Centre County meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

County Board Commits $278,857 in CDBG Funds to Mountaintop Water Project

The Centre County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Aug. 11 to devote all of the county's 2026 Community Development Block Grant funds — $278,857 — to the Mountaintop Regional Water Authority's water loss improvement project. The move is intended to strengthen the authority's competitive application for additional funding.

Board of Commissioners actions

In the same meeting, the board approved STOP Violence Against Women pass-through agreements with Centre Safe and the State College Police Department, adopted the 2027 holiday schedule for county offices, and approved the fourth-quarter report for the Medical Assistance Transportation Program. The board also approved Children and Youth Services items, including the FY 2027-2028 Needs Based Plan and Budget, the Act 148 Q4 report, and the CWIS Data Sharing Agreement. The consent agenda included contracts with Wardell and Associates and the Centre County Youth Service Bureau. All votes were unanimous.

Other meetings on the agenda

Several county boards and committees have upcoming meetings with items still pending approval.

Children and Youth Services Advisory Committee (Aug. 11)

The committee will finalize Foster Parent Request Forms as new business.

Drug and Alcohol Planning Council (Aug. 12)

The council will review the 2025 PAYS presentation to school superintendents and vote on the June 2026 minutes. The July meeting was cancelled due to lack of attendance.

Prison Board of Inspectors (Aug. 13)

The board will hear the warden's report and review facility reports on population, work release, medical and mental health services, and central booking. It will also receive updates from community partners.

Retirement Board (Aug. 13)

The board will consider referring a contract with GRS for a pension management platform to the Board of Commissioners. Implementation would cost $19,000, with $21,000 in annual maintenance.

Mental Health & Intellectually Disabled Advisory Board (Aug. 17)

The board will review program updates from Mental Health, Intellectual Disability, and Early Intervention staff, plus a budget update and a state budget update.

Board of Commissioners (Aug. 18)

The board will consider approving a $434,070 HUD grant for the Rapid Re-Housing Program, a $232,575 HOME-ARP budget modification for homelessness services, a $161,900 facility maintenance contract with Automated Logic, and a $39,666 fire alarm testing contract with Berkshire Systems Group. It will also adopt a proclamation for Grange Fair Days.

Planning Commission (Aug. 18)

The commission will review the final subdivision plan for The Horizon at Brush Valley Phase 3, which proposes 21 single-family residential lots in Potter Township. Seven time extension requests are also on the agenda.

Housing Task Force (Aug. 19)

The task force will discuss updates on Addison Court and a rural housing discussion, and consider appointments.

Board of Elections (Aug. 20)

The board will consider approving the mail ballot packet for the upcoming general election and three new drop box locations: East Penns Valley Branch Library/Borough Building in Millheim, Snowshoe Township Supervisors Office in Clarence, and Howard Township Supervisors Office in Howard.

Salary Board (Aug. 20)

The Salary Board will consider personnel actions, including a promotion for Andrew Bechdel to Resource Conservation Coordinator 1 ($22.76/hr), four new Corrections Officer appointments, a grant modification for the Vivitrol program (up to $93,844), an ADA agreement with the DOJ, and an IT contract renewal with The Redesign Group ($67,526.30).

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are scheduled for the next two weeks.

Centre County board weighs $3.7M youth services contracts, election grant

Centre County's Board of Commissioners has a full slate of items on its agenda this week, including multi-million dollar youth services contract renewals and a $513,469 state election integrity grant. However, minutes from recent meetings have not yet been published, so no official decisions have been confirmed.

Youth services contracts under consideration

At its July 28 meeting, the Board of Commissioners had on its agenda two significant contract renewals for youth services. A renewal with Wardell and Associates, Inc. totals $3,689,074, and a renewal with the Centre County Youth Service Bureau totals $2,225,604. The board also considered a grant application for the FY 26 Emergency Solutions Grant in the amount of $389,487.88. Other items included a bid to purchase a 2010 International 7400 dump truck from State College Borough for not more than $15,000, and a postage machine lease with Pitney Bowes for $46,267.80.

Personnel actions and grants on Aug. 6 agenda

The Board of Commissioners and the Salary Board met on Aug. 6 with several personnel and funding items on their agendas. The commissioners considered funding for a full-time Corrections Officer at SG-N10, with $1,582 in 2026 salary savings, and a promotion for Malachi Moyer from 911 Dispatcher 1 to Dispatcher 2, with a $1,111 budget impact for 2026. They also reviewed an application for the 2026-2027 Election Integrity Grant totaling $513,469.27 from the state, a contract with Integrated Health 21 for biometric health screenings not to exceed $10,560, and inspection services and a building permit fee of $55,462.50 for the Public Safety and Health Sciences Training Center.

