Adrian for Laurel Profile Photo

Adrian for Laurel

Official site of Adrian G. Simmons, Councilman for the City Council of Laurel, Maryland.

Laurel news

    ∞

    Updates to Changes at Laurel Armory

    Below are updates to changes proposed for the Laurel Armory that also help address some of the follow-up questions I’ve received:

    • The originally proposed lease term with the National Boys & Girls Club of Prince George’s County was 15 years, but through further conversation they’ve agreed to a lease term that aligns with the current Administration.

    • Renovations proposed at the Armory will need to be approved by the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) before modifications begin since the Armory is a designated historic property. After the MHT’s approval, it will come before the City Council for approval.

    • Also, while it originally appeared as if the K-5 program was expected to start August 31, that beginning date may not be firm – I’m still awaiting clarification of this piece.

    Will continue to keep folks posted on developments and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions!

    (Photo: City of Laurel)

    ∞

    Info on Changes at Laurel Armory

    A number of residents have reached out to me recently to ask about changes they’d heard were happening at the Laurel Armory. Mayor Sydnor shared at this week’s Regular Meeting some background and history, as well as the plans that are currently underway for new programming starting August 31.

    I’ve queued up the video below for folks to catch what he shared even if you weren’t able to make it to the meeting:

    I encourage you to watch the video for the full picture, and a few of the highlights he shared include:

    • On August 31, the Prince George’s County Boys & Girls Club (PGBGC) will be starting a program at the Armory for kids in Kindergarten through 5th grade from around 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

    • A Day Camp program is also expected during the summer months (I believe I understood to start summer 2027) and would run weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

    • The programs will occupy spaces on the ground floor and second floor of the Armory, and access to those areas will not be permitted during program time.

    • City programs that currently take place at those times and spaces are expected to be shifted to other Laurel facilities, such as the DiPietro Center or Multiservice Center.

    • Resident access will remain available to the basement level through the side door during those times, where the exercise room, dance room, and a meeting room are.

    • The kids program will be provided free of charge by PGBGC to the region, I believe I understood to hear using federal Title 1 dollars. It would include 60 minutes of tutoring combined with other activities.

    • As part of the arrangement, Mayor Sydnor shared he’d coordinated with Maryland Delegate Ben Barnes to facilitate the award of a $1 million capital grant from the state to the PGBGC. These funds are expected to be used toward capital improvements to the interior of the Armory in connection with their programs.

    • I believe I understood to hear that a 15-year contract is signed/ will be signed for these programs.

    Thank you again to residents for bringing this to Council’s attention, and I appreciate the Mayor sharing this information with the community at Monday night’s meeting. I believe there are follow-up questions from residents and Council on some of the related details, and if you have questions or thoughts as well, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me and/or other members of Council we’ll do our best to obtain answers for you.

    ∞

    Apply for Youth Services grant up to $5k!

    Are you a non-profit in the City providing services to youth? – Then you can apply for a Youth Services Grant up to $5,000 to help towards equipment, qualifying program costs, and more.

    I want to thank Youth Services Commissioner Maria Gonzales-Jackson for reminding us all of this grant in a recent Regular Meeting – You can read the details in the related Youth Services Funding Application available from the Youth Services Commission page, but the gist is:

    • The Commission accepts applications during two application windows each year: January/ February and September/ October

    • They then review applications and award grants following each application window: A set in April and a set in December.

    • There’s some basic paperwork to support your 501(c)(3) status and non-profit finances

    • As well as a description of your program and the particular use for the applied-for funds

    • Once awarded, you’ll need to make the approved purchase and provide related receipts for the reimbursement

    This can be a great way for a sports non-profit to refresh their gear, or an after-school non-profit to get program materials, or youth recreational non-profit to support an educational trip, etc.

    A hearty thanks to the youth non-profits out there for supporting our community’s kids, and check out the above information for more info – many may not of heard of it and it can be a big help to programs in need.

