Robert Hiett
Executive Director
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Creating Regional Solutions Since 1971 |
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Kara Millonzi, 23 Dec 10:46 AM
Most NC counties and municipalities have received their first of two distributions of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund monies, as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP/CSLFRF). Understandably, many local officials have been focused on identifying eligible projects. (For more information, on various aspects of the ARP/CSLFRF and eligible projects, see prior posts and other resources.) As of this writing, we are still awaiting US Treasury’s Final Rule implementing the ARP/CSLFRF. We know, however, that expenditure of these funds will be subject to many, if not most, provisions of the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, 2 CFR Part 200 (commonly referred to as the Uniform Guidance or UG). The UG is a set of regulations that apply to the management of federal grant awards.
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Golden Leaf Flood Mitigation Program
Overview
The State of North Carolina provided funds to the Golden LEAF Foundation to award funds to units of local government for public infrastructure projects for flood mitigation.
Award Amount
Up to $250,000 may be awarded per project.
Eligible Entities
Funds may only be awarded to units of local government. Local governments from all 100 counties are eligible. For purposes of this program, units of local governments include counties and cities and their boards, agencies, commissions, authorities, and institutions.
Eligible Projects
- Construction of new or improvement of existing publicly owned stormwater infrastructure, including natural drainage infrastructure and flood control equipment.
- Repair of existing stormwater infrastructure damaged or destroyed by flooding, which must include improvements to mitigate against future flooding.
- Engineering expenses related to planning and development of flood mitigation solutions.
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NLC Launches Southern Cities Economic Inclusion Initiative
$30,000 Available to Participants | N.C. Cities and Towns Eligible
The Southern Cities Economic Inclusion (SCEI) initiative is a partnership between National League of Cities (NLC), the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
NLC is launching the SCEI initiative to support cities in building their capacity to implement economic inclusion strategies that close racial economic equity gaps through city-led strategies that expand economic opportunities for residents and businesses of color. As part of the SCEI initiative, cities will participate in one of two peer learning cohorts that deepen capacity and build leadership skills while receiving technical assistance and innovation funding of up to $30,000 from NLC. Cities will also receive support from national philanthropic partners to raise additional local matching funds
Apply by January 14.
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Announcing the launch of
NC GreenPower Solar+ Schools!
Submissions due by 11:59pm on Monday, February 28, 2022
NC GreenPower is pleased to announce the 2022 Solar+ Schools grant! The application is open now and will be available through February 28, 2022.
Since 2015, donors have helped us provide grants for the installation of solar at 56 K-12 schools in 38 counties, reaching nearly 43,000 students! To date, the schools have collectively produced an estimated 615,798 kilowatt hours of green energy, a savings of about $58,000.
Through the program, any North Carolina K-12 school may apply for a grant toward the installation of an educational solar array. In addition, awardees receive related benefits, including donated SunPower solar modules, a STEM curriculum and teacher training. School fundraising goals will be fixed at $6,000, $9,000 or $12,000.
We'd also like to thank the member-funded State Employees' Credit Union (SECU) Foundation for their support. The SECU Foundation will provide additional funding to NC GreenPower to assist us in growing our program.
Submissions for the 2022 NC GreenPower Solar+ Schools program will be due by 5pm on Saturday, February 28, 2021.
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2022 North Carolina Land and Water Fund Grant Cycle Now Open
Apply By Feb. 1
The annual grant cycle is now open and accepting applications through an online web portal.
The North Carolina Land and Water Fund will have more funding available for the upcoming grant cycle than it has had in over a decade. The Fund anticipates awarding up to $75 million in total grants in 2022, so if your community is working on land acquisitions, restorations, innovative stormwater projects or a planning project, please consider applying.
Please review the link below and reach out to your NCLWF Field Representative if you have any questions.
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Funding Opportunity: AmeriCorps Seniors
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Health and Wellness.
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Economic opportunity.
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Education.
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Food Security.
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To maximize impact, AmeriCorps Seniors will prioritize national service investments in the following areas:
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Communities that are hard to reach.
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Communities that have been adversely impacted by underinvestment, such as African-American and Tribal communities.
Applications Due: Thursday, February 3, 2022, 5:00 PM ET. If you have questions at any time during the application period, email AmericanRescueSDP@cns.gov.
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Connected: Upper Coastal Plain Digital Inclusion Plan
BAND-NC, Podcast
Summary: In this episode of the “Connected” podcast series, host Maggie Woods (IEI Policy and Program Manager and BAND-NC Program Director) speaks to Robert Hiett; Executive Director and Ben Farmer; Economic Development Planner for the Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments .
IEI’s “Connected” podcast series explores the challenges of the digital divide as well as opportunities for digital equity and inclusion in North Carolina and promising best practices.
