My Message: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/10157710883116360/?t=31

The FDA and CDC are recommending a pause in the US roll-out of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine after six women developed rare blood clots and one died after receiving the shot.

Seven million people in the US have had the one-shot vaccine.

https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/10157710909536360/?t=23

We pray for Minneapolis and for the family of Dante Wright. Protests continue in light of tragic shooting.

Town Administrative Offices Are Now Open/Town Council has returned to Hybrid Council Meetings. (See Upcoming Meeting Section) 

Town administrative offices reopened to the public on Monday, April 5. Members of the public will be required to sign in each time they visit an office. Town leadership is continuing to make decisions based on the most recent guidance from the NC Department of Health and Human Services, and further information about Town operations will be announced soon in my next newsletter.

Congrats to Hideki Mutsuyama becomes first Japanese Man to win Masters!

Prince Phillip, Consort to Queen, dies at 99.

Funeral on Saturday.

North Carolina Tennis Legend Andy Andrews visits Panther Creek Boys and Girls Teams!  I was honored to bring him as a guest speaker to share his advice on tennis and the game of life!

Listen to Andy's message: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/10157701287066360

We will miss Ron Sanyal and pray for his family.

April is Community College Month, and that presents a great opportunity to get the word out about why community colleges matter, how your college is serving your community's needs today, and why public support for our colleges is more important than ever. Our Community Colleges are playing a vital role in training our citizens for the jobs of the future. Community colleges are also doing more to help right now than ever before, and serving as vital lifelines to help people meet basic food, housing and other needs, and providing healthcare professionals and medical equipment to communities.

Community College Month is your opportunity to demonstrate the vital importance of your college, and to make an undeniable case for why your college deserves greater public support.

Did you know, Wake Tech serves a little more than 70,000 students annually -- 30,781 students in degree programs and 39,314 students in non-degree programs.

This picture was taken at the Ribbon Cutting of Wake Tech RTP pre pandemic!

Discover how the college is making an impact: https://bit.ly/3wwcOm7!

Join us at 4 pm on Tuesday, April 13th at 4 pm as we kick off our National Community College Month Series with Wake Tech President Dr. Scott Ralls as he talks about the Role of the Modern Day Community College in creating jobs and training our workforce in a disruptive, Post Covid Economy.   He also will update on the exciting work and programs going on at Wake Tech and Wake Tech RTP!

This will be a great event that you will not want to miss!  Next week we will have Wake Tech RTP Provost and Dean, Keith Babuszek! Stay Tuned!

Streamed Live at https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao and aired on Sunday, April 20th at 4 pm on Radio Nyra on 1490 AM, 99.9FMHD4, and 101.9 FM (Durham).

Thursday April 15th at 10 am Dr. Scott Ralls Guest on World Edition IBM TV  Watch live at www.ibmtv.tv!

My Thoughts on Zero Slater Road: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/10157710921581360/?t=26

Over the past few weeks, I have received a number of emails, regarding concerns about the rezoning of Zero Slater Road.  I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you my reasons for supporting the project. The applicant, Dominion Realty has worked with our staff and council to address the concerns about overcrowded, schools, impact on our transportation infrastructure, and is investing in our Parks funds.  In addition, they have agreed to work with the Town to invest in adding to our inventory of affordable housing, which I believe is consistent with our goal of being an inclusive Community.

We are all on the same team and although we may not agree on every issue, I am confident that we are stronger as a Town, when we all come together as one Morrisville community, addressing our growth challenges together.

In the midst of so many emails, social media posts sent out by HOA’s, I wanted to share with each of you unbiased, data and facts surrounding this decision.

It is important to understand that the rezoning is for one parcel only. It is tempting to describe this as two projects, but that is not the reality. The acreage is one tax parcel and is owned by one entity. The seller is selling the entire acreage, not just half.

Currently, the entire acreage is zoned Medium Density Residential (MDR). The current Future Land Use Map designations for this property are Business Activity Center for the area north of Slater Road and High Density Residential for the area south of Slater Road. This is coming from the Land Use Map that Council adopted unanimously in February. For reference, the 2009 Future Land Use Map designated the entire acreage for Regional Activity Center.

