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Stimulus Relief and Racial Equity Edition
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From the Council Office of Steve Rao
December 18, 2020
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Virtual Holiday Event set for December 18:
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The Morrisville Police Department (MPD) will hold a virtual holiday event streamed live on the Town’s Facebook Page on Friday, December 18, at 6 p.m. During the event the police department will unveil a virtual holiday card, have story time with police officers, a live acoustic musical performance, and a greeting from Santa.
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Moderna Covid19 Vaccine gets nod from FDA
Doses may Start Monday.
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8,444 New Covid Cases in NC sets Daily Record.
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Last Day of Wake County Schools is Today!
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Biden nominates NC Secretary of DEQ, Michael Regan, to serve as Head of EPA and Pete Butigeg as Secretary of Transportation.
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SMART CITY STEERING COMMITTEE APPLICATION PROCESS IS OPEN!
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Recruitment for the Morrisville Smart City Steering Committee began on December 14, 2020 and run through January 4, 2021. Specialized recruitment and engagement will be completed during this period to seat 11 members (at least seven technical and four non-technical).
Council is scheduled to be briefed on the item at the January 12 meeting and will receive appointment packets for selection on January 13. Council will be asked to take action appointing any selected applicants at their January 26 meeting.
Term appointments for selected members are recommended to begin February 1, 2021 with appointments being staggered over two- and three-year appointment terms.
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Congress close to reaching agreement on Stimulus Relief Bill and Vote expected over Weekend.
See section below
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Wake County Food Distribution
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Dec 19 is last day for Wake County Food Distribution at Cross Timbers Apartments at 309 Golden Horseshoe Circle, Morrisville, NC 27560
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Wake County Schools Votes to Return Students to Virtual Learning from Jan 4 to Jan 15. In person instruction would resume on Jan. 20th.
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NC continues to Receive and Distributes Pfizer Covid 19 Vaccine and looks forward to receiving Moderna Vaccine. Wake Med begins Pfizer Vaccinations today.
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Orange County Commission Passes Resolution for Reparations
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State of Morrisville and Schools Town Hall
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Dec 17 at 7 pm State of Morrisville and Schools Town Hall
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Thanks to everyone who attend our State of Morrisville and Schools Fireside chat.
My thanks to the Panel:
- Chris Heagarty, WCPSS School Board Member, District 7
- Scott Ralls, President, Wake Tech
- Gale Adcock, NC Representative, District 41
- John Loyack, VP, Global Business Services, EDPNC
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PROPOSED STIMULUS RELIEF BILL
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With price tag of around $900 billion, the package is expected to include an additional $300 a week in jobless benefits and $330 billion for small business loans, as well as for critically needed funds for schools and vaccine distribution throughout the country. ($82 billion for schools and $75 billion for Vaccine Distribution)
Members are weighing whether to issue a new round of stimulus checks to Americans, $600 per individual, an amount that some progressive members, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, view as insufficient.
The two most controversial sticking points, Covid-19 liability protections for corporations and businesses and direct aid to state and local governments ($160 billion) that are struggling with lost revenue and decimated budgets after this year's closures -- have largely been set aside from the main consensus package to allow negotiators to focus on how much they should spend on direct payments to struggling Americans.
Relief Package Details:
- $600.00- $700.00 Stimulus Checks with Income Cutoffs and Final amount to be determined.
- Renewed Federal Unemployment Benefits of $300.00/week
- $300 billion to Paycheck Protection Program
- $6 billion in funding for Vaccine Development and Distribution.
- $10 billion for COVID 19 testing and tracing.
- $35 billion for Health Care Provider Relief Fund.
A final deal could be voted over the weekend.
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North Carolina Racial Task Force Issues Report and Recommendations.
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On the policing side, suggestions included a de-emphasis on minor drug offenses, mandating body cameras for all law enforcement agencies, a greater focus on bias and race relations within Basic Law Enforcement Training, prioritizing traffic stops that improve traffic safety, establish and expand diversion programs, and independent reviews of officer-involved investigations. On the criminal justice side, the task force honed in on multiple issues, ranging from financial obstacles to racial inequity.
The Task Force suggested eliminating cash bail for level 1, 2, and 3 misdemeanors in most cases, and requested judges take a defendant’s financial situation into account when assessing fines and fees.