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Case Studies: Cities and Towns Making Lasting Change
When our cities and towns are given adequate support, they achieve lasting change. Evidence of successes can be seen all across North Carolina, on Main Streets and throughout neigborhoods and in cities large and small. Sometimes the level of support is large. Other times, cities simply leverage whatever resources are available.
These stories can be found in our:
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2021 - 2022 GREEN GROWTH TOOLBOX “Toolbox Tuesdays”
WEBINAR SERIES From the NC Wildlife Commission
Who should attend? Land use & transportation planners, planning consultants, zoning officials & local planning departments, landscape architects, planning board members, elected officials, and GIS specialists.
Are you interested in learning more about conservation-based land use planning, nature-based solutions, and their economic benefits?
Do you have projects going on in your community that would benefit from natural resource Conservation Data, conservation design, and non-regulatory recommendations?
If so, you may be interested in attending our free live webinars on the NC Wildlife Commission’s Green Growth Toolbox.
Webinars will be one hour including 15 - 20 minutes for questions and peer to peer discussion during live sessions. They will be recorded and shared through our website: www.ncwildlife.org/greengrowth
Feel free to share this invitation with elected officials, planning & advisory board members, or other staff working in your community.
Registration is currently open for all except the 3.22.22 webinar.
· Advanced Conservation Data for Green Growth: Please attend or watch the recorded webinar on an Introduction to Conservation Data for Green Growth first. In this in-depth version you will learn more about the NC Natural Heritage Data Explorer and an introduction of how to integrate wildlife habitat maps and data into plans, ordinances, and development review.
o Live: Tuesday February 8, 10 am, AICP CM event # 9226144
· Green Planning: Integrating habitat conservation maps, goals, and strategies into land use planning; this session will highlight case studies from all over NC.
o Live: Tuesday February 22, 10 am, AICP CM event # 9226143
· Greening Incentives & Ordinances: Looking at barriers and opportunities for incentive-based habitat conservation through ordinances.
o Live: Tuesday March 8, 10 am, AICP CM event # 9226142
· Green Development Site Selection, Design, & Review: Choosing development areas that have less impact on wildlife habitat, incorporate wildlife habitat corridors into development design, and review.
o Live: Tuesday March 22, 10 am, AICP CM event # 9226141
We are looking forward to assisting your community to enhance wildlife and natural resource conservation in development planning!
Kacy Cook & Brooke Massa
Land Conservation Biologists, NC Wildlife Commission
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Any city, town or county receiving American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funding must formally vote to accept the ARPA funds. While some guidance instructs recipients that the acceptance does not have to be in the form of a resolution, to adopt as such is a simple and reliable method that memorializes the vote to accept funding.
That resolution to accept ARPA should clearly state:
- the body or agency providing the funds to the community;
- the amount of the funds;
- that the recipient is accepting the funds;
- that the recipient is setting up a separate account for the funds;
- that the recipient will abide by the rules and regulations of the program; and,
- that the recipient is thereby amending their FY22 adopted budget.
The resolution need not, and likely should not, identify a purpose or project for the funds. If a recipient is still uncertain on proceeding, it should consult with their attorney for guidance.
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State Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Plan to Administer American Rescue Plan Act’s State Fiscal Recovery Funding
RALEIGH – The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure (DWI) is accepting comments until January 12, 2022 on the proposed plan to administer approximately $1.6 billion in federal funds appropriated in the state budget for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.
The North Carolina General Assembly appropriated the funds from the state’s allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), including $839.6 million directed to specific local governments and public entities. DWI will administer the remaining $758 million as grant funding, as detailed in the proposed plan. The funds are subject to federal statutory and budgetary requirements and all funds must be expended by December 30, 2026.
Based on the proposed plan, the deadline for applications for the first round of ARPA drinking water and wastewater project funding will be May 2, 2022. The deadline for applications for stormwater projects is currently projected to be Sept. 30, 2022. Future application funding rounds will be used to award remaining funds.
Interested parties are invited to provide comments on the proposed plan by January 12, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. Comments can be submitted:
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by email to dwi.publiccomments@ncdenr.gov with subject line Comments on Division of Water Infrastructure Proposed Plan for State Fiscal Recovery Funds
- by voicemail to 919-707-9187
- by mail to:
Cathy Akroyd
Division of Water Infrastructure
1633 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1633
Information about the water, wastewater and stormwater funding administered by the Division of Water Infrastructure is available at:
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ARP Office Hours
Future ARP Office Hours:
Thursday, January 13, at 8:30am
Friday, January 21, at 12:00pm
Tuesday, January 25, at 8:30am
Meeting ID: 940 1136 1206
Passcode: 522329
We will focus on Uniform Guidance compliance requirements related to Allowable Costs. We will present a sample UG Allowable Cost policy and implementation tool. This will be the first in a series of sessions introducing sample policies and checklists for UG compliance. We will address other questions as time allows.
