The 2008 Road to Excellence Conference entitled "Putting Intergovernmental Cooperation to Work: Employing Multi-Municipal Planning to Link Communities and Conserve Costs" was sponsored by Comcast and offered in partnership with Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board. Ron Painter, CEO of the Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board, spoke on the consequences of the trend in development where residential, commercial, and office developments were spread over the southwest Pennsylvania region, separating where people live and where they work. In an era of rising fuel costs, this produces a dilemma for both employers and employees. Ron identified the need for an intergovernmental solution to the consequences of spatial mismatch, focusing on job creation and access and affordable housing.

Court Gould, Executive Director of Sustainable Pittsburgh, spoke about the role of municipal governments in the sustainability of communities. Court defined sustainable community development, and explained that the ways in which local governments respond to economic and social changes will determine the quality of life in a community.

Allen Kukovich, Director of the Governor's Southwest PA Regional Office, gave a progress report on multi-municipal planning in the region. Allen also explained the benefits of multi-municipal planning, and highlighted the state's priorities relating to planning.

The Honorable William A. Currin, Mayor of Hudson, Ohio, presented a case study of Northeast Ohio's pursuit of regional planning. Mayor Currin explained how the region is working towards a tax-base sharing plan, and identified the role of the Northeast Ohio Mayors and City Managers Association in the program.

Listen to the entire panel presentation and questions from the audience

The 2008 Road to Excellence Conference closed with a panel discussion on handling the costs and consequences of developments that have regional impact. The panel was moderated by Alex Graziani (right, at podium), Executive Director of the Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County.  Panelists identified the criteria of developments of regional impact, and discussed the use of tools such as Transfer of Development Rights to enhance the ability of local governments to respond to developers in their communities. The other panelists were Phil Klotz (left), professional planner for the PA Local Government Commission; Blaine Lucas (second from left), solicitor for several local governments and shareholder in the Public Sector Services and Business Services Groups of Babst, Calland, Clements and Zomnir, P.C.; Denny Puko (center), planning program manager for the Governor's Center for Local Government Services; and John Theilacker, Associate Director for the Brandywine Conservancy Environmental Management Center.