    Thank you also to the Youth Services Commission members for their service to our City, and if you’d be interested to join their efforts, please reach out to the contact information on the Commission’s page and link up with others looking to make a difference in our town!

    ∞

    Mayor Issues Temporary Youth Curfew Jun 18 - Sep 8

    On June 11, Mayor Sydnor issued a citywide youth curfew to take effect Thu, Jun 18 and last through Tue, Sep 8 – Under the curfew, it shall be unlawful for anyone under the age of 18 to be in a public place between 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. seven days a week.

    Per the Press Release:

    The curfew is intended to promote public safety and support the City’s ongoing efforts to provide positive opportunities and a safe environment for young people throughout the summer months.

    Allowable exceptions are:

    • Accompanied by a parent or legal guardian;

    • Returning home by a direct route within one hour following the conclusion of a school activity, religious or voluntary association activity, or a public entertainment event; or

    • Traveling directly to or from work and able to provide proof of employment upon request

    Additional information can be found in the official press release on the City’s website.

    ∞

    Council Voted Unanimously to Override Veto, Amend Budget

    Last night, Council unanimously voted to override the two vetoed amendments, with the result that the amended budget passed last Wednesday now goes into effect.

    For me, a key theme is that everyone has a seat at the table in the conversation about how our City funds are spent: residents, Mayor, and Members of Council.

    You can watch my brief discussion comment here, and I’ve included a text copy below.

    Thank you Mr. President, and yes, a couple thoughts to share:

    First of all, I believe the intent for this program is definitely coming from a good place and also I’m very appreciative of what LARS does for our community. I’ve also been very supportive of many of the Mayor’s programs.

    But in my thinking, and as my fellow Councilmembers have also said, this $1 million is something that warrants additional community input, and Councilmember input, to think through.

    We did discuss this program during the budget process and realized there was more here than could be unpacked during the budget cycle, so this amendment allows us to unpack this on the other side – That we can do what needs to be done for the City in the meantime, and unpack this on the other side to talk through it further.

    It’s been said that Council could have extended conversations deeper into June, but in my thinking, in reality that really isn’t a workable solution – A thoughtful design of our budget cycle keeps June in reserve for situations such as this: a veto (which can be issued within 30 days)/ possible conversations that might occur afterwards if so/ and then a potential veto override vote (which can happen within 35 days). So there’s a buffer we need at the end of the process [in order to meet the June 20 deadline imposed by the State], and practically speaking, therefore, a vote really needs to happen sometime by the end of May, which is what we did.

    In closing, our call to hold a common conversation – this thing we call “community” and what we do here tonight – it’s something higher than the technical requirements of the law. The truth is, it’s messy and at times can be cumbersome – but it also has an underlying beauty I believe, that can be accomplished in no other way, and it’s a worthy exercise of our human effort: to together, build towards the common good.

    Thank you Mr. President.

    ∞

    Your Voice is Needed! -- Support Proper Oversight for Surprise $1 million Spend

    You may be aware that four weeks ago, Mayor Sydnor inserted a new, surprise $1 million rent subsidy grant into the FY27 budget without previously even giving Council a heads up, much less seeking Council or resident input for the idea.

    The $1 million comes from interest earned on ARPA deposits and is available for the City to use however it would like. But instead of opening a conversation with Council and residents on priorities around our town and talking through how to best direct the monies, the Mayor developed his own plans for the funds and never even mentioned it existed until Councilmembers finally got to page 192 of the 308-page budget on their own, noticed it was there, and started asking questions.

    Three days later, the draft program documents we received made it clear the program was still being defined and there were plenty of unanswered questions – Not to mention the basic starting point of how this use had somehow trumped all other priorities without even a conversation.

