Martinsburg Borough Approves to Purchase Street Sweeper

Martinsburg Borough Council Board approved the purchase of a new street sweeper for the amount of about $230,000 at Monday night's meeting.

Borough Manager Richard Brantner Jr., said he was going to be able to see the new street sweeper on Tuesday and they would purchase the vehicle if found to be satisfactory.

The Martinsburg Municipal Authority will pay half at about $150,000 and the borough will cover what is left.

About $65,000 from the borough would come from the American Rescue Plan Funds and the rest would be covered by the reserve funds.

The council approved to advertise the 2025 Budget as balanced and that there were no tax increases.

Mark Ickes, executive director of Explore Altoona, was present along with board members Carl Crider, Jr. and Jeff Cipriani, and Director of Partnership Development Patrick Shurr.

They were there due to the Blair County Commissioners potential move on September 17 to decertify Explore Altoona as the officially recognized tourism promotion agency (TPA) for the county.

According to Act 18, municipalities representing 65% of the population must give a final approval for decertification.

"We are meeting with all of the municipalities to share with you what our organization does and our accomplishments," Ickes said.

Crider who is also the president and general manager of Delgrosso's Amusement Park and Laguna Splash said, "We have worked with Explore Altoona for 30-40 years now, and they have done a great job in marketing us as tourist attractions which the legislation is about. We have also helped them expand their market as well."

Crider said the whole legislation is self funding. When people stay in hotels in Blair County, they pay a bed tax which goes towards funding the TPA. He said Explore Altoona are not county employees and it is not funded through taxpayer money.

"As far as the partnership goes we feel that they have done a great job doing what they're supposed to do according to the legislation," he said.

Crider said he hoped if it came to a vote, they would choose not to decertify Explore Altoona as the TPA.

Cipriani is also the General Manager of the Hampton Inn in Altoona.

"We do business with corporations in the market, but you can't live on that alone in a small market," he said. "You have to have leisure business. That's what we do great, we bring in the leisure business."

Cipriani said they market to Washington D.C, Harrisburg, and other areas within a two hour radius which has seen success.

"You have to think of the impact of not having a dedicated TPA, on hotel workers and busboys in restaurants," he said.

Over the past decade Ickes said Explore Altoona has been dedicated to destination marketing with a focus on tourism in the county.

Since that time they have seen a 37% increase in travel spending in Blair County, $371 million put into the Blair County business community as a result of overnight stays according to DCED's most recent tourism Impact Report from 2022.

"To replace that amount of local spending, each household in the county would need to spend an extra $7,000," he said.

Council member Chuck Kensinger asked what time frame the vote for or against the decertification needed to be done by, with Ickes responding that there is no date set for the public hearing yet.

He said the Board of Commissioners need to have the hearing first and then send out a resolution to the municipalities in Blair County, which is when the borough would be able to make a decision.

Solicitor Nathan Karn said that the council is not legally obligated to do anything with the resolution. When the Commissioners send them the resolution in the future, they can choose to vote for or against the decertification, or they do not have to respond at all.

Ed Kreider, President of the Martinsburg Booster was approved to put up a Christmas tree in the vacant lot across the street from the borough building.

He said Kline's Tree Farm in Cambria County is donating a Christmas tree which will be about eight to 12 feet tall, and they will put it up after Thanksgiving so it would be in place for the holiday season.

Brittany Diehl, who was hired as a part-time police officer for the Martinsburg Borough Police Department was introduced to the council during Monday's Meeting.