Robert Hiett
Executive Director
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Creating Regional Solutions Since 1971 | |
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Respond to Regional Food System
Survey for Local Governments
As one of North Carolina’s top industries that brought in $93 billion dollars to the state’s economy in 2020 and was responsible for 17.5 percent of the state’s total jobs, agriculture and associated industries are essential in our economic plans. The Upper Coastal Plain, Kerr-Tar, and Triangle J Councils of Governments have identified regional food system development as a key strategy in our regions to help drive economic development. This three COG partnership promotes rural-urban connectivity, explores strategies to circulate more money in the local economy and build on farm and food business retention and expansion efforts to increase the economic vitality, equity and resilience of our region. As partners in this work, it is integral to hear from you and your colleagues about your experience and interest in food system development in your community by answering this short ten question survey.
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Greater Rocky Mount, Greenville, & Wilson Area Regional Transit Plan
North Carolina has experienced significant population growth in the last decade and this growth is impacting where, how, and why people travel around the state. The goal of the Greater Rocky Mount, Greenville, & Wilson Area Regional Transit Plan (RTP) is to plan for public transportation needs in a consistent and coordinated manner for the diverse population included in the ten counties of the Greater Rocky Mount, Greenville, & Wilson Area Coordinated Region.
Link to survey:
Regional Transit Plan | Greater Rocky Mount, Greenville, & Wilson AreaOnline Survey (surveymonkey.com)
The Greater Rocky Mount, Greenville, & Wilson Area Coordinated Region covers ten counties:
- Beaufort
- Bertie
- Edgecombe
- Halifax
- Herford
- Martin
- Nash
- Northampton
- Pitt
- Wilson
The Regional Transit Plan will analyze population and demographic data, travel trends, current transit services, as well as prior policies and plans to complete a regional assessment.
To augment the data analysis, public and stakeholder engagement activities will include stakeholder interviews, discussion groups, public meetings, and a virtual room housing various project details. A Coordinating Committee, with representatives from each county, will oversee the project’s engagement process.
Once the needs of the community are understood, a set of potential transportation solutions will be developed. The prospective solutions will be evaluated and prioritized into a five-year plan. A financial plan will also be developed.
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Most Growth in Triangle and along NC's Coast
The 2022 Population Estimates show that the population of North Carolina grew by 1.3% between July 1st 2021 and July 1st 2022. Among North Carolina’s 100 counties, 74 experienced population growth. The majority of counties grew from people moving in (migration) rather than from having more births than deaths, which is what demographers call natural increase.
74 counties grew between July 2021 and July 2022
North Carolina overall grew by an estimated 1.3% between July 1st 2021 and July 1st 2022. Twenty-five of North Carolina’s counties grew on par with or faster than North Carolina overall. The counties with the highest levels of growth were concentrated in the Triangle area and on the coast. The fastest estimated population growth was seen in Brunswick County (5.7%) followed by Currituck (4.4%), Pender (4.2%), Franklin (3.8%), and Lincoln (3.6%).
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North Carolina named Top State for Business for second consecutive year
By
BusinessNC
07/11/2023
North Carolina wins bragging rights as America’s Top State for Business for the second year in a row from the business news channel CNBC. It’s only the second time a state has received the top spot back-to-back since CNBC started the rankings in 2007.
North Carolina ranked No. 1 in Workforce – the most important category in this year’s study – based on educated workers flocking to the Tar Heel state and its worker training programs. North Carolina also boasts the third-best economy with solid growth, stable state finances and a healthy housing market, according to the report.
“We invest in our people. We know they are the foundation of our success,” Gov. Roy Cooper told CNBC’s Scott Cohn on a live broadcast Tuesday from the lawn of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville.
Cooper touted the state’s community college system and its private and public universities, including the nation’s largest number of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He said the state needs to invest more in early childhood education, child care and public schools to earn a three-peat of the award.
