MID-CAROLINA
Council of Governments
Creative Regional Solutions

March 5, 2020
News & Updates for the Mid-Carolina Region
Grants, resources, training, important dates, and more.
For Your Information
Coronavirus Resources for Local Governments
BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grants Program
USDA Technical Assistance and Training Grants
Common Ground Summit
NCDOT Online Certification System
Complete Trip Deployment Program
NCWorks Commission Approves Four-Year Workforce Plan
USDA Disaster Recovery Funding
13 Ways to Kill Your Community
Pothole Reporting
Dean Smith Dawns the Black and Gold
Important Dates
Share Your Good News
Coronavirus Resources for Local Governments
In support of all local governments, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) has curated considerations for local preparedness for and response to the Coronavirus . This information should be paired with updates provided by the Centers for Disease Control, the Executive Office of the President of the US, the World Health Organization, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, among others.

Click here to access ICMA’s website to assist local governments in preparing for and responding to this potential health crisis.
BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grants Program
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for its FY 2020 Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Discretionary Grants Program . Funds for the FY 2020 BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grants program will be awarded to planning and capital projects that will have a significant local or regional impact.

Applications are due May 18 .   Click here for more information.
USDA Technical Assistance and Training Grants
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a notification that it is seeking applications from rural communities with limited resources and staff to access technical assistance and training to be able to access USDA funding for essential community facilities.

Applications must be received via Grants.gov by April 30 .   Click here to learn more.
Common Ground Summit
The Common Ground Summit is an open, public event that invites community members to learn more about memory loss, get access to resources for caregivers, and to become a volunteer in the fight against Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

The summit will be held on April 24 from 8am to 3:30pm at True Vine Ministries in Fayetteville.  Click here or call 800-272-3900 for more information and to register. The summit is presented by the Eastern NC Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association .
NCDOT Online Certification System
The NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Office of Civil Rights is making it easier for more businesses to compete for work . Recently, NCDOT launched a new website that allows small, disadvantaged businesses to apply online and become certified to market their firms in the transportation industry.
Complete Trip Deployment Program
The US Department of Transportation has announced the Complete Trip ITS4US Deployment Program , an initiative that aims to solve mobility challenges. This multimodal effort is led by the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITSJPO) with support from the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, and Federal Highway Administration. Up to $40 million is available to enable communities to showcase innovative business partnerships, technologies, and practices that promote independent mobility for all. 

ITSJPO is offering a webinar series to help potential applicants prepare for the deployment program solicitation. Recordings and materials from previous webinars are available online, along with a list of additional webinar topics and details happening in March.  Click here to learn more about the webinar series.
NCWorks Commission Approves Four-Year Workforce Plan
The NCWorks Commission, NC’s Workforce Development Board, has released a new plan that outlines the state’s workforce development strategy over the next four years. The Commission unanimously approved the document during its regular quarterly meeting held on February 12.  Click here to view the plan.
USDA Disaster Recovery Funding
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a notification that it is seeking applications from rural communities with populations of less than 20,000 and in areas that received a Presidential Disaster Declaration for Hurricanes Florence and Michael . Funding is available through the community facilities technical assistance and training grant program to help communities with a wide range of activities that will facilitate disaster recovery.

Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov by April 30 Click here to learn more.
13 Ways to Kill Your Community
Western Piedmont Council of Governments (WPCOG), based in Hickory, is hosting a training event on April 24 led by Doug Griffiths, author of the bestseller 13 Ways to Kill Your Community .

Doug believes communities are worth saving, which is why he has dedicated the last 20 years of his life to helping them find a pathway to success. He uses a straight-shooting, no-punches-pulled approach to show how attitude is the biggest factor, and roadblock, to building a successful community. Using his vast experience working with municipal and community leaders from across North America, Doug uses powerful stories and research to drive leaders to find solutions to challenges that plague communities and prevent them from reaching their full potential in a rapidly changing world.

Registration is $50 per person and includes four hours of American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification maintenance.  Click here for more information and to register.
Pothole Reporting
Winter weather creates potholes and with approximately 80,000 miles of state-maintained roads, the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) needs help getting them fixed. The public is urged to use NCDOT’s website to let the crews know about needed repairs. Reports go directly to county maintenance offices.  Click here to report a pothole.
Dean Smith Dawns the Black and Gold
One thing is certain, UNC School of Government Dean Mike Smith is a man of his word.  Smith lost a friendly wager with Grant Goings, Wilson City Manager and past NC City and County Management Association (NCCCMA) President, regarding the Appalachian State/UNC football game this past September.

The game was the perfect opportunity for two of the most passionate local government alumni bases to get together for a friendly tailgate and some fun banter. The Mountaineers won, 34-31 , after blocking a field goal very late in the game. The result – Dean Smith wore App State’s black and gold during the NCCCMA Winter Seminar in Winston-Salem last month!
Important Dates
March 10-12 NC Main Street Conference
March 11 Southeast NC Regional Trails Plan Stakeholders Workshop
March 15-18  National Association of Development Organizations Washington Conference
March 17-18  Senior Tar Heel Legislature
March 24 MCCOG Quarterly Managers Lunch
March 26 MCCOG Board of Directors Meeting
March 26  MCCOG Aging Advisory Council
April 1-3 NC Association of Regional Councils of Govenments/The Forum Meeting
April 8-April 27  Mid-Carolina Senior Games
April 9  Mid-Carolina RPO TCC Meeting
April 15  Mid-Carolina RPO TAC Meeting
April 24 Common Ground Summit
May 5-7 NC League of Municipalities CityVision Annual Conference
May 13 COG Legislative Day
May 28 MCCOG Board of Directors Meeting
June 16-17 Rural Day
June 18-20 NC City & County Management Association Summer Seminar
June 25 MCCOG Board of Directors Meeting
July 9  Mid-Carolina RPO TCC Meeting
July 22  Mid-Carolina RPO TAC Meeting
August 13-15 NC Association of County Commissioners Annual Conference
August 27 Mid-Carolina Board of Directors Meeting
August 30-September 2 - SE4A Annual Conference
October 8  Mid-Carolina RPO TCC Meeting
October 22 MCCOG Board of Directors Meeting
October 28  Mid-Carolina RPO TAC Meeting
Share Your Good News
If you have news, events, announcements or other items you would like included in an upcoming FYI, please EMAIL Justin Hembree, MCCOG.

Please let us know if you have questions, need additional details about the information we have shared or if there is a way the Council can be of service.
Mid-Carolina Council of Governments
Creative Regional Solutions
Mid-Carolina Council of Governments is a multi-county, planning, development, and human services organization. We reach across county and municipal borders to provide technical assistance to our local governments and to administer programs that benefit our region’s citizens.

Our mission is to provide creative regional solutions to relevant and emerging issues in Cumberland, Harnett, and Sampson Counites while providing a standard of excellence in the delivery of federal, state, and regional services for our local governments and the people they serve.