16851_Authority_Aug_2023

municipalauthorities.org | 41 The Second Annual Blight Remediation Summit, with its nearly 20% increase in attendees and sponsors, including such regional organizations as Realtors® Association of Westmoreland, Indiana, and Mon Valley and local branches of national organizations like Habitat for Humanity, was met with even more enthusiasm than its inaugural predeces- sor. The RA/LB hosted local developers, non-profits, code enforcement officers, and solicitors to lead sessions that were well attended and well reviewed; dates for a small follow-up event in the Fall as well next year’s Summit have already been booked and event planning is underway. The RA/LB know that while solving the problem of blight does not have a simple or single solution, it intends to tackle that problem one step at a time, including continuing its outreach and educational events to the county: their Fall event is planned for October 20, 2023, and next year’s Annu- al Summit has been scheduled for April 19, 2024. While it is an exciting time to be a part of the RA/LB, its staff never loses sight of the organization’s mission. “We’re all very acutely aware of the impact of the work we do,” said Lawrence. “For us, for every person at this event, blight isn’t some abstract idea - it’s a reality. There’s no community in this county, and in the surrounding counties, that isn’t touched by blight in some way. Even if you can’t see blight from your house, it’s impacting you, in the form of fewer socioeconomic opportunities and growth, in the lowered property values, in the shrinking funding availa- ble for community resources and school districts, in the crime that inevitably follows blight into town,” he continued somberly. “It’s a wicked problem that cannot be allowed to proliferate through the county. This region is full of hard-working families trying their best to make a life for themselves, it’s full of incredible and important historic places that deserve to be preserved for fu- ture generations.” Lawrence ended on a note of hope, “But, maybe most of all, it’s full of potential. This County deserves a chance to be its best self - to have better job opportunities, and to increase community appeal and population, to improve our school districts and the human services that communities are able to offer. It won’t be easy, and it will take many organizations playing many roles to make it happen, but one thing is starkly clear: none of this happens until we clear the blight. The Summit is just one of the many pieces the RA/LB is putting together to solve the problem of blight.” The RA/LB is always welcoming of new sponsors and/or speaking topics for upcoming events. To inquire about either, please reach out to Communications Manager Ashley Vidale ( ashley@westmorelandredevelopment.com) and fol- low the RA/LB on Facebook and LinkedIn for general organization information and updates. S Laws Addressing Blight Act 5/Act 133 of 1998 Prohibited Purchases at Tax Sales Act 135 of 2008 Blighted and Abandoned Property Conservatorship Law Act 90 of 2010 Neighborhood Blight Reclamation and Revitalization Act Act 153 of 2012 PA Land Bank Law