to pay for developments and land acquisitions,

The city's first priority for development project requests is for $100,000 for irrigation at the city golf course, particularly for holes 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, City Administrative Services John Budesky said.

The city also is asking for money to light the hockey rink at Fairgrounds Park, light the Pangborn Park tennis court, improve a parking lot at City Park and replace a pavilion at Hellane Park, he said.

The city is asking for $120,0000 in Program Open Space funds to acquire a parking lot at Funkhouser Park and $133,000 to acquire the Kauffman Property, also known as the "old Coke plant," on the west side of Pennsylvania Avenue, he said.

Adopt-A-Traffic Island program is discussed

The City of Hagerstown plans to start a program under which volunteer groups would adopt, improve and maintain traffic islands, spokesman Karen Giffin told the Hagerstown City Council Tuesday.

Under the Adopt-A-Traffic Island program, volunteer organizations and neighborhood associations would adopt a traffic island or "gateway intersection" for at least one year, Giffin said.

A traffic island is property on the median of a road. A gateway intersection is property at the entrance or exit of the town, she said.

Groups would be encouraged to put plants in their adopted areas, Giffin said.

The city would help the groups by providing hand tools and trash bags among other items, she said.

City's July 4th event might start earlier

The City of Hagerstown's July 4 fireworks event next year might start earlier and include musical entertainment, spokeswoman Karen Giffin told the Hagerstown City Council Tuesday.

Ted Bodnar, who helps coordinate the event, suggested the event start at 2 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. next year, with the fireworks display still to begin at about 9:30 p.m.

The council is scheduled to vote at next Tuesday's meeting on setting aside $13,000 for a fireworks display.

Giffin said she will return to the council around December to give the council information on a cost analysis for entertainment and city services.

In addition to providing more entertainment for residents, changing the event's hours might alleviate any problems with delays as people park for the fireworks display, Bodnar said.

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