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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Updated Services for Local Governments
Starting on Wednesday, February 1, the Local Government Commission of the North Carolina Department of the Treasurer will be adding the information of firms wishing to provide audit and non-audit accounting services to local governments throughout the state. If you are interested in the potential services offered, the web page can be accessed here, or by clicking on the state and local government finance division link on www.nctreasurer.com.
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NC Recreational Trails Grant Program
North Carolina’s Recreational Trails Program is now accepting grant applications for the 2023 cycle. The program values trail projects that are legal, safe, managed, provide connectivity, public access, and reasonable parking. Grant candidates should be shovel-ready trail projects that enhance sustainability and provide low-infrastructure economic development opportunities through natural resource tourism. Please visit the program’s website at Trails.NC.Gov for more information.
Final applications are due February 17, 2023.
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USDA Announces New Grants for Agriculture Innovation Centers
The US Department of Agriculture Rural Development is accepting applications for grants to establish and operate Agriculture Innovation Centers (AIC). AICs provide technical and business development assistance to agricultural producers seeking to market or produce value-added products.
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The 10th Annual Creative Give Back
The Creative Give Back is an award of up to $25,000 worth of our consulting services. Winners are selected through a competitive application process.
The Creative Give Back is Creative EDC’s way to give back to the field of economic development. Our team has enjoyed long careers as practicing economic developers and consultants. This profession has given us meaningful work and lifelong friends. We have enjoyed playing even the smallest part in improving thousands of lives through sustainable economic development. It is important for us to give back to the profession that has given us so much. Starting in 2014, we committed to giving away one consulting project a year through a competitive application process.
Previous winners of the annual Creative Give Back have included the North Carolina Employee Ownership Center, the Nikwasi Initiative, Lancaster, SC, Waynesboro Office of Economic Development, VA, Cabarrus County EDC, NC, Wayne County Development Alliance, NC, City of Graham, NC, and the Blacksburg Partnership, VA. The results of past Give Back projects can be found on our website in the free resource library.
Click here for a printable application instructions.
All applications must be completed online.
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Two grant opportunities from the National Preservation Fund are available now. With grants ranging from $2,500 to $15,000, these funds offer support for educational and planning efforts, as well as brick and mortar projects.
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Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors: The purpose of the fund is to assist in the preservation, restoration, and interpretation of historic interiors.
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Johanna Favrot Fund for Historic Preservation: This fund aims to save historic environments in order to foster an appreciation of our nation's diverse cultural heritage and to preserve and revitalize the livability of the nation's communities
Applications are due by March 1st 20203
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USDA Rural Business Development Grant Program
The application window is open for the USDA Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) program. Through competitive grants, RBDG provides technical assistance, training, and other enterprise support to small businesses in rural communities. Grants generally range from $10,000 up to $500,000 and there is no cost share requirement. Applications are accepted through February 28th, 2023.
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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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White House, DOT on Inflation Reduction Act Guidebook
The White House has shared the Inflation Reduction Act Guidebook addressing clean energy, climate resilience, agriculture, and conservation-related tax incentives. For each program, the guide identifies the federal funding agency, as well as eligible applicants. The Department of Transportation (DOT) has released a calendar of anticipated dates that Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) for major funding programs will be released in 2023. To help potential applicants prepare for these opportunities, DOT also developed a Discretionary Grant Preparation Checklist.
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Year of the Trail 2023
On August 18th, the NC Legislature declared 2023 North Carolina Year of the Trail, highlighting an opportunity to showcase, promote, and celebrate our state’s extensive trail systems. We envision a future where each of our 100 counties enjoys the proven benefits of trails, including the health and safety of our citizens, tourism and economic development, transportation, and the environment.
To that end, the Great Trails State Coalition is highly invested in making Year of the Trail big news for North Carolina! This statewide campaign will reach all communities and potential visitors with the message of how and where to experience the trails that crisscross our beautiful state.
Direct links to campaign resources, including videos and website:
Please follow and share @GreatTrailsNC on social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube).
Sign up for our monthly campaign newsletter!
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Resource: New Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation Portal
Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of the Interior (DOI) jointly launched the Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) Portal to help communities across the nation understand the real-time climate-related hazards in their area, analyze projected long-term exposure to those hazards, and identify federal funds to support climate resilience projects for their communities.
CMRA integrates decision-relevant information from across the U.S. government, including climate maps and data; non-climate data such as building code standards, economic justice, and social vulnerability information; and federal grant funding opportunities. The website’s new CMRA Assessment Tool offers information on past, present, and projected future climate conditions to support planners and managers in assessing their exposure to climate-related hazards. The site also helps users create their own custom climate exposure assessment for specific locations and customize statistics and visual representations of the hazards in their particular area.
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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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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.
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.
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Scam Alert!
Some local governments are receiving marketing pitches or even scams about their federal SAM registration or DUNS / UEI number.
Marketers or scammers reach out in an email "reminding" you that your SAM registration must be updated every year. These companies offer their help for a price.
They will often try to make their email message sound “official.” It may say something like “NOTICE OF EXPIRING REGISTRATION.” These companies offer “assistance” for a large fee.
