President Joe Biden signs the Inflation Reduction Act into law with Sen. Joe Manchin, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, Rep. Frank Pallone, and Rep. Kathy Catsor in the White House Aug. 16, 2022. Drew Angerer via Getty Images

How Cities Can Prepare for the Inflation Reduction Act’s Climate Opportunities

With billions of dollars for energy efficiency upgrades, urban park enhancements and more signed into law this week, experts share tips on how to start preparing for funding opportunities.

Published Aug. 19, 2022

Many city leaders and other supporters heralded the Inflation Reduction Act when it was on its way to being signed by President Joe Biden on Tuesday. Among its sweeping climate benefits, the legislation will provide billions of dollars worth of tax credits, grants and program funding to bolster urban parks and forests, improve home energy efficiency and mitigate pollution in overburdened communities. 

To capitalize on the new funding opportunities, local governments, climate experts and the private sector need to overcome coordination challenges, and city leaders “need to be ready to act,” said Susan Asam, vice president of climate and planning and a senior fellow at ICF.  

“We’re going to need cities and communities to really be stepping up their actions,” said Asam. “I think that cities are in a lot of different stages in terms of their readiness to act.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcing more than $573 million in available grant funding this year alone for the Railroad Crossing Elimination Program. This new competitive discretionary grant program – which will help improve safety, eliminate lengthy delays at railroad crossings in communities across the country and ultimately lower the costs of transporting goods, making them more affordable for American families – was created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will be administered by the Federal Railroad Administration. At least 20% of available funding will go to rural and Tribal areas. In 2021, there were approximately 2,148 grade crossing incidents, resulting in 236 deaths and 662 injuries.

Now Open: Community Development Block Grant Neighborhood Revitalization Program

Applications Due Sept. 30

The Rural Economic Division of the North Carolina Department of Commerce has opened the Community Development Block Grant Neighborhood Revitalization Program. Applications are due Friday, September 30, 2022. The official NOFA, program guidelines, and application are located on the NC Commerce website, here. 

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

Calling all small towns with populations fewer than 50,000! The next round of the T-Mobile Hometown Grant program will open on Friday, July 1, 2022.

Brought to you in partnership with Main Street America and Smart Growth America, the T-Mobile Hometown Grant program provides grants of up to $50,000 to help build stronger, more prosperous small towns and rural communities! 

Since the program’s start, T-Mobile has given more than $4.4 million dollars to kickstart 100 community development projects across 36 states, including the latest grant winning recipients. 

Towns with 50,000 people or less can apply for a grant of up to $50K to fund projects to build, rebuild, or refresh community spaces that help foster local connections in your community. For example, you could implement tech upgrades at your library, refresh a local park, or break ground on a new place where neighbors can connect.

Need more time to submit your application? The next round of funding opens October 1, 2022 with a deadline of December 31, 2022.

Learn More here: https://www.t-mobile.com/brand/hometown-grants

Read more about previously funded projects here: https://www.t-mobile.com/news/un-carrier/tmobile-presents-25-hometown-grants-to-help-small-towns-thrive

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can request a T-Mobile Hometown Grant?

T-Mobile is looking for elected leaders, town managers/employees, or non-profit leaders to submit the details for their project request using the Hometown Grant application. Small towns with populations less than 50,000 are eligible to apply.

What kinds of projects will T-Mobile fund?

T-Mobile Hometown Grants program will help fund projects to build, rebuild, or refresh community spaces that help foster local connections in your town. For example, this might include the town square pavilion, a historic building, an outdoor park, a ball field, or a library-- every town has places where friends and neighbors connect.

See more answers to FAQs here.

Have additional questions? Email tmobilegrant@savingplaces.org

USDOT: Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program

Application Period Now Open

U.S. Department of Transportation will provide at least $5 billion in grants that will be made available under the new Safe Street and Roads for All (SS4A) program over the next five years to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our nation’s roadways. The application period closes September 15.

The eligible entities that can apply for SS4A grants include cities, towns, metropolitan planning organizations, federally recognized tribal governments, counties and other special districts that are “subdivisions of a State.”