The Salary Board separately considered retroactive promotions for two court administration staff: Alexander Furman to Judicial Legal Specialist/Law Clerk II at $41.11/hour with a $7,545 budget impact, and Stephanie Vanhorn to the same position at the same rate with a $4,965 budget impact. It also reviewed a new hire rate of $17.71/hour for Olivia Shreffler as Department Clerk 3 in Probation, a change in status of the Communications Coordinator position from exempt to non-exempt, and creation of a full-time Finish Carpenter position at $29.10/hour in Facilities Management.

Finance Committee reviews audit and financials

The Finance Committee met Aug. 6 to consider approving minutes from its June 25 meeting and to receive updates on the 2025 audit, June interest earnings, and the June financial report. No major decisions or funding actions were on the agenda.

Coming up

The Board of Commissioners will meet Aug. 11 and consider approving $145,000 in federally funded STOP Violence Against Women pass-through agreements with Centre Safe and the State College Police Department. Also on the agenda: a $3,200 contract with Real Time Networks Inc. for KeyTracer support at the county jail, a $291,526 fourth quarter Medical Assistance Transportation Program report, adoption of Proclamation 42 of 2026 recognizing Penn State's one-millionth degree, and approval of the 2027 holiday schedule for county government offices.

The Children and Youth Services Advisory Committee will also meet Aug. 11 at 2:30 p.m. at the Willowbank building café to discuss the Director's report and finalize Foster Parent Request Forms.

County commissioners approve $6.3M human services plan; youth services contracts and 9-1-1 grant on the horizon

Centre County's Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $6,332,992 Human Services Block Grant Plan for fiscal year 2026-2027 at their July 21 meeting, the largest dollar item decided in the past two weeks. The same meeting produced several other unanimous approvals, including 9-1-1 communications work, IT contracts, and a subdivision agreement in Potter Township.

Board of Commissioners — July 21 (decided)

All items below passed unanimously, according to official minutes:

• **Human Services Block Grant Plan, FY 2026-2027** — $6,332,992.
• **9-1-1 communications assessment** — $58,533 contract addendum with Mission Critical Partners.
• **Community Services Building close-outs** — project close-outs approved for Hallstrom Clark Electric, Inc. and Ainsworth Inc.
• **Microsoft license true-up** — $17,585.55 contract with CDW-G, LLC.
• **The Horizon at Brush Valley** — MOU approved for subdivision phase 3 in Potter Township.
• **Penn State resiliency hub** — letter of support approved for Penn State University resiliency hub research.
• **Administrative** — check run dated July 17, 2026, and July 14, 2026 meeting minutes approved.

Planning Commission — July 21 (agenda only)

Minutes have not yet been published. The agenda listed a waiver request for the 234 Shady Farm Lane subdivision in Walker Township — a 21-lot plan with 20 single-family residential lots and one solar facility. Also on the agenda: ten time-extension requests, a blight research presentation by Jennifer Chew, a Centre County transportation update, and a virtual Major Subdivision and Land Development Sub-Committee meeting scheduled for July 23, 2026.

Salary Board — July 23 (agenda only)

Two separate agenda postings cover this meeting; minutes are not yet published. Items listed for consideration include:

• **Department of Justice 9-1-1 grant application** — $1,085,286 for emergency communications (Dept. 354).
• **Microsoft software contract renewal** — three-year renewal with SHI International, $1,030,156.89 (Dept. 142), on the consent agenda.
• **Rental lease** — McCloskey Counseling Center at $295/month through December 2026.
• **Sheriff promotions** — Thomas Walk to Chief Deputy Sheriff at $32.88/hour (2026 budget impact $1,195; annualized $3,415); Jordan Booher to Deputy Sheriff/Lieutenant at $29.10/hour (2026 impact $1,926; annualized $5,504).
• **Corrections promotion** — Jaelyn Oliver from Corrections Officer ($22.59/hr) to Lieutenant ($27.83/hr) at the Correctional Facility.
• **Children & Youth Services** — creation of an on-call/occasional Senior Advisor at $33.65/hour; retroactive overtime pay for casework supervisors up to 15 hours, budget impact $5,760.
• **New hire rates** — Sarah George ($18.98/hr), Rebecca LaLota ($21.51/hr), Selena Tressler ($17.71/hr).
• **Rothrock State Forest Trail System** — letter of support for the Musser Gap to Whipple Dam trail as Pennsylvania Trail of the Year.