Be aware that they do not work for the government. Renewing your SAM information is always a FREE process and you can do it yourself using the same information that you would pay a company to submit!
You do not need to pay a go-between to submit a SAM renewal or update a DUNS registration to a UEI number.
Remember: The genuine U.S. governmental site for SAM registration is SAM.GOV
There is NO COST to use the SAM.GOV site.
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As of April 4, 2022, the federal government switched from the DUNS number to the UEI (Unique Entity Identification) number. If you have an existing registered entity but do not know your UEI number, you will find your UEI number on SAM.gov. New entities will receive their UEI number when registering on SAM.gov. Go to this shortcut to find your UEI number: tinyurl.com/2p936kkz.
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FREE course from the UNC School of Government
From A to Z: Using ARPA Fiscal Recovery Funds to Directly Fund a Capital Project
Is your local government carrying out a capital project (water, sewer, stormwater, or broadband) with its ARPA funds? This FREE, conveniently pre-recorded training course shows you exactly how to implement a capital project with your ARPA funds, from start to finish!
Go to https://arpa.sog.unc.edu/arp-training-videos/ and scroll down to “From A to Z: Using American Rescue Plan Act Fiscal Recovery Funds for a Capital Project”. The link goes to pre-recorded videos that you can watch at your convenience.
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You’ve got ARPA questions -- Your Upper Coastal Plain COG has answers!
Newly updated Frequently Asked Question” on the UCPCOG website can help you.
· How do we get started with spending our ARPA funds?
· When is the next Treasury report due?
· What can we spend our ARPA funds on?
· How must we track and keep records of our ARPA projects spending?
The most popular queries from our member governments are posted on our website with answers and resources to help you! Check it out at:
https://www.ucpcog.org/planning_and_development/arp.php
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The UNC School of Government Releases it's new American Rescue Plan Website | |
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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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!!! NOW HIRING!!!
Butterball is hiring for all shifts, and Wilson Workforce Center is actively registering Wilson County residents to be interviewed. In order to be considered for an interview, you must be fully registered on NC Works.gov.
To get a referral for an interview, please visit Wilson Workforce Center at 121 W. Nash St, Wilson, NC 27893 between the hours of 9am –11:30am and 2:30pm –4:30pm. Or you can call and speak to a Career Advisor at (252)281-6387. We are located on the 2nd Floor.
You must also apply at Butterball.com, and you must have two valid forms of Identification.
***Perks of working for Butterball ***
Pay between $15.75 - $18.50 per hour
Free transportation to and from Butterball at no expense to the employee. (Negotiation almost finalized)
Various shifts
Referral Bonus - Up to $2,000 – Ask for details during interview with Butterball.
Available Positions:
• Evisceration – Day Shift: 9:45am – 6:30pm ($16.75)
• Evisceration – Night Shift: 1:10am – 9:45am ($18.25)
• CAS – Day Shift: 9:33am – 6:30pm ($17.00)
• CAS – Night Shift: 12:50am – 9:30am ($18.50)
• Cut Up – Day Shift: 6:45am – 3:30pm ($16.75)
• Cut Up – Night Shift: 3:30pm – 2:30am ($18.25)
• Tray Pack – Evening Shift: 5:00pm – 1:30am ($16.75)
• RTE – Day Shift: 6:00am – 3:00* ($15.75)
• RTE – Evening Shift: 3:00pm – 23:30am * ($16.75)
• RTC – Evening Shift: 3:00pm – 12:30am * ($16.75)
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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.
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Our Superpowers have been activated and we’re excited to join forces with other Superheroes across the Aging Network.
Save the Date for our annual Aging Conference
Event: The Power of Aging: Full Speed Ahead Aging Conference
Date: Thursday, June 15, 2023
Venue: Edgecombe Community College—Tarboro Campus
Stay tuned for more information!
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The rate of people dying from cancer in the United States has continuously declined over the past three decades, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society.
The US cancer death rate has fallen 33% since 1991, which corresponds to an estimated 3.8 million deaths averted, according to the report, published Thursday in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. The rate of lives lost to cancer continued to shrink in the most recent year for which data is available, between 2019 and 2020, by 1.5%.
The 33% decline in cancer mortality is “truly formidable,” said Karen Knudsen, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society. The report attributes this steady progress to improvements in cancer treatment, drops in smoking and increases in early detection.
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Registration Now Open for 2023 NADO & DDAA Washington Conference
The National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and the Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) invite you to register for the 2023 Washington Conference, held from March 12-15, 2023 in Arlington, VA. The conference will include sessions focused on regional development, the federal landscape, and the programs and policies that matter most to Regional Development Organizations and their stakeholders. Click here to learn more and to register.
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YOU'RE INVITED!
Learn about funding opportunities for your community.
Plan to join us on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, for the first ever North Carolina Resilient Communities Funding Forum! Don't miss out on the chance to attend a free, one-day forum to learn about federal, state and nonprofit funding opportunities for resilience-related projects.
