HOLLIDAYSBURG — Blair County’s lack of an updated hazardous mitigation plan is potentially jeopardizing access to state and federal disaster relief funds and disaster prevention funds, county leaders said Monday.

That was named as one of the reasons Blair County commissioners, in early February, asked for resignations from four members of the Blair County Planning Commission. The planning commission is the body responsible for updating the plan, which expired in February 2025.

Tyrone area resident Todd Lewis, who declined to resign from the voluntary position, appeared Monday before commissioners in a hearing where he challenged the commissioners’ option of removing him as a planning commission member.

Lewis pointed out that he didn’t learn about the expired hazardous mitigation plan until August. That was six months after he went to his first meeting as a newly appointed planning commission member.

He did recall seeing the hazardous mitigation plan listed as an item on the planning commission’s July meeting agenda.

“It didn’t indicate that we were out of compliance … that (the plan) expired,” Lewis said.

Commissioners Dave Kessling, Amy Webster and Laura Burke acknowledged their awareness of the plan expiring in early 2025 and that concerns were relayed to planning commission Executive Director Dave McFarland.

Kessling told Lewis that McFarland made repeated promises in 2025 that the plan would be updated.

“But here it is March 2026 and there’s no hazardous mitigation plan that’s been completed,” Kessling said.

Because the planning commission is a separate governmental unit formed years ago by the county’s 24 municipalities, it operates independently from the county commissioners. Specific responsibilities include updating the hazardous mitigation plan.

McFarland, who didn’t attend Monday’s hearing, told the Mirror after the hearing that the updated hazardous mitigation plan should be finished this week and ready to submit next week to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency for review.

“PEMA has already done an informal review,” McFarland said.

As for how long the review will take, McFarland said he didn’t know. A representative for the Federal Emergency Management Agency will also be involved in the review, he said, but that agency is currently affected by the partial government shutdown.

Once the PEMA and FEMA reviews are finished, McFarland said the plan will be returned to the county for action by the municipal bodies.

The delay in preparing to update the plan started in 2024 with staff changes and staff shortages, McFarland said. Then in 2025, he acknowledged that his health issues and medical leave added to the delay.

During Monday’s hearing, Kessling said that the lack of a current hazardous mitigation plan puts the county at risk of not being able to qualify for disaster relief funds if and when a disaster occurs.

If Saturday morning’s train derailment contaminated water resources below the Horseshoe Curve, Kessling said the county wouldn’t be eligible for state and federal funds toward clean-up measures.

“We’d be in trouble because we don’t have a hazardous mitigation plan,” Kessling said.

McFarland, in his office after the hearing, said that might have been the case years ago, but not since 2018 when the rules changed for disaster relief funds.

“They don’t tend to kick you when you’re down,” McFarland said.

Monday’s hearing also revealed December letters the Altoona Water Authority sent to the planning commission and to the county commissioners about its effort to secure $500,000 in state and federal grant funds for repairs to its Plane 9 reservoir.

Kessling read portions indicating the water authority’s grant requests aren’t being addressed.

“It’s ineligible until the county’s plan is updated,” Kessling said.

Kessling, as well as Webster and Burke, also addressed Lewis by referencing the planning commission’s bylaws spelling out responsibilities falling to the planning commission officers in the absence of its executive director.

Lewis, who became the planning commission’s secretary in June and elected president in February, said he received a copy of the bylaws but wasn’t aware of that clause.

“Were you given orientation,” Burke asked, and Lewis said no.

Commissioners relied on email exchanges to show that in August 2025, then planning commission member Ben Postules shared his concerns about the expiration of the hazardous mitigation plan. His email proposed addressing the issue during an executive session to avoid media exposure, after an upcoming public meeting. Lewis said he didn’t know if it was addressed because he wasn’t available to attend that meeting.

Blair County Solicitor Christopher Furman, who assisted commissioners with conducting the hearing that Lewis requested, said the law governing the process allows commissioners to engage in quasi-

judicial deliberations on Lewis’ future as a planning commission member, then later issue a written decision.

Lewis, who said during the hearing that he considered it an honor and a pleasure to serve on the planning commission, pledged to work with fellow planning commission members if retained on the board.

He also told commissioners: “I’m aware of the communication shortcomings.”

Because commissioners haven’t named any replacements since Herb Shelow, Jim Dixon and Nick

Ardizonne resigned in February, and due to vacancies, the commission has only three members and lacks the required five members to make a quorum.

Kessling said commissioners rely on people submitting talent bank applications to be considered for appointments and doesn’t get a lot.

But the responsibility for making those appointments rests with the commissioners, Lewis replied.

Lewis also presented letters from four municipalities — Antis Township, Tyrone Borough, Bellwood Borough and Tyrone Township — in support of his continued service on the planning commission.

“Should you keep me, that’s fine … and I will work with the planning commission,” Lewis said.

If not, Lewis said he will pursue other ways to serve his community.

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