News

Plan Go Shamokin & Rebuilding Our Community Public Workshop on Feb. 11th

Posted on February 4, 2020March 12, 2020 by DNS Admin

The Shamokin Area Partnership for Revitalization, a joint effort between SEDA-COG and the City of Shamokin, is pursuing various revitalization efforts within the City of Shamokin including the development of an Implementation Plan for Economic Revitalization called “Plan Go Shamokin.” It is an initiative especially focused on spurring greater economic activity in the city’s downtown.

The outcome of the 6-month planning process will be a 5-year action plan with a targeted set of implementation strategies and projects. The plan is focusing on identifying truly tangible and transformation recommendations.

The Plan Go Shamokin project is being led by the firm Stromberg/Garrigan & Associates, who was retained by the Partnership to facilitate the planning process, including public engagement and plan preparation. In addition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Environmental Justice is undertaking a coordinated effort focused on Rebuilding Our Community. A meeting will be held the evening of Tuesday, February 11th from 4:00PM to 6:30PM at Mother Cabrini Church Basement, 201 N. Shamokin Street, Shamokin, PA 17872. The community is strongly encouraged to attend. RSVPs should be submitted to saberevents@goshamokin.com.

Project updates and notifications of future meetings are available at GoShamokin.com and the GoShamokin Facebook page.

For more information please contact: Betsy Kramer at: bkramer@seda-cog.org or (570) 524-4491 ext. 7203

Go Shamokin!

“SAVING MONEY WITH COSTARS” COSTARS FOR BUYERS/MEMBERS

Posted on January 27, 2020March 18, 2020 by DNS Admin

Date: POSTPONED – Due to COVID-19 state recommendations
Time: TBD
Location: TBD

The seminar cost is $30 per person. Registration is required. Reserve your seat now!

DO YOU WANT TO:

• Learn how to save money with volume purchasing?
• Negotiate with sellers for the lowest price?
• Choose from multiple sellers based on price, geography, quality, brand, etc.?
• Make your purchase quickly without lengthy, formal bidding process.
• Get greater discounts on purchases.
• Spend less time purchasing supplies.
• Benefit from competitive pricing negotiated by the Commonwealth of PA.

THEN THIS SEMINAR IS FOR YOU!

SEDA COG and the PA Department of General Services are collaborating on this training and is sponsored by SEDA COG. Kim Bullivant, Marketing Manager of the Pennsylvania Department of General Services COSTARS program will present the program. She will present the following information:

Program Background Member Benefits
Information on the COSTARS Website How to Become a COSTARS Buyer
State Contracts & COSTARS Contracts How to Search for COSTARS Contracts & Statewide Contracts
How to Purchase through COSTARS How to Save Money with Surplus Property

For more information or registration questions contact Cylinda Reichard at SEDA-COG at (570) 524-4491 or via e-mail creichard@seda-cog.org

Workshop in Chambersburg to help businesses tap government marketplace

Posted on January 27, 2020January 27, 2020 by DNS Admin

Businesses will have the opportunity to gain basic principles they need to do business with local, state, and federal governments in a free workshop conducted by SEDA-Council of Governments’ Procurement Technical Assistance Center staff.

The Selling to the Government: The First Steps workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to noon February 20 at the Franklin County Area Development Corporation, 1900 Wayne Road, Chambersburg. Kelly Rhodes, Small Business Specialist from Letterkenny Army Depot will be the featured guest.

Topics include:

• How the government buys goods and services
• Certifications and registrations necessary to sell to local, state and federal governments
• How government agencies advertise their opportunities
• Locating subcontracting opportunities with government “prime” contractors
• Understanding the sales process
• How Letterkenny Army Depot procures products and services

Registration is required and can be completed online at https://bit.ly/30YYy6j. For more information, contact SEDA-COG’s Robert Brown at 570-522-7224 or rbrown@seda-cog.org.

Cosponsors are Franklin County Area Development Corporation and the Small Business Development Center at Shippensburg University.