The requested rezoning is consistent with the latest version of the Future Land Use Map. On the north side, the rezoning would change the current MDR zoning to Business Activity Center (BAC). The zoning conditions limit the amount of office on this site to no more than 137,500 sf.

On the south side, the rezoning would change the current MDR district to High Density Residential (HDR). The original zoning condition limited the multifamily unit count of 237 units. Based on concerns Council expressed about the amount of multifamily, the developer reduced the number of dwelling units allowed by 10% to 207, and then again finally to 199. The developer also increased the streetscape on the multifamily side by 25%.

Additionally, because of the expressed concern about overcrowding the school system, the developer added a condition which would limit the total number of units with more than 1 bedroom to no more than 50% of the total units. So, no more than 99 units could have 2 bedrooms. Because 1 bedroom and studio apartment units are not usually suitable for families with school-aged children, this condition greatly limits the potential impact to the school system.

Finally, the developer added a condition that 15 of the units will be offered at a rental rate which is affordable at the 80% AMI level for a period of 15 years. In the condition, the developer has made itself responsible for the continued implementation of this affordability aspect be requiring annual reporting to the Town about rental rates. While affordable housing may not be the concern of every Council member, this commitment by the developer comes at a great value to the Town. A rough estimate of the cost to develop just those 15 units is about $3.5 million.

The rezoning also commits to significant investments into the Town’s public infrastructure. The estimated cost of public infrastructure which this project would be providing is around $950,000.00. Just under $1 Million for infrastructure being installed. This figure includes the installation of:

The developer also committed to a $15,000 contribution for the installation of a traffic light which the Traffic Impact Analysis found was not recommended for this project.

Additionally, based on the current fee schedule, this project will contribute $446,556 to the Town’s parkland fund.

All the above fees can fairly be described as going towards public infrastructure. There are, of course, other fees associated with any project. An estimated $280K in fees to the Town or Morrisville, $850K to the Town of Cary for water and sewer, and around $10K to Wake County, plus a performance bond around $330K all will be required with this project.

The estimated overall tax value of this project is around $81 Million. The annual tax bill (Wake + Morrisville) for something like that could be around $700K to $730K.

I wanted to thank all of the citizens who have been so engaged and shared your concerns about overcrowded schools.

Moving forward, we can address this concern by working with the Towns of Cary, Apex and Durham, to make sure that development plans are looked at regionally and continue to advocate to the General Assembly for nor reducing class sizes without providing the public school system more money.  We also need to support more School Construction Bonds at the County Level and I support the request of the Wake County School System for the County Commission to increase school funding by $28 million.

Finally, I would also be in favor of Impact Fees placed on Developers, which could ensure that Development would pay for school construction to meet the demands of rapid growth.

Over the past few weeks, I have been hosting listening sessions and Focus Groups across the Town with the Business Community, Neighborhoods, Technology Leaders/CEOs, and entrepreneurs, and HOAs to get your feedback to develop a Long Term Vision for the Town.

I am still considering how I will continue to serve the citizens of Morrisville, either running for the same At Large Seat, and based on many citizens’ request across the Town, have put together an Exploratory Committee for Mayor as I explore serving in another role on the Council.

The election could be delayed until 2022, which will also affect my decision as I am weighing my options for the future in how I can continue to serve the citizens of North Carolina, whether in local or state government. I will make my final decision after the election date is set and would be honored to continue to serve the citizens of Morrisville and the Triangle region.

Either way, I want to thank all of the citizens for allowing me to serve you or the past decade, both as an At Large Council Member and a former Mayor Pro Tem (2015-2017)

Every week, I will be sharing a Play from the Morrisville Playbook which will transform us to be the number one Town to Live, Work, and Play in the country.

It is time to imagine what the Mosaic of Morrisville can be, a nonpartisan, coalition of diverse, engaged citizens, bringing out the best in each other, so we can be the Champions of the World!

Please email me to sr@steverao.com to set up a Listening Session and Stay tuned for our Play of the Week, over the weekend or early next week.

Thanks to Eastern Carolina Medical Center, and the Hindu Society of North Carolina for hosting another successful Covid Vaccination Clinic with doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine provided by such an excellent Staff.  In addition, Eastern Carolina Medical Center offered another 400 doses of Pfizer this past Sunday from 4 pm to 7 pm in Benson.

