My Message: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/10157626999096360/?t=20

My Message: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/10157691205316360/?t=21

Komal, Sonia, Rayan and I wish all Christians a Very Happy and Joyful Easter.    

As we continue to support each other to get back to a new normal, please use this time to spend time with family and friends.  We pray for any families who have lost loved ones, or for anyone suffering from any illness.  

Please be safe and this long dark winter of Covid 19 will be over soon.

Town administrative offices will re-open 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.

Thanks to Morrisville Pharmacy and Compounding for providing Walk-In Vaccinations for Johnson & Johnson and Moderna Doses this past Friday and today from 9 am to 1 pm.  Make sure you contact them to see if there will be more. Sat 9-1pm

3500 Davis Drive, Morrisville NC 27560

919 463-7991 or 919 961-0715.

Great to be on with Liz Johnson on the Policy Vibe Podcast!  Check out some of my Voices and Imitations during our game.  

Happy Birthday Cary!  

Congrats to Mayor Weinbrecht, Sean Stegall and staff, the Council, and previous Councils, for hard work, vision, and laying the foundation to be such a vibrant, inclusive, and innovative Town for another 150 years!  

I joined Cary virtually on April 3 at 8:00 p.m. for a video that honored Cary’s past, highlight Cary's best, and showcase everything we love about our community—followed by a virtual performance from Chatham Rabbits and Hiss Golden Messenger to commemorate the day.   

See the Town of Cary Virtual Event Celebrating 150 years on April 3rd

Join the Cary Chamber Virtually on Apr. 28th at 8 am to hear more about the history of Cary from Town Clerk, Town Clerk Virginia Johnson and Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht. https://carychamber.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yzxJ19ECSVu4o-tWqSmlAg

My Message to Cary: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/10157691861841360/?t=27

We will miss this great leader and coach!  

My Message: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/10157691256631360

The fourteenth annual World Autism Awareness Day was April 2, 2021.

Joined by the international community, hundreds of thousands of landmarks, buildings, homes and communities around the world come together on April 2, Autism Awareness Day, to Light It Up Blue in recognition of people with autism and those who love and support them.

Autism-friendly events and educational activities take place all month, aiming to increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism, foster worldwide support and inspire a kinder, more inclusive world. 

Join us for World Autism Awareness Month to help us spread kindness and autism awareness! 

Donate at https://www.autismspeaks.org/?form=donate. 

My Message: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/10157691241531360/?t=24

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.  We also thank Council Member Satish Garimella for working with the Town of Morrisville to organize this clinic.  

1,060 were Vaccinated!  

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

My Message: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/10157691221031360/?t=21

A special thanks to Jim and Debbie Pelligrini for their continued dedication to the Farmers Market in Morrisville!  

Congratulations to both of them for their company, Muddy Dog Roasting Company, being featured in the Spring Edition of 919 Magazine!   I get some coffee every Saturday morning at the Farmers Market! 

Jim and Debbie, thanks so much for all you do for the Morrisville Community, and also for signing my copy of a wonderful article!   

Morrisville has been ranked No. 1 Best Place to Live in North Carolina for 2021 by Niche.  I am proud of this achievement but we need more than rankings.  I will continue to share my Playbook every week on what we can do to be the Number 1 Live, Work and Play Town in the State and Nation!  

Niche in their 2021 Best Places to Live in America, ranks Morrisville No. 1 in several categories including:

Morrisville ranks No. 2 in Best Suburbs for Young Professionals in North Carolina and Best Suburbs for Young Professionals in Raleigh. Morrisville also ranks No. 3 for Places with the Best Public Schools in North Carolina and Suburbs with the Best Public Schools in North Carolina.

For this news item and details on Niche's ranking and grading methodology click here:

#Morrisville

#BestPlacetoLive

My Message: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/10157678968881360/?t=20

Over the next few weeks, I will be putting together listening sessions and Focus Groups across the Town with the Business Community, Neighborhoods, Technology Leaders/CEOs, and entrepreneurs, and HOAs to develop a Long Term Vision for the Town, as I consider 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, am putting together an Exploratory Committee for Mayor as I explore serving in another role on the Council.

