MID-CAROLINA Council of Governments Creative Regional Solutions April 30, 2020

News & Updates for the Mid-Carolina Region

Join our Mailing List

FOR YOUR INFORMATION Guide to COVID-19 Federal Funding Resources NC Main Street and Rural Planning Center COVID-19 Website Assistance to Firefighters Supplemental COVID-19 Grants SAFER Grants Fire Prevention and Safety Grant Continuity of Operations in a Crisis Fiscal Strategies During a Pandemic Webinar Forward Together: A Virtual Conference Rural Wealth Creation COVID-19 Webinar Rural Talk: An Advocacy Speaker Series Six Traits of Leaders Who Can Help During a Crisis Funding and Financing Strategies Webinar American Citizen Planner Program for Public Planning Officials County Uses School Buses to Provide Wi-Fi

Guide to COVID-19 Federal Funding Resources An interactive tool to help communities navigate the various federal funding resources included within the CARES Act is now available from Alchemy Community Transformations . Content can be searched by topic, applicant type, cost-share requirements, or funding type. Click here to access the tool.

NC Main Street and Rural Planning Center COVID-19 Website NC Department of Commerce's NC Main Street and Rural Planning Center recently launched a new website with updated COVID-19 resources and information. Click here to visit the website.

Assistance to Firefighters Supplemental COVID-19 Grants The Fiscal Year 2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, COVID-19 Supplemental (AFG-S) is a supplemental funding opportunity under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG). AFG is one of three grant programs that constitute the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) focus on enhancing the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards. The AFG-S Program accomplishes this by providing financial assistance directly to eligible fire departments, nonaffiliated emergency medical service (NAEMS) organizations, and State Fire Training Academies (SFTA) for critical personal protective equipment and supplies needed to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency . In awarding grants, the Administrator of FEMA is required to consider: Findings and recommendations of the Technical Evaluation Panel Extent of an applicant’s need for an AFG-S grant and the need to protect the US as a whole Number of calls requesting or requiring a firefighting or emergency medical response received by an applicant Eligible applicants include fire departments, nonaffiliated EMS organizations, and state fire training academies. The application deadline is May 15 and a local match is required .   All activities under this solicitation are limited to the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and supplies to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency. This includes reimbursement for expenditures made since January 1 . Click here for more information.

SAFER Grants The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program provides financial assistance to help fire departments increase response capacity. SAFER provides grants to support the hiring of firefighters and the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. Eligible agencies include county governments, municipal governments fire departments, and national, state, local, or federally recognized tribal organizations representing the interests of volunteer firefighters. The application deadline is May 15 . A local match is not required . However, applicants must develop a locally supported retention plan . Click here for more information.

Fire Prevention and Safety Grant The purpose of the Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant Program is to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards by supporting fire prevention programs and firefighter health and safety research and development. The program guidance document provides interested applicants with the details of the requirements, processing, and evaluation of applications. Eligible agencies include county governments, municipal governments, and fire departments. The application deadline is May 29 and a local match is required. Click here for more information.

Continuity of Operations in a Crisis The COVID-19 pandemic has forced everyone to adjust their operations and adapt to a remote workforce. Government leaders have been working hard to respond efficiently and empathetically to the crisis.  While there is no silver bullet in times of crisis other than hard work, collaboration, and preparedness, modern technology can help foster virtual two-way communications, maintain continuity of operations, and enable effective planning for ever-changing near and long term scenarios. Download this free guide and learn how modern technology can support your government during and in the aftermath of a crisis,

Fiscal Strategies During a Pandemic Webinar The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is hosting a free webinar, Fiscal Strategies During a Pandemic . The webinar is set for May 8 from 2:30pm until 4pm . City and county managers recognize that even as their costs have increased, their revenues are declining. What fiscal strategies can local leaders adopt to meet critical service demands while also looking ahead to develop a long-term financial plan? How can they engage with elected leaders, staff, and the broader community to plan for the changes ahead and new approaches to community services? ICMA has a team of experts from the private sector and local government to discuss strategies to prepare for both the short-term and long-term economic reality. Click here for more information and to register.

Forward Together: A Virtual Conference

You are invited to join Polco/National Research Center along with the International City/County Management Association, the National League of Cities, Engaging Local Government Leaders, and others for a virtual conference focusing on the future of local government in a post-COVID word. Discover and discuss essentials of good government now, into recovery, and beyond. The virtual conference is set for May 12 and May 14 . Click here to register.

