[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6114647,"mediaKeyId","2741561-d1ccd1cf3ef79f425a104e81c83eed5c","parentId",2741561,"title","Residents and Alto Rest Park object to Blair County—hosen prison site; commissioners advertise eminent-domain ordinance","audioSeconds",489,"startMs",80000,"endMs",569000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2741561-d1ccd1cf3ef79f425a104e81c83eed5c&start=80&end=569","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2741561-d1ccd1cf3ef79f425a104e81c83eed5c/thumbnail_80000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6114647/Blair-County/Pennsylvania/Residents-and-Alto-Rest-Park-object-to-Blair-Countyhosen-prison-site-commissioners-advertise-eminent-domain-ordinance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6114647-33bc43e85240c6449bcd3bb0d88e2d6f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169684&Signature=Bi5pZYZ7KwNnpyd14Zkyy~Ic2pWZ4KDIlhiv6Q-btTTZl8DaPxQeHv7AKEXY2U8qBhodt7a8RvuIwttoAZw5YzG0KNwnyha20aq1cC2F~8E~K3x3D4cFgNaYnMy6L4NRfTxBdtgcuVcwIJ3Fd7I3UGsNViBhp41wPgQD~1SFJ1Iof91h~aeL09Fl0BR0xxvNtGEPqskAY-HIvyKnyk6g6OChptfvsW3hrcQWb0vn4dihKaoHBxnVM9lJFO9DWzho9CZPds3Q95u5DrMGEB5yHy12m6A1kh3nBtzKHx1KcJNUaKo27loO9qQ0iPNRBR33xftq3ZvCOU~PXb2Qjzg-jA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-20T18:32:29Z","article","Blair County Board of Commissioners on March 20, 2025 heard multiple public comments opposing the county\fommissioners' preferred site for a proposed new county prison and voted to advertise an ordinance signaling the county\u000executive's intent to take two parcels by eminent domain in Allegheny Township.

The objections came from nearby residents and from Alto Rest Park Cemetery. Bonnie Miller, a long-time Blair County resident, told commissioners she and her husband have lived at 15 Hillside Drive for nearly 30 years and asked the board to consider a different, more remote site so their home would not \"overlook a prison.\" \"Just saying the words prison in my backyard makes my stomach churn,\" Miller said during public comment.

Jeffrey Behrens, vice president and general manager of Alto Rest Park Cemetery Association Inc., told commissioners the cemetery received a letter from the commissioners' office on Jan. 7, 2025 offering to purchase a 77-acre portion of the cemetery property for the proposed prison; the cemetery's board rejected that offer in a Jan. 17, 2025 response. Behrens said taking the 77 acres would \"severely limit, if not completely hinder\" the cemetery's ability to operate and expand and would affect more than 20,000 families who have plots on the grounds.

John McIntyre, a Frankstown Township resident, urged commissioners to consider a parcel off Route 36 in the Hollidaysburg School District that he said is for sale, is larger, and would not be adjacent to homes or businesses.

Commissioners responded that the site-selection process has been ongoing for more than a year and a half and that many parcels were evaluated. A commissioner said the county must weigh practical factors such as cost to extend utilities, transportation access to courts, and overall project expense. The commissioners' public comments also emphasized that some steps in the acquisition process must follow statutory procedures and that some matters are now between attorneys and therefore not for public discussion at the meeting.

After discussion, the board voted to advertise an ordinance indicating the county's intent to take fee-simple interests in two Allegheny Township parcels by eminent domain as a procedural step in the acquisition process. Commissioners described the advertisement as one step among many, and several speakers during the meeting urged the board to pause and consider other sites and additional information from affected property owners before moving forward. One commissioner said they would oppose the ordinance advertisement at the time of the vote; another commissioner asked to defer some related items earlier in the meeting but the eminent-domain advertisement motion was approved.

Why it matters: commissioners are taking an explicit, statutory procedural step that preserves the county's option to pursue condemnation if negotiations fail. Objecting residents and Alto Rest Park say their families, businesses and the cemetery's long-term operations would be harmed if the preferred site is used. The advertisement does not itself transfer property or start immediate construction; it initiates a legal process that could lead to condemnation only if later steps are taken.

Action and next steps: The advertisement of the ordinance to declare intent to take parcels by eminent domain will be published as required by law; the transcript records commissioners saying negotiations and further site assessments continue and that attorneys for involved parties are engaged. The county did not provide a timetable for final site selection or construction at the March 20 meeting.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Blair County Commissioners","oneSentenceSummary","Blair County Board of Commissioners on March 20, 2025 heard multiple public comments opposing the county\fommissioners' preferred site for a proposed new county prison and voted to advertise an ordinance signaling the county\u000executive's intent to take two parcels by eminent domain in Allegheny Township.","taxTitle","Blair County, Pennsylvania","taxId",5058,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6114642,"Blair County commissioners approve consent agenda, contracts, grants, housing disbursements and service agreements",1760,1204000,2964000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2741561-d1ccd1cf3ef79f425a104e81c83eed5c&start=1204&end=2964","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2741561-d1ccd1cf3ef79f425a104e81c83eed5c/thumbnail_1204000.jpg","/articles/6114642/Blair-County/Pennsylvania/Blair-County-commissioners-approve-consent-agenda-contracts-grants-housing-disbursements-and-service-agreements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6114642-102603e31969c120609b5cbe528eb536/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169684&Signature=BYzOq6eb9dEtiNVPrHJXy54VvolMW4yBBc-Tw8TGeODoOPfUBAZI9j48FM15Q5hCzUdv~tjM~HZqsbFC9u31cDTQYk8Dld~iws20UhTrCmunSoteERsNLtVsIShb9Ch9ReXFPYpMM5zrvPK9wxrzRM89TRTY3zSIkecSKJe9yBIWyZKrnVFtK6GHlbBhoQui2PPD-emJKmZRBJ1IcVbDwT8seVuU9dCErLG1IwCE6Eb8HDuGWqClQ4djcmXCnAqJyT5deaGJscZdc5Jq4VhagABDbfOkDdDhupX9Ys-By7x41Kk2P8kDbtZZlePh5-Xrm1246RpOLEpvAegFTSxHyw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Blair County Board of Commissioners on March 20, 2025 approved the consent agenda and a slate of contracts, service agreements, grants and disbursements across county departments.