SEDA-COG’s Procurement Technical Assistance Center helps companies explore and compete in the local, state, and federal government marketplace. For more information about the SEDA-COG Procurement Technical Assistance Center, visit https://seda-cog.org/departments/ptac/

SEDA-COG wraps up successful year for Local Technical Assistance Program

Posted on January 14, 2020January 14, 2020 by DNS Admin

In 2019, over 220 people benefited from roadway safety and maintenance training courses through a joint effort of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG).

Through the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP), SEDA-COG sponsored 13 free training courses on roadway safety and maintenance issues last year. These classes were held in five central Pennsylvania counties, attracting 227 students – an average of 17 students per class.

Some training topics included salt and snow management, work zone traffic control, roadside vegetation control, bridge maintenance, and local road safety plans.

Attendees mostly were elected municipal officials and staff, including public works directors, roadmasters, foremen, managers, laborers, equipment operators, engineers, and law enforcement.

State College Borough was the area municipality that sent the largest number of attendees (35) to courses held in the area.

Eric Brooks, State College Borough Operations Manager, expressed praise for the essential and practical training. “We want our employees to work safely and efficiently along our municipal roadways. LTAP has provided our staff with the necessary education to achieve these goals, while also offering the opportunity to network with expert instructors and peers from other municipalities. I wholeheartedly recommend taking advantage of the LTAP services, as they have been invaluable for State College Borough,” Brooks said.

In 2019, SEDA-COG staff also helped connect municipalities to free technical assistance services (tech assists) available through LTAP. In total, there were 20 tech assists completed for area municipalities by LTAP experts, resulting in training for 34 municipal officials.

Tech assists were given on traffic studies, traffic counts, establishing speed limits, bridge maintenance, asphalt maintenance, proper signage, pavement markings, parking restrictions, traffic calming alternatives, and more.

LTAP classes currently scheduled for early 2020 include:

Work Zone (Temporary) Traffic Control
Teaches about proper work zone set-up requirements, traffic control devices, and flagging procedures.
8 a.m. – noon March 3
State College Borough Maintenance Garage
330 S. Osmond St.
State College, Pa. 16801

8 a.m. – noon April 9
Patton Township Building
100 Patton Plaza
State College, Pa. 16803

Asphalt Roads
Covers the latest techniques, materials, and equipment for addressing asphalt distress.
8 a.m. – noon March 10
Ferguson Township Building
3147 Research Drive
State College, Pa. 16801

Liquid Bituminous Seal Coat
Presents information necessary to properly plan and execute a seal coat operation for extending the useful life of municipal roads.
8 a.m. – noon March 11
Boggs Township Community Building
1290 Runville Road
Bellefonte, Pa. 16823

Safe Driver
Presents how to develop safe driving behaviors, skills, and awareness.
8 a.m. – noon April 16
Patton Township Building
100 Patton Plaza
State College, Pa. 16803

Equipment & Worker Safety
Provides a basic understanding of common safety factors and practices associated with road maintenance operations, including crack sealing, mowing, trench excavation, chain saw use, and snow plowing.
8 a.m. – noon May 7
Patton Township Building
100 Patton Plaza
State College, Pa. 16803

8 a.m. – noon May 20
Point Township Building
759 Ridge Road
Northumberland, Pa. 17857

PennDOT has been providing LTAP services to municipalities since 1983. LTAP is based on the premise that new technologies and procedures developed at the state and federal levels should be transferred to local municipal officials and employees for improving the overall transportation system.

Each year, free PennDOT LTAP training and technology transfer programs train and assist nearly 5,000 municipal employees statewide in effective maintenance procedures, essential safety practices, and infrastructure management processes.

LTAP classes may be sponsored at the request of municipalities. To register for any of the classes or learn more about other LTAP activities in the SEDA-COG region, please contact Steve Herman at 570-524-4491 or email sherman@seda-cog.org. LTAP news and information is available at gis.penndot.gov/ltap.