Citizens and elected leaders from the city of Pittsburgh and 36 inner ring suburbs will discuss mutual concerns including public transportation and development at the second annual Community Briefing and Reception hosted by The Congress of Neighboring Communities (CONNECT) this evening in Oakland.
The event will feature updates regarding CONNECT’s progress on initiatives intended to encourage local governments to cooperate. CONNECT's mission Kathy Risko, Executive Director of CONNECT, said the discussion will touch on several topics relevant to Pittsburgh area communities.
“Issues of public transportation, blight and abandonment, economic development, emergency medial services, and once they pass these resolutions, these basically become the work plan for the organization for the year,” Risko said.
The program started in 2009 by the Center for Metropolitan Studies at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. According to Risko, CONNECT fosters a forum to address shared challenges and issues for the city and its neighbors.
Risko said participants at the event will include individuals, organizations, and non-profits CONNECT works with on a regular basis. “We’re expecting anywhere between 60 to 100 people, and this is going to be elected officials, community members, like I said, some of our non-profit partners, so it’s a variety of different people,” Risko said.
The meeting will be held at the Rodef Shalom in Freehof Hall from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