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Funding Opportunites and Resources | |
OUR TOWN: Program Description
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is proud to support the nation’s arts sector with grant opportunities so that together we can help everyone live more artful lives. “Artful lives” is an inclusive concept that holds everything from the creation, presentation, and consumption of professional arts to active arts engagement by all people in our daily experiences through making, teaching, learning, and advancing a broad range of art forms that express our nation’s rich and diverse cultural tapestry. The arts contribute to our individual well-being, the well-being of our communities, and to our local economies. As we emerge from the pandemic and plan for the future, the arts are also crucial to helping us make sense of our circumstances from different perspectives.
Our Town
Arts, culture, and design are essential to building strong communities where all people can thrive. Through Our Town, the NEA is proud to support creative placemaking projects that integrate arts, culture, and design into local efforts that strengthen communities over the long-term. The program demonstrates the ways in which artists, culture bearers, and designers can help to:
- Bring new attention to or elevate key community assets and issues, voices of residents, local history, or civic infrastructure;
- Inject new or additional energy, resources, activity, people, or enthusiasm into a place, community issue, or local economy;
- Envision new possibilities for a community or place—a new future, a way of approaching a new opportunity, overcoming a challenge, or problem-solving;
- Connect communities, people, places, and economic opportunity through physical spaces or new partnerships and relationships; or
- Honor traditions shaped by the lived experience of a community’s residents, such as music, dance, design, crafts, fashion, cuisine, and oral expression.
Our Town projects engage a wide range of local stakeholders in efforts to advance local economic, physical, or social outcomes in communities. Competitive projects are responsive to unique local conditions, authentically engage communities, advance artful lives, and lay the groundwork for long-term systems change. (Systems changes can include, for example: establishment of new and sustained cross-sector partnerships; shifts in institutional structure, practices or policies; replication or scaling of innovative project models; or establishment of training programs).
The program requires applicants to demonstrate committed leadership from the local level and evidence of a diverse group of local stakeholders engaged in the proposed project. Applicants must demonstrate a required partnership in order to be eligible to apply for funding.
We welcome applications from a variety of eligible organizations, including first-time applicants; from organizations serving communities of all sizes, including rural, urban, and tribal communities; and from organizations with small, medium, or large operating budgets. The Our Town program funds projects that aim to strengthen communities, and activities may engage any artistic discipline(s).
Grants range from $25,000 to $150,000, with a minimum nonfederal cost share/match equal to the grant amount.
Projects
Our Town projects must demonstrate a specific role for arts, culture, and design as part of strategies for strengthening local communities, ultimately centering equity and laying the groundwork for long-term systems change tailored to community needs and opportunities.
Our Town projects are intended to be catalytic. Projects may support new activities, or new phases of a previously funded or ongoing project, as well as establish new or deepen existing cross-sector partnerships. Projects may work to advance a specific local economic, physical, or social change. Or, a project may aim to address systems change directly.
Projects may include activities such as:
- Artist residencies; arts festivals; community co-creation of art; performances; and public art. These activities may honor traditions and customs shaped by the lived experiences of a community’s residents.
- Cultural planning; cultural district planning; creative asset mapping; and public art planning.
- Artist/designer-facilitated community planning; design of artist spaces; design of cultural facilities; and public space design.
- Creative business development and professional artist development.
For more information, review the list of recently funded Our Town grants.
Competitive Projects
Competitive projects will:
- Demonstrate a specific role for the arts, culture, and design to strengthen the local community.
- Pilot new arts, culture, and design activities that are led by a diverse range of local partners.
- Establish new or deepen existing cross-sector partnerships.
- Advance inclusive community engagement and community-desired outcomes for a place.
- Lay the groundwork for long-term systems change that sustains the integration of arts, culture, and design into strategies for strengthening communities over the long term.
- Demonstrate alignment with the NEA’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
For Fiscal Year 2024, we are particularly interested in arts, culture, or design projects that address health or well-being, transportation or infrastructure, or climate-related challenges within a community. View past Our Town projects that address these fields.
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NC Homeowner Assistance Fund Still Accepting Applications
Do you know someone who is past due on a mortgage and housing-related payments? The North Carolina Homeowner Assistance Fund may be able to help. The Fund, which was established through the American Rescue Plan of 2021, is designed to help prevent mortgage delinquencies, defaults, displacements, and foreclosures due to COVID-19. The program is still accepting applications and providing financial assistance.
