Public hearing on decertifying Blair County tourism agency draws objections from local tourism partners

Blair County Solicitor Chris Furman opened a public hearing April 24 to receive comments on a proposed resolution to decertify the county's current tourism and promotion agency (TPA); the hearing did not include a vote and commissioners will consider the record at a later public meeting.

The hearing drew multiple objections from tourism stakeholders who said decertification would remove an established marketing organization ahead of the summer visitor season and that county leaders had not presented a clear alternative plan. "In the words of attorney Farah, I am an objector of this decertification," Mark Ickes, executive director of Explore Altoona, told the hearing. Ickes said Explore Altoona's marketing work contributed to what he described as a nearly 40% increase in visitor spending over the past decade and that "visitor spending equates to $371,000,000 annually."

The statement of purpose for the hearing, read by Furman, emphasized procedure and timing. "We are not voting today. This is not a voting meeting. This is a public hearing,"…