I will make my final decision by the end of April of whether I will run again for the Council and if I do, for what Seat.   I thank the many citizens across the Town who have expressed an interest in me continuing to serve.  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.

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.

My Innovation District Playbook: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/10157691416641360/?t=24

With the mission of bringing together private innovation in technology, life sciences and entrepreneurship with meaningfully scaled Public open space, I would like to see the Town of Morrisville partner with a Private Developer to develop an Innovation District, either in the McCrimmon Sub Area or include an Innovation District in our Town Center Plans.   

An Innovation district could offer an unprecedented amount of open natural area (including outdoor working spaces), and bustling, walkable ground level with experiential retail and maker’s spaces, and will facilitate interaction and collaboration with a wide range of office users, entrepreneurs, retail tenants, creatives and makers.   

This type of innovation district could also house the Technology Incubator, where entrepreneurs can showcase their Smart City Innovation to the Town of Morrisville, along with providing networking opportunities between market leading companies in both the Technology and Pharmaceutical Sectors.  

Adding an Innovation District to the Town of Morrisville Playbook will support my vision and goal of making the Town of Morrisville, the number one destination for Technology, Pharma/Life Science companies and entrepreneurs!

Weekly Update: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/10157691330916360/?t=21

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

The Town of Morrisville’s Spring Citizen Advisory Committee recruitment is underway! The following boards have opportunities that may be filled during this appointment process:

To Apply, please visit https://www.townofmorrisville.org/government/citizen-advisory-committees/-fsiteid-1.  

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.

All Virtual Meetings can be streamed at https://www.facebook.com/TownOfMorrisville/.  

April 6 – 6:30 p.m. Morrisville Public Education Advisory Committee

April 7 – 6:30 p.m. Morrisville Environment & Stormwater Committee

April 8 – 6:30 p.m. Planning & Zoning Board

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.

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

All North Carolina Adults will be Eligible for Vaccination by April 7!  Remember that workers in Phase 4 are now eligible for Vaccination. 

Central NC Locate a Vaccination Clinic by County

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

Testing will now be across the street at Vision Church RDU, which will operate weekly, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. No appointments for testing are needed, and no IDs or insurance are required.

The Departure Drive facility in northeast Raleigh where thousands of people have gotten COVID-19 tests will soon offer vaccinations, when it opens next week as Wake County's first regional vaccination clinic. The Wake County Human Services Center at Departure Drive has served as a free COVID-19 testing center since December. In the past five months, this site has conducted more than 70,000 COVID-19 tests.

Soon, those on the Wake County's vaccine request list who are invited to make an appointment for a shot will be able to choose from four different locations:

The Lee County Government Health Department has expanded vaccine registration to include people in Group 5.

To register for the COVID-19 vaccine with the Lee County Health Department, call (919) 842-5744 or to register in Spanish, (919) 718-4640 option 8. Calls will be accepted Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. or you can fill out an on line form at https://leecountync.gov/covid19.  

Click Here to Make an Appt: https://co.cumberland.nc.us/departments/public-health-group/public-health/covid-19-vaccine or call (910) 678-7657 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. if you need assistance with the form or have questions.

The Cumberland County Department of Public Health continues to hold free COVID-19 vaccination clinics at the Crown Expo Center for eligible individuals in Groups 1, 2, 3 ,4 and 5.

The COVID-19 Community Vaccination Center opened at Four Seasons Town Centre in Greensboro oIt will operate seven days a week with the capacity to provide up to 3,000 vaccinations per day, with an indoor clinic and a drive-thru clinic in the parking lot. First doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be provided during the center’s first three weeks (March 10- 30). Second doses of Pfizer will be provided during the next three weeks (March 31-April 20).

To reach more marginalized and underserved communities, the main vaccination center at Four Seasons Town Centre will support additional sites and mobile vaccination clinics in communities of need in Guilford and surrounding counties.

To Set up appointment, visit https://www.guilfordcountync.gov/how-do-i/gso-mass-vax.  

