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County officials meet for convention

Executive director of PSATS speaks on changes in legislature

LEWISTOWN – Mifflin County township supervisors, along with various representatives and advertisers, met Thursday at the Lewistown Community Center for the 90th annual Convention of the Mifflin County Elected Township Officials Association.

According to the association, the convention is held to have supervisors “help and better serve residents by exchanging ideas on local issues.”

David Sanko, executive director of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, informed the crowd of ways local government can become more educated in its field by way of attending classes, contacting PSATS and changing state legislature and future legislature that could affect townships and residents.

“I enjoy doing these (events) because it’s fun to have legislators in the room,” Sanko said. “The impact they have on residents and the community is irreplaceable.”

PSATS, Sanko said, exists to make the jobs of township supervisors easier. It offers training materials and information about running townships online, in magazines, through social media or by calling its office.

Legislative advocacy is another duty of PSATS. Representatives contact lawmakers and work to get more funds for necessities like transportation.

Sanko provided a preview of the PSATS conference that will be held in April 2017.

At it, 300 exhibitors showing things like traffic signs and large equipment will be present and 100 educational workshops will be provided.

Sanko said a township supervisor who attended a previous conference was able to get ideas for successfully solving a problem he was having. In fact, an entire workshop was dedicated to his specific issue.

During his talk, Sanko highlighted the following legislation that has changed:

¯ Tax collectors, beginning Jan. 1, 2017, will have to complete two continuing education credits during each four-year term in office. The previously mandatory six annual hours of continuing education is now voluntary;

¯ As of Jan. 3, 2016, first responders may solicit donations at any intersection with a traffic control device. The dates and times would have to be approved by the local government authority;

¯ Billing from EMS agencies will go directly to insurance companies rather than patients who received an ambulance service. This went into effect Jan. 1, 2016;

¯ The township audit deadline has been moved from March 1 to April 1, and the publication date from March 10 to April 15;

¯ Growers of medical marijuana must have the same zoning requirements as other commercial manufacturing facilities in the area, effective May 17, 2016;

¯ Intermunicipal transfer of a liquor license has to be approved by the receiving municipality, effective Aug. 7, 2016;

¯ As of June 30, 2016, merging fire and EMS departments will continue to receive grant money as two separate entities;

¯ The state department of transportation is required to remove dead deer from the road upon notification or during road maintenance as of Sept. 6, 2016;

¯ State forest lands’ in-lieu-of-tax payments will increase from $3.60 to $6 per acre beginning July 1, 2017. Sanko warned the supervisors to budget properly because the increase occurs in the middle of next year;

¯ The Municipal Signal Partnership Program, where the state and the local government each pay for a percentage of traffic signals, has changed to each entity paying 50 percent of the amount;

¯ On Dec. 1, 2016, all employees who earn less than $47,476 a year are required to receive overtime if they work more than 40 hours per week. Sanko also warned supervisors of budgeting for this new law;

¯ Sanko gave brief synopses of legislature waiting for a decision by the House and Senate that ranged from amending the Sunshine Law, specifically executive sessions, to prohibiting municipalities from hosting illegal immigrants;

Pennsylvania is the last state to approve legislation to authorize radar speed detectors for local police, and Sanko said the House Transportation Committee should have a decision on the bill soon.

In other business, the minutes and financial report from the spring 2016 convention were approved, and Derry Township Manager Kelly Shutes was nominated and approved to attend the PSATS annual conference in April 2017 in Hershey.

Visit www.psats.org for more information about PSATS.

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