[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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",[32,75],{"_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":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6510707,"mediaKeyId","5356430-ed4e5ac22c023ecf99225cb78ce95955","parentId",5356430,"title","Blair County commissioners approve courthouse attorney access policy and multiple contracts, grants and agreements","audioSeconds",117,"startMs",275000,"endMs",392000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5356430-ed4e5ac22c023ecf99225cb78ce95955&start=275&end=392","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5356430-ed4e5ac22c023ecf99225cb78ce95955/thumbnail_275000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6510707/Blair-County/Pennsylvania/Blair-County-commissioners-approve-courthouse-attorney-access-policy-and-multiple-contracts-grants-and-agreements","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6510707-e1211b8aeb30606e4e9a9aadda19032e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771015505&Signature=ogoCGwDllhBMZ4EKpka0j01UZmzlrTJNHAgNiraP02AmG4qATRGWwAb3~rAE6swt8o9FfH9CM6wqVri60IRx2GXWukpc00Ay9x9xHAwrP3~hLye8AQeTjVfN-eMuNXeCT9TdsefYfmoHlNXUaYLwgmoQqR~faeUmMOuM8QOzI5g44BUgsdxtYn7fXE9rc8ljt50Y97dXyj9e6hORzp3VzFhImSIhB8avc-GWSptV~xd5Bmj9exA7HBzpzsxgb9OPmrK7jKL0jRc1UnSoiDFRjTNYMmijFNM9b7lXP5dtTRaqrMMcbMl6hF7U5kYhGKHLjVlHc629nlMuCLZx4CzAzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Blair County, PA","date","2025-07-10T16:47:52Z","article","Blair County Commissioners voted on July 10, 2025 to approve a consent agenda that included a county policy effective July 14 allowing private attorneys accelerated access to the Blair County Courthouse on presentation of a current bar license and photo ID, and approved a series of contracts, grants and intergovernmental agreements.

Commissioners approved the consent agenda — listed as Resolution 3262025 — by voice vote. The consent agenda included ratification of 10 warrants, budget transfers, a letter of recognition to Ambuks at Altoona for its 100th anniversary, a support letter to the Center of Child Justice (a program of Family Services Inc.) for a Child Advocacy Center program director funding application, internship approvals (a Fort Roberdeau intern and a George Washington University student job shadow in the public defender’s office), and the courthouse attorney access policy (item g). The policy requires presentation of a current bar license and photo ID; courthouse security screening and metal-detector checks will continue for attorneys.

The board separately approved the following motions (all listed outcomes are as recorded in the meeting):

- Approval of a quote from TD Fabrications and Welding LLC for fabrication and installation of doors and food pass units at the county prison in the amount of $12,700. Outcome: approved (voice vote).

- Approval of submission of the Victims of Juvenile Offenders (VOGO) grant application to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) in the amount of $33,540 for the period Jan. 1, 2026–Dec. 31, 2026. Outcome: approved (motion seconded; voice vote).

- Approval of a first amendment to a fiscal year 2024–25 contract between Blair County Department of Social Services and Jeffrey R. Kranch (contractor name listed in the meeting) to continue specialized accounting services and raise the not-to-exceed amount from $48,000 to $53,000. Outcome: approved (voice vote). The discussion clarified the amendment was needed because two fiscal staff left and the contractor’s hours exceeded original expectations; the amended amount covered work to process June payments and the contractor was also approved under a renewal for 2025–26.

- Approval of fiscal year 2025–26 contracts and agreements for Blair County Children, Youth, and Families, including a contract with Impact Counseling Services LLC and a purchase-of-service and HIPAA business associate agreement with Centre County Youth Service Bureau for the period July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026. Outcome: approved (voice votes).

- Approval of an agreement for purchases below bidding threshold between Blair County Adult Probation and For Imprint USA for event materials (example cited: a personalized tablecloth used at job fairs and public events). Outcome: approved (voice vote).

- Approval of an agreement with the Salvation Army to administer the state food purchase program for Blair County for a five-year period, July 1, 2025–June 30, 2030. Outcome: approved (voice vote).

- Approval of an intergovernmental agreement between Blair County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, acting through the Department of Corrections, to provide technical assistance and recommendations related to physical construction and operational practices at the Blair County prison. Outcome: approved (voice vote).

Most motions were moved, seconded and approved by voice vote; vote tallies were not recorded with member names in the transcript. One commissioner recorded an \"aye with an extension\" related to payments to Hollidaysburg Borough and to Thomas and Chandra Gendor during consent approval; the transcript does not provide additional detail on that extension.

The board adjourned at the end of the meeting and scheduled its next commissioners meeting for Thursday, July 17 at 10 a.m.

