This webinar will focus on the UC quarterly report filing process for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the PSATS UC Group Trust. Course content is geared toward the secretary and UC Processor who is new to the filing process or for those who simply need a refresher course.

During this 1.5 hour webinar, attendees will review the operation and maintenance (O&M) inspections of an onlot sewage system. The webinar will explain when O&M inspections are required, review etiquette while on an inspection, cover the basics of collecting labs samples, describe the minimum equipment needed to conduct an inspection, review safety and liability issues, and review the O&M inspections for the following system components: tanks, filter and filter tanks, distribution, and absorption areas.

During this 1.5 hour webinar, attendees will be introduced to Google Earth, a solid source for regional and worldwide maps and satellite images. These affordable services can be powerful communication tools for township supervisors, staff (sewage enforcement officers), and planning commissions. The instructor will demonstrate how to use Google Earth to assist with mapping.

The State Ethics Act was enacted to strengthen the faith and confidence of state and local citizens in their government, and to ensure that the financial interests of holders, nominees and/or candidates for public offices do not conflict with the public trust. It is important to always keep in mind that public office is a public trust, and that any effort to realize personal financial gain through your public office, other than compensation provided by law, is a violation of that trust. As a currently serving public official, you are subject to the provisions of the Ethics Act. This seminar has been designed to explain the mandates of the Ethics Act as it relates to public officials and employees, and to explore and define potential conflicts of interest situations that public officials/employees should avoid. Actual case scenarios will be presented and discussed as examples of situations relevant to public positions. Substantive and administrative aspects of personal disclosure statement will also be discussed, as well as the purpose and benefit of advisory opinions.

Managing truck traffic on local read is a difficult balancing act for many municipalities in Pennsylvania. While trucks need access to pick and deliver goods, many local roads are not suitable for truck travel. Recent changes in state law, including Act 31 of 2018, add more complications and the potential for more truck traffic. In this webinar, you will learn about: (1) current state laws and regulations on truck access and restrictions, (2) traffic study requirements and options for restricting truck traffic, and (3) local truck traffic issues, problems and solutions.

In the last year, several Pennsylvania municipalities were victims of ransomware. The City of Allentown and the court systems of Philadelphia and Luzerne Counties were shut down by these attacks. This webinar will explore how townships can avoid being the next victim by implementing data security policies and training programs to educate employees about ransomware and other emerging cyber threats.

One of the best ways to retain good municipal employees is to offer a competitive benefit package. The Trustees Insurance Fund of PSATS offers a variety of insurance policies to township employees. As we approach the annual renewal time, PSATS would like to help match your township employees with the right benefit package.

Is your township looking for funding or other assistance to address issues like flooding, stormwater and comprehensive planning? If so, then make sure to attend this webinar, where you will learn about the many cost-sharing technical assistance programs that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has to offer municipalities to address these issues and more, including GIS mapping and community outreach. Amy Guise, Chief, Planning Division, Baltimore District, US Army Corps of Engineers will review case studies of recent projects in Pennsylvania and surrounding states and highlight available resources.

The Trustees Insurance Fund, through PSATS, is offering a webinar to provide an introduction to our 457 Plan and help your township officials determine if this is a valuable benefit to offer to the employees. This benefit can be offered to both full-time and part-time employees for a nominal annual administrative fee.

Join us for a webinar to explore the PA Agricultural Ombudsman Program. The Ag Ombudsman Program is a statewide program that assist with public relations, education and conflict management related to agriculture. Let Beth Futrick, (Western PA), and Shelly Dehoff, (eastern PA), explain the program to you, what services we provide and the ways we can work with your municipality and residents when contentious situations arise, such as fly complaints or ordinance and land use issues.

Capital Improvement Planning can provide municipalities with a clear path to create meaningful projects, document improvement of their infrastructure's overall condition, and meet regulatory requirements. In this webinar, Jeffrey Shue of C.S. Davidson will help you define new management strategies for municipal infrastructure that can also produce improved opportunities and associated funding for those opportunities. This webinar will also focus on transforming compliance efforts into a planning process that combines and complements all aspects of the municipality’s infrastructure network.

The 2020 Census will determine such critical things as federal funding allocation for communities and states and political boundaries and representation. In this session, you will learn how to use the census data tools and educate residents about the importance of participating. This webinar is FREE to members.

This webinar is targeted to policy makers, both elected and appointed, who serve in Pennsylvania townships. The purpose is to inform and educate these policy makers on public safety broadband communications and applications that are being enabled by the National Public Safety Broadband Network, commonly known as FirstNet. Topics that are covered include a brief introduction to FirstNet, Uses and Applications, Planning and Adoption of FirstNet services, and Statewide Communications Interoperability.

In this webinar, John Martin and Cory Iannacone from Pillar+Aught will discuss what municipal employees and employers can and cannot do when it comes to medical marijuana in the workplace. They will provide answers to questions like “Are we permitted to ask employees if they use medical marijuana?” and “One of our CDL drivers just failed a drug test, but has a medical marijuana card…what now?,” best practices for what should be in your employee policies about medical marijuana, and much more.

Participate in this webinar for a primer on Microsoft Excel. The presenters will demonstrate the software's traditional and non-traditional functions, such as PivotTables, formulas, and graphs. Along the way, township officials and staff will learn valuable Excel tips and tricks and how to transform raw data into useful graphs and tables.

Economic Ecology™ is a comprehensive approach to meeting regulatory compliance by effectively utilizing resources. Case studies will reveal how a strategic floodplain restoration project can maximize pollutant reductions, create numerous environmental benefits and provide financial incentives for communities. Included is an overview of a proven approach to achieving PRP compliance, actual measurable results and a how-to on leveraging partnerships to create opportunities and fund projects.

In this webinar, Gery Nietupski, an attorney who has navigated through numerous disputes between supervisors and elected auditors, will review all relevant provisions of the Second Class Township Code pertaining to elected auditors, discuss court decisions setting forth the legal authority (or lack thereof) that elected auditors have regarding numerous important issues, including setting wages and benefits of working supervisors and imposing surcharges against supervisors, and offer best practices for how to address other common interactions between supervisors and auditors, including requests for information and copies of township financial records.

This presentation focuses on case studies of newly designed and renovated public works facilities that incorporate "green" technologies that conserve energy and costs, even as they help the buildings harmonize with their surrounding communities. Gone are the days of "unsightly" garages!

This webinar will help township officials and employees understand when it is best to engage a structural engineer, both in emergency situations and when addressing more routine code violations. The webinar will also help officials and employees understand the code violation process starting with the initial notice of violation, moving through structural inspections, and ending with, in some instances, demotion.

During this webinar, learn about the duties and responsibilities of taxing districts and tax collectors. Janis Creason, the treasurer of Dauphin County, will cover a range of topics, including setting compensation, filling vacancies, approving deputies, establishing office hours, bonding, performing end-of-year settlements, approving tax collector fees, and following depository requirements. She will also touch on legislation affecting tax collectors.

This year has seen a reemergence of development pressure and, with it, the return of validity challenges of old from those wanting to shake free of land use restrictions. However, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in a recent decision involving the regulation of short-term rentals, signaled a shift in thinking about how zoning ordinances are to be interpreted (in the context of a validity challenge). Join Michael Crotty of Siana Bellwoar as he uses these events to highlight the importance of familiarizing municipal planners and officials with the legal framework and processes behind validity challenges.

This webinar will explore fraud in local government with real-life examples. Along the way, municipal officials and employees will learn proactive steps they can take to prevent fraud and how to respond when they suspect something is amiss.