Communication is the key. Communication possesses the power to connect people, ideas and services.

By reinstituting its Coffee with a Commissioner program, Manheim Township is opening the lines of communication. With it, the township also hopes to foster transparency, trust and good will.

On the third Saturday of every second month, Coffee with a Commissioner will provide township residents an opportunity to informally interact one on one with their local elected officials. Conducted in the public meeting room at the municipal office, 1840 Municipal Drive, Lancaster, Coffee with a Commissioner will give citizens a chance to ask questions, make suggestions and raise concerns about all things Manheim Township.

The initial installment of Coffee with a Commissioner will be held on Saturday, May 20, between 8:30 and 10 a.m. Each session will be attended by two of Manheim Township's five commissioners.

"Communication is the most important thing," said Donna DiMeo, president of the Manheim Township board of commissioners. "Your local government has the most impact on your neighborhood. If you can't attend meetings on a regular basis, it's a way to find out what's going on in your community. This is your chance, your opportunity, to come out and give your opinion, because we do listen."

Coffee with a Commissioner was initially introduced in 2021 and enjoyed a fruitful run that lasted more than a year. After public attendance waned in August of 2022, the program took a nine-month hiatus.

The reinstatement of Coffee with a Commissioner demonstrates the level to which the board regards the importance of open communication.

"I think people are busy," said DiMeo, who's in her 10th year of serving on the Manheim Township board of commissioners. "Right now, things are going very well in our township. People are happy. For people to come out, there has to be something to talk about."

"We want people to come and get involved," continued DiMeo. "We want to know what people want. It's to hear the positives and negatives, maybe things we need to work on. It's kind of our review."

"We will be talking about the things residents want to talk about," said DiMeo. "It's for people who can't make meetings or don't want to talk publicly at regular meetings. We also want people to know what we offer. It's so important for people to figure out what's going on in their community."

The board of commissioners' regular meetings are conducted at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month at the Manheim Township Municipal Office.

"We (the commissioners) are responsible for pretty much everything that goes on in Manheim Township," said DiMeo. "We have a fiduciary responsibility to please our residents to the best of our abilities. We budget all tax dollars that come into our township. That's our biggest responsibility."