Accessibility for Parks Grant Program 

Application Period Now Open

The program is administered through the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation and the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund.

The Accessibility for Parks grant program provides $10 million for parks and recreation grants to benefit children and/or veterans with disabilities in North Carolina. Municipalities and counties are eligible to apply for the matching grants. The application period closes November 1.

The matching grants can be used to build special facilities or adapt existing facilities that meet the unique needs of children and/or veterans with physical and developmental disabilities. 

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.

Where do Things Stand with NC Broadband Grants?

You can find the video here:

The PowerPoint can be downloaded here: 

For those who like to walk and learn, the audio only record is here.

For more such helpful videos, visit our website here:

https://ncheartsgigabit.com/videos/

To sign up for NC DIT's Broadband & Digital Equity Grant Stakeholder listserv, go here:

https://www.ncbroadband.gov/contact/email

USDA and EDA Launch Resource Guide to Boost Economic Development in Rural Communities

The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development just released a joint resource guide to help community organizations access USDA and EDA resources to build strategies to boost economic development in rural America.

VIEW THE JOINT PLANNING RESOURCE GUIDE FOR RURAL AMERICA

This joint planning resource guide for rural America will better equip our communities with an easy to access and easy to use tools to maximize the work of providing greater and inclusive economic prosperity across our country.

WHAT'S INSIDE

The resource guide outlines programs and services that can be used to advance community and economic development in rural communities through four key focus areas:

• Planning and technical assistance
• Infrastructure and broadband expansion
• Entrepreneurship and business assistance
• Workforce development and livability

The guide also features information and links to USDA Rural Development and U.S. Economic Development Administration key priorities and resources.

AARP Releases Disaster Resilience Toolkit

The AARP Disaster Resilience Tool Kit has been created for local leaders, government staff, aging services professionals, and community volunteers. It examines the realities faced by older residents when a disaster strikes, and it presents strategies that can be used during all stages of the “disaster lifecycle” to ensure that an all-ages lens is effectively integrated into preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts.

My Community Explorer Tool Update

Today we announced the release of major updates to our data explorer tool, My Community Explorer. The interactive, map-based tool highlights demographic and socioeconomic data. These data measure inequality and help inform data-based solutions.

The tool is designed to help users identify underserved communities as directed by the President's Executive Order 13985 on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce.

Read More

CALED Releases Economic Development Playbook

Last week, the California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED) released an EDA-funded resource guide on economic development, recovery, and resiliency. This resource provides and in-depth analysis for local governments on recovering from economic instability through the promotion of equity and inclusion.  

ARP Office Hours through the end of October:



• Wednesday, September 7, at 8:30am
• Monday, September 12, at 12:00pm
• Friday, September 23, at 8:30am
• Friday, September 30, at 12:00pm
• Friday, October 7, at 8:30am
• Friday, October 14, at 12:00pm
• Wednesday, October 19, at 8:30am
• Monday, October 24, at 12:00pm
• Monday, November 1, at 8:30am

The Zoom link for all sessions is 

https://zoom.us/j/91906998701?pwd=eWg0anp1MFJzSFVsU0FIYmduU3ZQUT09

Meeting ID: 919 0699 8701

Passcode: 912104

Using American Rescue Plan Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to Contract with Other Governments, Nonprofits, or Other Private Entities: Subawards

Kara Millonzi, 26 Jul 05:43 PM

As detailed in previous posts, NC local governments are receiving significant funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program (ARP/CSLFRF). The availability of these funds presents many opportunities but also poses challenges for local governments navigating the myriad compliance requirements. Many local governments are spending their ARP/CSLFRF funds for internal expenses (such as salaries and benefits), which trigger fewer compliance requirements, freeing up non-grant funds to be spent on new capital projects or programmatic expenses. (See detailed post on supplanting here.) But many other local governments are spending their ARP/CSLFRF funds directly for capital projects or operational expenses and will need to contract with external parties for goods or services. Local governments routinely enter into contractual agreements. They order supplies from vendors. They procure landscaping, janitorial, financial, audit, architecture, engineering, and IT services. They purchase land, vehicles, and equipment. They contract for construction or repair projects. They partner with nonprofits and other private entities to support community activities. They enter interlocal agreements with other government entities. They provide utility subsidy payments to low-income citizens. These are just a few examples of the myriad types of contracts local governments engage in for operational, capital, and programmatic purposes. Under federal regulations, if these external agreements involve ARP/CSLFRF funds, they take one of three forms—contracts, subawards, or beneficiary payments. Local officials must identify the category an agreement falls in and follow the applicable federal and state processes and substantive requirements for that category....Read More

Are You Posting Jobs to NCWorks.gov?

