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Bedford County commissioners approve minutes, expenditures, leases, CDBG agreements and broadband lease; adopt America250 resolution
Summary
Bedford County Commissioners on Feb. 11, 2025 approved a series of routine and programmatic measures, including CDBG agreements, a 15-year telecom lease supporting ARC-funded broadband, and a resolution establishing a local America250 commission.
Bedford County Commissioners on Feb. 11, 2025 approved a series of routine and programmatic measures during their regular meeting, voting unanimously on a package of minutes, expenditures, agreements and appointments.
The board approved the minutes of the Jan. 14, 2025 meeting and authorized a number of expenditures listed by the county, including a $162,492 payment to UPMC Health Network for county insurance and a $56,508 first installment to BCOM for 2025. Commissioners also approved the first allocation of $30,000 to the Bedford Library and several 9-1-1 assessment and food-service expenditures; the full expenditures list was read by the clerk during the meeting.
Actions with programmatic or multi-year implications included:
- Reappointment of Melissa Lide to the Bedford County Housing Authority (term to 01/20/2030).
- Approval of a master agreement between Bedford County and National Printing Company, MPC, for the 2025 election cycle (per the recommendation of county elections).
- Adoption of "Resolution 2 11 2025," establishing a Bedford County commission to participate in America250 PA and naming Bob Webb as the county representative to the state advisory committee; the resolution specifies participation is voluntary and unpaid.
- Approval of a 15-year lease (01/01/2025'12/31/2039) between Bedford County and landowners Lehi A. King Jr., Irma F. King, Erin P. Esch and Rachel L. Esch for a telecommunications tower site to support the Alleghenies Through-Core broadband infrastructure project; lease income is $4,000 per year and the project is funded in part by the Appalachian Regional Commission.
- Approval of standard subrecipient and administrative agreements for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) projects, including a 2023 housing-rehab subrecipient agreement with the Center for Community Action and an administrative agreement with the Borough of Everett Area Municipal Authority for a 2023 water-meter replacement project.
- Approval of a county policy and procedure required by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to solicit county engineer/consultant qualifications.
- A personnel actions slate and wage approvals for union contracts reflected in the county's salary-board session; commissioners also set the commission rate for local government tax collectors at $3.50 per parcel effective Jan. 1, 2026 through Dec. 31, 2029.
Most motions were moved and seconded and carried without extended discussion; several items included brief staff remarks. Stephanie Klevenstein, the county planning director, described the telecom lease as the final property lease necessary to proceed with bidding the ARC-funded broadband tower portion of the project and said towers targeted the southeastern portion of the county that is difficult to serve.
Why it matters: Approvals on the telecom lease and CDBG agreements advance broadband infrastructure and housing-rehab projects that use state and federal funding streams; adoption of the America250 resolution signals county participation in statewide commemorative planning and may mobilize volunteer efforts and local events.