Local community projects are key to building future resilience, but a lack of funding can shut down even the best proposals. This upcoming forum will aim to remove common financial barriers to resilience project implementation and identify funding opportunities. The event will allow time for attendees to engage with potential funders, who will be on hand to give presentations and answer project-specific questions during break-out sessions. A grant writing session is also planned to provide attendees with practical tools and strategies to take their project one step closer to reality.
Continuing education credits, pending approval, will be provided for AICP and certified floodplain managers. Engineers will be provided a certificate of participation to self-file for PDHs.
Registration is required and more information will be available in early January.
This event is being cohosted by the Resilient Communities Program, RISE and RCCP, and their respective divisions in the NC Office of Recovery and Resiliency and the NC Division of Coastal Management.
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Save the Date: 2023 Emerging Issues Forum
February 13, 2023
Raleigh, NC
For North Carolina to stay competitive in an increasingly global, mobile and diverse economy, we need more workers, of all backgrounds and skill sets, to get hired and thrive in the workplace. The 2023 Emerging Issues Forum will examine ways to overcome barriers and help workers find employment and stay engaged in the workplace. By putting talent first—increasing our understanding of what employees are looking for and how employers and systems can respond—we can better energize, equip and unleash North Carolina’s full abundance of talent.
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Working Together: Counties, School Boards, and Local Funding for Public Schools
February 24, 2023 | Chapel Hill
9:00am-3:00pm | Course Cost: $185
This one-day course provides an overview of the governance and funding structures of public schools in North Carolina. It focuses particularly on the relationship between counties and local school administrative units.
The course is appropriate for any county or school official or employee (including board members, managers, superintendents, budget officers, and finance officers), as well as any member of the community, who wishes to learn more about school funding decisions and funding options at the local level.
What You'll Learn:
- The legal roles and responsibilities of counties for schools and the school budgeting and expenditure processes
- Identify common issues and brainstorm ways to better address them
Click here to view the course page and register.
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Intermediate Purchasing Seminar
February 13-15, 2023 | Chapel Hill
9:00am-5:00pm | Course Cost: $455
This three-day seminar offered once a year, will sharpen participants' purchasing skills and deepen their understanding of the legal and practical aspects of public purchasing.
This course is intended for officials with two or more years of experience in local governmental purchasing.
What You'll Learn:
- Bidding and property disposal
- Capital leasing
- Performance management and benchmarking
- Insurance and risk management
- Electronic bidding and contract management
- Effective communications
- Ethics and conflicts of interest
- Practical skills training, including handling difficult bids
Click here to view the course page and register.
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The Environmental Finance Center's annual Water and Wastewater Finance Strategies workshop has just opened for registration.
Water and Wastewater Finance Strategies Workshop
February 22-23, 2023 | Winston-Salem
8:00am-4:00pm | Course Cost: $310
The Environmental Finance Center's annual Water and Wastewater Finance Strategies workshop will provide utility practitioners with new skills and up-to-date information on pricing, infrastructure finance planning strategies, and funding resources.
Who Should Attend: Local government staff, local elected officials, utility staff, and consultants
Click here to view the course page and register.
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Affordable Housing Seminar: Tools, Strategies, and Case Studies for Local Government Leadership
February 28, 2023 | New Bern
10:00am-5:00pm | Course Cost: $240
This interactive in-person seminar is designed for elected and appointed officials from county, municipal and tribal governments who are setting strategic direction around affordable housing. The seminar will focus on local government support and public-private partnerships for workforce residential housing.
This class is a part of the LELA curriculum and is open to all local elected officials, including all county, municipal, school board, and tribal council officials.
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
Click here to view the course page and register.
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Community Development Academy
March 21-23 and April 18-20, 2023 | Chapel Hill
Course Cost: $915
Community development practitioners will benefit from this intensive six-day course, which is designed for community development practitioners and covers the concepts, methods, and strategies of community economic development. The course provides practitioners with perspectives and practical skills surrounding community development in North Carolina.
What You'll Learn:
- Community development finance
- Affordable housing strategies and tools
- Role of economic development
- CDBG and related grant programs
- Environmental finance
- Visioning and citizen participation
- Tools for group decision-making
- Purchasing and contracting
- Measuring success
- Grants management
Click here to view the course page and register.
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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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March 14-16, 2023
Statesville, NC
The NC Main Street Conference is open to ANYONE, not just NC Main Street program participants. Anyone with interest in downtown revitalization and downtown sustainability will benefit from attending this sizable statewide conference. Mark your calendar to meet us BACK IN PERSON, in Statesville, NC.
Registration OPENS 1/9/23
Plan Ahead:
- Add March 14-16, 2023, to your calendar.
- Begin discussing conference attendance with your board members and volunteers. The more people in attendance, from your community, the more they will understand downtown economic development through the context of historic preservation!
- Discuss creative ways to cover the conference cost with your board. Example, A training sponsorship could help cover the cost for your volunteers to attend the conference.
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Encourage town staff and town leadership to participate. The most successful programs are ones that have a strong partnership with town leadership, town staff, and the private sector. Attending the conference together is a great way to develop stronger relationships AND for everyone to learn the latest trends in downtown economic development together!
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121 W. Nash St. Wilson, NC 27893
252-234-5952
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