City Beat

A roundup of local news, events, and announcements

(Photo: Richard Friend)

Laurel Hosts Statewide ADA Celebration

Dignitaries from across the state gathered at the Laurel-Beltsville Senior Activity Center in late July to mark the 35th anniversary of the American With Disabilities Act (ADA). Laurel Mayor Keith Sydnor welcomed the group by expressing Laurel’s continued commitment to “building an accessible city” by embodying the “spirit of inclusiveness in its policies, for its people, throughout our public spaces.” Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown was the keynote speaker for the event. He began by quoting former President George H.W. Bush’s statement made in July 1990 upon the ADA’s passage: “This shameful wall of exclusion must come tumbling down.” Brown commented that the wall isn’t entirely down yet and that it “wasn’t knocked down from above, but was fought for from below.” He commended those who advocated for disability rights, noting that Maryland—and the city of Laurel—had played a proactive, bipartisan role in codifying equality and accessibility laws that actually benefit everyone, not just the ADA community: curb cutouts, automatic doors at businesses, and real-time closed captioning technology are just a few examples. Brown warned, however, that the fight is not yet over. “Under the current administration, we face unprecedented headwinds from DC,” he said, “and we in Maryland must follow our state’s leadership motto: ‘Proactive leadership when others retreat’.” After all, he concluded, “we all are just one illness or one accident away from joining the disabled community.”

Composting Compliance Deadline Extended for Some Residents

The city’s composting program is now in full swing, with mandatory participation having begun on July 1. Starting on December 1, 2025, fines can be issued for non-compliance—with the exception of residents at six condominium communities. After learning that logistical challenges delayed the availability of organics collection at those residences, the Laurel City Council voted in July to allow the extension. The proposal was made by Councilmembers James Kole and Adrian Simmons, who also successfully advocated limiting compliance inspections to street-side observations after hearing from residents concerned that Department of Public Works personnel might sort through bins on private property. The council’s amendment to the ordinance also states that multiple warnings must be issued prior to fines being imposed.

Mayor Commits to Renewed Code Enforcement Efforts

Following major disruptions to the city’s Independence Day celebration by a large youth “TikTok takeover,” Mayor Sydnor announced a city-wide 11:00 pm curfew for juveniles through the end of August. The curfew drew much attention on social media, with a majority of commenters praising it. Asked at a City Hall in the Park event on July 24 if he would consider extending the curfew, Sydnor chuckled before noting that the curfew has actually been in place since 1994. “We’re just highlighting what is already the law, and we’re going to enforce it,” he said.

Renewed enforcement efforts were also behind the Mayor’s stance on use and occupancy permits for tenants in shared business facilities. Several small-business owners who lease space in a commercial building for their hair, skincare, and nail salons testified before the City Council on July 28, voicing objections to a Fire Marshal’s notice that they had to pay $250 for a Use and Occupancy permit. Some said they had been operating in the same space for as long as 20 years and had never been required to have the permit; others were concerned over a $6,000 fine mentioned in the notice if the permit was not obtained prior to June 30. Sydnor explained that the city’s land development code, which mirrors those of Baltimore City and Prince George’s County, requires each individual suite or office to have a Use and Occupancy permit. That requirement, he said, relates to public safety in that it helps first responders know exactly where to respond in an emergency and what type of precautionary measures to take upon arrival. “You as a unit have a locked door, which makes you a subtenant, and the code states that you must have the permit. That’s the code, and my job as Mayor is to enforce our city codes,” Sydnor said. He added that only the building’s owner, not its tenants, could be fined, and that the city had made some good-faith concessions by reducing the permit fee from $250 to $50 and reassessing the owner’s potential fine amount based on occupancy. He stressed that city officials would continue to look closely at code enforcement, which he said has not always happened in the way it should have, but “our approach is: first educate, and then issue corrective orders.”

City Launches Drone Certification Program

The city’s first Drone Certificate program will begin in October for select 16-18-year-old Laurel High School students. The program is offered in partnership with Alpha Drones USA and is part of the city’s STEM-centered youth empowerment initiative. Students selected for the program will gain hands-on experience with drones, learn about aviation regulations, and earn an FAA drone pilot certification, according to a press release. Such certifications can lead to careers in aerial photography, surveying, and public safety, among others.

City Seeks Participants for “Adopt a Senior” Initiative

Mayor Sydnor announced in July that he was starting a program called “Adopt a Senior” with the goal of providing senior citizens with toiletry packages. Recruiting efforts began in mid-September to find sponsors to donate bi-monthly care packages valued at $20–25. The program will initially be limited to helping seniors at Selbourne House and at Laurel Lakes Senior Apartments, with plans to expand in the future. Anyone interested in adopting a senior can email laurelmayor@laurel.md.us.

City Staff Recognitions

The Maryland Daily Record selected Laurel City Administrator Christian Pulley as an honoree in its annual Maryland’s Top 100 Women event. Pulley was lauded for managing operations and developing policies for all of the city’s departments, as well as overseeing Laurel’s $43 million FY2025 operating budget and capital improvement plan. She also has held leadership roles in state-wide organizations, including the Maryland Municipal League and the Maryland Humanities Board. Pulley told the Daily Record that she considers her greatest professional accomplishment to be successfully negotiating a Fraternal Order of Police collective bargaining agreement without involving legal representation.

Earlier this year, Deputy City Administrator Joanne Barr retired after serving the city for 36 years. First hired by the Department of Parks and Recreation in 1989, Barr served as both Deputy Director and Director of that department before moving to the City Administrator’s office in January 2022. In July, Nekesa Matlock was appointed by the Mayor to succeed Barr in the Deputy Administrator role.

City Clerk Sara Green was elected to the Maryland Municipal League’s Board of Directors for its 2025-2026 term. She will serve as the department representative for municipal clerks and was inducted at the 2025 MML Summer Conference held at the Ocean City Convention Center.

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Diane Mezzanotte is a staff writer and member of the Board of Directors for The Laurel History Boys. In addition to covering Laurel city municipal news, she also reports on all things from South Laurel.