Votes listed above reflect items discussed and approved during the July 10 meeting as recorded in the meeting transcript; contract numbers, ordinance numbers and other formal identifiers were not specified for most items in the transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Blair County Commissioners","oneSentenceSummary","At their July 10 meeting the Blair County Commissioners approved consent items including a new policy allowing private attorneys accelerated courthouse access on presentation of bar license and photo ID, and voted to approve several contracts, a PCCD grant submission, and intergovernmental agreements.","taxTitle","Blair County, Pennsylvania","taxId",5058,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6510712,"Pennsylvania Treasury briefs Blair County on PA ABLE, Keystone Scholars and $18.8 million in local unclaimed property",432,408000,840000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5356430-ed4e5ac22c023ecf99225cb78ce95955&start=408&end=840","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5356430-ed4e5ac22c023ecf99225cb78ce95955/thumbnail_408000.jpg","/articles/6510712/Blair-County/Pennsylvania/Pennsylvania-Treasury-briefs-Blair-County-on-PA-ABLE-Keystone-Scholars-and-188-million-in-local-unclaimed-property","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6510712-43ce20a42f15d5e4a0a6c5887f84b0e7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771015505&Signature=KhjewijUONk6RyRF6w16sGmOeZjcbNxUzBKjO7i-nBIThNmj4f80Fp5u6tp8XsKxo0TgvMw7gTSMO8Q4okEOcfNRBNmKhkc~HsWrljuk27Ir-~k9hhCSecwu0n7fppn8x2rFteDBdYSaZfAwgnzKkfB0OW0YbsBamp2cJiK6BpuS~f5AJY0pG1EjDpeX9rb33reBmanfyFd2nKFoxFDu9NZM-uGTJc49tdsyOft-R4zS1XUG7L5NiWW3gA1PDQfd7Qf64Z0BzG9~nPTEG9xAfdR4DtkTMLFQ4pvPL-FlB90k4Vy7bgDsM0t2rxZbnAbG~PLLdBOFv9Wj2Kp652zt0w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","On July 10, 2025, a representative of Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity updated Blair County Commissioners on Treasury-run savings and consumer programs and on the scale of unclaimed property tied to local residents and entities.

Steve Schope, speaking on behalf of Treasurer Stacy Garrity and the Pennsylvania Treasury, told the commissioners the Treasury is “custodians of more than a $160,000,000,000 in Commonwealth funds” and manages consumer-facing programs including PA ABLE, PA 529 and the Keystone Scholars account program. He said those programs are intended to make savings more accessible to people with disabilities and to encourage early saving for postsecondary education.

The briefing explained PA ABLE is a tax-advantaged savings account for people with disabilities that does not count toward federal asset limits used to determine eligibility for certain benefits. Schope said that in some benefit programs a person “can’t have more than $2,000 in a bank account,” but that PA ABLE accounts can hold substantially more without affecting benefit eligibility.

Schope also described the Keystone Scholars program, under which the Treasury creates and initially funds a $100 account for every child born in Pennsylvania on or after Jan. 1, 2019. He said about 11% of those accounts have been activated statewide and “just over 8%” have been activated in Blair County, and urged local leaders to promote activation.

Schope highlighted the Treasury’s unclaimed property work. He said the Commonwealth holds more than $5 billion in unclaimed property and that “there are 173,958 properties just in Blair County alone. Those properties are worth $18,786,041.” He warned that residents often assume they do not have unclaimed funds and that scammers sometimes try to exploit people searching for unclaimed property. He recommended residents contact local treasurer offices, saying, “You can call Judy Ward’s office, and they have the same software, and they’re able to look this up and validate it for you.”

Commissioners asked procedural questions and about employee benefits: Schope said counties can add PA 529 accounts as a voluntary payroll-deduction benefit for employees, and that several county governments have done so. He also said an ABLE account can be created for any beneficiary by someone with that person’s Social Security number and that gifts can be made to ABLE accounts through an embedded “uGift” feature.

Schope closed by offering Treasury staff support for local events and outreach and said Treasurer Garrity is visiting all 67 counties this year. The commissioners did not take formal action on the briefing.

The update provides county officials and residents with contact points and program details for claiming unclaimed property or enrolling in state-managed savings programs.","A Treasury representative told Blair County Commissioners on July 10 that statewide Treasury programs — PA ABLE, PA 529 and Keystone Scholars — aim to increase savings for residents and that Blair County holds about $18.8 million in unclaimed property; officials encouraged outreach to help residents claim funds.","actionData","errors"]

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Blair County commissioners approve courthouse attorney access policy and multiple contracts, grants and agreements

Pennsylvania Treasury briefs Blair County on PA ABLE, Keystone Scholars and $18.8 million in local unclaimed property