    As a result, Councilmembers reached consensus at their May 11 Budget Work Session to advance a budget amendment to remove the grant line so that the $1 million could be properly revisited after the 24-day budget sprint. This would allow appropriate air to the process of seeking resident input, having a conversation among Council, and even just talking through to ensure ideas had been given their proper consideration (a basic premise of how government is supposed to function).

    The Council’s amendment passed at this Wednesday’s budget vote, as did the full budget as amended.

    But the Mayor vetoed the amendment Thursday, expressing his desire to move ahead with his plans regardless.

    You can watch my cautionary comments expressed at the meeting here, in which I was even interrupted in the middle of my statement in an attempt to impede Councilmember voices from being heard (which also happened to two other Councilmembers during the proceedings).

    In my opinion, this is not an acceptable way to practice governance and translates into casting a deaf ear on the residents and their representatives.

    Per our Charter, Council will have an opportunity to override the Mayor’s veto – That vote has just been scheduled for this coming Monday, June 1 at 6 p.m. at Council Chambers. Four Councilmember votes will be needed to achieve override, and based on Wednesday night’s vote, one more is needed.

    Please reach out to Council President Brencis Smith (At-Large) and Councilmember Jeffrey Mills (Ward 2) to ask them to support a veto override so that the people and their representatives can give proper attention to this significant expenditure (effectively the 4th biggest line in our Operating Budget). Their emails are:

    • President Brencis Smith - bsmith AT laurel.md.us

    • Councilman Jeffrey Mills - jmills AT laurel.md.us

    You may also consider emailing Mayor Sydnor to ask that he cancel his veto (which he has the ability to do) - laurelmayor AT laurel.md.us

    Please be sure to email me too (asimmons AT laurel.md.us) if you haven’t already so I’ll know – I’m keeping a count of resident feedback and below is a chart thus far which I’ll continue to update.

    Lastly, I also want to mention Council also amended the budget to restore $15k back to our Laurel Independent contract as a fair price for the 4-page insert we use to communicate critical information to residents each month. That line was also vetoed and I believe should be restored based on community feedback received as well.

    Thank you as always for being Laurel and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions!

    ∞

    Konterra Development Broke Ground Last Week

    Forty plus years in the making, the planned community at Konterra broke ground last week and the first of 240 townhomes are expected to be completed by this fall.

    It begins an expected decade-long unfolding of development across the 3,000 acres to contain multiple mini-communities of townhomes, apartments, retail amenities, a grocery store, walking/ biking trails, and greenspace.

    Konterra may also be a vanguard of a mounting ‘sustainable growth’ movement that looks to counter the tide of the post-war ‘single family zoning’ that has led to sprawling subdivisions separated from jobs and amenities and that can fracture a locale. Developer Caleb Gould has stated that the neighborhood isn’t about idealism, but “It [is] about building a resilient and adaptable community that will last for generations.”

    For additional info, you can find some great coverage in this Baltimore Banner article, which also quotes yours truly sharing memories from when I was a kid in Laurel first seeing Konterra start to now being able to seeing the vision come to life as an adult. 🙂

    You can also find information in my blog post on Konterra from last summer, on Konterra’s website, and links about ‘sustainable growth’ in my Strong Towns post back in February.

    Auto-generated description: A bustling urban development features modern multi-story buildings, a lively outdoor plaza, and people walking and dining, with a message promoting growth and a place to live, work, and play.
    ∞

    Council Agrees to Amend Budget to $45k for Laurel Independent

    At an additional Special Budget Work Session last night, Council reached consensus to amend the FY27 budget to increase The Laurel Independent service contract from $30k to $45k (compared to its FY26 level of $50k).

    This will allow the City to continue reaching every resident with its monthly four-page printed insert of key information. And combined with the paper’s other service contracts, ad revenue, donor contributions, and grant funding, will enable The Laurel Independent to continue its work sharing news and stories about and throughout the Laurel community.

    I know many residents had reached out to myself and fellow Councilmembers about this issue, and I’m happy to have been able to collaborate with my colleagues to help see this item through.