Is your business posting job openings to NCWorks? If not, you should be! It’s completely free to use the NCWorks.gov website, which offers you the chance to connect daily with jobseekers across North Carolina. Plus, you can find resumes of candidates with the skills and qualifications you’re looking for, as well as up-to-date labor market information.

Your next employee could be just a few clicks away! If you need assistance, the professionals at your local NCWorks Career Center are here to help.

What is Turning Point Workforce Development Board?  Click Here to Find Out! 

Also Check out several other informative videos on our YouTube channel here: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1FK8v9NENeWcsp_BceRlQ

PRESS RELEASE: For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Allison Brown, Chair, NCSTHL Public Relations Committee

Email: katbrown1029@gmail.com Mobile: 336-940-8185

Six “Issues Committees” Distill Challenges into Legislative Proposals for the NC Senior Tar Heel Legislature

August 4, 2022 – Raleigh, NC

This article is the first of six features describing the current focus of the NC Senior Tar Heel Legislature leading up to the 2023 legislative session of the NC General Assembly.

The NC Senior Tar Heel Legislature (NCSTHL) operates within a two-year legislative cycle, mirroring the work of the NC General Assembly. Currently, it’s the summer of an even-numbered year and NCSTHL members are focused on a complex but choreographed process. The goal of the process is to recommend to the NC General Assembly enactment of legislative measures that will ensure the quality of life available to NC’s older adults across the state when it convenes in the 2023 long session.

For NCSTHL members, the winter and spring were spent studying the most pressing challenges facing older adults, considering information and data from the state’s aging experts, and deliberating impacts and solutions. In June and July, NCSTHL members submitted their ideas for legislation that could serve to enhance the lives of older adults. The NCSTHL’s Resolutions Standing Committee has received the ideas and is working to sort them into one of the six categories of the Issues Committees. Between now and October, each Issues Committee will convene to discuss, debate, and distill the ideas assigned to them into three proposals, for a total of 18 possible proposals. Then each member of the NCSTHL will deliberate the merits and impact of the proposals. At the October General Session, the NCSTHL will vote as a body to approve the top three to five proposals as its legislative priorities for consideration by the NCGA in 2023.

The Issues Committees are tasked with the important work of distilling the many ideas from the NCSTHL members into proposals that protect and empower the seniors of North Carolina.

• Rosalyn Pettyford (Durham County) is the chair of the Crime/Safety/Security Issues Committee, which focuses on physical, emotional, and financial threats faced by older adults.

• Former Speaker Rev. Dwight Cartner (Davidson County) is the chair of the Enrichment Opportunities Issues Committee, which addresses gaps faced by older adults who seek local enrichment activities such as education, exercise, well-being, and socialization outlets.

• Kaye White (Dare County) chairs the General Legislation Issues Committee, which pinpoints issues that do not fall into the other Issues Committee categories, but which are critically important. Topics might include livable communities, work skills development, financial education, veterans, and technology, among others.

• Currently under selection, the chair of the Health Issues Committee guides the team to identify challenges faced by older adults with respect to all aspects of healthcare, ranging from Medicaid expansion to the need for doctors and nurses specializing in geriatric fields, and programs that advance coverage for social determinants of health, such as Home and Community-Based Block Grant services, among others.

• Bill Lamb (Wake County) chairs the Long-Term Care Issues Committee, which addresses shortcomings in both the institutional and private setting of long-term care, including resident-to-staff ratios in assisted living and skilled nursing facilities and upholding resident’s rights.

