Episode 74

APMM 2025 Roundtable Series - Southeastern Dispatch with John Ernst, Amanda Lafty and Dave Burman

In this episode of PCC Local Time, we sit down with three dynamic municipal leaders from southeastern Pennsylvaniaβ€”John Ernst (Lansdale Borough), Amanda Lafty (Upper Merion Township), and Dave Burman (Haverford Township). Representing three generations of managers, they dive into the hard questions facing local governments today: housing instability, generational workforce changes, the role of social media, the looming fiscal cliff, zoning reform, and even the future of public utilities.

πŸ—οΈ Topics include:

  • Housing pressures in boroughs and suburbs
  • Workforce shifts and millennial recruitment
  • Succession planning and structural reorganization
  • Potential and limits of social media
  • Zoning reform and housing affordability
  • MS4 compliance burdens
  • Shared services and regional collaboration

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APMM - Association for Pennsylvania Municipal Management

Episode Timestamps

00:00 – Housing issues in Lansdale

05:00 – Workforce changes and generational transitions

08:30 – Collective bargaining and staff retention

11:00 – Succession planning and restructuring

13:00 – Using social media in recruitment

17:00 – Affordable housing and zoning tensions

21:00 – Accessory dwelling units and density

24:00 – Transit access and economic concerns

25:30 – Fiscal cliff and revenue diversification

28:30 – Public utilities and privatization

30:00 – MS4 mandates and funding responsibilities

32:00 – Magic wand ideas for civic education and communication

37:00 – Shared staffing and municipal collaboration

40:00 – Cross-community learning and rural leadership

42:30 – Closing reflections

About the Podcast

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PCC Local Time
A show about ideas and innovation in local government

About your host

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Nancy Hess

The Pioneering Change Community (PCC) hosts informal conversations about evolving ideas in local government management. I am founder of the PCC community and creator of the PCC Local Time podcast. I am also an HR & Org Development consultant who works with local governments to build high engagement workplaces. You can find out more about my work at www.njhessassociates.com