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Smart Cities Update Edition
From the Council Office of Steve Rao
January 5, 2021
Urgent News Alerts
NC among one of the Seven States with Lowest Vaccination Rates.  63, 571 have received vaccination
(966 per 100,000 in population/1 % population) 
Wake County Schools News
Wake County Schools Meeting today at 5:30 pm to discuss in person versus remote learning

Morrisville News
Morrisville Roads Update
Morrisville Carpenter Road Widening Project to Begin on Jan 11. Target Date for Completion Summer 2022.

Sign-up for text updates through Morrisville’s Everbridge platform:

Contact Vinod Korategere, Senior Capital Projects Manager with the Town of Morrisville’s Engineering Department, with questions by calling (919) 463-6147 or emailing vkorategere@townofmorrisville.org.
Vote for the Town of Morrisville, NC as a Readiness Challenge Winner
The Town of Morrisville plans to use sensors and controls to optimize a Connected Park Initiative and Smart Corridor Initiative.

If your city would like to learn from these projects vote for the Town of Morrisville!  https://smartcitiescouncil.com/article/smart-cities-council-announces-finalists-first-readiness-cohorts-2021

3 things to know about the Town of Morrisville

Follow the link to view all the Finalist videos and VOTE for that city whose projects could help all cities learn.

  • Voting closes on January 5 @ 5 pm ET
  • Readiness Cohort Leaders will be announced on January 11th and will receive a Collaborative Engagement in Q1 - 2021.

Thank you in advance for your participation.
MAFC Virtual Marathon! 
Sign up for the Morrisville MAFC Virtual Marathon!
Hometown Heroes
THE COVID 19 WARRIORS OF HSNC!
Hindu Society of North Carolina (HSNC) ran three Community Programs during Covid-19 pandemic as below,
 
  1. HSNC Food Program – Which recently achieved a major milestone of preparing and supplying 32000 hot and fresh food packs to Wake County Food Distribution Program (4 different sites in Wake County), Raleigh Homeless Shelter and Durham Rescue Mission. We prepare fresh vegetarian food in our commercial kitchen with the help of Community volunteers and donations. We run this food program three times a week.
  2. Stitched and provided over 6000 Mask in the initial phase of Covid-19 when mask was a rare commodity by HSNC Senior club Volunteers and
  3. Conduced five Covid-19 testing and screening camps (two more are scheduled in Jan-21)

Join me in thanking these Hometown Heroes! 
Important Updates
Information on the Covid 19 Vaccine rollout
ALL EYES ON GEORGIA SENATE RACE!
Trump and Republicans still challenging election results in Georgia and disrupting Democracy.

NC Assistance Programs
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that starting Jan. 4, households can apply for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program and the Crisis Intervention Program online at https://epass.nc.gov/
Covid19 News
CALIFORNIA REACHES Record 74,000 Covid 19 Deaths/Health Care System in SHOCK

2021 BOND REFERENDUM INPUT
2021 BOND REFERENDUM INPUT

Council is interested in learning how you would best invest tax-supported dollars on major capital improvements to make a difference in our growing community. Capital improvements are major large scale one-time investment projects requiring a form of debt financing to afford. They are not annual recurring operational expenses such as salaries, supplies, programs or professional services.

Please provide your input using the bond portal below to help in the development of ballot questions or project categories for the Morrisville 2021 Bond Referendum. Comments received through the portal will be included in the public record and provided to the Town Council. This is a input portal only. Town staff is not responding to individual comments or questions submitted using this form. If you have specific questions or need clarification related to the bond referendum, please email jhooks@townofmorrisville.org.
STIMULUS RELIEF BILL DETAILS
A second stimulus check of $600.00 are bring deposited in accounts and were sent on Dec. 30th to American citizens.

No deal on increasing amount to $2000.00.

Final Details of Current Deal:
  • Direct payment checks of up to $600 per adult and child. 
  • Aid for struggling small businesses, including more than $284 billion for forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans and $15 billion "in dedicated funding for live venues, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions"
  • Stimulus Checks: $600 for each Adult and for each Dependent.  
  • $300 per week for enhanced unemployment insurance benefits.
  • $325 billion for Small Business ($284 billion for PPP and $20 billion for Economic Injury Assistance Loans) 
  • $25 billion for rental assistance and an eviction moratorium extension. 
  • $82 billion for education providers like schools and colleges, including aid to help reopen classrooms safely.
  • Child care assistance: $10 billion 
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and child nutrition benefits: $13 billion 
  • Broadband access to help Americans connect remotely during the pandemic: $7 billion 
  • Vaccine distribution, testing and contract tracing efforts and health care workers: $20 billion. 
  • Rail and Transit: $1 Billion in Relief Funds to Amtrak.
  • Airline Assistance: $15 Billion to cover airline salaries and benefits through March..  
  • US Post Office: $10 billion in assistance. 
  • A tax credit "to support employers offering paid sick leave. 
UPCOMING EVENTS
Jan 6 - 8am Cary Chamber Economic Forecast!
Jan 6th Cary Chamber Economic Forecast! 8 am.
Jan 7 - 9am NC Bankers Economic Forecast
Jan 7  NC Bankers Economic Forecast  9- 11:30 am

Jan 12 - 6pm Town Council Meeting Virtual/Hybrid
PUBLIC COMMENT: submit public comment for a Town Council Regular - OR - Advisory Committee Meeting via email to publiccomment@townofmorrisville.org.  

Only one person at a time allowed in Council Chambers for Public Comments.  
Radio / TV
Radio Mirchi
Join me Sunday 4 PM on Radio Mirchi for another update on local issues.  

99.9FM HD4, 101.9 FM and 1490 AM! 
IBM TV
Join me Monday at 10 am on International Broadcast Media TV for a global for World Edition, an update on global politics.
NC Covid Dashboard:

Wake County Covid 19 Test Sites: https://covid19.wakegov.com/testing/
  • 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/.    
  • 1,390,660 NC citizens have applied for UI Benefits, 940, 019 have been paid benefits, and $9 billion of benefits have been issued.
  • Apply for Wake Forward program at https://covid19.wakegov.com/wakeforward/. 

The daily percent positive test rate for COVID-19 in North Carolina has jumped to a concerning 16.5%, the highest of the pandemic.

The high comes after Sunday's 13.6% rate and Saturday's 15.5% rate.

The state reported 5,187 new COVID-19 cases on Monday and there are 3,635 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19, also a new high.

There have been 6,941 deaths (an increase of 31 from Sunday's report) from COVID-19 and 570,111 total cases. 

Complete statistics are available on the state's COVID-19 dashboard.

CASES:
5,187 New Cases (18,800 in first two days of January)

+ N.C. = 570,111 Cases (Deaths = 6,941)
+ 16.5% Positive Rate
+ Wake County = 47,435 Cases (Deaths = 348)
+ US = 20.9 million Cases/354K deaths 
+ Worldwide 85.8 million/1.86 million deaths
+ Completed Tests: 7,119,201
+ 3,635 Hospitalized 
Office Hours
Council Member Rao holds office hours on Friday from 12:00-1:00 PM by appointment only at 100 Town Hall Drive in Morrisville. 

For more information or to schedule a time to speak with Council Member Rao, please email SRao@TownofMorrisville.org and copy Town Clerk Eric Smith, esmith@townofmorrisville.org, 463-6150.
Council Member Steve Rao
Town of Morrisville
Dedicated to transforming Morrisville into an ideal place to work and raise a family!
Learn more at: SteveRao.com