• Gayla Woody (Gaston County) is assigned to chair the Service Access Issues Committee, which detects obstacles that stand in the way of older adults who need to access supportive services such as broadband, telehealth, and addressing the digital divide.

NCSTHL’s Speaker, Norma Duncan (Mitchell County), shared, “We are facing many challenges as we strive to meet the needs and demands of a rapidly growing aging population. North Carolina ranks ninth in the nation of age 60+ population and unfortunately, we have gaps in our safety nets. There are 11,000 older adults currently on waiting lists for home-based services that would help them remain active, independent and healthy. The chairs of our Issues Committees are strong advocates and eager to establish legislative priorities that ensure North Carolina’s older adults can age with dignity and respect.”

About the NCSTHL: The North Carolina Senior Tar Heel Legislature was created as a nonpartisan, unicameral body by the North Carolina General Assembly with the passage of Senate Bill 479 in July of 1993. Its purpose is to identify the most pressing issues facing older adults across the state and propose new legislation that will improve their quality of life to the NC General Assembly. The NCSTHL is comprised of volunteer delegates and alternates representing each of North Carolina’s 100 counties, supported by the area agencies on aging serving the state’s sixteen service areas.

For more information about NCSTHL, visit www.ncseniortarheellegislature.org.

To contact your local NCSTHL member, send an email request to media contact Allison Brown at katbrown1029@gmail.com, stating the originating county. Or visit the North Carolina Association of Area Agencies on Aging (NC4A) to locate the correct region and county, at https://www.nc4a.org/membership, and request NCSTHL member contact information from the local Area Agency on Aging.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Allison Brown, Chair, NCSTHL Public Relations Committee

Email: katbrown1029@gmail.com  Mobile: 336-940-8185

Long-Term Care Issues Committee Presents Five Resolutions for the NC Senior Tar Heel Legislature

August 23, 2022 – Raleigh, NC

This article is the second of six features describing the current focus of the NC Senior Tar Heel Legislature leading up to the 2023 legislative session of the NC General Assembly.

The Resolutions Standing Committee of the NC Senior Tar Heel Legislature (NCSTHL) received 67 proposals during July 2022 from its member body of 84 delegates and 51 alternates. Fourteen of the 67 proposals were assigned to the Long-Term Care (LTC) Issues Committee, chaired by Bill Lamb (Wake), which was tasked to narrow the proposals from 14 to the top three to five for this legislative cycle’s slate of resolutions.

After two weeks of deliberation, the LTC Issues Committee has chosen five resolutions to put before the NCSTHL body for vote. The ideas ranged from ensuring counseling and family visit access to extending long-term care insurance to older adults, but these are the five that made the final cut.

The top-ranking resolution is for the state to increase the number of long-term care ombudsmen to meet the federal standard of one ombudsman per 2,000 long term care beds. There are currently 33 full-time ombudsmen covering 88,500 LTC beds; therefore, NC needs 11 additional FTE positions at an expense of $1.5 million to meet best practices standards and the increased demands of their roles. To learn more about the critical work of the long-term care ombudsmen, visit the NCDHHS website’s Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) section at https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/aging-and-adult-services.

The second resolution is to increase the monthly Personal Needs Allowance (PNA) provided to Medicaid residents in nursing homes from $30 to $70. The amount of $30 was established in 1987 and has not been increased since. It is used for items not provided by the facility, such as clothing, shoes, slippers, hearing aids, glasses, books, magazines, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, hair styling, gifts, and snacks. In its last session, the NC General Assembly increased the PNA for assisted living residents from $46 to $70. Residents in nursing homes should be granted the same increase.

The third resolution is to make permanent the rate increases for Medicaid and State/County Special Assistance (SA) implemented during COVID19 and implement initiatives to improve benefits and supports and salaries for direct care workers in long term care facilities. A study released last fall reported that only 1% of nursing homes and 4% of assisted living facilities indicated that they were fully staffed. As a result, 2/3 of nursing homes and 1/3 of assisted living are limiting new admissions, which results in increased challenges for family caregivers struggling to care for their loved ones at home who would be better accommodated in a facility. Most direct care workers have annual salaries less than $30,000, which qualifies them for low-income services. The temporary rate increase for Medicaid and State/County Special Assistance implemented during COVID-19 enabled long term care facilities and assisted living providers to increase wages and benefits to staff, which served to sustain quality of care for residents.

