Virtual Fall Conference
November 11, 2021 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Registration forms at LINK
 

4:00 p.m.
Main
CCATO Business Meeting
 

4:15 p.m.
Main
Guest Speakers

• Stephen Allaband, President CCATO
• Marian Moskowitz, Chair Board Of Commissions
• Carolyn Comitta, Commonwealth Senator
• Chrissy Houlahan, U.S. House of Representatives
• Brendon Murphy, President Valley Forge MOAA
• 
  

4:45 p.m.
Main
P.S.A.T.S Update

• Joe Gerdes, Director of Government Relations

 

5:00 p.m.
Main
Keynote
 
Working from home “buying online” deliveries in a day - packed parks and trails.  The pandemic has altered how people shop, work, travel, and play.  Brian O’Leary, the executive director of the county planning commission, will discuss the impacts of these changes on Chester County, along with current county and municipal planning efforts to address these accelerating trends.

• Brian O’Leary, Executive Director Chester County Planning

 

5:50 p.m.
Room 1
Missing the Middle on Housing
 
Moderator: Carol De Wolf
 
Changing demographics including an increasing total population, an aging population, and an increase in one and two person households are changing how housing is used. These changing demographics coupled with rising housing costs are also creating an affordably-priced housing crunch across the nation. Chester County, with one of the highest median housing prices in the state, is no exception to these trends. Already employers are struggling to attract talent, and first-time homebuyers are unable to buy homes due to lack of housing affordability. Join Sarah Peck (Progressive New Homes, LLC), Amanda Sundquist and Andrew D.H. Rau (Unruh Turner Burke & Frees), and Libby Horwitz (Chester County Planning Commission) for a discussion including current housing data as well as strategies for municipalities to encourage diverse housing types to accommodate residents throughout their life.
 
Speaker Bios

• Libby Horwitz serves as the Senior Housing and Economic Development Planner for the Chester County Planning Commission. Prior to joining CCPC Ms. Horwitz had seven years of community and economic development experience, including working for the City of Urbana, IL in economic development, and serving in the Peace Corps in Albania. Ms. Horwitz received her Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Studies at Cornell University, and her Master of City Planning at the University of Pennsylvania.

• Andrew D.H. Rau, Esquire is a partner with Unruh Turner Burke & Frees in West Chester. He has more than two decades of experience as lead solicitor and counsel for both municipal bodies and private clients. His practice includes municipal, governmental, and public education law, as well as land use, zoning and real estate development. Andy also advises non-profit corporations, business improvement districts, and other organizations with unique and specialized business and regulatory needs. Prior to practicing law, Andy served as a writer and producer for CNN. 

• Sarah Peck is the owner of Progressive New Homes, LLC which develops and builds new residential communities in the older suburbs of Philadelphia.  Her company’s mission is to redevelop under-utilized sites that are within walking distance of towns and train stations. Through creative higher density designs, affordable pricing can be achieved while appealing to diverse markets who a low maintenance, walkable lifestyle.

 
 

5:50 p.m.
Room 2
Agricultural Economic Development and Food Security
Moderator, TBA
The session will focus on using agriculture as an engine for economic development in both urban and rural settings.  The discussion will center on Chester County’s soon to be released Agriculture Economic Development Plan and its role in supporting innovation and growth in agriculture, food, and beverage verticals.
 
Speaker Bio:

• Philip Gottwals is a founding Principal of Agricultural and Community Development Services (ACDS, LLC) and directs the company's agricultural and rural economic development services. He brings over 14 years of experience in agricultural development and marketing at the local, state, and national level as well as the experience of successfully starting and managing three food and development-oriented businesses.

 

5:50 p.m.
Room 3
Social Media for Municipalities
 
Moderator: Amanda Sundquist
 
Love it or hate it social media is here to stay and is often a primary source of information and communication for your employees, supervisors, and residents. Do you have the policies and procedures in place to protect your township and to make sure you follow the First Amendment and recent court decisions?  Join Isaac Thomas (Assured Partners) and Michael Crotty (Siana Law) for a discussion on the policies your township needs to have in place to address social media use by employees and record retention of social media.  They will also discuss the First Amendment limitations of your township’s ability to regulate the public’s comment and interactions with township social media platforms and the new boundaries between personal and public social media for elected officials. 
 
Speaker Bios:

• Isaac Thomas, CPIA, CWCC is a Commercial Sales Executive with Assured Partners where he specializes in Insurance and Risk Management for Municipalities.  He provides Property & Casualty risk management in the areas of Employment Practices, Cyber Liability, Health & Safety, Disaster Recovery, and more. 
• Michael G. Crotty, Esquire Mr. Crotty received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Michigan in 2000 and obtained his Juris Doctor from the Villanova University School of Law in 2003. Prior to joining Siana, Bellwoar and McAndrew, LLP, Mr. Crotty served as a law clerk to the Honorable President Judge Emeritus Stephen J. McEwen, Jr., of the Pennsylvania Superior Court. Mr. Crotty concentrates his practice in municipal law with an emphasis on zoning, land use, and federal civil rights issues pertaining to the same. Mr. Crotty joined the Firm in July of 2004 as an Associate and was named a Partner in January 2010.

 

 
 
Ajourn

 
NOTE:  The session will be on the ZOOM Platform and both CCATO and ZOOM request you assure you are on a current version. Should you have the Desktop or Phone app installed click the Picture ICON (top left) and then Check for Updates in the drop-down list.