Agricultural Land Preservation Board — July 23 (agenda only)

Minutes not yet published. Old business included the woodland donation threshold and rural enterprise language. New business included a discussion of the chair's role and consideration of survey bids from Digman, Gray, and Michael. A public comment period and coordinator reports were also listed.

Board of Commissioners — July 28 (agenda only)

Minutes not yet published. Items listed for a vote include:

• **Wardell and Associates, Inc.** — youth services contract renewal totaling $3,689,074.
• **Centre County Youth Service Bureau** — contract renewal totaling $2,225,604.
• **Emergency Solutions Grant** — FY 26 grant submission of $389,487.88.
• **Dump truck purchase** — bid for a 2010 International 7400 dump truck from State College Borough, not to exceed $15,000.
• **Postage machine lease** — Pitney Bowes, $46,267.80.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed for the next 14 days. Readers seeking to confirm whether agenda-only items above were approved should watch for the official minutes to be published.

County boards weigh $6.3M human services plan, $1.09M 9-1-1 grant, and youth services contracts

Centre County boards and commissions met throughout mid-July to consider contracts, grants, personnel changes, and land-use items. Because minutes have not yet been published for any of these sessions, the items below reflect what each body was scheduled to act on or discuss, not confirmed outcomes.

Board of Commissioners

The Board of Commissioners had the busiest two weeks, with three scheduled sessions.

On July 14, the board was set to vote on a $55,396.80 contract with Axon Enterprise Inc. for eight Taser 7s and related equipment for the Probation department, funded by a JRI-2 grant. Other scheduled items included a $47,971.20 postage machine contract with Pitney Bowes, a proclamation declaring July 17, 2026 as Park and Recreation Professionals Day, multiple human services contracts for foster care, childcare, and a CAPS upgrade totaling approximately $307,177, and a final subdivision plan for The Horizon at Brush Valley (21 lots) in Potter Township.

On July 21, the board was scheduled to vote on the FY 2026–2027 Human Services Block Grant Plan totaling $6,332,992 — the largest dollar item across all meetings. Also on the agenda: a $58,533 addendum for 9-1-1 emergency communications (July 1–Dec 31, 2026), a $17,585.55 IT contract with CDW-G, LLC for a Microsoft license true-up (Aug 1, 2025–Jul 31, 2026), capital project close-outs with Hallstrom Clark Electric, Inc. and Ainsworth Inc. for work at the Community Services Building, and a letter of support for Penn State University's resiliency hubs grant application.

On July 23, the board acting as the Salary Board was set to vote on a $1,085,286 grant application to the Department of Justice for 9-1-1 emergency communications (Dept. 354). The consent agenda included a three-year Microsoft software contract renewal with SHI International totaling $1,030,156.89 (Dept. 142), a rental lease agreement with McCloskey Counseling Center at $295/month through December 2026, and a letter of support for the Rothrock State Forest Trail System (Musser Gap to Whipple Dam) as Pennsylvania Trail of the Year.

Salary Board personnel actions

A separate July 23 Salary Board agenda listed multiple personnel items. Scheduled promotions included Thomas Walk to Chief Deputy Sheriff at $32.88/hour (2026 budget impact $1,195, annualized $3,415) and Jordan Booher to Deputy Sheriff/Lieutenant at $29.10/hour (2026 impact $1,926, annualized $5,504). The board was also set to approve creation of an on-call/occasional Senior Advisor for Children & Youth Services at $33.65/hour, retroactive overtime pay for Children & Youth casework supervisors up to 15 hours (budget impact $5,760), and new hire rates for Sarah George ($18.98/hr), Rebecca LaLota ($21.51/hr), and Selena Tressler ($17.71/hr). A promotion of Jaelyn Oliver from Corrections Officer ($22.59/hr) to Lieutenant ($27.83/hr) was also listed.

Planning Commission

On July 21, the Planning Commission was scheduled to consider a waiver request for the 234 Shady Farm Lane subdivision in Walker Township — 21 lots consisting of 20 single-family residential and one solar facility. The agenda also included ten time-extension requests, a blight research presentation by Jennifer Chew, a Centre County transportation update, and a virtual Major Subdivision and Land Development Sub-Committee meeting set for July 23.

Other boards

The Emergency Management Agency's SARA-LEPC Committee met July 16 to review a Commodity Flow Study and the FFY 2026 Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Planning and Training Grant application, along with an HHW Report and the Blair County Emergency Preparedness Summit 2026.

The Agricultural Land Preservation Board met July 23 to discuss the woodland donation threshold, rural enterprise language, the chair's role, and survey bids from Digman, Gray, and Michael.