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How to Invest in Utilities
Here's how you can use American Rescue Plan funds for utility investments.
Our water and wastewater systems face a sizable investment need over $20 billion over the next two decades, according to some estimates. And it’s a need that falls almost solely on our cities and towns. Infrastructure represents one of the most likely paths to a lasting funding legacy for the American Rescue Plan. The infographic included here and below walks you through how to make important utility investments.
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Treasury Portal: ARP Reporting and Compliance Site Now Open
The U.S. Treasury this week launched its Treasury Portal for non-entitlement units (NEUs) receiving American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds under the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF). This portal will be used for reporting and compliance, and is now available to be accessed.
For background, recipients of ARP/SLFRF distributions must abide by U.S. Treasury's reporting and compliance responsibilities, which have been previously clarified in detail in a document titled Compliance and Reporting Guidance. For NEUs, or non-metropolitan cities as defined by the ARP, those reporting requirements should be met using this Treasury Portal. NEUs will confirm accounts, designate reporting roles, and submit required agreements and supporting documentation to Treasury.
The deadline for annual reporting is April 30, 2022, though cities and towns can access the portal now, and are encouraged to do so to establish a login, confirm accounts, designate reporting roles and submit required agreements and supporting documentation.
For more information, visit our ARP hub here.
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Registration now open for the
2022 Emerging Issues Forum!
Advancing Together: Enhancing NC’s Workforce
Through Educational Attainment
Tuesday, February 08, 2022
9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
McKimmon Center, Raleigh, NC
As our economy grows the vast majority of new jobs will require more than a high school diploma. Today, less than half of North Carolinians ages 25-44 are ready for this work. As set by myFutureNC, with the strong support of the North Carolina General Assembly, the Governor, and the education and business communities, the current goal is 2 million North Carolinians with a high-quality credential or postsecondary degree by 2030. But absent intentional action, we face a significant gap between the skills and experience that employers will need and what the state’s labor force will be able to provide. The demand for more workforce talent presents a significant opportunity to improve postsecondary readiness, especially among those who are economically disadvantaged and workers of color.
The 2022 Emerging Issues Forum will bring together local, state and national leaders to call attention to this attainment gap and to the impact of the pandemic on efforts to close it. Because education is fundamentally local in character, a particular focus will be on spurring effective action at the community and regional levels across the state. The importance of effective collaboration will be highlighted, especially the role of the business community in promoting curriculum alignment, offering work-based learning and advocating for a competitive workforce.
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Advancing Health Equity for People Who Are Homebound
Older adults who are homebound are often socially isolated, have unmet care needs, suffer from high mortality, and are invisible to health systems. Homebound older adults are also more likely to be people of color or socially and economically disadvantaged. Our current system of home-based clinical care exacerbates these disparities. To reduce these disparities, we need to identify people who are homebound and ensure that all who cannot access traditional office-based clinical care can receive it where they live and receive it equitably. The Playbook-Better Care for People with Complex Needs blog post highlights the epidemiology and characteristics of homebound older adults, inequities faced by this population, how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these inequities, and a vision to reimagine health care delivery in this country to improve health equity for this population.
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Check out this PSA from AARP NC discussing visitation in long-term care facilities! Residents have the right to receive visitors. For additional information regarding visits or resident's rights, contact regional ombudsman, Ty Whitaker (252.234.5963) or Annetta Brown (252.234.5962). |
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Homelessness and
Older Adults
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New Program to Help Families Pay Water Bills
North Carolina has been awarded more than $38 million in federal funding to establish a new water assistance program for households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible households that have had their water services cut off or have received notice that their water services are in danger of being cut off can apply for assistance in paying their bill through a new federal program called the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). LIHWAP is a temporary emergency program that will help eligible households and families afford water and wastewater services. The program provides a one-time payment for eligible low-income households directly to the utility company. LIHWAP runs through September 2023 or until the funds run out.
Households that have had their water services turned off or are in danger of losing it can apply online at epass.nc.gov. Individuals can also apply by printing a paper application from epass.nc.gov and dropping it off at or faxing it to their local county Department of Social Services or by calling their local county Department of Social Services to apply by phone.
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Older Americans make up a majority of COVID deaths. They are falling behind on boosters.
The United States is approaching a grim milestone of the pandemic, as the nationwide death toll approaches 800,000. The vast majority of those deaths are among the elderly — people 65 and up make up 75 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. Now there are concerns about their risks increasing once again, and nursing home residents are among some of the most vulnerable.
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Registration Now Open for the 2022 Washington Policy Conference
The National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and the Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) invite you to register for the 2022 Washington Conference which will be held from Sunday, March 13 to Wednesday, March 16, 2022 in Arlington, VA. Conference sessions will focus on regional development, the federal landscape, and the programs and policies that matter most to Regional Development Organizations and their stakeholders.