For qualified homeowners who are past due on mortgage and housing-related payments by at least 30 days, the fund offers:
- Housing payment assistance for primary residence in North Carolina
- Assistance for mortgage reinstatement to catch up on late payments (first and second mortgages) or other housing-related costs due to a period of forbearance, delinquency, or default
- Assistance covering other housing-related costs such as homeowner’s insurance, flood insurance, mortgage insurance, homeowner’s association dues/fees or delinquent property taxes to prevent foreclosure.
Visit the program website for more information, to determine eligibility, and to apply for assistance: www.nchaf.gov.
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Upcoming Environmental Justice Funding Opportunities
Environmental Justice Funding Opportunities
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to invest 40 million dollars into Environmental Justice (EJ) grants across the country. The EPA’s funding opportunities are expected to award non-profits with grants ranging from $100,000-$500,000 and US Territories, local governments, and federally recognized tribal government with access to $20 million in funding through the State Environmental Justice Cooperative Agreement (SEJCA) Program. $50 million is dedicated to the creation of Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTAC), one-stop-shops dedicated to supporting environmental justice initiatives in under-served communities.
A 14 minute presentation from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality covering these funding opportunities can be found here.
Other Resources
· EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center
· EPA Grants
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SITE PROGRAM
Golden LEAF recognizes that rural and economically distressed communities must have sites available for development to attract new businesses and create opportunities for existing businesses to expand. To address this need, Golden LEAF created the SITE Program. Through this program, Golden LEAF will provide support to communities to identify potential sites for economic development, enable completion of due diligence on sites already identified, or extend public utilities to or conduct grading and clearing of sites for which due diligence has been completed. Golden LEAF will accept applications from organizations in all counties, but will prioritize awards within counties that have been persistently economically distressed (as demonstrated by County Tier status determined by the N.C. Department of Commerce) and in economically distressed, rural, and tobacco-dependent communities.
The SITE Program consists of the three phases described below. Communities will be able to participate in the program in any of the three phases, and a site may progress from Identification through to Development over time.
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SITE Program – Identification provides support to identify potential industrial sites in communities that do not currently have quality industrial sites to market.
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SITE Program – Due Diligence provides funding to complete eligible due diligence activities such as environmental assessments, archaeological analyses, and mapping.
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SITE Program – Development provides funding for public infrastructure and, for publicly owned sites, clearing and grading, to benefit sites that have completed the due diligence necessary to demonstrate that the site is suitable for development.
If you’re not sure which phase is right for your project, we have a few questions to help guide you.
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The NCDOT Integrated Mobility Division (IMD) and the Transportation Planning Division created an annual matching grant program – the Multimodal Planning Grant Program (MMPG) – to encourage municipalities to develop comprehensive bicycle plans and pedestrian plans. This program was initiated in January 2004 and is currently administered through NCDOT-IMD.
The Multimodal Planning Program has been successful in its 20 grant cycles - since 2004, 254 planning grants have been awarded. To date, a total of approximately $8 million has been allocated to 248 municipalities and 6 counties through this grant program.
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EDA accepting applications to support public planning and construction/renovation projects that advance job creation and economic development
The Economic Development Administration is a federal agency that provides grant funds to support a range of construction and non-construction activities which will advance economic development and enhance the competitive environment in which jobs can be created and private investment leveraged. Public entities, or nonprofit entities working in collaboration with local governments, looking for support to construct or renovate public assets, or to conduct analysis or regional technical assistance programs with clear economic development outcomes should consider EDA’s grant programs. EDA currently has a range of programs available. For further information, please go to https://eda.gov/funding-opportunities/.
North Carolina applicants are also encouraged to reach out to the NC EDA representative, Hillary Sherman at hsherman@eda.gov to discuss program requirements and processes and alignment with potential projects.
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$4.5 Million STEM Talent Challenge Funding Opportunity
Launched to Build a Robust STEM Talent Workforce for Emerging and Transformative Innovation Sectors
EDA is now accepting applications for its STEM Talent Challenge to support programs to train science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) talent and fuel regional innovation economies across the nation.
The $4.5 million competition will provide funding for programs that help build a robust STEM workforce in emerging and transformative sectors such as aerospace, aeronautics, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, among others.
