Volume I; issue viii | February 2020
Eastern Carolina Council of Governments (ECCOG) would love to share your news with the Region. Email your stories to eccadmin@eccog.org
Upcoming Training Opportunities
February 2-7 - Advanced Leadship Corps - A week-long residential personal leadership course for 12 municipal/12 county elected officials. The target audience is local leaders who are looking for more skill development in the principles of personal advanced leadership in the public arena. The course fee includes lodging and meals, administration and analysis two leadership assessments, and post-event personal coaching. Applications will be received until the end of November.   click here for more information
February 6-April 9 - New Mayors School Newly Elected Official Academy - The League’s Advancing Municipal Leaders program invites you to attend the New Mayors School and/or Newly Elected Official Academy this winter at eleven locations statewide.  
These courses are perfect for recently-elected municipal officials who are in the first few months of office. Training content will provide practical skill development that will help to improve decision making, add value in citizen related interactions, and reduce municipal risk.  
Please note that some locations are designated as either Council-Manager or Mayor-Council trainings where course content will focus on that particular form of government. 
February 10-13 - N ational Flood Insurance Program/Community Rating System Advanced Course - click here for more information
March 5-6, April 2-3, May 7-8, June 4-5. Leading the Way to Board Excellence , Western Carolina University, Cullowhee –  The target audience is county, municipal and school board members. This 4-part leadership course incorporates personal leadership skill development with leadership in working across boundaries. It also includes a special segment on working with the media. The four day-and-a-half segments are designed to allow commuting (start late-end early) for those in the western region and only one night away for those who need lodging. Two personal leadership assessments are included, with post-event coaching also available. Applications are open until the end of December.    Click here for more information  

Opportunities
North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
The North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund is now accepting applications for the 2020 grant cycle. Supporting the agricultural industry, impacting rural communities, and stimulating economic development are key objectives for the 2020 NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission (NCTTFC) grant cycle.
 Applications are due February 14, and you can find more information about these grants HERE . Funds will be awarded in the fall for selected innovative projects.

Census releases Rural Opportunity Map
The Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) has partnered with Census to create and launch the Rural Opportunity Map, a new publicly available resource designed to help local leaders, community members, funders, and investors understand the landscape and identify opportunities in rural America. There is special emphasis on Opportunity Zones. To access the map, please go to: https://ruralopportunitymap.us/maps/. 

Coastal Management Beach & Waterfront Access Program
The Division of Coastal Management awards about $1 million a year in matching grants to local governments for projects to improve pedestrian access to the state's beaches and waterways. Funding for the Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access Program comes from the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund.

State Launches Disaster Recovery Grant & Loan Programs to Help Local Governments
From the NC Dept. of Public Safety - The North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) has opened a second application period for grants and zero-interest loans that are available to help local governments recovering from storms that hit the state during the past few years. 
 Legislation signed by Governor Cooper on Nov. 18 directs $10 million in funding to NCORR for zero-interest loans to help local governments with recovery from hurricanes Matthew, Florence and Dorian, and Tropical Storm Michael. The loans can be used for recovery-related expenses while waiting for reimbursement from various federal programs. The legislation also provides $5 million in local government grants to help communities impacted by Hurricane Dorian with expenses such as general operating support, debt service, disaster recovery capacity and other disaster recovery expenses not eligible for federal reimbursement. These new funds supplement $9 million in grant and loan funds for local governments that Governor Cooper signed into law on Sept. 19.
 This is the second round of state recovery grants and loans offered by NCORR. Through a first round of funding, the agency awarded more than $22.4 million in grants and loans to 22 local governments that were struggling financially due to impacts from Hurricane Florence. The state is still awaiting notification from HUD on the availability of Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funding for Hurricane Florence. To date, NC has spent more than $3.3 billion in state and federal funding to help survivors of hurricanes Matthew and Florence.

NCDOT seeks public involvement
NCDOT wants to hear from community members about what projects they would like to see included in the next NCDOT 10-year transportation plan for 2023-2032. In the coming weeks, each of NCDOT’s 14 Divisions will submit their new project proposals, which will compete with other transportation improvements across the state for funding in the development of the 2023-2032 STIP.​

Regional Happenings
Bogue Banks Project 'A Go' for February
The $28.2 million Phase 2 Hurricane Florence sand replacement project for western Atlantic Beach, all of Pine Knoll Shores, a small part of Salter Path and a part of western Emerald Isle is expected to begin in early next month.
Staff meets with Commissioner of Insurance
Commissioner of Insurance and State Fire Marshal Mike Causey visiedt Craven County SHIIP Volunteers on January 17, 2019. He visited the Craven County SHIIP coordinating site to meet coordinators and volunteers to thank them for their valuable assistance. 
For further information and questions in regards to the Senior Health Informational Health Insurance Program (SHIIP) please visit : https://www.ncdoi.gov/consumers/medicare-and-seniors-health-insurance-information-program-shiip

ECC works with Atlantic Beach
Planning and Public Works staff met with representatives from the NC Coastal Federation, LDSI Engineering and the Eastern Carolina Council of Governments Tuesday afternoon. The meeting kicked off the Stormwater Resiliency Plan for Atlantic Beach, which will run through December 2020. The project team discussed first quarter goals, which will focus on preliminary data collection, before conducting initial site visits to existing stormwater infrastructure in Atlantic Beach. The team also confirmed the project budget. The Town will be signing a direct contract with LDSI engineers for $30,000, half of which will come from the Duke Energy Stormwater Resiliency Grant.
 
The Stormwater Resiliency Plan will include a state-standard Watershed Restoration Plan, as well as engineered analysis and recommendations for stormwater infrastructure in Atlantic Beach. The plan will serve as a guide to address both stormwater pollution and flooding in Atlantic Beach, and could lead to additional grant funding for stormwater projects.
Next Scheduled Meetings
General Membership Board Meeting - 2/13/2020