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Neighbor details two incidents at nearby Benchmark Human Services home; council says state oversight limits local authority
Summary
A Bedford resident described two incidents involving a residential home operated by Benchmark Human Services and urged town review; town staff and council said the facility operates under state sanction and is exempt from local zoning and site‑plan rules, and staff reported ongoing coordination with Benchmark and the Department of Health and Human Services.
At the start of the Oct. 8 meeting, Bedford resident Kathy Schartzer told the council she lives across the street from a residential home for people with mental illness operated by Benchmark Human Services and described two incidents she said raised safety concerns.
Schartzer said that on June 7 a resident entered her house while she and her husband were sleeping and was found by police in a neighbor’s yard after staff did not know the resident was missing. She said on Sept. 6 she heard a resident screaming and saw three people holding a resident down on the side of the road; police and ambulance responded, staff reportedly walked back into the house and did not assist officers, and the resident was later transported by a Bedford fire ambulance. Schartzer said she supports residential services for people with disabilities but urged monitoring of the home, a review of neighborhood impacts, and that taxpayer services should not subsidize an out‑of‑state company’s profits. She identified Benchmark as a for‑profit LLC headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and said its website states it employs about 3,800 people in 19 states.
Town officials responded that Benchmark is operating as a state contractor and that, according to conversations with the Attorney General’s office, the facility is exempt from local site‑plan, subdivision and zoning regulations. Town staff said they, the police and fire departments, and the Department of Health and Human Services have met with Benchmark representatives to try to improve operations, and that the town will continue follow‑up. A councilor suggested the town might seek legislative changes in the future to address limits on local authority.
Councilors and staff also clarified that any caller to 911 requires a response by emergency services and that ambulance transport billing applies for transports. The council did not adopt any formal action that night specific to the facility; staff said they would continue to communicate with state officials and Benchmark staff and to follow up with the resident who spoke.
Schartzer’s account and the town’s response were delivered during the public comment period; the council’s subsequent discussion emphasized the constraints of state oversight and the town’s continuing coordination with state agencies and the provider.
