HOLLIDAYSBURG — Blair County commissioners are slated to convene two public hearings Thursday, one at 2 p.m. on the proposed creation of a trail, park and recreation authority and another at 3 p.m. regarding the proposed decertification of Explore Altoona as the county’s tourism and promotion agency.

Both hearings are open to the public and scheduled to be convened in the public meeting room in the basement level of the courthouse.

For the 2 p.m. public hearing, the county’s advertisement indicates that commissioners will focus on a proposed ordinance for creation of a trail, park and recreation authority, as allowed by the state’s Municipalities Authority’s Act.

Based on the ordinance under consideration, the commissioners intend to name nine people to serve on the authority: Rob Crossman, Doug Brown, Ethan Imhoff, Rachel DiAndrea, Sherry Socie, Joe Keller, Mark Ritchey, Mark Perry and Grant Wills, with their terms ranging from one to five years.

The proposed ordinance indicates that the authority’s purpose is to position the county “to be part of a nationwide trail and recreation network.” Its powers are to include: “acquiring, holding, constructing, financing, improving, maintaining and operating and owning and leasing,” although the ordinance identifies no specific revenue source to engage in those pursuits. Commissioners have also advertised an intention, during their 10 a.m. May 1 meeting, to consider adoption of an ordinance creating the new trail, park and recreation authority.

As for the 3 p.m. public hearing, the county’s advertisement indicates that commissioners will focus on Explore Altoona’s decertification as the county’s tourism and promotion agency. The advertisement did not designate an effective date for the decertification or the pending appointment of a successor.

Based on the state law allowing counties to levy and collect a 5% bed tax, the county is required to designate a tourism and promotion agency.

That same law also allows decertification, with support from municipalities representing more than 65% of the county’s population. Blair County commissioners, through letters asking municipal leaders for a vote in favor of decertification, collected sufficient support by mid-March to meet that requirement.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.