May 16, 2020 3 min read

Togetherness was the overriding theme Friday morning during the annual Municipal Leadership Roundtable, organized by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce.

This was a virtual webinar, featuring township managers Paul Lauer (Peters), Jodi Noble (Chartiers), Brandon Stanick (South Strabane), Tyler Linck (South Franklin) and Andrew Walz (North Strabane) speaking about community happenings.

State Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Carroll Township, moderated the hour-long event, which ran the gamut from infrastructure projects, emergency services, balancing community lifestyles – and working in unison while navigating the vagaries of a pandemic.

The need for firefighters was a prominent topic. Volunteer numbers have dropped dramatically statewide over the past 40 years for a number of reasons, and recruiting hasn’t been easy for many municipalities.

“Fire departments were typically bedrocks of the community,” said Stanick, whose township has nine career and 12 volunteer firefighters covering 23 square miles. “We’ve experienced more than a 50% decrease in volunteers. There’s an upside in that five have joined in the past few years, but our numbers pale in comparison with what we used to have.”

He said the township is drafting a report with eight other fire agencies “to learn how to work better together,” and hopes it is completed by the end of 2020.

“The demand for services only increases; expectations only increase.”

Peters and North Strabane are collaborating on fire, and, according to Lauer, “we have a model that works. To continue to provide services, we need to work together. Working with North Strabane has benefited Peters Township and North Strabane.”

Walz, whose municipality has career firefighters and 35 volunteers, agreed. “We have a really good partnership,” he said. ‘Fire services are a lot different across Pennsylvania today. We also don’t get a lot of applications for police officers anymore. We’re looking at a shared public district possibly.”

Noble said Chartiers works “together very well” with surrounding communities on mutual aid services. “We don’t view ourselves as competitors, but neighbor alongside neighbor.”

The county, historically, has been rural, a comfortable element for longtime residents of many communities. A number of municipalities have been growing, though, and hope to grow, which prompted the question of attaining an equilibrium between a traditional lifestyle and newcomers’ needs.

North Strabane’s wide-open spaces have diminished over the past 10 to 15 years, as houses have been built to accommodate an increasing population. “People want to live here, but we want to keep the rural flavor,” Walz said, adding that the township has two ordinances that help to preserve that flavor. “We want smart growth.”

Noble said much of Chartiers remains rural, but the township has seen “steady growth. We welcome new residents while respecting current residents.”

High-speed internet is an issue in some communities, including South Franklin. Linck said one provider declined to service one area of the township, citing a lack of customers. “Some residents reached out to pay, but that doesn’t help anyone else.” He did say, however, that South Franklin hopes to have its dog park this summer.

COVID-19’s effect on jobs concerns the managers. Stanick said South Strabane has been fortunate that big-box stores have remained open and done well under the circumstances. But he anticipates vehicle sales absorbing a hit.

Walz said North Strabane has furloughed 15 employees and “next year may not go so easily either. A lot of budgets heavily depend on the income tax.”