Read more in today’s blog post.
Competitive applications will demonstrate how the program will develop or expand regional STEM workforce capacity to support entrepreneurial ventures, industries of the future, and other innovation-driven businesses.
Eligible applicants include cities, counties, states, other political subdivisions of states, and Tribal Nations; as well as non-profit organizations, public-private partnerships, federal laboratories or science/research parks, institutions of higher education, Economic Development Organizations, and consortia of the aforementioned with government support.
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PROTECT
Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Discretionary Grant Program Notice of Funding Opportunity
Summary
The vision of the PROTECT Discretionary Grant Program is to fund projects that address the climate crisis by improving the resilience of the surface transportation system, including highways, public transportation, ports, and intercity passenger rail. Projects selected under this program should be grounded in the best available scientific understanding of climate change risks, impacts, and vulnerabilities. They should support the continued operation or rapid recovery of crucial local, regional, or national surface transportation facilities. Furthermore, selected projects should utilize innovative and collaborative approaches to risk reduction, including the use of natural infrastructure, which is explicitly eligible under the program.
The NOFO can be found on grants.gov at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=347585.
More information on this NOFO and the PROTECT Program can be found at: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/protect/discretionary.
Applicant questions should be directed to: PROTECTdiscretionary@dot.gov
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Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program NOFO
Summary:
The purpose of this notice is to solicit applications for grants totaling of up to $700 million under the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program (CFI Program), established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (“Bipartisan Infrastructure Law” or “BIL”). The $700 million is divided into two separate grant categories: (1) up to $350 million for the Community Charging and Fueling Program Grants (Community Program), to strategically deploy electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, hydrogen fueling infrastructure, propane fueling infrastructure, and natural gas fueling infrastructure located on public roads or in other publicly accessible locations; and (2) up to $350 million for the Alternative Fuel Corridor Grants (Corridor Program), to strategically deploy charging and alternative fueling infrastructure located along designated alternative fuel corridors.
Click here to view the NOFO.
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Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program
Notice of Funding Opportunity
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) created the Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program, which makes $10 million available over five years to provide states, local governments, and tribal governments with grants to support project development leading to future applications to DOT credit or grant programs. The grants can support legal, technical, and financial advisors to help them advance infrastructure projects. The first notice of funding opportunity will include two fiscal years and will make $3.4 million available to eligible applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. Eligible project sponsors may receive grant funds to select advisors to assist with pre- development-phase activities, including:
• feasibility studies
• project planning
• revenue forecasting and funding and financing options analyses
• preliminary engineering and design work
• environmental review
• economic assessments and cost-benefit analyses
• public benefits studies
• statutory and regulatory framework analyses
• value-for-money (VFM) studies
• evaluations of costs to sustain the project
• evaluation opportunities for private financing and project bundling
The online application window will open from August 14 until September 27, 2023. For more information click on the following link:
https://www.transportation.gov/buildamerica/RuralandTribalGrants
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Governor Roy Cooper has developed a comprehensive strategy to build digital equity
across North Carolina, and the NCDIT Division of Broadband and Digital Equity is
executing that strategy to ensure that all North Carolinians have access to an affordable,
high-speed internet connection and have the devices and skills necessary to participate in
the modern digital economy.
The Digital Equity Survey focuses on the accessibility and affordability of digital devices
and the internet as well as digital skills needed to safely access online resources. Your
response will help ensure that we create an effective and comprehensive state digital
equity plan that addresses the digital equity needs of all North Carolinians.
The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. All responses will be
automatically captured as you work through the survey. No data will be released or used
that can identify participants. Participation is voluntary; you may choose not to answer any
or all questions and may stop at any time.
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DISASTER RESILIENCY, RESPONSE, RECOVERY: | |
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Upper Coastal Plain Council of Government (UCP) is providing planning and project management services in support of a statewide effort to expand the capacity of local governments susceptible to natural disasters so they can effectively plan for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from declared disaster events as well as restore and improve their communities.
To date, UCPCOG and partners worked with the NC Office of Recovery & resiliency’s RISE Program to develop a regional vulnerability assessment and portfolio of priority projects that strengthen regional resilience. This includes high-priority projects and a list of the actions needed to implement each proposed project.