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NORTH CAROLINA LEAGUE OF MUNICIPALITIES ESTABLISHES RACIAL EQUITY TASK FORCE
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The North Carolina League of Municipalities Board of Directors has established a 14-member task force that will examine practical steps that cities and towns can take to address racial inequities and related issues. I am honored to have been named to this Task Force by Jennifer Robinson and am proud of my colleague, Satish Garimella for serving on the NCLM Board.
The Task Force on the Impact of City Leaders on Racial Equity held its first meeting a few weeks ago, establishing a goal of assisting cities in better understanding and improving local policies that affect racial equity.
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Robinson and fellow co-chair Bill Harris, an NCLM board member and member of the Fuquay-Varina Board of Commissioner, will lead the group.
Other members are: Dennis Barber, Mayor, Newport; Michael Bell, Council Member, Wilson; Steve Rao, Council Member, Morrisville; Preston Blakely, Fletcher; Valerie Jones, Mayor Pro-Tem, Sedalia; Bobby Kilgore, Mayor, Monroe; Jeff MacIntosh, Council Member, Winston-Salem; Mark Anthony Middleton, Council Member, Durham; Malcolm Graham, Council Member, Charlotte; Pat Taylor, Mayor, Highlands; Monica Daniels, Council Member, Greenville; and Brenda Lyerly, Mayor, Banner Elk.
Staff from the National League of Cities involved in its Race, Equity and Leadership initiative will assist in the task force’s work. The group expects to meet into the spring of 2021, producing recommendations at that time.
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The Moderna vaccine is set to begin distribution as soon as the FDA gives the green light.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told CNBC on Thursday that 5.9 million doses have been allotted for states and large cities and were ready to ship nationwide.
The rollout of the vaccines, however, will take months in a nation where the virus is running rampant and public health measures such as social distancing and mask wearing are being rejected by large parts of the population.
US officials have said they expect to have 40 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines by the end of the year – enough to inoculate 20 million citizens.
Both vaccines were about 95 percent effective at preventing illness in pivotal clinical trials with no serious safety issues.
Several states said they were told to expect far fewer doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine during its second week of distribution, prompting worries about potential delays in shots for healthcare workers and long-term care residents.
Senior Trump administration officials downplayed the risk of delays on Thursday, citing confusion about semantics, while Pfizer said its production levels have not changed.
Moderna’s vaccine does not require specialized refrigeration for transportation or storage, unlike the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which must be kept at -70 Celsius (-94 Fahrenheit) and could make storage in rural, lower-income areas more difficult.
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How does the vaccine work?
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The Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines are a new type called an mRNA vaccine that uses a tiny fragment of genetic code from the pandemic virus to teach the body how to fight Covid-19 and build immunity.
The vaccine contains a small piece of the [Covid-19] virus's mRNA that instructs cells in the body to make the virus's distinctive 'spike' protein.
When a person receives this vaccine, their body produces copies of the spike protein, which does not cause disease, but triggers the immune system to learn to react defensively, producing an immune response against [Covid-19].
The vaccine is given as two injections, 21 days apart, with the second dose being a booster. Immunity begins to kick in after the first dose but reaches its full effect seven days after the second dose.
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Modified Stay at Home Order/Curfew
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Executive order 181 states all individuals must stay at home or the place they will remain for the night” from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.until Jan 5th.
Certain businesses must close between those curfew hours – this includes bars, entertainment venues, parks, museums and aquariums.
Exceptions include those going to and from work, while businesses selling groceries, medication, health care supplies and fuel may remain open.
Restaurants, breweries, distilleries and wineries can operate with only take-out and delivery services after 10 p.m.
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NC and the Covid19 Vaccine
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I will be revealing Moderna rollout plans in next week’s newsletter.
Secretary Cohen has revealed that 53 North Carolina hospitals--decided based on number of beds, number of health care workers in direct contact with COVID-19 patients, and county population--will receive the first shipment of 89,800 vaccines. That includes 11 hospitals identified as having enough ultra cold storage to keep the Pfizer vaccine for a number of weeks, should the authorization process be delayed.
It will first be given to health care workers in hospitals and long-term care facilities who treat or work with COVID patients and those who clean areas where COVID patients are present. The state estimates that population at up to 161,000 people.
As additional vaccines are approved, the state will get additional allocations and will expand distribution to others.
The second group targeted by the state will be residents of long-term care, people over the age of 65 who live in crowded situations such as jails and homeless shelters, and other adults who have two or more chronic conditions that put them at greater risk for a severe case of the coronavirus. That group is estimated to number up to 951,000.
