Township Officials to Gather in Hershey

Member Group : News Releases

April 9, 2014

Contact: Ginni Linn
Director of Communications
(717) 763-0930 (through April 11)
(717) 805-3588 (April 12-16; cellphone)
Township Conference Features Corbett,
Cawley, and Other State Officials

Gov. Tom Corbett, Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley, Secretary of Environmental Protection Chris Abruzzo, Secretary of Agriculture George Greig, and the Honorable Marjorie Rendell are among the speakers scheduled to address more than 3,000 elected and appointed township officials at the 92nd Annual Educational Conference and Trade Show of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors April 13-16 at the Hershey Lodge.

Township officials from across the state will meet in Hershey these four days to share how to run their municipalities more efficiently and cost-effectively, listen to speakers discuss topics that affect townships, and adopt resolutions that will guide the association in its legislative endeavors in Harrisburg.

Since the Association’s authorization by the legislature in 1921, PSATS’ member townships have convened once a year at an annual conference to receive training, elect officers, and establish Association policy.

A rundown of the four-day event follows:

Sunday, April 13

• Noon-5 p.m. — The PSATS Trade Show will open. Over 2½ days, close to 300 indoor and outdoor exhibitors will display their services and products to township officials in the largest municipal trade show in Pennsylvania.

Note: Sunday afternoon is a good time for the news media to interview township officials, take photographs, and shoot news footage as township officials talk to exhibitors about new products and services that could benefit their community.

Monday, April 14

• 8:40 a.m. — The general session will begin with welcoming remarks by Gov. Tom Corbett.
• 9:05 a.m. — PSATS President Les Houck, a supervisor for Salisbury Township in Lancaster County, will give the president’s report to the delegates.
• 9:15 a.m. — PSATS Executive Director David M. Sanko will speak.
• 9:45 a.m. — State Secretary of Environmental Protection Chris Abruzzo, a former supervisor for Derry Township in Dauphin County, will speak.
• 10:00 a.m. — State Secretary of Agriculture George Greig, who is also a supervisor for Conneaut Township in Crawford County, will address the delegates.
• 10:45 a.m. — Township officials will choose from among 12 workshops on such topics as union contract negotiation, stormwater management planning, labor and employment practices, land use and zoning laws, Marcellus Shale success stories, the statewide building code, and recruiting volunteers.
• 1:15-5:30 p.m. — Township officials will choose from among dozens of workshops on such topics as using Marcellus Shale impact fees, combating blight, attracting development, expanding broadband access in the commonwealth, promoting volunteer recruitment for fire and EMS services, identifying and preventing sinkholes, repairing and maintaining roads, reducing energy costs, and using social media.

Tuesday, April 15
• 8:40 a.m. — The general session will begin with remarks by Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley.
• 9:00 a.m. — The Association will present its Founder’s Award. This is the Association’s highest honor, presented to those whose outstanding efforts have benefited Pennsylvania townships. It is given only when someone is truly deserving of the distinction.
• 9:05 a.m. — The Honorable Marjorie Rendell will speak about the Rendell Institute, which advocates for civics education and citizen engagement.
* 9:35 a.m. — The Association will present its Excellence in Intergovernmental Cooperation Award to Middlesex, North Middleton, and South Middleton townships, Carlisle Borough, and the U.S. Army War College in Cumberland County, as well as the state Departments of Environmental Protection and Transportation. The recipients are being recognized for their partnership on the Letort Spring Run Sustainable Stormwater Project.
* 9:50 a.m. — Delegates will hear committee reports and elect officers.
• 10:45 a.m. — The Association will present its Outstanding Citizen Communication Award to Delaware Township in Pike County.
• 11:00 a.m. — Delegates will vote on resolutions that will set policy for the Association.
• 1:15-5:15 p.m. — Township officials will choose from among dozens of workshops on such topics as protecting public rights of way, collecting public debt, planning and financing facilities projects, implementing a stormwater management program, communicating effectively with residents, identifying and protecting against financial fraud, understanding options for bridge owners, preserving community heritage, and other shared concerns.

Wednesday, April 16

• 8:45 a.m. — A forum on the state’s Open Records Law will feature state Rep. Kate Harper, chair of the House Local Government Committee; Terry Mutchler, executive director of the state Office of Open Records; Craig Staudenmaier, managing partner of the Nauman Smith law firm in Harrisburg; and Kathy Rader, a supervisor for Upper Macungie Township in Lehigh County. The panelists will respond to questions submitted by delegates during the previous two days. Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley will serve as moderator.
• 9:55 a.m. — PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association will present the Road and Bridge Safety Improvement Awards to co-winners East Hanover Township, Dauphin County, and Penn Township, Chester County.

10:05 a.m. — PSATS will present its annual President’s Leadership Awards to a township supervisor and a township manager.
10:30 a.m. — Delegates will hear from keynote speaker Col. Mark Tillman, who piloted Air Force One on 9/11.
11:40 a.m. — PSATS President Les Houck will transfer the gavel to President-Elect Tim Horner, a supervisor for Chapman Township in Clinton County.
1:55 a.m. — President-Elect Tim Horner will adjourn the conference.

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The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors represents Pennsylvania’s 1,454 townships of the second class and is committed to preserving and strengthening township government and securing greater visibility and involvement for townships in the state and federal political arenas. Townships of the second class cover 95 percent of Pennsylvania’s land mass and represent more residents — 5.5 million — than any other type of political subdivision in the commonwealth.

Note: Join the Annual Conference conversation at #psats2014 and follow PSATS on Facebook (facebook.com/psats) and Twitter (twitter.com/psats).

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Brenda Wilt
Associate Editor
Pa. Township News
Pa. State Association
of Township Supervisors
4855 Woodland Drive
Enola, PA 17025
(717) 763-0930
Fax (717) 763-9732
www.psats.org
www.facebook.com/psats
twitter.com/psats
www.linkedin.com/company/pennsylvania-state-association-of-township-supervisors

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THERE’S STILL TIME TO REGISTER FOR THE
2014 PSATS EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW!

April 13-16, 2014, Hershey Lodge

Go to www.psats.org to register today!

FOLLOW THE EVENT AT #PSATS2014

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