The fourth resolution recommends legislation to streamline recruitment, training, and retention of the health care direct care workforce including: increasing wages, providing financial assistance for training, making childcare available for direct care workers, and requiring training materials and exams to be available in both English and Spanish.

The fifth resolution recommends legislation which establishes either mandatory standardized HPPD (hours per patient daily) or minimum staff-to-patient ratios for direct patient care, including enforcement standards and consequences to ensure quality care in nursing homes in the state of North Carolina, regardless of whether they are a for-profit or private non-profit organization. This proposal was first submitted by the NCSTHL to the NC General Assembly in 2014 and has yet to gain traction for support. It has been resubmitted to the NCGA for the past four years, but faces resistance from corporate owners of facilities. The federal Nursing Home Reform Act (NHRA), as part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1987, requires minimum staffing levels for registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and a minimum educational training for nurse’s aides (CNAs), but fails to establish a specific requirement for minimum caregiver/resident ratio or a minimum standard for the number of hours per patient day that a resident should be receiving.

As far back as 1999, the NCSTHL has requested legislation to fund and protect residents in LTC settings, with varying degrees of success. In October, the voting of the NCSTHL body will decide which of these five resolutions will be chosen as legislative recommendations for the NC General Assembly’s consideration. The Long-Term Care Issues Committee has completed its work and demonstrated the nonpartisan model that focuses on the issues for the betterment of the lives of North Carolina’s older adults.

About the NCSTHL: The North Carolina Senior Tar Heel Legislature was created as a nonpartisan, unicameral body by the North Carolina General Assembly with the passage of Senate Bill 479 in July of 1993. Its purpose is to identify the most pressing issues facing older adults across the state and propose new legislation that will improve their quality of life to the NC General Assembly. The NCSTHL is comprised of delegates and alternates representing each of North Carolina’s 100 counties, supported by the area agencies on aging serving the state’s sixteen service areas.

For more information about NCSTHL, visit www.ncseniortarheellegislature.org.

To contact your local NCSTHL member, send an email request to media contact Allison Brown at katbrown1029@gmail.com, stating the originating county. Or visit the North Carolina Association of Area Agencies on Aging (NC4A) to locate the correct region and county, at https://www.nc4a.org/membership, and request NCSTHL member contact information from the local Area Agency on Aging.

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Prostate cancer is the second common cancer among men in the United States. It is the second leading cause of cancer death among men in North Carolina. All men are at risk for prostate cancer. The common risk factor is age. As a man gets older, the chance of him getting prostate cancer increases.

Prostate cancer usually has no symptoms in the early stages and is very treatable when caught early. It is important for men to talk with a doctor about testing to make an informed decision and personal health action plan. Watch this video for prostate cancer screening options. Also, there is an interactive conversation tool for individuals to get information about prostate cancer screening and treatment called Talk to Nathan.

Taking Care of YOU! A Call to Action…



• Be physically active.

• Eat healthy.

• Don’t drink alcohol or limit your alcohol intake.

• Know your family history of prostate cancer.

• Quit tobacco and vaping use. 

For more information and resources to share with your organization and partners, click on the links below:

• NC Cancer Prevention and Control Branch Prostate Cancer webpage 
• NC Comprehensive Cancer Control Program Resource Hub – Order a free copy(ies) of Way to Play: Men’s Health Playbook-A step by step guide to help you achieve optimal health.
• CDC-Prostate Cancer webpage
• American Cancer Society
• Zero-The End Of Prostate Cancer
• Prostate Health Education Network
• Prostate Cancer Coalition of North Carolina
• NC Minority Prostate Cancer Awareness Action Team
• Emmanual Health Education, Inc. 

What’s the Best Way to Pick a Nursing Home for a Loved One?