    Some of my comments shared during last night’s conversation:

    There’s a few questions I think help unpack the decision before us:

    First, is this a grant or a service contract? Based on the fact that we sign a service contract, and the fact that we receive goods and services in exchange, to me it’s clear it’s a service contract. And that distinction is important in my mind.

    Since if it’s service contract, the second question becomes are we receiving our money’s worth at $50k? There’s a couple angles to answer this question from. One of which is that we as a City have lots of information we need and want to be sharing with our residents on a host of topics – Being able to reach every household once a month with a printed message seems to be a very valuable communication tool to me. Another is that if we in-sourced a comparable operation, it would easily cost us $67,500+ for the year ($37.5k in postage and $30k in printing). So from that angle we’re actually getting a discount.

    On a related front, it’s true that we have our City website and social media channels to share information through as well. But as many residents have shared, it’s not an equivalent or full substitute. There’s a difference from having to constantly be online scrolling to pickup all the tidbits across multiple sources -vs.- having all the key information synthesized for you in one place you can reference each month. There’s also the added questions of accessibility, equity, and impact. In my mind, a good City communication strategy leverages multiple channels and uses the uniqueness of each.

    Lastly, I think the third question is: What are the intangibles we’re getting that aren’t even purely economic? And in this arena, I see two - We get the benefit of distribution to 13,700 additional households in PG Laurel for no extra cost to us (since PG Council is covering). And second, resident-after-resident stood up to tell us how the paper helps build a sense of community, how those newly moved into town more rapidly can get integrated into their new neighborhood, how the feature articles about residents around town links us to each other, how they wouldn’t have found out any other way if they hadn’t seen it in the paper, how they see and patronize local businesses they see in the paper, etc. To me, this is almost worth the price of admission alone.

    So in closing, I think that if we look through this lens, we can see this line item for what it truly is: an investment in our City and a cost-effective communication tool to reach our residents in a way no other tool can. And with that perspective, $50k of a $50 million operating budget for the degree of impact is a good deal for the City and an effective use of taxpayer dollars.

    ∞

    LPD Citizens Graduation // Laurel Volunteer Fair // Arts Council Pavilion Poem Unveiling -- Highlights & Pics

    »Laurel Police Department Citizens Academy Graduation« I was coming from coaching t-ball practice and only caught the tail end of the event, but I was glad to have at least been able to congratulate a handful of the latest graduates of the LPD Citizens Academy. It’s a multi-week course that orients enrolled residents to all the various functions of the Laurel Police and provides a hands-on experience of what it’s like: from fielding calls in the Communication center, to ride-alongs in Police vehicles, to processing evidence, to close quarters firearm simulations, and more. Congratulations to all the graduates & hope to see you join the Police Auxiliary and also share your newfound knowledge with neighbors around town!

    »Laurel Volunteer Fair« In April, it was an enheartening experience to visit the Laurel Multiservice Center and connect with many of the non-profits and City Committees in Laurel sharing about their work and recruiting folks to get involved in their outreach and service. Included were Laurel Cats, Laurel Amateur Radio, Univ. of MD Black Girls Vote chapter, Peace on the Patuxent, the 4th of July Committee and more. (Including the City Committee I serve, the Citizens Advisory Council for Senior Residents & Persons with Disabilities.) 😉 There really is something for everyone in Laurel and I encourage you to find an area that interests you and help get involved lifting Laurel even higher!

    »Arts Poem Unveiling at Avondale Pavilions« Then it was across town for the unveiling of the Michael Glaser poem, “A Blessing in the Woods”. What a creative and beautiful inspiration to place a reflective piece of poetry inside a pavilion roof where passers by can stop for a moment, be drawn into thought, and absorb the sights and sounds of nature around them. We were graced the presence of the poet’s son who shared with us about his dad’s background and recited the piece chosen for this place. And other members of the Laurel Arts Council also shared poems they had written and reflections, before we dove on into the treats gathered (I always find it hard to resist a good cookie). Thank you Arts Council for bringing beauty to our town and I know this poem will be enjoyed by many in the years to come!

