Millcreek Township and the City of Erie are working together to improve the area collaboratively.

Erie Mayor Joe Schember announced Thursday Erie and Millcreek received a $28,000 Multi-Municipal Collaboration Grant.

The grant from the Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA) will provide joint training for staff in both Erie and Millcreek.

The National Development Council will come in and give professional training to staff in both areas.

They'll help them better understand the tools and programs that should be in place to support and boost the economic agenda in the City of Erie and Millcreek Township as a whole.

Millcreek Township Supervisor John Morgan says since Schember took office, there has been unprecedented coordination between Erie and Millcreek. They’re doing things like sharing equipment and going after joint projects.

Morgan said he’s excited that collaboration will continue through this grant.

“I think the most important thing is we'll start thinking as a metro area, we'll start thinking as one community. So instead of in the past, having competing interests or having silos, now we're all working together,” said Morgan. “This is just a small first step in this effort to make sure our staff receives joint training, making sure our staffs are coordinating better, but I think it's going to be a great building block for us, for future collaboration."

The two, two-day training sessions will be held in September and October, with one held in Millcreek and the other in Erie.