On any day, a doctor might tell a family, “Sorry, your mom can’t live on her own anymore.” And the need for finding a nursing home becomes very urgent. How can families make a good decision during a time that’s often fraught?

When the time comes near to choose a nursing home for a loved one, the ideal path is to visit one or more facilities and talk with administrators, staff, and residents, according to people familiar with this transition.

But for many families, the need for a nursing home is an urgent one, precipitated by a fall or a catastrophic illness that has suddenly rendered a loved one unable to cope at home. 

Several online resources can help people who are looking for the best possible care. It’s popular to “do your own research” on choices such as this, but it can be difficult to find the time and expertise to look into nursing homes, especially since many people enter the long-term care system in crisis. 

Public and nonprofit experts helped North Carolina Health News compile a list of some sources of information about skilled nursing facilities across the state.

Municipal and County Administration

October 2022-May 2023

32 Half-Day Sessions via Zoom

Applications Due July 15

Course Cost: $3,750

Apply Here

The School's flagship course has been available to North Carolina’s public officials since 1954 and has more than 3,500 alumni.

This comprehensive course is designed for appointed city and county officials whose responsibilities require an understanding of local government functions beyond individual areas of specialization.

Attendees will learn about a variety of subject areas, including local government law, organization and management, finance and budgeting, public employment law, planning and regulation of development, and municipal and county services.

Who Should Attend: 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 
• How to build a broader network of local government peers.

Beginning with the October 2023-May 2024 class, this program will be held in person every other year. This year's offering will be the last virtual option until October 2024-May 2025.

This remote offering gives local government appointed officials the opportunity to save on travel costs and reduce time out of the office. The School encourages and welcomes applicants to take this virtual opportunity to learn the varied functions of local government from the comfort of a home and/or office.

Available Scholarships:

Applicants to the program can select from scholarship funds to apply toward the cost of the program:

• MCA Alumni Association Scholarship 
• S. Ellis Hankins Municipal Administration Scholarship
• James B. Blackburn III Memorial Fund for Municipal & County Administration
• LGFCU Member Scholarship - due July 1

To view more about each of these scholarships and their selection criteria, please visit the course page.

Are your elected or appointed board members new or in need of a refresher on legal limits and processes? If so, you’re in luck! This September and October, the School of Government is offering online workshops for local government boards that make development-related decisions.

1. One offering is focused on legislative zoning decisions (rezonings and zoning text amendments) with a target audience of planning boards and governing boards.
2. A separate offering is focused on quasi-judicial decisions (variances, special use permits, certificates of appropriateness) and geared toward boards of adjustment, preservation commissions, and planning or governing boards that make quasi-judicial decisions.
3. A third offering, NEW to our series of board trainings, is focused on the roles and responsibilities of historic preservation commissions, including quasi-judicial decisions for certificates of appropriateness.     

Planning Board Basics (Legislative Development Decisions), Thursday, Sept 29, 1:00-3:30 pm OR Thursday, Oct 6, 5:30-8:00 pm

• What is the role of the planning board? What is a consistency statement? What factors can boards consider in a rezoning? Can they add conditions?
• This remote board training workshop will walk through the procedures and considerations for legislative zoning decisions. Whether you are new to the planning board or governing board, or you’ve been around for a while and need a refresher, this remote workshop is for you. (AICP credit available)

Board of Adjustment Basics (Quasi-Judicial Development Decisions), Thursday, Oct 20, 1:00-3:30 pm OR Thursday, Oct 27, 5:30-8:00 pm

• For a variance, do we have to hold an evidentiary hearing? What is ex parte communication? What evidence do we consider when we are making the decision?
• This remote board training workshop will dig into the procedures and considerations for quasi-judicial zoning decisions. Whether you are new to the board of adjustment or other quasi-judicial board, or you’ve been around for a while and need a refresher, this remote workshop is for you. (AICP credit available)

Preservation Commission Basics (Quasi-Judicial Preservation Decisions), Thursday, December 1, 1:00-3:30 pm

• What is the role of the preservation commission? What is “the special character of the historic district” and how is something “not incongruous” with that? How do we make legally defensible decisions?
• This remote board training workshop will walk through the roles and responsibilities of historic preservation commissions as well as the procedures and considerations for certificates of appropriateness. Whether you are new to the commission, or you’ve been around for a while and need a refresher, this remote workshop is for you. (CLG and AICP credit available)

You can register NOW, and there is a $10 per person discount available for groups of 5-20 people. For more details, check the registration page at

https://www.sog.unc.edu/courses/regional-board-workshops-planning-and-development-regulation. 