3300 were Vaccinated at HSNC!

I will send out information on the next clinic, which will most likely be on April 30.

Weekly Update: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/10157710883116360/?t=31

Streamed Live at www.townofmorrisville.org and https://www.facebook.com/TownOfMorrisville/.  

Public Comments sent to publicomments@townofmorrisville.org by 3 pm.  

Streamed Live at www.townofmorrisville.org and https://www.facebook.com/TownOfMorrisville/.  

The Town of Morrisville is excited to announce that a six-month pilot of a new community engagement platform, Engage Morrisville, has launched! Engage Morrisville is a place for residents and businesses to get involved by sharing ideas and feedback on a variety of projects and topics affecting the Morrisville community. The new platform allows members of the community to participate and contribute to important selected community decisions from anywhere at any time.

Active projects that have already launched on the new platform include:

Community members can visit https://engagemorrisville.com/ to register and start providing their input on these and future important projects.

The new Morrisville Senior Center, located in the McCrimmon Corners Shopping Center at 4117 Davis Drive, is now open! A variety of programs are offered, and walkthroughs are available during our standard hours of operation. Due to COVID-19, all visits and programs will be limited, requiring registration to maintain a safe environment for our participants. Programs through April 17 are listed. For details on the Center’s programs, hours, and sign-up options.

For more information and sign up for tours, click here: https://www.townofmorrisville.org/government/departments-services/parks-recreation-cultural-resources/morrisville-senior-center

Saturday, April 24 is Morrisville’s Green Day! From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Church Street Park, Morrisville will have a socially-distanced, touch-free collection event. Document shredding and an opportunity to recycle electronics (including laptops), fats, oils, grease and textiles will be provided.

Expired medications may be dropped off on-site with the Morrisville Police Department during the event as part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day (April 24).

Save the date and visit www.townofmorrisville.org/greenday for details and updates as they are published.

My Message: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/10157710909536360/?t=23

Wake County Public School System Superintendent Cathy Q. Moore is recommending a $28.2 million budget increase from Wake County commissioners, what would amount to a 5.5% county funding increase, mostly to address students’ emotional health.

The school board will consider Moore’s $1.9 billion budget proposal over the next month before submitting a final proposal to the commissioners. The budget is mostly state funding, accounting for nearly $1.1 billion next year. The county’s contribution is about 28% of the proposed budget, or $544.2 million. Other local funds comprise $63.6 million, and federal funds make up $259 million.

More than a third of the county’s more than $1.4 billion budget goes to the school district.

The school board will consider Moore’s $1.9 billion operating budget proposal over the next month before submitting a final proposal to the commissioners. The county's current contribution to the budget is $527.9 million.

Moore wants to make permanent a one-time $11.9 million budget increase the county gave the school district last spring during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also wants to add $16.3 million to, among other things, increase the number of school counselors, psychologists and social workers.

The General Assembly gave unanimous approval to the "Summer Learning Choice for Families" also known as House Bill 82, which would require school districts to offer six weeks of learning recovery and enrichment after the school year ends.

The bill aims to "mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on at-risk students and to require the implementation of innovative benchmark assessments.

For students in kindergarten through third-grade, in-person instruction would focus on reading and math. There would be more focused science instruction for third-grade students. Students in fourth through eighth grade, in-person instruction would focus on reading, math and science as well as at least one enrichment activity.

Thirty-nine community health centers in North Carolina will receive $161,988,125 in American Rescue Plan funding to support COVID-19 vaccination and services for vulnerable populations, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced.

Health centers will be able to use the funds to support and expand COVID-19 vaccination, testing, and treatment for vulnerable populations; deliver needed preventive and primary health care services to those at higher risk for COVID-19; and expand health centers' operational capacity during the pandemic and beyond, including modifying and improving physical infrastructure and adding mobile units. This investment will help increase access to vaccinations among hard-hit populations, as well as confidence in the vaccine by empowering local, trusted health professionals in their efforts to expand vaccinations.

President Joe Biden on Wednesday introduced a sweeping $2 trillion infrastructure and jobs package that looks to reshape the American economy and make the most significant domestic U.S. investments in generations.

