State of the County discussed by its core collaborators
SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — A panel of county officials spoke before a room full of the county’s movers and shakers Thursday morning to discuss the State of the County.
Maria Malloy, board chairwoman for the Butler County Chamber of Commerce, moderated the panel, which included county commissioners Leslie Osche, Kim Geyer and Kevin Boozel, as well as Mark Gordon, the county’s chief of economic development and planning, and Joe Saeler, the executive director for the Community Development Corporation of Butler County.
About 115 listened to the panel discuss the latest developments and initiatives by county officials. Those developments included infrastructure projects, such as upgrades to the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport, and initiatives revolving around economic growth, among many other topics.
“This is really our core group that moves things around, but I’d be hard-pressed to look around and not see someone we work with,“ said Boozel during his presentation.
Each panelist brought his own topic to the table, varying from supporting municipalities to bolstering certain industries and the navigation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We learned a lot,” Osche said. “It’s (the pandemic) not over. We know that, and we understand that.”
Gordon and Saeler talked about how their roles differed, as well in collaborative efforts. Gordon described his work, involving many forms of survey and analysis, as the “macro“ perspective, while Saeler said he tends to focus on the minute details.
The pair talked about the creation and use of the Butler County Growth Collaborative, as well as the remediation of brownfield sites into functional, taxpaying commercial entities.
“We truly work great together,” Gordon said. “We’re better as a group.”
As panel members concluded speaking on their respective focal points, the floor opened to questions, which included topics of drawing and retaining younger residents in the county, further developing the county’s growth collaborative, and the status of abandoned homes, manufacturing plants and businesses.
Another topic that arose was the expansion of broadband access, which Geyer reviewed from multiple perspectives, both of the younger professionals they hope to attract and the generally older residents of the county’s rural communities.
“We need to educate people about why this is important,” she said.
State Rep. Marci Mustello, R-11th, said she was particularly interested in the topic, and she appreciated having the collective of county officials all in the same room, talking about their collective projects.
“It’s always good to hear from everyone involved,” Mustello said. “I come to these to really learn about what’s going on in the county.”
Gary Lobaugh, a senior manager of government and external affairs for Pennsylvania American Water, said since his company is heavily invested in its service to the county, it's good to see where and how developments are arising.
“It provides you a ground-level perspective on the things happening in Butler County,” Lobaugh said.
Jordan Grady, the chamber’s executive director, said he believed the event served its intended purpose. He applauded the panel for tackling a diverse variety of topics without being repetitive.
“The only information I gave them was about it being an open forum,” Grady said. “I think it went absolutely perfect.”
The State of the County event was an annual installment for the chamber. In 2020, the pandemic canceled the event, and in 2021 the aftershocks of the pandemic made it unfeasible, according to Grady.
Grady said it was good to have the event back, and it is an example of the chamber’s work and mission.
“This is kind of our role,” Grady said. “Our specialty is providing platforms.”