The School of Government is offering its Local Government Fundamentals course online through Zoom this October 5 - 7, 2022 from 9 a.m. through 1 p.m. each day! The course focuses on fundamental aspects of local government and is intended for municipal and county employees who are new to local government or who have few opportunities for continuing education.

Participants will acquire a basic knowledge of core subjects, including the legal structure of municipalities and counties, the general ordinance-making and enforcement powers of municipalities and counties, the budgeting process, public employment law, zoning regulation, local government contracting, and conflicts of interest.

The course will meet for three consecutive mornings. An agenda is attached. The instructors for this course will be SOG faculty members Bob Joyce, Rebecca Badgett, Greg Allison, Kristina Wilson, Diane Juffras and Jim Joyce,.

The registration fee is $190. Details and registration may be found here: https://www.sog.unc.edu/courses/local-government-fundamentals-1.  

For questions about registration, contact Shannon Morris at smorris@sog.unc.edu. For questions about course content, contact Diane Juffras at juffras@sog.unc.edu.

Registration Open:

ON DEMAND Ethics for Local Elected Officials

Registration for Ethics for Local Elected Officials On-Demand is now open! For more information or to register click HERE. This is an on-demand or pre-recorded training.  

After you register, the course will appear on your Canvas dashboard.  

Fundamentals of Property Tax Collection

Registration for the School of Government’s Fundamentals of Property Tax Collection program is now open. The program will be held in-person September 27-29, 2022, at the School of Government.

This course focuses on law and practice governing the collection of county and municipal property taxes. It is designed to help new tax office employees learn the basics of tax collection while also providing a refresher for tax office veterans.

Certification: Required course for certification through North Carolina Tax Collectors Association. The final examination requires a passing score of 70% for certification approval. The final examination will be available online and taken through Canvas. Details will be discussed on the first day of class. 

Duration: This course will take place Tuesday Morning, all day Wednesday, and will wind up Thursday early afternoon, September 27-29, 2022 at the UNC School of Government. Additionally, there will be pre-work to complete, available online a week prior to the start of the class.  The program agenda with specific times will be posted at the link below soon.

For more details about the program and to register, please visit the course page by clicking  HERE.

Affordable Housing Seminar: Tools, Strategies, and Case Studies for Local Government Leadership

September 30, 2022|Marion

School of Government faculty and staff from the Development Finance Initiative will jointly host this seminar to focus on local government support and public-private partnerships for workforce residential housing.

What You'll Learn:

• Strategic approaches to affordable housing
• Affordable housing tools and financing mechanisms
• How to assess local housing needs
• Case studies and exercises
• Immediate next steps

Register and learn more at: https://www.sog.unc.edu/courses/affordable-housing-seminar-tools-strategies-and-case-studies-local-government-leadership

Design Imperatives: Community, Place, Planet

September 15-16, 2022 

Sheraton, Downtown Raleigh 

go.ncsu.edu/cgi-conference

The Fall 2022 conference will examine Place, Community and Planet and offer ideas for how individuals, companies, local governments and other institutional partners can work together to address and resolve the challenges of today and tomorrow. We will begin with mobile workshops that are intended to showcase the diversity of work currently underway in South Raleigh, including NC State’s Centennial Campus, Dix Park, Shaw University and across Southeast Raleigh. Thursday evening, NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson will lead a discussion that focuses on community growth and development strategies that are being implemented across North Carolina. Friday session speakers will explore the theories and policies of climate change, transportation, and community development, with a focus on programs and projects that offer state-of-the-practice solutions. Also on Friday, Town Hall-inspired discussions will encourage audience participation and then the conference will conclude with a look ahead, focusing on ways that the design community is engaging with these issues.

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