    Auto-generated description: A group of people is gathered outdoors under a wooden shelter, some standing and some sitting on picnic benches, engaged in conversation. Auto-generated description: A person stands speaking under a covered pavilion while two others sit at a table with lush greenery in the background.
    ∞

    Check out "I❤️Laurel" Weekly e-Newsletter

    Launched last fall, many folks are already enjoying the weekly e-letter from “I❤️Laurel” to help keep them stay connected to what’s happening around town, highlights of upcoming events, and community notes – If you haven’t already, I encourage to you to check it out.

    The e-letter is the effort of Mike Mondy, Laurel small business owner and community supporter, and is billed as, “Your guide to Laurel, MD. Events, local news and community updates — delivered to your inbox every week. Keeping Laurel connected."

    Examples from this week’s edition include:

    • Ways to get a piece of Preakness fever as our town builds to the event-of-a-lifetime here in town;

    • Highlights of this past weekend’s Main Street Festival put on by the Laurel Board of Trade;

    • A blockchain career conference coming to south Laurel in July;

    • And an *assortment of neat events like Secretariat Movie Night, Mother’s Day Yoga Retreat, Laurel Spartans Singers Concert, and more.

    Thank you Mike for this helpful and uplifting resource that richly contributes to the fabric of the Laurel community – And I join you in saying “I❤️Laurel”. 😀

    ∞

    Proposed FY 2027 Laurel City Budget is Now Available

    A number of residents have been asking me about the FY 2027 Budget and I’ve had to mention I didn’t have a copy as yet – But I’m happy to report it was published yesterday and is now available! A shortened version can be found in the Agenda Packet for next Monday’s Special Work Session and the full proposed budget can be found on the City Budget webpage.

    I and other Councilmembers have started to pour through the document (our copy includes around 250 pages+), but wanted to provide some quick first highlights for you, with more to come in the weeks ahead. (Note: You can also watch my recent Council Connections interview for a simple breakdown of the City budget components so you’ll have a big picture framework.)

    • The Operating budget is $50 million and there is no increase in property tax rates.

    • A big ticket item: Revenues include $1.1 million in one-time interest income the City earned on federal dollars from COVID funds, and the Mayor has proposed directing $1 million of it to a one-time rent subsidy program with the remaining $100k towards Laurel non-profit support.

    • There’s also around $600k in significant IT upgrades to support City functions.

    • The Police budget reflects the terms of newly executed union contract, signed at the April 27 Mayor & City Council Meeting

    • Many residents have reached out about the funding line for The Laurel Independent paper – You’ll find that on page 35 of the agenda packet referenced by line code “10-5-270-52061” at $30k.

    The City Council will be discussing the budget during Work Sessions next Monday and Wednesday, and please reach out to me if you have any questions or comments as I’d like to incorporate into the City’s conversation.

    ∞

    How to Participate in Laurel Preakness 151!

    It’s less than a month away! – The famous Preakness Stakes will be run on Sunday, May 16, and for the first time (and perhaps last), it’ll be held at our very own Laurel Park!

    This really does mark a historic occasion, and while Laurel Park is technically just outside our City’s incorporated limits, the racetrack has been long been a part of Laurel’s identity through the years.

    Folks reached out to ask me how they might take part in the festivities and create some special memories, as well as what City programs are available, so I wanted to put together a rundown of ideas and resources for you:

    • The official website of the Preakness Festival has a lot of great information, including how to buy tickets and the many neat events happening in the weeks leading up to Race Day itself.

    • One great example is Maryland Horse Farm Tours – A fun, FREE day on Sunday, May 10 for families to connect with horses in the horse farms around Maryland where racehorses are grown and to learn about Maryland’s unique equine history.

