State lawmakers, county commissioners and local municipality leaders met Friday in Altoona for a public hearing on rural population decline.
The Pennsylvania Rural Population Revitalization Commission was formed in June through a state law, following a report showing the projected declining and aging population in rural counties.
The commission is hosting public hearings across the state to help inform legislative recommendations. Friday’s hearing at the Railroaders Museum was the first of these hearings.
“Our legislative charge is to identify meaningful solutions, whether through legislation, regulation, or community best practices that will help secure the future of our rural communities,” said Kyle Kopko, the commission’s chairman and executive director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.
Community best practices could include examples from the "Warren Worx" initiative, as a member of the program testified on its success so far in Warren County.
Kane's mayor, Brandy Schimp, also told success stories of art grants and community efforts to revitalize the borough.
But several people also gave testimony about struggles they are facing in their rural communities. Schimp referenced UPMC’s recent announcement that it will end its labor and delivery services in Coudersport.
Schimp held a map of Pennsylvania for the room to see, with seven northern counties highlighted.
“We now have a seven-county maternity care desert,” Schimp said. “Everything we do here is meaningless if people can’t start a family here.”
Schimp, along with others who gave testimony, also mentioned education difficulties in the area. Schimp said the Kane Area School District is paying $1 million for 50 students to go to charter school.
Changing the way charter schools are funded is just one of the suggestions made during Friday’s hearing. Several others said grant matching requirements make it difficult for smaller municipalities to apply for funding. Decreasing or even removing that cost could be one of the commission's first actions.
“We're trying to focus on some low-hanging fruit right away, things that we could hopefully get done at the state level within a reasonable period of time," Kopko said.
The commission is made up of state lawmakers, local and county leaders, and researchers. State Rep. Paul Takac is one of the members.
“As a legislator, it's important for me to understand: what is it that we can do in terms of creating programs or funding programs that will have a meaningful impact in rural communities?” Takac said.
Takac and Kopko said the commission is actively seeking input on other ways to help rural communities.
Individuals or organizations can email testimony or ideas to commission@rural.pa.gov.
There will be more public hearings across the state, but they have yet to be scheduled.
