Twice a year, members of the Lehigh County Association of Township Officials meet for a convention to share ideas, learn about legislative updates and have a little fun and food.

Last Friday, the group comprised of Hanover, Heidelberg, Lower Milford, Lowhill, Lynn, North Whitehall, Upper Ma-cungie, Upper Milford, Upper Saucon, Washington and Weisenberg townships, gathered under the Schnecksville Fire Company pavilion and in the social hall for training sessions on "Pa. One Call" and "Working Safely Around Electric Facilities," presented by Chris Schillinger of PPL Electric Utilities; "Trends and Loss Prevention for Errors and Omissions and Employment Practices Liability," given by Paul Pugielli, senior vice president of Brown and Brown Lehigh Valley, and "Google Earth and Global information System," presented by Dean Haas, Erik Erb and Jason Glenn, of Keystone Consulting Engineers, Wescosville,

Representatives from the various townships also took home some raffle prizes and had a picnic lunch before either taking part in the annual equipment rodeo or attending a legislative update presented by Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors Director of Research and Policy Holly Fishel and John Wilkes Jr., a member of the PSATS executive board.

The rodeo included such challenges as putting balls into a recycling bin, tic-tac-toe and stacking tires on a post using a heavy equipment excavator.

Winners were Jim Werley of Weisenberg Township, first place; and Erik Lynch, second place; and Travis Moyer, third place, both of Heidelberg Township.

Wilkes discussed the training and webinars available for townships on emergency management.

"Emergency planning has become a topic we need to address," Wilkes told those attending the legislative update.

He also said everyone is affected by prevailing wage laws.

"All of us should be disappointed," Wilkes said. "Escalation of prevailing wage is crippling our townships."

Fishel then gave a brief overview of the process for developing resolutions at PSATS, leading up to the vote at the annual convention in Hershey.

She also reviewed prevailing wage, transportation and right-to-know legislation.

"We were so close," she said, of the prevailing wage bill.

Fishel also discussed Act 52 of 2013, which amended the tax reform code to exempt volunteer fire companies, EMT services and rescue squads from the realty transfer tax when merging, consolidating or selling or buying real estate.

This act was effective July 9.