Bedford County approves multiple Children & Youth service contracts, engages new county lawyer and closes DCNR grant for outdoor recreation study

The Bedford County Board of Commissioners on May 13 approved several service contracts for Bedford County Children & Youth Services, authorized an engagement letter with Campbell Durant PC to represent the county, and adopted a resolution closing out a Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant that financed an outdoor recreation feasibility study.

The board voted to approve purchase-of-service agreements for the 2024-25 fiscal period (July 1, 2024'June 30, 2025) as recommended by Christopher Gresco, administrator of Bedford County Children & Youth Services. The approved providers named in the motions included Taylor and Taylor Group Home LLC and Pure Luxe Homes LLC; the board also approved an agreement to provide on-site services for the Strengthening Families program and approved Kevin Kendershot, Esquire, as a lead facilitator for that program. The motions were moved and seconded and carried on voice votes; specific roll-call tallies were not recorded in the transcript.

The commissioners also approved a one-year "space available" agreement between Bedford County and Central Counties Youth Center (office in Bellefonte) based on a recommendation from Christopher Gresco. The motion passed on a voice vote.

On a separate motion, the board approved an engagement fee agreement with Campbell Durant PC, effective April 23, 2025, to provide legal services for the county. During the discussion one commissioner said they opposed the timing and requested more due diligence before making the change; the meeting record does not identify that commissioner by full name. The motion nevertheless carried on a voice vote.

The board adopted a resolution closing out a Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Bureau of Recreation and Conservation grant (contract cited in the meeting record as BRCTAG29Dash213). The resolution states the Bedford County Development Association (BCDA) and the county collaborated on the Bedford County Outdoor Recreation Coordinator Feasibility Study (dated March 2025), that project expenditures are complete and in accordance with the grant, and that BCDA will serve as the countywide organization to lead coordination and hire a countywide outdoor recreation coordinator. Stephanie Klevenstein, director of planning, summarized the study for the board and said the position would not replace existing trail authorities but would coordinate planning, grant writing, technical assistance, connectivity studies and promotion of outdoor recreation; Klevenstein also said the position would be funded by BCDA with support from the DCNR grant, and the county would have no direct cost for the position.

The board also approved a separate personnel actions motion and later, during the salary board portion of the meeting, approved wages set by union contracts for May as recommended by department heads. A commissioner raised a question during the personnel discussion noting transfers within the Children, Family & Services (CFS) department regarding independent living had occurred but were not listed on the HR transfer section; HR staff were not present to clarify during the meeting.

Why it matters: The Children & Youth Services agreements preserve placements and program services for youth in the county. The county's engagement of new legal counsel signals a change in outside representation that a commissioner warned merits more review. The closing of the DCNR grant and the BCDA study advance a coordinated approach to outdoor-recreation planning across multiple trail authorities without a county fiscal impact for the coordinator, according to planning staff.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to act on change of assessment report for April 2025 (recommended by Joyce Hilli, director of tax assessment): approved on voice vote; movers/second not specified in the transcript.

- Purchase-of-service agreements, Bedford County Children & Youth Services (07/01/2024'06/30/2025): Taylor and Taylor Group Home LLC; Pure Luxe Homes LLC — motions moved and seconded; approved on voice votes.

- Purchase-of-service agreement for Strengthening Families program on-site lead and Kevin Kendershot, Esquire (07/01/2024'06/30/2025): approved on voice vote.

- Engagement fee agreement with Campbell Durant PC (effective 04/23/2025): approved on voice vote; one commissioner stated opposition citing timing and need for further due diligence.

- Space-available agreement with Central Counties Youth Center (one year from signature): approved on voice vote.

- Resolution closing out DCNR Bureau of Recreation and Conservation grant (contract cited in meeting record as BRCTAG29Dash213) and accepting the Bedford County Outdoor Recreation Coordinator Feasibility Study: approved on voice vote.

- Personnel actions as submitted by department heads: approved on voice vote. A commissioner noted internal transfers within CFS (independent living) were not listed by HR on the transfer section.

- Salary board: approval of wages as set by union contracts for May: approved on voice vote.

What the meeting record does not specify: movers/seconds for most motions and roll-call vote counts. The transcript records voice votes of "aye" and several motions recorded simply as "motion carries." The text of the purchase-of-service agreements and the full engagement letter with Campbell Durant PC were not read into the record and are not included in the transcript.

The board did not identify any county cost for the countywide outdoor recreation coordinator; planning staff said BCDA will offset the position cost with the DCNR grant. The cooperation agreement referenced in the resolution was executed 03/11/2025, according to the resolution text read at the meeting.

The commissioners adjourned the regular meeting and immediately convened the salary board to consider wages and then adjourned both sessions.