Wake County Public Health offered 500 first doses to members of the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Cary. Thanks to the SV Temple in Cary for hosting.  The vaccination clinic took place at the Cary Community Center. It will also be an appointment-only event.  Appointments sold out in the first two hours but I will update you on additional Vaccination Doses.  

Herbert Young Community Center/Cary Community Center

My Message: https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao/videos/10157691660441360/?t=27

Gov. Roy Cooper announced that all adults will be eligible to get COVID-19 vaccines beginning April 7. Last weeks’ announcement marks the third time the administration has moved up the calendar for eligibility, and the changes also affect the second phase of Group 4, which can now sign up for appointments starting March 31.

Please visit https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vaccines and visit https://www.wral.com/where-can-I-get-the-covid-19-vaccine-in-my-county/19466004/ to secure an Appointment at the County of your Choice.  

4.3 million North Carolinians have been Vaccinated and 1/3 of adults have been Vaccinated

This week, 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.

More than a year after the first business and gathering restrictions started, Gov. Roy Cooper is allowing some businesses to fully reopen and others to allow more patrons inside.

All buildings are expected to continue to enforce social distancing measures.

In addition, the alcohol curfew has been eliminated--meaning restaurants and bars can remain open past 11 p.m.

Executive Order No. 204 will also increase mass gathering limits. The number of people who may gather indoors will increase from 25 to 50 and the number of people who may gather outdoors will increase from 50 to 100.

The Town of Morrisville will be complying with this Executive Order, and I will provide this update in my next newsletter or just check the Town of Morrisville Facebook Page over the next few days at https://www.facebook.com/TownOfMorrisville/

Wake County Schools has Voted for All High School and Middle Students to return in Plan A on the following dates:

Students can remain enrolled in the Virtual Academy.

At least 40 of the States’ 115 School Districts have voted to switch middle high schools and high schools to Plan A, including Chatham, Johnston and Nash Counties.

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.

The budget looks to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic with investments in schools, health care access, economic opportunities and infrastructure.

Without raising taxes, Cooper plans to invest $27.4 billion in 2021-22 and $28.5 billion in 2022-23.

The governor also plans to make recommendations on how federal funds from the American Rescue Plan can complement the budget proposal.

The General Assembly will consider his requests as House and Senate Republicans fashion a budget bill and get it to Cooper’s desk. The new fiscal year begins July 1.

GOP legislators and Cooper have had mixed success over the past two years finding consensus on large spending bills.

The two sides never agreed on a conventional two-year budget in 2019, as an impasse over Medicaid expansion and corporate taxes blocked any compromise following a Cooper veto.

But Cooper signed several bipartisan measures in 2020 and 2021 that distributed federal coronavirus relief dollars.

The governor and Republican leaders have expressed guarded optimism this year that they’ll work out a budget bill that Cooper can sign.

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.

Apr. 5th

Wake County Commissioners Annual Budget Meeting from 9 am to 1 pm

Wake County Commissioners Meeting from 5 pm to 6 pm!

Register at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/2816130957886/WN_NimDwDTJRJe-pgXEAheLUw.

The Office of the Vice Provost for Global Affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in collaboration with Carolina’s Modern Indian Studies initiative, will host a panel discussion on U.S.-India relations under a Biden administration via livestream at 6 p.m. EDT on April 7, 2021.

The panel will feature Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India’s ambassador to the U.S., and Ambassador Richard Verma, former U.S. ambassador to India. Anusha Chari, director of the Modern Indian Studies initiative and professor of economics and finance at UNC-Chapel Hill, will provide opening remarks. Ambassador Barbara Stephenson, vice provost for global affairs and chief global officer at UNC-Chapel Hill, will give welcoming remarks and moderate the discussion. The panel will allow the diplomats to share their thoughts on how relations between the United States and India, two of the world’s largest democracies, are likely to unfold under the Biden administration.

Join us for the RIoT Your Reality Challenge First Pitch event! A selected group of applicants will pitch their creative solutions and ideas in the hopes of competing for a spot in the RIoT Accelerator Program and a cash prize of $40k.

Register at: https://www.meetup.com/RIoT-NC/events/276814265/

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.