Additionally, PDS staff have hired contractors to aid with:
- Disaster Recovery Financial Administration Training;
- Regional and local resilience priority planning;
- Water/sewer/stormwater project identification needs
- Food system resilience and response;
- Energy needs preparedness focused on microgrids for emergency services and shelters and electric vehicle charging infrastructure;
- Mapping, data, and GIS information storage;
- And funding source identification for project needs related to the items above.
Thirty-one (31) participants from across the 5 counties recently responded to our local government survey. Early analysis highlights include:
- The climate/disaster hazard that was recognized to be of the most concern for the region is severe storms;
- The infrastructures identified as the most at risk are stormwater, telecommunications/internet, and wastewater;
- The vast majority (90%) of respondents are interested in receiving further assistance on issues related to disaster resilience.
In the coming months we will be hosting finance, resiliency project priority planning, and topical workshops. We will also be offering one-on-one technical assistance, helping to facilitate peer-to-peer connectivity, and working with targeted community partners to address specific local needs including funding source identification. For more information or to stay engaged: Ron Townley, rtownley@ucpcog.org.
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Year of The Trail
Hot Summertime!
As the summer sun blazes across The Great Trails State – and almost everywhere else – the allure of the great outdoors and getting on the trail grows stronger than ever. While the cool comfort of air conditioning might be tempting, venturing out on our trails can offer a rejuvenating escape. With a dash of planning and preparation, you can experience the restorative power of trails, even in the heat of summer.
This month, we're celebrating the natural beauty of North Carolina's parks, an ideal launching pad for your adventures. Whether you explore your local neighborhood park or set foot in one of the 42 magnificent NC State Parks or one of the several national parks, we urge you to embrace the spirit of discovery.
With summer vacations and breaks from school, our trails are buzzing with activity...and lots of people. To enhance your experience, consider seeking out a trail less traveled. And while you're on your journey, please practice respectful trail etiquette. If parking becomes a challenge, remember the shared passion that brings us all here: our love for nature. Be nice, say, "Hello!" Instead of parking halfway on the road, consider seeking an alternative trailhead altogether or come back later in the day once the morning crowds have dispersed.
One of North Carolina's best-kept secrets is its abundance of water near trails. These creeks, rivers, and streams offer not only a welcome respite from the heat but also enchanting views of hundreds of waterfalls across the state. However, nature's beauty can be deceiving, so please always prioritize safety when near water or anywhere outdoors. For tips on waterfall and hiking safety, check out Visit NC’s guide here. Remember, the safest and most rewarding way to admire a waterfall is from the bottom. No picture – no matter how spectacular – is worth putting your life at risk. Planning a river expedition? Check out this video from NC State Parks.
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Across the U.S., there has been dramatic growth in solar over the past decade. According the Solar Market Insight Report, there are now more than 140 gigawatts of installed solar capacity, enough to power 25 million American homes. More than half of the new electricity generation built in 2022 was solar! Over the next 10 years, the industry is expected to grow by more than 5 times, reaching an installed capacity of more than 700 gigawatts by 2033.
As solar continues to grow, communities can expect to see an increasing number of proposed solar projects of all kinds, including rooftop solar, ground-mounted solar, community solar and utility-scale solar, as well as combinations of technologies including solar plus batteries and solar-powered electric vehicle charging. There are also new incentives for solar, EVs and building electrification that were passed as part of the Inflation Reduction Act that will further encourage homeowners and businesses to pursue these technologies. (This IRA calculator is a great tool for homeowners who want to see how they can benefit from the IRA!).
Local governments can play an important role in helping to support solar and reduce costs for residents. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, more than 65% of the cost of a solar energy system is not related to the hardware. These “soft costs” including costs associated with permitting, interconnection, financing, customer acquisition, and more. When local governments take action to reduce permitting and inspection time, streamline inspections, educate local residents, improve financing options and support group purchase programs, they can help drive down solar costs.
