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Blair County advisory group pressed on attendance, bylaws and a staff "relief valve" for minor reviews
Summary
Municipal representatives at a Blair County Government Advisory Committee meeting pressed for bylaw changes and better notice after attendance fell short of quorum; staff proposed a limited delegation allowing routine, low‑impact development reviews to be processed if a planning commission meeting is canceled.
The Blair County Government Advisory Committee met without a quorum and spent much of the session addressing long‑standing communication and governance problems, including proposals to change bylaws so municipalities can designate alternates and a staff “relief valve” to process minor development reviews when the planning commission cannot meet.
Director Dave McFarland opened the meeting by noting only 10 members were present, short of the 13 required for a vote, and asked members to treat tonight’s discussion as advisory. He said the committee — created in 1964 to link municipal governments, the Blair County Planning Commission and the Blair MPO — needs updated bylaws and more regular officer elections.
Todd Lewis, president of the planning commission, urged better notification to municipal representatives so they can attend: “I have received some feedback from municipalities that they don't always know about our monthly meetings,” he said, arguing tailored agendas or monthly summaries could allow local officials to raise concerns in advance.
Multiple municipal representatives pushed for practical fixes such as designating alternates or allowing a manager to represent an elected official at meetings. Participants described a pattern of missed or canceled meetings and proposed that the commission consult its solicitor on a simple bylaw amendment that would permit continuity of representation and voting without repeatedly changing the entire charter.
The group also reviewed a staff‑level process for handling small development proposals — lot line adjustments, minor lot mergers and certain DEP/MPDES reviews — that staff currently signs off and the planning commission later ratifies. McFarland described a proposed “relief valve” that would allow staff to move routine items forward if a planning commission meeting were canceled; major projects with visible landscape impacts would still require full commission review.
Strong municipal voices at the meeting warned that failing to make the advisory group useful would have consequences. One participant said, “Blair County is withholding $65,000 because we don't think you're doing anything,” and pressed staff for better outreach and clearer documentation on which reviews are handled at the staff level and which require commission vetting.
McFarland said staff will work to improve communications — including the municipal outreach schedule — and that any formal bylaw changes would need to be drafted, circulated to municipalities for comment and ultimately approved by the commission when a quorum is present. The committee set March and September as its regular meeting months and said staff would pursue options (including appointing a backup or interim manager) to maintain continuity when key leaders are absent.
Next steps: staff will draft proposed bylaw language and administrative procedures for review by the planning commission and municipal stakeholders; bylaws changes require the commission's formal vote when a quorum is available.