    • A great opportunity to get a free introduction to the basics of horse racing and to see the races up close and personal is at the Voices of Laurel “Day at the Races” event this Saturday April 25 from noon to 5 p.m. Tickets are FREE but RSVP requested to get a head count. Look for the Voices of Laurel reserved tent setup right next to the track itself, and two special races will take place between 1:45 p.- 3 p.m. for the VoL team.

    • And for those curious history buffs out there, the Voices of Laurel crew also put together a great history of Laurel Park over time, as well as coverage of what’s next for the racetrack after the Preakness is run this year.

    • The City of Laurel is running it’s “Saddle Up, Laurel!" promotional campaign for our town’s small businesses to highlight what makes them special, encouraging them to decorate their storefront, providing promotional posters, encouraging race-themed specials & events, and featuring them throughout City communications. Check out the campaign page linked above and reach out directly to “ecd AT laurel.md.us” for information on how to get involved!

    • Keen observers may also have seen the horse racing graphics installed by DPW along Main Street – there’s two locations: one near the City parking lot close to Route 1, and the other near the Laurel Mill Playhouse closer to Route 216. (see picture below)

    • Another City-sponsored event: Come out for Movie Night at the McCullough Field/ Sturgis-Moore area on Tue, May 12 at 8 p.m. to watch Secretariat, the acclaimed 2010 movie telling the 1973 story of the ninth horse to win the Triple Crown and who still holds the fastest time records in all three races.

    There is more out there, but hopefully this gets you off-and-running to your own Preakness celebration and don’t hesitate to reach out to myself or the City team for any questions!

    Auto-generated description: Jockeys race horses on a dirt track in front of a grandstand, with text below promoting Saddle Up Laurel! as a proud supporter.
    ∞

    City Audit Reports Released

    I want to express my thanks to the Budget and Personnel Services Department (BAPS) for their reply to my query and for posting the City’s most recent Audit Reports to our City website.

    Folks may already be aware, but essentially every municipality is required to have an annual financial statement audit of its figures. Laurel’s can be found on the page dedicated to audit reports and the reports are usually released around the spring following the June 30 fiscal year-end. (The FY 2025 report is currently in progress.)

    Three of the key items to look for in our audit report are:

    1. Independent Auditor’s Opinion – This is usually right up front within the first couple pages. Using the FY 2024 audit as an example, you’ll see it starts on Page 4 of the PDF. There’s a lot of boilerplate language in the letter, but the key sentence is in second paragraph and is the one that starts with ”In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly …” – this essentially lets you know that the auditor believes there are no significant inaccuracies in the report’s numbers (and any deviation would typically be very concerning). I’m happy to share Laurel received a clean opinion and it’s a testament to the hard work and skill of our BAPS team!

    2. “Single Audit” Report – A second key item to look for is the auditor’s opinion for the ‘Single Audit’. This is an audit that’s required if a recipient receives/ spends more than $750,000 in federal funds for the year and addresses two objectives: (a) was that money accurately accounted for, and (b) did the recipient comply with the additional federal rules around how money is spent and tracked. Using the FY 2024 audit as an example again, you can find Laurel’s ‘Single Audit Report’ on page 73 of the PDF, and the key sentence can be found in the second paragraph: “In our opinion, the City complied, in all material respects, with the types of compliance requirements referred to above that could have a direct and material effect on each of its major federal programs …". Again, a clean opinion and an affirmation of the work done by the BAPS and related City teams.

    3. Auditor’s Report on Internal Control – Lastly, the third key item to look for is the auditor’s report on internal control. “Internal controls” are an organization’s processes and protocols to prevent, detect, and correct financial irregularities. For Laurel’s FY 2024 audit, the report starts on page 76 of the PDF and the key paragraph is the fourth that reads, ”… we did not identify any deficiencies in internal control we consider to be material weaknesses …". “Material weaknesses” are an industry term that means the controls are very weak in a particular area and could lead to a meaningful error. So kudos again to the BAPS team: we’re 3 for 3 in a clean report!