SolSmart is a national program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to recognize and support local governments that want to support solar in their communities. Local governments receive free technical assistance and can earn recognition (Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels) when they take action to encourage solar market growth. Since 2016, the program has helped nearly 500 communities earn designation. The SolSmart Program was recently extended to 2027 and expects to serve an additional 500 communities.
All cities, towns, counties and regional organizations are eligible to join SolSmart. If you are interested in SolSmart, visit www.SolSmart.org to learn more and click “Join SolSmart” to get started.
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The UNC School of Government's Community Economic Development program invites local governments to submit your development-related projects for free feasibility analysis by graduate students.
Past project examples include the analysis of the redevelopment potential of a historic former school, textile mill, and downtown building.
Under the supervision of UNC School of Government faculty and staff, students will conduct market research, feasibility analysis, and financial modeling to help communities understand how they can attract private investment into community revitalization projects across North Carolina.
In order to be considered for the fall semester, please submit your project idea by August 7th, 2023. For more information and to submit a project, visit this site: https://dfi.sog.unc.edu/projects/submit-community-revitalization-projects-for-grad-students/
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Need technical assistance? UNC Environmental Finance Center is here to help!
The UNC Environmental Finance Center offers free one-on-one technical assistance for small water systems. If you have an interest in our support, fill out our interest form here.
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ARP/CSLFRF Update
ARP Office Hours
Note that several of these are focused on special topics, including ARP BASICS, which is a 2-hour session targeted to those new(er) to ARP/CSLFRF.
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Friday, August 11, 8:30-10:30am -- ARP BASICS
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Wednesday, August 16, 12-1pm – Focus on Property Management
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Friday, August 25, 8:30-9:30am - Focus on DEQ/DWI Grants
ZOOM LOG IN
Here is the new Zoom Log in for all Office Hour Sessions:
https://zoom.us/j/95481909044?pwd=UlE2VHNhN2luS0JEYTJqeTZTMFRWdz09
Meeting ID: 954 8190 9044
Passcode: 779726
One tap mobile
+16469313860,,95481909044# US
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American Rescue Plan Act Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund: Preparing for the Audit
Published: 06/21/23
Author Name: Kara Millonzi
As detailed in previous posts, all NC counties and municipalities received federal grant funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recover Fund (ARP/CSLFRF). There are detailed expenditure guidelines, and compliance and reporting requirements for these grant funds. A local government’s auditor plays an important role in monitoring compliance with these requirements and flagging any issues during the annual audit process. Most NC local governments spent at least some of their ARP/CSLFRF funds this fiscal year, and it’s time to start preparing for the annual audit. The following is a summary of the ARP/CSLFRF grant and helpful resources for a local government and its auditor in preparing for this significant compliance check.
Brief Overview of ARP/CSLFRF
The ARP/CSLFRF is a federal grant program that provided funding to the state, counties, and municipalities for a mix of COVID-related and general government expenditures. Eligible projects are defined in four broad areas:
- Responding to COVID-19 and Its Negative Economic Impact
- Revenue Replacement
- Premium Pay
- Necessary Water, Wastewater, Stormwater, and Broadband Infrastructure
US Treasury has defined in detail what qualifies as lawful expenditures in each of these categories. And North Carolina local governments also must ensure that they have state law authority for the expenditures. (There are some expenditures authorized by the grant that are not authorized for NC local governments under state law.)
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ARP Service Line:
Resources Designed for NC Cities and Towns
The NC League of Municipalities is unveiling some new ARP service lines for towns and cities and will explain more about the services they will fund in an upcoming webinar titled: ARP Service Line: Resources Designed for NC Cities and Towns
The webinar is free and will be held on Wednesday, August 30th from 10:00 to 11:30 am and include a panel of the NCLM ARP team.
Here are some details about the webinar and what one could expect to learn:
Through a robust in-house staff and a network of statewide partnerships, NCLM is prepared to assist your local government with a suite of services in conjunction with your ARP spending. The resources available will shore up capacity questions, link you to additional funding, and address your specific needs.
Do you have questions or concerns related to any of the following? If so, this service line is for you.
Legal assistance
Strategy and approach
Need for additional grant funding
Eligibility and compliance guidance
Cybersecurity
Planning and engineering
Communication with your citizens
During this webinar, you’ll hear from each member of NCLM’s ARP team and learn how to begin taking advantage of these services. Please bring any questions you may have – we’ll be ready to answer.