His far-reaching American Jobs Plan includes spending to repair aging roads and bridges, jump-start transit projects and rebuild school buildings and hospitals. It would also expand electric vehicles, replace all lead pipes and overhaul the nation’s water systems.

But the plan goes far beyond infrastructure.

It’s as much a jobs program – one that looks to build the nation’s clean energy workforce, expand manufacturing and boost caregiving as a profession to serve the elderly and disabled.

My Message: https://www.facebook.com/kimberly.h.calhoun/videos/10158619248896429/?t=145

The plan, the centerpiece of Biden’s economic agenda, will next need to pass Congress, where Republicans are already lining up against it.

According to White House, the plan is divided across four main areas. Here is how the money would be spent:

The plan would make a massive investment in America's roadways, railways and bridges with a focus on clean energy.

It would spend $174 billion, or about 28% of the transportation portion, on electric vehicles. That includes a network of 500,000 electric vehicle stations, using electric vehicles in bus fleets, and replacing the federal government's fleet of diesel transit vehicles with electric vehicles. It would also offer tax incentives and rebates for electric cars.

About $115 billion would pay for fixing roads and bridges, chosen by those in most need of repair. That includes 20,000 miles of highways and roads, the 10 most "economically significant" bridges in the U.S. as well as 10,000 smaller bridges.

Another $85 billion is set aside for modernizing transit systems and $80 billion for a growing backlog of Amtrak repairs as well as improvements and route expansion. Airports, ports and waterways would also receive improvements.

The largest part of the plan focuses on American homes, school buildings, underground water infrastructure and broadband expansion.

The plan would spend $213 billion to build, preserve and retrofit more than 2 million affordable homes and commercial buildings. This includes the construction or rehabilitation of 500,000 homes for low- and middle-income owners. An additional $111 billion would go toward clean drinking water, including replacement of all lead pipes and service lines.

The plan sets aside $100 billion for constructing or modernizing public schools, while another $100 billion would be used to build high-speed broadband networks throughout the country. The goal would be for broadband to become universal for all Americans and to drive down the costs for internet.

The plan also calls for $40 billion to improve public housing, $18 million for Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics, $12 billion for community college infrastructure and $16 million to plug oil and gas wells and reclaim abandoned mines.

Biden wants to pump $400 billion to improve access to quality, affordable home or community-based care for the elderly and people with disabilities. It would expand a Medicaid program to make more services available and eliminate a backlog that prevents thousands from getting care.

It would also boost pay for care workers, who are disproportionately women of color and typically earn about $12 an hour.

"For too long, caregiver have been unseen, underpaid and undervalued," Biden said.

About $300 billion in the plan would be invested in manufacturing, including support for domestic production of technologies and critical goods. Around $50 billion would go toward semiconductor manufacturing and research.

The plan would spend $180 billion on new research and development with an emphasis on clean energy, fewer emissions and climate change research. That total includes $100 billion for worker training and an increase of worker protection systems.

"We've fallen back," Biden said of U.S. investment in research and technology. "The rest of the world is closing in and closing in fast. We can't allow this to continue."

Biden wants to raise the corporate tax rate to 28% to pay for the plan. That's the percentage corporations paid before President Donald Trump's tax cuts in 2017. Biden also wants to increase the minimum tax on U.S. multinational corporations to 21%.

The tax overhaul, dubbed the Made in America Tax Plan, seeks to incentivize job creation and investment in the U.S., end profit-shifting to tax havens and ensure large corporations pay "their fair share," according to the White House.

The plan would eliminate a rule that allows U.S. companies to pay no taxes on the first 10% of returns when they locate investments in other countries.

Under the tax hikes and other reforms – eliminating tax loopholes for intellectual property and denying companies deductions for offshoring jobs, for example – the White House projects the spending would be fully paid in 15 years and reduce deficits in the following years.

To Secure an appointment, please visit https://myspot.nc.gov/, https://covid19.wakegov.com/vaccine/

Find a County Vaccination site at https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/where-can-I-get-the-covid-19-vaccine-in-my-county/19466004/

Wake County: Wake County Public Health Vaccine Hotline 919-250-1515.  It is now available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or visit website at https://covid19.wakegov.com/vaccine!

