[{"_1":2,"_85":-5,"_86":-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",[32,73],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_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":67,"_71":55,"_72":55},"mediaId",6090742,"mediaKeyId","2865937-1b75f2004706514d78f21953bee04815","parentId",2865937,"title","Votes at a glance: Blair County commissioners approve proclamations, contracts and routine agenda items","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",997000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2865937-1b75f2004706514d78f21953bee04815&start=997&end=997","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2865937-1b75f2004706514d78f21953bee04815/thumbnail_997000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6090742/Blair-County/Pennsylvania/Votes-at-a-glance-Blair-County-commissioners-approve-proclamations-contracts-and-routine-agenda-items","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6090742-31518a40bded6f3afd3f74957dc0341d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445409&Signature=M0fx1tFnL7I1Tr9bczNDiz4v1fpHhBVXnXKDl3UDlgVwncixuI7Rv6wb-~lE7EUeYeQtPPhdyjhfI-lpz~p28DaSUsSe6cddaew3ecKoHV5JbUBAypykDo8Z8ZFud8aRs4peCnUgJ-lBsXApX2ZammzbNR~lwSgDiZcgRQAIWsQF3xgTwZFjhLxWXOA1Zsg-vGRvK---Pu2jxzg0Hpd6F1Ez2lgeN5Ym1UBYeW2hNPeZM1g7XL5prKiVAH9~xo5gdf3Jp-LBFm~9xYgdl8AVl5i2d3vPQgN7YXTD-YCXKyA~Ljl79Gu6MDR0fVcggykuDvid8HVaiOfYDvTtxV6iJw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-03T16:52:33Z","article","The Blair County Board of Commissioners adopted several proclamations and approved routine and contract items at its April 3 meeting.

Proclamations and ceremonial items
The board unanimously approved a proclamation declaring April 7–13, 2025, as National Library Week in Blair County and later read and signed proclamations recognizing Pennsylvania 811 Safe Digging Month (April 2025) and National Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month (April 2025).

Consent agenda and routine approvals
The board approved the consent agenda, which included ratification of warrant-list items and multiple 2025 budget transfers to cover vehicle maintenance, insurance deductibles and the purchase of Amtrak passes for RVTC. Several construction payments were included: payment No. 2 to Merlo, Inc. for Bridge 69 construction in the amount of $172,142.74 and payment No. 3 to Merlo, Inc. in the amount of $302,945.81; payment No. 6 to HRI Inc. for County Road 105/105A rehabilitation in the amount of $75,054.51. One commissioner registered an abstention on a payment to Blair Senior Services.

Contracts, leases and other approvals
- Blair County Agricultural Land Preservation Board: Approved a contract with Keller Engineers Inc. for an easement survey of the Biddle Farm partnership property in the amount of $5,400; reimbursement will come from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania at closing.

- Blair County Park and Recreation Advisory Board: Approved a lease between the county and FC814 Soccer for the Judge Fred B. Miller soccer field at Valley View Park for the period 01/01/2025–12/31/2029 at $1 per year.

- Fort Roberdeau: Accepted bids for farmland leases on roughly 200 acres; the board authorized awarding or rejecting bids according to county code.

- Public Works: Approved Change Order No. 3 (Resolution 401-2024/83-2025) with David Mains Associates Inc. for additional labor and materials to properly install the Mansard roofing system in the amount of $17,602.37, bringing the revised project total to $1,356,391.37.