It is free, but you must register! You can do that here: Meeting Home Page (nclm.org)
Registrants will have to have (or create) an NCLM account. That process is simple and free. If you do not have an account, you will be triggered to do so when following the registration link. If you need help remembering how to access your account and have difficulties registering for this event, please email arp@nclm.org or Julie Metz at jmetz@nclm.org. NCLM will be glad to get you squared away!
NCLM started an ARP webinar series in early 2023 to help achieve their Education & Communication goals, including one on Grants Management Best Practices, one on the April 30 2023 ARP Report, and most recently, How to Tell Your ARP Story that you can check out if you missed the live webinars.
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PREMIUM PAY NOT AN ELIGIBLE SLFRF USE FOR WORK PERFORMED AFTER APRIL 10, 2023
As of April 10, 2023, the COVID-19 public health National Emergency has ended. SLFRF recipients may use funds to provide premium pay to eligible workers performing essential work during the COVID-19 public health emergency (as defined in the SLFRF final rule), which ended when the COVID-19 National Emergency ended.
Now that the National Emergency has ended, SLFRF may not be used for premium pay to eligible workers for work performed after April 10, 2023. Recipients may continue to use SLFRF funds to provide premium pay to essential workers for work conducted before the termination of the National Emergency.
Aside from this change, following the end of the National Emergency, recipients generally can continue to make investments using their SLFRF funds without changes.
To learn more about how the end of the National Emergency impacts SLFRF eligible uses, please see the SLFRF frequently asked questions (FAQ #4.11). For information about the program, please see The State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds website. For general questions, please email SLFRF@treasury.gov.
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ARPA Funding and Your Annual Audit
With the close of the prior fiscal year, audit season has begun for local governments.
NC law requires every local government to obtain an audit as soon as possible after the close of the fiscal year.
This year, for the first time, ARPA expenditures may require your locality to obtain a special type of audit.
How do you find out what’s required? Here is a recent blog post from the UNC School of Government that outlines what exactly what type of audit is required by different levels of ARPA spending.
Just go to https://canons.sog.unc.edu/2023/06/american-rescue-plan-act-coronavirus-state-and-local-fiscal-recovery-fund-preparing-for-the-audit/
This blog post lays everything out in a tidy way, and it contains links to connect you with more detailed information.
It covers:
- What type of audit you may need based on your spending levels of state and federal funds
- What you need to do
- What your auditor needs to know and do
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Have you reviewed guidance and other resources and still have questions about getting started and administering your local ARPA funds? For technical assistance, please contact your Upper Coastal Plain Council Of Governments. We are here to help!
Betsy Kane, Senior Regional Planner, phone 252-234-5902
email: bkane@ucpcog.org
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NCWorks Career Center, Rocky Mount | |
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The Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration for the NCWorks Career Center, Rocky Mount on July 12. The center opened during the pandemic, when such a ceremony was not feasible. The event featured North Carolina Department of Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders as keynote speaker. DWS Assistant Secretary Chet Mottershead read a letter from Governor Cooper. Rocky Mount City Council member Lige Daughtridge presented a celebratory plaque to the center on behalf of the City. Also taking part in the program were Chamber of Commerce President & CEO David Farris and Turning Point Workforce Development Board Director Michael Williams. After the program, Career Center Manager Diane Thomas gave Secretary Sanders and others a tour of the facility, which serves the area of Nash, Edgecombe and Wilson counties.
Jobseekers and employers interested in workforce services can visit this terrific center at 793 Country Club Road, Rocky Mount, NC, or call 252-467-9300 or email EdgecombeNash@NCWorks.gov.
Kudos to all involved in this successful, long-awaited event!
