Blight summit continues spirit of cooperation 

The war on blight has been a point of emphasis for lawmakers over the past several years, and cooperation between state and local officials has been one of the driving forces behind new laws designed to reduce the number of abandoned and neglected properties in our communities. I am joining Schuylkill County District Attorney Christine Holman and other local officials for a blight summit tomorrow night in Pottsville to discuss new strategies to help municipalities deal with these dangerous eyesores. The event is open to the public. 

The summit will be held in Courtroom No. 6/Juror Lounge at the Schuylkill County Courthouse, 401 North Second Street, Pottsville at 6 p.m. 

The summit will include an announcement of the formation of a countywide blight task force that will meet on a regular basis to continue collaborative efforts to eradicate blight and decay.

The summit will include representatives from the Pennsylvania Association of Building Code Officials, Schuylkill County Housing Authority and other local officials. Participants are scheduled to discuss the best ways to improve municipal code enforcement to prevent properties from falling into a dangerous state of disrepair, as well as the application of existing housing laws. 

When the General Assembly first began exploring solutions to address blighted and abandoned properties several years ago, the complexity and difficulty of the problem was readily apparent. Through the hard work and extraordinary cooperation of members of the Blight Task Force, local officials and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, we have given municipalities new weapons in the battle against blight. Tomorrow’s summit in Pottsville is a continuation of that effort, allowing us to focus on solutions that work for municipalities in our region. 

The problems associated with blight are numerous and pervasive, and the continued cooperation of all stakeholders is necessary to ensure municipalities can deal with the issue quickly and efficiently.  

I hope to see you there.  

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