Key approvals included a contract for roof replacement of the Highway Department/Elections Building for $940,258; five new courthouse HVAC units for $20,508; multiple Affordable Housing Trust Fund disbursements for deferred weatherization and code-compliance repairs (several $10,000 awards and one $5,000 award); acceptance of grant awards including a PCCD RASA grant for $95,148 and a victims-of-juvenile-offenders grant for $33,540; and several vendor service agreements such as a Tech 84 whole-body scanner service agreement for $10,900 and a Summit Radiation Safety Services evaluation/training agreement for $775.

Other items the board approved included procurement awards (New Enterprise Stone & Lime Company for a Valley View Park parking-lot repair), acceptance of bids for ballot printing, software licenses for the Public Defender's Office and county FSA/DCA administration renewals, and approval to purchase 8 annual licenses for HazMat planning software. The board also approved change orders on County Road 105/105A rehabilitation (one that decreased the contract price by $20,143.64 and another adding $5,056 to secure ownership and transport of millings to Valley View Park).

Votes at a glance (select items):
- Consent agenda (Resolution 099-2025, sections A\u000etc.): ratified warrants and payroll, approved budget transfers and employment status changes
pproved.
- Valley View Park parking-lot award: New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., $17,940
pproved.
- DNA sampling of unidentified skeletal remains (Guardian Forensic Services), $2,300
pproved.
- Summit Radiation Safety Services agreement (annual radiation-safety evaluation & officer training), $775
pproved.
- Tech 84 whole-body scanner annual service agreement, $10,900
pproved.
- JusticeText (Justice Tech Inc.) sitewide license for Public Defender (02/2025\u00001/2026), $8,000 (paid from indigent defense grant)
pproved.
- Ballot printing bids acceptance (two bids received; award/reject per county code)
ccepted.
- Prothonotary service agreement extension (Modern Business Services), $2,331 (paid from prothonotary reserve)
pproved.
- PharmChem agreement for adult probation drug testing & analysis
pproved.
- MCM Consulting commodity flow study (hazardous materials), $13,005 ($8,000 HMEP grant; $5,005 LEPC funds)
pproved.
- HMERP/HMEP annual report and grant application submission
pproved.
- Peak WMD / Aristotech licenses for HazMat planning, $5,950.04 (portion reimbursed by HMEP)
pproved.
- Fort Roberdeau purchases and advertising (t-shirts $1,445; Altoona Mirror ads $3,084.50; brochures $1,300; Where & When ad $1,560)
pproved.
- Hoffman Homes purchase-of-service & HIPAA BAA (Children, Youth & Families)
pproved.
- Affordable Housing Trust Fund disbursements (multiple locations) totaling several awards of $10,000 and one $5,000
pproved.
- Connect to Home coordinated entry agreement and Pyramid Health MOU
pproved.
- Reciprocal agreement with Indiana County for a discharged Torrance State Hospital resident
pproved.
- Income & Expense report revision submission to DHS for block grants
pproved.
- Burke Company (SP McCarroll) HVAC quote for 5 units, $20,508
pproved (one commissioner abstained from the vote).
- David M. Maines Associates contract for roof replacement (Highway/Elections building), $940,258
pproved.
- Change Order #1 (County Roads 105/105A rehab): decrease $20,143.64
pproved.
- Change Order #2 (County Roads 105/105A rehab): millings ownership/transport, add $5,056
pproved.
- PMA Management amendment for runoff workers' compensation administration, $14,280
pproved.
- Interflex (Ameriflex) FSA/DCA renewal for plan year 04/01/2025\u00003/31/2026; electronic signature authorized
pproved.
- Court interpreter services grant application (AOPC reimbursement), $19,477.19
pproved.
- PCCD RASA grant acceptance, $95,148
pproved.
- Juvenile Probation invoice payment for Parkside Psychological Associates, $1,350
pproved.
- VOGO (victims of juvenile offenders) grant acceptance, $33,540
pproved.
- ZA LLC engagement letter for 2024 audit and peer review (final year of contract)
pproved.
- Opioid settlement allocation report submission (07/01/2024\u00012/31/2024)
pproved.
- LATCF annual report submission to U.S. Department of the Treasury
pproved.
- County electric supply: authorized Energy Solutions (Mike Pawlowski) to lock a 2-year fixed supply not to exceed 7.4\u0000 per kWh
pproved.
- Motion to advertise a public hearing for decertification of the TPA
pproved (one commissioner abstained on that vote).

Most motions had no detailed roll-call votes recorded in the public transcript; outcomes listed above reflect the approvals recorded in the meeting audio. Several items were funded from identified sources (indigent defense grant, HMEP grant, LEPC funds, prothonotary reserve fund); where sources were stated in the meeting, they are noted above.

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Residents and Alto Rest Park object to Blair County—hosen prison site; commissioners advertise eminent-domain ordinance

Blair County commissioners approve consent agenda, contracts, grants, housing disbursements and service agreements