Blair Township Board reappoints officers, affirms 2025 tax rates and sets millage at 0.559 mills

Chairman Paul Amigh II called the Blair Township Board of Supervisors’ organizational meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2025, at the township office, 375 Cedarcrest Drive, Duncansville.

The board approved a slate of reappointments and role assignments for 2025. Supervisor Brad Germaux moved and Supervisor Louis Lusk seconded motions that were adopted unanimously to retain Paul Amigh II as chairman and Brad Germaux as vice‑chair; to designate Amigh as the supervisor in charge of the municipal office and Lusk as supervisor in charge of the highway department; and to designate Germaux as supervisor in charge of the police department. The board also retained John Reed as roadmaster and road foreman, kept Kami Bilek as township secretary and treasurer, and retained Jennifer Wendt as office clerk. The motions to retain Louis J. Legory, David Smith and Todd Lynn as full‑time road crew and maintenance passed unanimously.

The board confirmed police department appointments and related designations. Supervisor Louis Lusk moved to retain Roger C. Peacock Jr. as police chief; Supervisor Germaux seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Motions to retain James M. Brantner as sergeant and Nathan Hale and Eric Calhoun as full‑time patrol officers also passed unanimously. The board retained Pennsylvania Municipal Code Alliance (PMCA) as building code and ordinance enforcement agency and as the UCC third‑party building inspector/official; Stiffler, McGraw & Associates was retained as consulting engineer; and Patrick Fanelli was retained as township solicitor.

On financial and administrative matters the board retained First National Bank for township accounts, reaffirmed vendor payment policy (twice monthly), set the treasurer’s bond at $500,000 and renewed a $50,000 blanket bond for the municipal office. The board approved the 2025 meeting schedule (second Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m.), maintained Act 511 tax rates (Per Capita $5.00; Real Estate Transfer Tax 1%; Earned Income Tax 0.5%; Local Service Tax $52.00) and adopted the 2025 millage rate of 0.559 mills (per Resolution 2016‑09). The board set employee mileage reimbursement at $0.70 per mile, effective Jan. 1, 2025, or the IRS rate if lower.

The board made several committee and representative appointments. Supervisor Germaux was retained as the supervisor representative to Altoona Blair County Development Corp. (ABCD); Paul Amigh II and Kami Bilek were named representatives to Blair County committees related to planning and hazard mitigation as recorded; Lou Lusk was appointed supervisor representative to the Blair County Stormwater Management Committee and to the MS4 intergovernmental stormwater committee. The board reappointed members to the Blair Township Planning Commission (Ted Ventre, Chris Kreider, Tim Shaw and Theresa Gillie). The motion to retain Dodie Amigh to the planning commission passed with two yes votes; Chairman Amigh abstained, citing a conflict of interest.

Chairman Amigh appointed Rodney Patterson to the township Vacancy Board (Second‑Class Township Code, Section 407) and named Kami Bilek the township voting delegate to the Act 32 earned income tax collection committee. The board reaffirmed police participation in the Aggressive Driving/BUPA program and reaffirmed implementation of the National Incident Management System (Resolution No. 2006‑16). The CPA firm Ritchey, Ritchey & Koontz was retained to complete the 2024 DCED annual audit. The board designated Kami Bilek and Jennfer (Jennifer) Wendt as township Right‑to‑Know officers.

The board adjourned the organizational meeting at 6:27 p.m.

(Procedural motions and votes are recorded in the official minutes.)