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Essentials of Municipal Government
Both online and in-person sessions offered
The League's AML program has again partnered with the UNC School of Government and its Center for Public Leadership and Governance to offer our biennial orientation of newly-elected municipal officials with the Essentials of Municipal Government.
This course is specifically designed to help newly elected officials transition from campaigning to governing. The course will be offered both virtually and in-person in December and January.
- Dec. 16-17 | Cary
- Jan. 6-7 | Asheville
- Jan. 13-14 | Wilmington
- Jan. 26-28 | Online
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Essential Records and Disaster Prep Workshop in January 2022
The State Archives is happy to announce our first virtual workshop for 2022. We will offer Essential Records and Disaster Preparedness on January 18 and 19. This workshop is four hours total, offered as two-hour sessions over two days. We’ll meet on January 18 and 19 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. This workshop is free of charge. We will use Zoom for Government to offer the workshop.
This workshop is open to all NC government employees (local, state, and college/university). An introductory course on managing public records is recommended as a prerequisite, but it is not required.
Day 1 will cover:
- How to identify essential records
- How to identify risk factors to records
Day 2 will cover:
- How to manage risks
- How to ensure access to essential records
- How to develop a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) that includes essential records
- Additional resources
Certificates of attendance will be available upon request. To obtain a certificate of attendance, you must attend both parts. If you have any questions, please contact Josh Hager at joshua.hager@ncdcr.gov.
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Upcoming Free Online Course - Top 10 Primer on Transportation Planning
This course will be especially helpful for any newly elected officials or those who have taken seats in the past year.
On January 21, 2022 from 10 am-11:15 am the Local Elected Leaders Academy will host a FREE Top 10 Primer on Transportation Planning in North Carolina. We welcome as our Instructor Amna Cameron, Deputy Director of the Office of Strategic Initiatives and Program Support in the NC Department of Transportation.
In this engaging, fast-moving online class, participants will learn about the department’s structure, funding, and planning processes. The roles of the Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and Rural Transportation Planning Organizations (RTPOs) will be explained and anticipated future statewide transportation needs will be explored. Attendees will gain a basic understanding of the policies that affect statewide transportation priorities and elected officials will learn how they can lend their voices to the decision-making processes.
To attend this FREE short workshop, click HERE to learn more and register.
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Strategic Public Leadership:
Comprehensive Strategic Plans
January 20, 2022 | Zoom
“Good luck is the result of good planning,” reads the fortune inside the Chinese cookie. Being clear on where you want to head and how you will get there is key to positioning yourself and your organization for success.
How can your public sector organization best benefit from having a strategic plan? What is important for you to understand before you get started? What should you consider as you begin to plan? Who should be involved in helping you plan, and how can that input be helpful? What components are important to include in your plan?
This hands-on workshop spurs your ideas and jump-starts your planning so you can return home with a framework to begin. Topics include:
- Consider what type of planning approach is right for your situation
- Learn a model for strategic planning and approaches that maximize success
- Explore and apply tools and exercises for developing various key plan elements
- Assess whether you are ready to undertake a planning effort
Both elected officials and government professionals are welcome to register for this course.
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Local Government Fundamentals Course
The School of Government is offering its Local Government Fundamentals course online through Zoom this February 22 - 24, 2022 from 9 a.m. through 1 p.m. each day! The course focuses on fundamental aspects of local government and is intended for municipal and county employees who are new to local government or who have few opportunities for continuing education.
Participants will acquire a basic knowledge of core subjects, including the legal structure of municipalities and counties, the general ordinance-making and enforcement powers of municipalities and counties, the budgeting process, public employment law, zoning regulation, local government contracting, and conflicts of interest.
The course will meet for three consecutive mornings. An agenda is attached. The instructors for this course will be SOG faculty members Bob Joyce, Rebecca Badgett, Greg Allison, Connor Crews, Kristina Wilson, Diane Juffras and Jim Joyce,.
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Webinar: Dementia in the Community: Intergenerational Programming Aimed at Engaging Children, Youth, and People Living with Dementia
Wednesday, January 19, 2022, 3:00-4:00 PM ET
Research suggests that those living with dementia who participate in inter-generational programs show a decrease in social isolation, and an increase in sense of belonging, self-esteem, and well-being. Programs that target youth can give them a deeper understanding of dementia and the older adult experience. These programs also provide support for the many young people who are engaged in care for an older adult. In this webinar, ONEgeneration will provide information on the benefits of intergenerational programming and describe the creation of a successful intergenerational model that has integrated children, from infancy to 5 years old, with older adults living with dementia.
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121 W. Nash St. Wilson, NC 27893
252-234-5952
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