Durham County: 919-635-8150 or email at DCoCOVIDvaccines@dconc.gov. 2-1-1 or 888-892-1162.

Duke Raleigh Hospital at (19) 620- 5167.

Process is to Call or visit website, join the waiting list, receive notification, and get your Vaccination Appointment!

To set up an Appointment with any County Department, please visit covid19.ncdhhs.gov/findyourspot

Walgreens will offer Covid 19 Vaccine in 300 Stores (31,200 doses) in North Carolina starting on Feb 12 as a distributor under the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program and is planning to distribute 1 million doses of the Moderna Vaccine.  For more information, sign up at walgreens.com/findcare/vaccination/covid-19.

Central NC Locate a Vaccination Clinic by County

Select North Carolina Publix pharmacies have open COVID-19 vaccine appointments.
Vaccinations are provided to people ages 18 and older.  Publix pharmacies in Buncombe, Cabarrus, Catawba, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Haywood, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Wake and Watauga counties will open up appointments for the Moderna vaccine.

For Wake County Covid 19 Testing Sites, please visit https://covid19.wakegov.com/testing/.

Wake County will not Administer J & J Vaccines at Public Sites. 

Wake County Public Health will not administer Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines at any of its four mass vaccination sites. (PNC Arena, Departure Drive, The Human Services Center on Departure DriveArena;Wake County Public Health Center on Sunnybrook Road; and Wake County Commons Building.

However, the health department will instead be utilizing smaller strike teams to distribute the one-shot vaccine strategically throughout the week.

This announcement comes a few days after Wake County paused the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after a handful of allergic reactions to it. The CDC has since reaffirmed the vaccines safety. 

Appointments are available in Halifax County for anyone ages 18 and older who wants a COVID-19 vaccination. Appointments are preferred however, walk-ups are accepted.

The Fayetteville-based health provider said this week's COVID-19 vaccine appointments are only 15 percent filled. These are appointments to get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Johnson and Johnson vaccine supplies are more sporadic, so Cape Fear Valley Health has been using them at walk-in clinic when available.

Make an Appointment: https://www.capefearvalley.com/coronavirus/index.aspx

Thursday, April 15, 2021 - 10:00am to 11:00am  

Register at https://bernhardcapital.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJItcemtrzgsHNZF-wz0F1-A3OmYr36KA96n

Communities across North Carolina are facing a multitude of challenges, including the need for substantial investment in infrastructure (estimated between $17 – $26 billion over the next 20 years) and pressure to assume more responsibility for infrastructure spending. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic poses new challenges for municipalities who are faced with the loss of sales tax revenue and sharp declines in utility revenue collections.

North Carolina Municipal Services, a Bernhard Capital company, partners with cities by investing in their municipal infrastructure and utilities. Bernhard Capital is a service and infrastructure-focused private equity management firm established in 2013 by Shaw Group founders Jim Bernhard and Jeff Jenkins and includes utility experts who have served in executive roles for some of the top utility companies in the United States. 

Join TJCOG and North Carolina Municipal Services to learn about their approach to improving communities through investments in local infrastructure and social initiatives while developing innovative solutions in partnership with local municipalities

Apr. 17 at 10 am Purple Stride Virtual Walk Opening Ceremony.  Wear Purple and Take Pictures!

In response to the rise in anti-Asian violence, join us for our in-person Lobby day in Raleigh NC Legislature building to advocate for better data collection of bias-motivated incidents and crimes, facilitated by the mandatory reporting requirement of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. (Currently sponsored by Senator Jay Chaudhuri, Senator Mujtaba Muhammed and Senator Valerie Foushee)

Sign-on and pre-register at: ncaatinaction.org/nctogether-partners

Join us on April 21 at 2pm for the Annual North Carolina Veteran Business Association Annual Meeting.  I look forward to Moderating this event, and am honored to serve on the Board!

Register at https://www.ncvetbiz.org/!

Join me Sunday 4 PM on Radio Mirchi for another update on local issues.

99.9FM HD4, 101.9 FM and 1490 AM!

Join us every Friday on World Edition at 10 am for the Great America Project Panel where we discuss how we rebuild Americas' image with leaders from around the country and world.