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Blair County hazard mitigation and Act 167 planning still unfinished; officials warn grant eligibility risks
Summary
Officials said the county’s hazard mitigation update is nearing completion with consultant support, but participants warned the plan's long delay could jeopardize FEMA mitigation grants (one participant cited a $500,000 dam grant) and urged municipal outreach for Act 167 stormwater work.
Blair County staff told the Government Advisory Committee that the county’s hazard mitigation plan and a countywide Act 167 stormwater plan are both advancing with consultant help, but members pressed for concrete timelines amid warnings that delays could make municipalities ineligible for federal mitigation funding.
Director Dave McFarland said the consultant working on the hazard mitigation plan is coordinating with PEMA and FEMA review; once the state and federal reviews are satisfied, the plan will be circulated to municipalities for adoption. He said the mitigation section now contains “eight dozen action items” and that staff expects to submit the plan once consultant and PEMA comments are resolved.
A participant told the meeting the mitigation plan had been delinquent since 2024 and urged urgency, saying the county’s lapse could block FEMA hazard mitigation assistance and a dam rehabilitation grant. The participant outlined what they described as a $500,000 mitigation grant for a high‑hazard dam (cited as the Plain 9 Reservoir / Altoona Water Authority project) and said that, without a valid plan, subgrantees cannot receive mitigation awards.
McFarland confirmed the county is coordinating Act 167 stormwater planning alongside the hazard mitigation work. He said Blair County is the only county in the state without a countywide Act 167 plan and that the project will analyze six watersheds, use model ordinances (with DEP guidance and a York County model to streamline efforts), and include municipal outreach in a spring/summer schedule.
Participants asked about consultant costs and capacity. McFarland said the staff‑extension consultant is billing about $50 per hour, and that Stewart Group is under contract to perform land‑development reviews; the Stewart Group principal provided initial support as a courtesy while the county accelerated work after the Plain 9 dam issue emerged.
McFarland said public outreach, municipal surveys and modeling work remain; staff expects public hearings and outreach in the late spring and summer and urged municipal officials to submit known problem areas (poor drainage, culvert obstructions, outdated infrastructure) for inclusion.
Next steps: staff will finalize consultant comments with PEMA, submit the hazard mitigation plan for APA review, and follow with municipal outreach and adoption steps; the Act 167 plan will proceed in parallel with public hearings and ordinance/model‑ordinance drafting.
