Pittsburgh-Area Communities Unite To Combat Infrastructure Issues

PITTSBURGH, PA — Southwestern Pennsylvania has some of the country’s most local governments per capita, with 130 local governments in Allegheny County lone. The Congress of Neighborhood Communities, or CONNECT, exists to bring together Pittsburgh officials and those of more than 40 surrounding municipalities to identify common public policy challenges and devise and implement solutions to them.

CONNECT on Thursday will hold a joint Utilities & Critical Infrastructure Summit at the Energy Innovation Center Pittsburgh in Uptown. The event will connect public officials, engineers and planners, utility providers, and emergency managers who build, coordinate and protect critical infrastructure in Allegheny County.

"Coordination saves lives, resources, and taxpayer dollars," said Andrew Flynn, CONNECT's board chairman and a Mt. Lebanon supervisor. "By bringing together local governments and utility providers, this summit fosters the relationships needed to enhance safety, streamline operations and prepare for future challenges."

Discussions at the first Utilities & Critical Infrastructure Summit in 2015 produced measurable results.

The event resulted in CONNECT and PAOneCall working to initially develop Coordinate PA software that is now in place statewide. It's an app that supports public works, utility project planning and utility coordination within the state.

Flynn is hoping for similar results from this summit.

"This summit is about more than just discussions," he said. "It’s about action, partnerships and real solutions that will shape the future of critical infrastructure in Allegheny County.”