Rural Wealth Creation COVID-19 Webinar On May 4 from 12noon until 1:30pm , the WealthWorks Rural Wealth Creation Network will hold a peer learning webinar focused on supporting local economies during and after the COVID-19 pandemic response. Participants will learn the basics of rural wealth creation as an economic development strategy, hear about federal resources available for communities, regions, and businesses, and hear from economic development and business assistance practitioners on how they are taking action now and making future plans to support their economies.   Rural wealth creation is an approach to community and economic development that is demand-driven, focusing on market opportunities that capitalize on a community’s existing assets or underutilized resources. Wealth creation is intentionally inclusive, building lasting livelihoods for those who may not have been at the table before, and supports local ownership and control of assets. This economic development framework is the subject of a series of case studies completed by the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Research Foundation in 2019.   Rural wealth creation peer learning webinars are organized by the NADO Research Foundation in partnership with the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) and the network of WealthWorks Hub technical assistance providers. This webinar is supported by the US Department of Agriculture. Registration is free. Click here for more information and to register.

Rural Talk: An Advocacy Speaker Series A message from our friend Patrick Woodie, President of the NC Rural Center... We are committed to empowering our rural advocates with the tools necessary to make their voices heard. In response to COVID-19 and in an effort to deliver the most timely and actionable information possible, the NC Rural Center has transitioned our upcoming June 2020 Rural Day from an in-person event to a virtual speaker series - and you’re invited!  Rural Talk: An Advocacy Speaker Series is a 5-part webinar series hosted by the NC Rural Center’s advocacy program, Rural Counts. Rural Talk will bring together the voices, expertise, and perspectives from thought leaders at the national, state, and local levels, representing the public, nonprofit, private, and philanthropic sectors to discuss key issues affecting rural North Carolinians - broadband, entrepreneurship and small business development, health, water and wastewater infrastructure, and housing.  Panels will take place every Thursday at 11am from May 7 through June 4 . A moderator will ground each session in the latest data and research surrounding the issue, and expert panelists will then further speak to the issue, policy solutions, and local innovations. We recognize, too, that there exists a nexus between our Rural Talk topics and the ongoing challenges of COVID-19, and our panelists will address how these issues intersect. Each one-hour session will consist of a 45 minute discussion, followed by a Q&A period.  The decision to host a virtual speaker series was made with the health and safety of our rural advocates in mind. We are intimately aware of the challenges and disparities rural communities face regarding broadband access, so each session will feature a call-in option. We are also exploring other ways to make this information more accessible in light of the complex set of challenges presented by COVID-19.   Now more than ever, rural NC needs dedicated and informed advocates like you. We hope you can join us for these conversations, as they take on additional urgency and relevance in this time of uncertainty and change. Visit the Advocacy & Research Section of the Rural Center website for up-to-date information about session topics, speakers, submit questions for panelists, and to register.  Hope to see you all in May!

Six Traits of Leaders Who Can Help During a Crisis Trustworthy team players who "are relational thinkers who construct ideas by joining concepts from different disciplines" can help organizations during and after a crisis - as long as leaders can identify such talent, writes John Baldoni. He notes the late George Marshall and other generals of World War II, most of whom were initially overlooked by commanders but proved themselves after war broke out. Click here to read the full article.

Funding and Financing Strategies Webinar The Environmental Finance Center Network and the Smart Management for Small Water Systems Program is hosting a webinar that will focus on funding and financing strategies for integrated hazard mitigation and water resource plans. The webinar is set for May 27 from 2pm until 3pm . In light of increasing development, ever-changing conditions, increasingly stressed infrastructure, and growing financial pressures, integrating hazard mitigation and water quality-focused resource management is becoming more and more important to the success of water systems and other public-serving entities. This webinar will provide strategies for incorporating funding and financial strategies into integrated plans and explore various solutions for how local communities can pay for water resource projects. Click here to learn more and to register.

American Citizen Planner Program for Public Planning Officials Land Use Planning Community of Practice , an organization affiliated with the eXtension Foundation and the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals , has announced the launch of the American Citizen Planner Program (ACP) . The ACP program is accepting registrations for its two courses and the national examination. ACP provides training for volunteer public planning officials. The online program is designed to help those serving on planning commissions as well as other citizen volunteers interested in land use planning. An informational webinar is scheduled for May 12 at 3pm . Staff from Michigan State University and Purdue University have been instrumental in developing the course curriculum. Click here for more information.

FL County Uses School Buses to Provide Wi-Fi The Polk County, FL Board of Education has deployed 50 school buses outfitted with wireless routers around the county to help as many students as possible have internet access during the pandemic. The district has also distributed 23,000 of 60,000 available laptops and tablets to students. Click here to read more.

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 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.