Vaccinating the rest of those at high risk for exposure to COVID-19 will encompass another 1 to 1.5 million people – everyone over 65, those under 65 in crowded situations or who work in frontline jobs and don't have two or more chronic conditions.
The third phase makes vaccine available to anyone in an essential position, according to the state "workers in industries critical to societal functioning," and students in K-12 schools and colleges and universities.
The final phase would include the remainder of the North Carolina population.
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NC Hospitals to Receive Covid19 Vaccine
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NC Hospitals to receive Vaccine
- Bladen Healthcare LLC (Bladen County Hospital)
- Caldwell Memorial Hospital
- CarolinaEast Medical Center
- Catawba Valley Medical Center
- Cumberland County Hospital System Inc (Cape Fear Valley Health System)
- Duke University Health System
- Henderson County Hospital Corporation (Margaret R. Pardee Memorial Hospital)
- Hoke Healthcare LLC (Hoke Hospital)
- The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority (CMC Enterprise)
- University of North Carolina Shared Services Agreement
- Wake Forest Baptist Health
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Join me on UNC TV Black Issues Forum as we discuss the Biden Electoral College Victory, Reparations, the Biden Transition, the Newby win, and racial equity.
Watch at
Airs Sundays, at 4 PM, & Mondays, at 7:30 PM, on UNC-TV
and Fridays, at 8:30 PM, & Sundays, at 6 PM, on the North Carolina Channel
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Join me Sunday 4 PM on Radio Mirchi for another update on local issues.
99.9FM HD4, 101.9 FM and 1490 AM!
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Join me Monday at 10 am on International Broadcast Media TV for a global for World Edition, an update on global politics.
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- For latest Covid 19 information, please dial 2-1-1 or 888- 892-1162.
- Get Updates by texting COVIDNC at 898211.
- For unemployment insurance, please visit NC Dept of Employment Security at https://des.nc.gov/.
- 1,378,280 NC citizens have applied for UI Benefits, 935,514 have been paid benefits, and $8.9 billion of benefits have been issued.
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Apply for Wake Forward program at https://covid19.wakegov.com/wakeforward/.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported 8,444 new COVID-19 cases today, the highest-single day increase in the state since the pandemic began. The last record for case increases was set exactly a week ago, when North Carolina recorded 7,540 new cases, meaning the new record is nearly 1,000 cases higher than the previous.
The spike in cases is accompanied by an increase in completed tests, with 60,000 new tests completed yesterday. As of Wednesday, 10.5% of tests are positive,
the lowest the metric has been a week but still more than double the state's benchmark of 5%.
Currently, 2,824 people are hospitalized with COVID-19, the highest number reported so far. In less than a month, more than 1,000 additional COVID-19 patients have occupied beds in North Carolina hospitals.
CASES:
8,444 New Cases
+ N.C. = 466,104 Cases (Deaths = 6,125)
+ 10.5 % Positive Rate
+ Wake County = 37,236 Cases (Deaths = 328)
+ US = 17.3 million Cases/311K deaths
+ Worldwide = 75.2 million/1.67 million deaths
+ Completed Tests: 6,231,824
+ 2,824 Hospitalizations.
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Morrisville News - Please Participate
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TOWN OF MORRISVILLE NAMED FINALIST IN THE GLOBAL SMART CITY CHALLENGE
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It is my pleasure to announce that Morrisville has been selected as a finalist for the 2020 Global Smart Cities Readiness Challenge. Morrisville was named as 1 of 10 finalists and will potentially have the opportunity to lead a Readiness Cohort in 2021. We are working with the Communications Department to get this information out to the community so that they can vote for our submission. You can find more information at the link below.
To vote on our submission, you can click on the ‘begin rating process’ button and use the stars under our video on the following page (BIG thanks to Communications for helping put together our finalist video). The rating will submit once you exit the page. Voting is allowed once per day and closes on January 5. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Please consider supporting Morrisville Smart City efforts by giving our plans 5 stars every day until Jan 5th.
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Council Member Rao holds office hours on Friday from 12:00-1:00 PM by appointment only at 100 Town Hall Drive in Morrisville.
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Council Member Steve Rao
Town of Morrisville
Dedicated to transforming Morrisville into an ideal place to work and raise a family!
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