News from the CSPDC Region
June 2020
Afton Express Logo Unveiled

The logo for the planned Afton Express transit service connecting Staunton, Augusta County, and Waynesboro with Charlottesville and Albemarle County has been unveiled. The HIVE Creative Group of Crozet presented the Afton Express stakeholder group with three potential logos and two taglines for their consideration. Following the presentation, the stakeholders voted to move forward with the logo and tagline shown above which will be used to brand the buses, the website and printed materials.  
EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance

Through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) was allocated $1.5 billion to assist communities impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. EDA's CARES Act Recovery Assistance is designed to provide a wide-range of financial assistance to communities and regions as they respond to, and recover from, the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
GO Virginia Region 8 Approves Projects

On May 18, the GO Virginia Region 8 Executive Committee approved two projects, Startup Shenandoah Valley and Back to Work . The two projects have been forwarded to the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for further review and consideration by the State GO Virginia Board during its June 23 meeting. 


Govenor Northam Releases ConserveVirginia 2.0

ConserveVirignia is the Commonwealth's groundbreaking, data-driven, state-wide, land conservation strategy and mapping tool.

Join the webinar on June 10 at 12:00 pm for the Governor's unveiling of the updated tool and to learn more about water quality and historic justice in the Commonwealth.  

Shenandoah Valley Guide to Reopening Business 
 
To help ensure the safety of our community and to help businesses navigate the new normal, the Shenandoah Valley Partnership along with the region’s Chambers of Commerce, and the Small Business Development Center have created the Work Hard. Work Smart. Work Safe. guide . Included in the guide are many of the recommendations and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal, state, and local resources along with tips and best practices for businesses as they open their doors again to the public.
2019 Recycling Rate Report Submitted

The annual recycling rate report for the Augusta-Staunton-Waynesboro Solid Waste Planning Unit was submitted to DEQ in April 2020. There is a requirement for localities with a density of more than 100 people per square mile to meet a 25% recycle rate annually. The CSPDC collected the recycling tonnages for the area and determined the 2019 recycling rate for the Augusta County area to be 32.4%. This report is expected to be approved by DEQ later this year. 
Rebecca Joyce Receives Public Service Award

Rebecca Joyce, CSPDC’s Community Program Manager for over 20 years, received the James Madison University (JMU) John B. Noftsinger Alumni Award for Public Service Excellence. The John B. Noftsinger award recognizes those who actively engage with the community, strengthen social equality, demonstrate personal integrity, promote ethical standards of performance and stewardship, and advance professional excellence in the Shenandoah Valley. 
CERT Volunteers
Deliver Masks

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members have made five trips to Rockbridge County to pick up and deliver over 200 masks to Staunton. The homemade masks are being made by the Rockbridge Quilters Guild and will be used by the Staunton-based Virginia COVID task force in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health. 
Grace Blanchard Joins CSPDC Team

Grace Blanchard has been hired as a new planner at the CSPDC. Grace is a recent graduate of UVA’s Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. She has interned at The Highland Center and was a 2019 Governor’s Fellow for the Secretary of Commerce and Trade. Grace grew up in Highland County and has a deep appreciation and understanding of our region. Grace will be primarily working on community and economic development projects throughout the region. Welcome Grace!
BRITE Bus Receives CARES Act Funding

In May the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) approved the allocation of nearly $100 million to assist small urban and rural transit agencies such as BRITE Bus offset the revenue losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding is part of the federal transportation funding that was apportioned to the Commonwealth under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. 
2021 VATI How-to-Apply 
Webinar
 
On June 9, 2020, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will be hosting an application how-to-apply webinar for the 2021 Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI). Representatives from units of local government, internet service providers and other interested stakeholders are encouraged to participate. VATI applications are due on August 17, 2020 . 
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