Coming up

The Board of Commissioners meets July 28 to consider contract renewals with Wardell and Associates, Inc. for youth services totaling $3,689,074 and with Centre County Youth Service Bureau totaling $2,225,604. Also on the agenda: an FY 26 Emergency Solutions Grant submission of $389,487.88, a bid for a 2010 International 7400 dump truck from State College Borough not to exceed $15,000, and a Pitney Bowes postage machine lease for $46,267.80.

Centre County commissioners approve $75,000 recycling grant, $250,000 pre-trial program application; several July meetings await minutes

The Centre County Board of Commissioners approved a $75,000 state grant for a glass recycling study and a $250,000 grant application for a pre-trial supervision program at its July 7 meeting, according to official minutes. The board also endorsed a letter of support for transitioning Penn's Cave & Wildlife Park into a State Park.

All actions at the July 7 meeting passed unanimously.

Board of Commissioners — July 7

The board took the following recorded votes:

• Approved June 30, 2026 meeting minutes (unanimous).
• Adopted Proclamation 39 of 2026 recognizing the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts (unanimous).
• Approved a $2,000 contract addendum with GovAI Software Solutions, LLC (unanimous).
• Accepted $75,000 in DEP 901A Municipal Waste Grant funds for a glass recycling study (unanimous).
• Approved a $250,000 PCCD grant application for a pre-trial supervision program (unanimous).
• Approved a budget modification for FFY 2022 CDBG (unanimous).
• Approved the 2027 Liquid Fuels & Fee for Local Use schedule (unanimous).
• Added four Children and Youth Services contract items to the next week's Consent Agenda (unanimous).
• Approved a letter of support for the Penn's Cave & Wildlife Park transition (unanimous).
• Approved the July 2, 2026 check run (unanimous).

Other July meetings held — minutes not yet published

Several other county bodies met between July 7 and July 16. Agendas are available, but minutes have not been published, so outcomes are not confirmed.

• **Employee Benefits Trust (July 7):** Agenda included approval of March 24, 2026 minutes and discussion of the 2027 insurance plan structure and new Revive options.
• **Drug and Alcohol Planning Council (July 8):** Scheduled vote on minutes from April, May, and June 2026 and review of the 2025 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) presentation to school superintendents.
• **Board of Commissioners – Salary Board (July 9):** Agenda listed personnel actions including a Communications Coordinator job description and funding, Corrections Officer appointments and funding, a $95,280 opioid treatment grant application, a $3,150 contract with Centre Markets for salad kits, and a $50 special event permit for the Bellefonte 5K walk/run.
• **Salary Board – personnel rates (July 9):** Agenda proposed pay rates for Jack Bonsell II as Deputy Coroner at $20.23/hour, Marquell Hudnell as Probation Officer 1 at $22.76/hour ($20,236 budget impact), and Leigh A. Barrows as Deputy Sheriff/Security at $21.94/hour; creation of a temporary Communications Coordinator position at $30.12/hour; and a Senior Advisor position in Tax Assessment at $47.59/hour.
• **Prison Board of Inspectors (July 9):** Routine agenda with the Warden's Report, facility reports on population, work release, medical services, and mental health services, plus policy reviews.
• **Board of Commissioners (July 14):** Agenda included a $55,396.80 contract with Axon Enterprise Inc. for eight Taser 7s funded by a JRI-2 grant, a $47,971.20 Pitney Bowes postage machine contract, a proclamation for Park and Recreation Professionals Day, the final subdivision plan for The Horizon at Brush Valley (21 lots) in Potter Township, and multiple human services contracts totaling approximately $307,177.
• **Emergency Management Agency – SARA-LEPC Committee (July 16):** Agenda covered a Commodity Flow Study, the FFY 2026 Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Planning and Training Grant application, an HHW Report, and the Blair County Emergency Preparedness Summit 2026.

Coming up

• **July 21 — Planning Commission:** Will consider a waiver request for the 234 Shady Farm Lane subdivision in Walker Township (21 lots: 20 single-family residential and 1 solar facility), plus ten time-extension requests and a blight research presentation by Jennifer Chew.
• **July 21 — Board of Commissioners:** Will vote on the FY 2026–2027 Human Services Block Grant Plan totaling $6,332,992, a $58,533 9-1-1 emergency communications contract addendum, a $17,585.55 IT contract with CDW-G, and a letter of support for Penn State University's resiliency hubs grant.
• **July 23 — Agricultural Land Preservation Board:** Will review survey bids from Digman, Gray, and Michael, and discuss the woodland donation threshold and rural enterprise language.