Altoona City Council Meeting Minutes

Meeting Overview

The Altoona City Council held its organizational meeting on Monday, January 12, 2026, at the City of Altoona Training Facility & Council Chambers. The meeting was televised live on Public Access Channel 14 and rebroadcast the following day.

Administration of Oath of Office

City Clerk Linda Rickens Schellhammer administered the oath of office to newly elected Council Members Dave Ellis, Bruce Kelley, Ron Beatty, and Dave Butterbaugh. Following the oath, the council members shared remarks:

• Councilman Beatty: Expressed gratitude for his re-election and highlighted progress made in housing and the Prospect Pool project.
• Councilman Ellis: Noted that while change can be difficult, the council is heading in the right direction and looks forward to the next four years.
• Councilman Butterbaugh: Stated it is an honor to serve another term and expressed excitement for upcoming city projects.
• Councilman Kelley: Echoed his colleagues' sentiments, emphasizing that the council remains mindful of taxpayers and looks forward to future challenges.

Roll Call and Attendance

The meeting was called to order at 5:05 PM. The following members were present:

• Mayor Pacifico
• Councilmembers Beatty, Butterbaugh, Ellis, Ickes, and Kelley

Absent: Councilwoman Clinich.

Public Comment

Three residents provided comments regarding proposed ordinances:

• Autumn Temple: Supported Ordinance 3 (family support) but opposed Ordinance 5, arguing that the 1,500-foot limit on homes is discriminatory and limits a specific population.
• Lisa Hahn (Family Services): Expressed concern that additional distance restrictions between group homes would reduce the available area for housing adults with intellectual disabilities. She noted that current regulations already limit distance and asked the council to review the restriction.
• Nate Germany (Recovery House Owner/Pastor): Raised concerns about the distance between homes, noting that affordable housing is often clustered. He argued the ordinance may violate the Fair Housing Act and is more restrictive than Building Codes or PA Code. He also questioned the interaction between this ordinance, rental licenses, and CDBG grants for affordable housing.

Resolutions and Appointments

The Council passed several resolutions, including:

• Vice-Mayor: Appointed Councilman Dave Ellis as Vice-Mayor (term expires Jan 2028).
• Meeting Schedule: Approved the 2026 City Council Meeting Schedule.
• Minutes: Approved the minutes from the December 1, 2025 meeting.
• Fee Resolution: Amended Fee Resolution 0153-25 to include various licenses and development fees (Business/Mercantile, Land Development, Planning, Sidewalk Fund, Zoning, etc. ).
• Executive Session: Mayor Pacifico announced an executive session was held for real estate matters and potential litigation.

Board and Authority Appointments

The Council approved the following appointments:

• Altoona Water Authority: Reappointed Barbara Kooman (5-year term).
• Altoona Housing Authority: Reappointed Chris Kirwin (5-year term).
• Altoona Parking Authority: Appointed Steve Kasun to fill the unexpired term of Sherri McGregor (expires Jan 2027).
• AMED Authority: Reappointed Monica Klatt (5-year term).
• AMTRAN Authority: Appointed Mayor Matt Pacifico (5-year term).
• Blighted Property Review Committee: Appointed Joe Rispoli and Dave Servello Sr. (2-year terms each).
• Civil Service Board: Appointed Janice Ellis (4-year term), Tom Beam as alternate to fill Ted Beam's unexpired term, and Mike Blackie as alternate (4-year term).
• Redevelopment Authority: Reappointed Richard Fiore Jr. (5-year term).
• Zoning Hearing Board: Reappointed Horace McAnuff and appointed Andrew Arnold (5-year terms each).

Adjournment

The vote on the resolutions passed 5 to 1, with Mayor Pacifico voting no. Councilwoman Clinich was absent. The meeting concluded with questions from media representatives (Bill Kibler of the Altoona Mirror and Jordan Mansberger of WTAJ TV-10) and was adjourned by Mayor Pacifico at 5:53 PM.