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Bedford County commissioners approve CDBG water projects, language-access plan and fair-housing resolution

2987025 · April 8, 2025

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Summary

At their April 8 meeting the Bedford County Commissioners approved a package of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) actions including a force-account agreement and a notice of award for a water-meter replacement project, adopted a fair-housing resolution, and signed off on several proclamations and county plans.

BEDFORD — The Bedford County Commissioners on April 8 approved a series of routine and programmatic actions tied to county services and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) work, adopted a fair-housing resolution and passed several proclamations honoring public-safety telecommunicators, libraries, senior games and awareness months.

The board approved CDBG-related agreements for an Everett borough water-meter replacement project, issued a notice of award for procurement of replacement meters, and approved county CDBG policies including a language-access plan and a citizen grievance policy. Commissioners also approved a purchase-of-service agreement through Bedford County Children and Youth Services and adopted a county fair-housing resolution that drew a single dissenting vote.

The approvals affect local infrastructure spending and federal grant compliance. The water-meter project and related agreements implement a CDBG activity recommended by the Everett Borough Municipal Authority and administered through Bedford County’s CDBG office. The purchase-of-service agreement with Connell Memorial Medical Center’s Maternal Addiction Resources Center (MARC) will be effective for the period July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, and was presented by Bedford County Children & Youth Services leadership.

Most motions were passed by voice vote. The board approved a force-account agreement with the Borough of Everett Municipal Authority for a CDBG (FFY2023) water-meter replacement project and issued a notice of award to LB Water Service Inc. for procurement related to the Beeville Water Meters Replacement Project (CDBG activity referenced in the transcript as CDBG-2023-C000089712); the dollar amount for the notice of award was reported in the transcript with inconsistent digits and is not specified here. The board also approved the Bedford County Planning Commission language-access plan, a CDBG complaint/grievance policy and a citizen complaint form.

Jeff Fellers, Bedford County CDBG administrator, explained the procedural requirement for the fair-housing language: "Through the CDBG, we're required to do the fair housing... so it is quite a requirement that we use it on all our forms, contracts," he said during the meeting. The commissioners adopted the fair-housing resolution (identified in the agenda as Resolution 04.08.025) by voice vote, with a single commissioner opposing. The dissenting commissioner said the county had passed a comprehensive fair-housing resolution the previous month and said some of the language in the current resolution was unnecessary, which the commissioner cited as the reason for voting no.

Other votes and routine business approved at the meeting included: acceptance of the March 11, 2025 minutes, approval of the county's top monthly expenditures (including several payments connected to Children & Youth Services), and a change-of-assessment report recommended by the director of tax assessment. The board also approved a cooperation agreement and resolution related to the Southern Allegheny Planning and Development Commission for a Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program.

The meeting included multiple proclamations and recognitions: the board proclaimed April 2025 as Pennsylvania 8-1-1 Safe Digging Month (citing Pennsylvania Act 287 of 1974), April 13–19 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, April 28–May 16 for the Bedford County Young at Heart Games, April as Alcohol Awareness Month (presented by Personal Solutions Inc.), National Library Week (April 6–12) and April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Presenters and invited guests included library representatives and emergency services staff; the board publicly thanked 9-1-1 telecommunicators and other first responders for ongoing service.

The meeting record shows limited debate on individual items. The fair-housing resolution prompted the most substantive comment when a commissioner questioned redundancy with a recently passed resolution; the county's CDBG administrator confirmed the agency-level requirement for inclusion of fair-housing language in CDBG materials. Otherwise, the agenda items moved with brief presentations and routine voice votes.

The board adjourned after approving personnel and salary-board items and reminded attendees the next meeting will be held in Room 303 due to election equipment being present in the usual space.

Ending — The measures passed on April 8 advance planned CDBG infrastructure work and formalize county policies around limited-English and fair-housing access, while the array of proclamations recognized county programs and awareness observances for April and May.