Uniontown, PA – When there’s a problem around our homes, most of us know who to call. Leaky pipe? Call a plumber. Think you have termites? Call an exterminator. But who do you contact when you have a concern about the community in which you live? Maybe you have a pest problem because your neighbor refuses to take out his trash, or the road in front of your house is in disrepair or covered in snow.
If you live in a township, you contact your local supervisor. Township supervisors oversee a variety of issues in their municipalities, from code enforcement to road maintenance and everything in between.
For their dedication to their communities, and in honor of their upcoming annual convention, the Fayette County Association of Township Supervisors (FCATS) has earned the most recent ‘Faces and Places’ designation.
FCATS President Jim Means has been a Wharton Township supervisor for more than 30 years and will wrap up his illustrious service this fall. However, on Sept. 14 and 15, Means will enjoy one final convention, an event that he has taken pride in helping to expand.
“This convention has grown from the first year, and hopefully, from now on, it’s going to continue to grow,” Means said.
Wharton Township Secretary-Treasurer Carrie Morrison said the convention will be held at the Fayette County Fairgrounds. The two-day event will begin with a vendor show on Thursday, as well as Friday morning, before getting down to the business of the annual meeting, where Morrison said Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors Director of Government Relations Joseph Gerdes will be the featured speaker.
Morrison said Gerdes will be joined by several other speakers, including state Sen. Pat Stefano.
“Thursday is open to the general public,” Means said, noting there will be hands-on equipment demonstrations.
The vendor show will include representatives from just about any industry with which a township supervisor deals – electrical and engineering companies, insurance companies, banks and more.
Friday’s meeting is for supervisors only and will include such topics as emergency management and flagger training.
“We’re going to have three or four different food vendors this year,” Means said, noting that while the food trucks will be set up on Thursday, Friday’s lunch after the meeting will be catered.
Means said all surrounding municipality and county governments are invited to attend, and Fayette County often gets visitors from Greene, Westmoreland, Somerset and Allegheny counties at the convention. “This is the only thing I know going on like this on our side of Pennsylvania.”
There is a large spring convention in Hershey each year. Means is proud to have helped the FCATS convention grow and will do what he can to help the next president, despite his upcoming retirement.
“My intention with this was putting Fayette County on the map,” he said.
For more information about FCATS, or their upcoming convention, contact Carrie Morrison at 724-329-8503 or whartontownship@verizon.net.
Editor's Note: Photos attached (Jim Means Scholarships Presentation; South Union Township Rotary Walk Clean-up; Dunbar Township Duck Pond Road Tree Trimming)
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This communication, among other initiatives, is funded through the 2016 Fayette County Local Share Account (LSA) in cooperation with the Fayette County Board of Commissioners, Fayette Chamber of Commerce, The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Fayette, The Redstone Foundation and other partners. This funding has been designated for the continued promotion and marketing of Fayette County, PA.
For more information, contact Kristi Kassimer Harper, Public Relations Specialist, at 724-437-4571, kkassimer@fayettecountypa.info or Jamie Rankin, Journalist, at 724-437 4571, jamierankin13@gmail.com.