Other notable administrative approvals included support for an application by the Southern Allegheny Planning and Development Commission to the Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program for $212,500 toward a $250,000 project and approval for the Children, Youth and Families office to use the courthouse courtyard on April 10 for a Child Abuse Prevention Month event.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Blair County Commissioners","oneSentenceSummary","At its April 3 meeting the Blair County Board of Commissioners approved proclamations for National Library Week, Pennsylvania 811 Safe Digging Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month, ratified the consent agenda and approved several contracts, a lease and a construction change order.","taxTitle","Blair County, Pennsylvania","taxId",5058,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":74,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":75,"_41":76,"_43":77,"_45":78,"_46":79,"_48":80,"_50":81,"_52":82,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":83,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":84,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":55,"_72":55},6090747,"Blair County commissioners remove Alto Rest Park site from consideration for new county prison",2440,164000,2604000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2865937-1b75f2004706514d78f21953bee04815&start=164&end=2604","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2865937-1b75f2004706514d78f21953bee04815/thumbnail_164000.jpg","/articles/6090747/Blair-County/Pennsylvania/Blair-County-commissioners-remove-Alto-Rest-Park-site-from-consideration-for-new-county-prison","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6090747-55e9ca2d7b6e56be5dd2f3024336a158/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445409&Signature=BlE5Kjyszm8w5grJeYBSc32r71HUqQHtE4ZmFzQ2~kYlGM9qis7l7sneZsCLNCd9Fjd3xai-lDRCRmaIc9g528dh7uv9h8a7RQUpCBfQl9NpklRlku3EHCh4r~SjlpQFF3bGJrbfS4gYMRQhYJXBb23DzRhH6BscmT0m9YMMMQ4Euh36FWH6mapeQcuvbYhISOZNGaySTqTc4q7qQ5FTdYz~Xj4XoyDneKuyk8489n0-w9AYfTOvwndwZBzJz3WZuB9fMIewh~hBgt4000DYbYyuEWZWs0Oj2CSR9f20ZbEdkEyL0-ITUKQoiKJSjSJzt416Zzj0UcyOFiUn2NF-Vg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Blair County commissioners voted April 3 to remove from consideration a parcel adjacent to Alto Rest Park that had been the county's preferred site for a new county prison.

The vote followed more than half an hour of public comment from county residents and representatives of the Alto Rest Park Cemetery Association, who urged commissioners not to pursue taking the land by eminent domain. Jeffrey Behrens, vice president and general manager of Alto Rest Park Cemetery Association Incorporated, told the board he submitted “signatures from almost a thousand additional people” since the last meeting and said, “taking our land will have a significant negative impact on both the present and future business of Alto Rest Park.”

Why it matters: Commissioners have been searching for a long-term replacement for the current county jail. The preferred Alto Rest site had triggered sustained public opposition, multiple petitions and concerns about impacts to a burial ground, nearby residents and property values. Commissioners said removing the parcel from consideration preserves time to seek alternatives but will likely lengthen the timetable and could raise site-development costs.

Public comment and concerns
Residents cited the cemetery’s historical and emotional significance and submitted petitions opposing eminent-domain acquisition. Daisy Decker, identifying herself as a longtime area resident, said she checked the petition count before the meeting: “The count is now over 6,800 people saying no to the prison being located by Alto Rest Park.” Marsha Horton and Bonnie Miller, each of whom said they have family buried in Alto Rest, called the proposed location “unsettling,” urged commissioners to seek other sites and asked the board not to move forward with taking the land.

Jeff Becker, a local real-estate broker and appraiser, urged the commissioners to consider the cost of compensating the cemetery association, warning that “to properly compensate and fairly compensate the cemetery association for that property, future value of all those burial sites would have to be considered,” which could make the parcel more expensive than other options.

Commissioners’ remarks and vote
Commissioners acknowledged the long search and trade-offs involved in siting a new correctional facility in hilly Blair County. They said prior boards and staff have evaluated many parcels over several years and that ideal sites are scarce; alternatives may be costlier or less efficient to develop because of utilities, terrain and impacts to farmland.

After discussion, a motion was made to remove the Alto Rest–adjacent parcel from consideration and not to pursue eminent-domain acquisition of that property. The motion was seconded and then approved by voice vote; all commissioners present voted in favor.

What the action does — and does not — do
The vote removes the parcel from active consideration for eminent-domain acquisition but does not end the county’s plan to build a new jail. Commissioners said they will continue searching for other sites, noting that alternative properties may require longer lead times, higher development costs or compromise on ideal site characteristics. No timetable for selecting a new site was set at the meeting.

Next steps and context
Commissioners repeatedly said the county still needs a new prison because of the condition and operational limits of the current facility. They asked residents to continue to participate in the process and said staff will continue examining property options. The board did not adopt any ordinance authorizing acquisition for this parcel at the April 3 meeting.

","After weeks of public opposition and thousands of petition signatures, the Blair County Board of Commissioners voted to remove the Alto Rest Park–adjacent property from consideration for eminent-domain acquisition as a site for a new county prison and to continue the search for alternatives.","actionData","errors"]

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Votes at a glance: Blair County commissioners approve proclamations, contracts and routine agenda items

Blair County commissioners remove Alto Rest Park site from consideration for new county prison