    So there you have it, our City’s audit reports and how to interpret the opinions rendered by auditor. 🙂 Of course, it’s also interesting to peruse through the financial figures as well, and perhaps we can walk through together in a future blog post. And as always, if you have any questions feel free to reach out to me and happy to help answer!

    ∞

    My latest Council Connections TV Interview

    It’s always a lot of fun hanging with the Laurel Communications crew and in this edition of Council Connections I shared about:

    • De-mystifying the meaning of ‘Pro tempore"

    • One of the things I’m most excited for Laurel this year

    • A simple way to understand how the City budget works

    • And more!

    Check out the video below:

    ∞

    The Baltimore Banner paper is coming to Laurel to Listen

    You may be familiar with the newspaper, The Baltimore Banner, formed a handful of years back as The Baltimore Sun was teetering on the edge of extinction under the weight of its hedge fund owners (part of the same dust up that also saw the 100+ year-old Laurel Leader finally shutter its operations).

    Well, they’re expanding their coverage into Prince George’s County and they want to hear from you – So much so that they’re coming right into our own backyard.

    On Wednesday, March 18 from 6 - 7:30 p.m., Banner editors and journalists will be at the Laurel Branch Library in the Dorothy Height Room to get your input as they prepare to launch the new PG County coverage area. From their invite:

    Join The Banner for a special community listening session at Laurel Library.

    Meet the team, share what stories matter most to you and tell us what news you want to see covered in your community.

    Why come by?

    • Meet The Banner’s team of editors and journalists
    • Share your ideas for how The Banner can best serve the news needs of the region
    • Ask questions about The Banner’s reporting in Prince George’s County
    • Offer your ideas about what issues are not being covered, not understood or being missed in your community
    ∞

    Vote for Laurel in the "Strongest Town" Competition!

    Calling all Laurelites!! 📢 – it’s time to rally the troops and show your hometown pride!

    A different type of March Madness is about to take off, and this one’s for Laurel to make its way through five bracket levels and be named “Strongest Town Champion”!

    Thanks to the work of Laurel resident Calvin Burns, we’ve already made it past Level 1 – Now we’ve arrived at where voting begins and where you come in: all hands are needed on deck!

    • Mar 2 - 13: Week 1 voting – Eight towns will be eliminated, and eight will advance. UPDATE: Here is the voting page for Week 1.

    • Mar 16 - 20: Week 2 voting – The Elite Eight will be matched head-to-head, with only four advancing on

    • Mar 23 - 27: Week 3 voting – Another head-to-head round, where the Final Four get narrowed down to the Championship Match

    • Mar 30 - Apr 3: The Championship Match where One Strongest Town will emerge!

    I’ll update this post with voting links as they’re released, and you can also read more about the competition on the Strongest Towns competition page.

    You may already be familiar, but Strong Towns (sponsor of the annual competition) is a non-profit powering a movement to help cities, towns, and neighborhoods to take local action to grow safe, livable, and financially resilient communities. They’ve garnered resources, tools, and a membership of people all across the country who are seeking to help impact their own neighborhoods for the better.

    What better way to showcase your hometown pride than submitting your vote each week and seeing Laurel claim the championship trophy! 🏆And with the trophy comes a mini-documentary that will showcase the gem of our one-in-a-million City!

    UPDATE 16 Mar 2026: Unfortunately Laurel didn’t quite get enough votes in Week 1 to advance, but a HUGE thanks to everyone who made the effort and a great preparation to rally the troops for another run in the future! Thank you to Mr. Burns for submitting us and to all who participated – Laurel truly is a Strong Town and it’s because of our residents: thank you! 😀

    ∞

    Snow Update from tonight's Council Meeting

    Quick notes on updates shared by the Director Public Works and Director of FMPS about City’s snow status:

    • All streets are passable at this point, but there are still areas needing attention. Spots DPW will be tackling next include Greenhill, parts of 8th, and Harrison.