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The United Health Foundation recently released the 2023 Senior Report, an annual review of the health of the nation’s older adults and a critical tool to help guide individuals, community leaders and policymakers to make decisions that are informed by reliable data. The report highlights successes and challenges older adults face in a broad range of health measures to help provide a portrait of the health and well-being of older adults throughout the United States. | |
Volunteering in Late Life May Protect the Brain, Research Finds
By Kristen Rogers, CNN
Published 1:25 PM EDT, Thu July 20, 2023
When Celia Barberena retired from a decades-long career in higher education in 2012, she was again presented with the dilemma of what she wanted to do with her life. Some see retirement as a time for waking up late and not feeling any pressure. But Barberena wanted a challenge, something to which she could dedicate her energy — so at 67, she decided that challenge was volunteering.
“If you don’t have stress, good stress, then you decline,” Barberena, a Latina woman living in Pacific Grove, California, said. “You have to have some place where you go think and connect and produce.”
In addition to helping her continue to dedicate her life to helping her community, volunteering also helps keep her mind sharp, Barberena believes. New research backs her up: Volunteering has been linked with better scores on tests of cognitive function, according to research presented Thursday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam.
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Older Adults Who Remain More Active Have a Better Quality of Life, Study Finds
by University of Cambridge
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain
A reduction in the amount of time spent physically active when adults are over sixty years old is linked to lower quality of life, a Cambridge study of almost 1,500 adults has shown.
The same was also true for increases in the amount of sedentary time, such as watching TV or reading. The researchers say this highlights the need to encourage older adults to remain active.
Physical activity—particularly when it is moderate-intensity and raises your heart rate—is known to reduce the risk of a number of diseases, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. The NHS recommends that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week. Older adults are also recommended to break up prolonged periods of being sedentary with light activity when physically possible, or at least with standing, as this has distinct health benefits for older people.
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The following course is the UNC School of Government’s flagship course, and it is now taking applications.
Municipal and County Administration
October 24, 2023-May 9, 2024
Chapel Hill | 32 Half-Day Sessions
Course Cost: $4,500
Applications close July 21, 2023
The School's flagship course has been available to North Carolina’s public officials since 1954 and has more than 3,700 alumni.
This comprehensive eight-month application program covers subject areas that include local government law, organization and management, finance and budgeting, public employment law, planning and regulation of development, and municipal and county services.
Who Should Apply:
City and county managers, department heads, and other city and county officials whose responsibilities require an understanding of functions beyond individual areas of specialization.
What You'll Learn:
· Legal framework and administrative requirements of North Carolina city and county government
· How city and county services are organized and provided
· Interrelation among different activities and/or departments
· Building a broader network of local government peers
This program will be held in person every other year. This year's offering will be the last in-person session until the 2024-25 program which will be completely virtual.
To view Scholarship Information and their selection criteria, please visit the course page.
Click here for the course page and apply.
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August 11, 2023 | Asheville
9:30am-4:30pm | Course Cost: $225
For Local Elected Officials and Managers
Developing a cohesive governing board takes discipline, practice, trust, and a set of skills to help navigate divergent challenges and opinions. Differences of opinion are built into our political system. How you handle dynamic situations and differences as individuals affect the productivity of the entire governing board. Effective governing boards learn to welcome and manage diverse convictions, opinions, and priorities.
Participants in the class will learn proven approaches for creating a group culture that builds trust forged from courage and candor. You will assess your own board’s governance culture and identify steps to improve your ability to work together.
What You'll Learn:
- Important dimensions of effective governance as a knowledgeable and effective public official
- Developing a “conscious culture” that respects fellow Board members and the professional staff.
- Understanding key elements of group behavior that, when shared, elevate everyone’s performance Click here to register for the course
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On-Demand Courses Available Now | Ethics and Newly Elected Leaders Bundle
Ethics for Elected Municipal Officials
The League's General Counsel Office has developed an online Ethics training for members that meets the state statutory requirements. This engaging, on-demand course offers insights into the laws and principles that govern conflicts of interest, ethical standards of conduct at the local government level, and provides enhanced issue-spotting analysis and reasoning skills.
Register Here
Want To Take Ethics As A Group?
The League is now offering the ability for members to take their Ethics training as a group. For example, if your full council would like to take the Ethics course together during a meeting, you can view it under one person's account, but each registered attendee present will receive credit. If you are interested, please email Grace Findley to make sure each participant receives full credit.
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121 W. Nash St. Wilson, NC 27893
252-234-5952
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