    • Parked cars on the street in areas DPW is working make it difficult and slow down progress for lifting and trucking out the snow. So if you take note of work crews in your area, they ask you do your best to give them as much open space to work with. Please also drive slow to be safe for yourself and workers.

    • Following normal trash runs, DPW crews are also going around to handicap ramps on street corners to clear them for full uninhibited use.

    • While Code Enforcement is out to ensure folks know of the City’s snow ordinances, no citations are being issued at this time and they recognize the complications of this storm. Certainly residents and businesses: please continue to safely do your best to free up your sidewalks and other walkways so our City can open up as much and as expeditiously as possible.

    • There’s also hope this week that as temperatures make their way above 40 degrees for the first time in weeks, it will be easier to shovel and some of the volume of snow will also melt away. Of course, be careful of re-freezing and ice that’s possible depending on where temperatures go.

    (UPDATE: Here’s a video spot from LaurelTV profiling the snow cleanup efforts with messages from the Mayor and Director of Public Works.)

    ∞

    Checkout the City's Bike Map + Cherry Lane bike lane to come!

    One item discussed at this week’s Work Session was upgrades to Staggers Road, including changes to integrate into the City’s Bikeway Master Plan.

    If you’re curious, the image below is of the City’s Bike Map (v2018-02) which shows shared use roadways, on-street bike lanes, hiker biker trails, and bike racks. (PDF version) It can be a great way to discover sites you may have not known exist around town.

    And there are improvements coming to the City’s cycling and pedestrian trails – Some helpful references include:

    This last one is our City’s most recent advancement of bike and pedestrian trails – This past year the Bicycle & Pedestrian Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) voted for “Alternative 2” presented in the study (page 14) for a on-road bicycle lane on Cherry Lane with physical separators for cyclist safety.

    Speaking of which, if cycling and walking around town gets your blood pumping, 😉 please consider joining the Bicycle & Pedestrian CAC 🚴‍♀️🚶‍♂️ – your voice will strengthen the development of this critical part of our City’s features and help make Laurel a walkable, cyclable, enjoyable community!

    ∞

    Redistricting of Wards under Consideration

    At this Wednesday’s Council Work Session, Council will consider a Resolution from the Administration to form an advisory committee that will make recommendations around redistricting the City Ward boundaries.

    The Resolution can be read in full as part of the February 4th Work Session packet found on the City’s meeting page, but the gist is that normally Ward boundaries are revisited around every census, and while the 2022 Redistricting Advisory Committee recommended no change, the continued development in Ward 2 has subsequently added 500 additional residences further expanding the 2.8k resident delta between Ward 2 and Ward 1.

    As currently proposed, the Redistricting Committee would be comprised of five persons appointed by the Mayor with confirmation by Council, one of which would be selected by the Council President. They would make their report within six months of appointment and any redistricting changes would be in place prior to the November 2027 General Election.

    As always, please reach out to me with any thoughts or questions as your input helps me to shape legislation and decisions!

    ∞

    Seeking Members for Senior Residents & Persons with Disabilities Committee

    The end of last year, I was re-appointed by the Mayor as Chair of the City’s Citizens Advisory Committee for Senior Residents & Persons with Disabilities. It was one I chaired when I first joined Council in 2024, and it’s an honor to help serve residents in this way.

    The Committee’s mission is to give voice to persons with disabilities and seniors who live in our community – Whether it’s policies and legislation adopted, amenities and programs around town, or resources available.

    We are need of one more member to reach the required ‘quorum’ – If you or someone you know may be interested, please reach out to me and happy to share more about what we do and invite you to join us for a meeting.

    My thanks to the existing Committee members for your service and I look forward to helping serve the related resident groups in the work of our City!

Older Posts →