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 Local Government Services
The Local Government Commission of the North Carolina Department of State Treasurer has added and updated 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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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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Golden LEAF Flood Mitigation Program -- Accepting Applications
Eligible Entities
Funds may only be awarded to units of local government. Local governments from all 100 counties are eligible.
Eligible Projects
Up to $250,000 may be awarded per project.
- Construction of new or improvement of existing publicly owned stormwater infrastructure, including natural drainage infrastructure and flood control equipment.
- Repair of existing stormwater infrastructure damaged or destroyed by flooding, which must include improvements to mitigate against future flooding.
- Engineering expenses related to planning and development of flood mitigation solutions.
Process
Applications will be accepted until all available funds are awarded. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Information about the program is available here.
Questions from potential applicants can be directed to submit the form here.
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Attorney General Josh Stein is pleased to announce the 2023 Environmental Enhancement Grant Request for Proposals (RFP). The EEG program provides grants to non-profit organizations, academic institutions, and governmental entities to preserve and enhance North Carolina’s natural resources. Grant awards will from $5,000 to $500,000.00. Grant awards fund land acquisition, construction, planning, education, and research projects. There is a preference for projects in eastern North Carolina or projects that benefit underserved or overburdened communities.
Important Dates for the 2023 RFP
Interest Meeting: March 23, 2023 at 10:00 AM To RSVP please click here.
Letters of Intent Due: March 30, 2023 Letters of Intent can be submitted here.
**Only applicants submitting Letters of Intent will be eligible to submit a full proposal**
Information Meeting: April 13, 2023 at 10:00AM (held remotely)
All those submitting a Letter of Intent will be sent the link for the meeting
Proposals Due: May 12, 2023
If you have any questions, please contact us at eeg@ncdoj.gov.
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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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DOE Notice of Funding Opportunity for Rural or Remote Areas
The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) intends to issue a funding opportunity in March 2023 for up to $300 million to improve the cost, reliability, environmental impact, and climate resilience of energy systems in rural or remote areas across the country. Learn more about this anticipated funding opportunity announcement (FOA) here.
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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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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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Save the Date: Rural Transformation Grant Fund Round 3
The Rural Transformation Grant Fund provides local governments with grants and expert guidance to improve economic vitality and overcome the unique challenges many rural communities face. The fund is open to local governments in the state's Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties, as well as qualified census tracts in Tier 3 counties, you may review a map with eligible areas here. The fund will open for the third round of applications on March 22, 2023.
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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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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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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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Congratulations to NC Works Career Center in Roanoke Rapids!
WE'VE MOVED!!
Our new address:
1560 Julian R. Allsbrook Hwy.
Roanoke Rapids, NC
(In the Lowe's Home Improvement Shopping Center).
Please stop by and allow us to assist with your career needs.
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Our partners at these Community Colleges of our Region are offering opportunities! We are happy to be part of this STEPS4Growth work group as Clean Energy was a focus. Now they are ready for you! Contact them today! | |
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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New Home Modification Toolkit from the Fall Prevention Center at University of Southern California
The Fall Prevention Center of Excellence (FPCE) at the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California has launched a new Home Modification Toolkit as part of a project funded by ACL to promote aging in place by enhancing access to home modifications.
The toolkit was created with findings from research conducted with the aging network’s state units on aging, area agencies on aging, and Title VI Native American aging programs. Resources in the toolkit include:
- Home modification data briefs
- Case studies
- Technical assistance briefs on partnerships and funding
- Fact sheets and videos tailored for diverse populations
- Promising practices for replication
Those visiting the toolkit webpage can also access the "My Toolkit" feature to create a curated list of resources that can be shared with colleagues.
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Will they stay or will they go? Recruitment and Retention Strategies and Patterns in NC
The worker shortage in U.S. local government is at a crisis level, incurring significant impacts on public service delivery and producing high levels of burnout among city and county employees. Accordingly, this session will report local government survey data on recruitment and retention patterns in North Carolina, where local governments are experimenting with a range of tactics to slow employee turnover, attract qualified employees, and build adequate job candidate pools. The session will also discuss the top predictors of turnover intentions from survey data collected from over 5,000 local government employees. Session attendees will learn about recruitment and retention patterns and strategies from the perspective of both managers and employees.
Online - Click here to register for this course offering
March 22, 2023
Overview
Register
Pricing & Scholarships
Materials
Contact
This training will take place online via Zoom followed by 30 minutes in regional sessions hosted by each council of government. Each COG will decide whether to convene participants from their region in person or online. The School will provide Zoom breakout rooms for participants who want to remain online for the regional portion. You will receive instructions for your region after you 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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Social Media for Social Good
March 24, 2023 | Chapel Hill
9:00am-4:00pm | Course Cost: $485
Facebook, SnapChat, ChatBots & HouseParty: What’s this got to do with government? If you are a local government professional who is actively managing your town/county social media accounts, this program is for you.
As a government organization, how do you establish a social media presence, and how do you get the most from it? How can you use Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms to inform and engage your community? What does the First Amendment protect in terms of citizens’ comments? How about employees’ comments?
What You'll Learn:
- The most used social media platforms for governmental organizations
- New platforms and features to consider
- How to establish and manage your platforms
- Develop engaging content
- Ensure legal compliance related to comments, staff usage, and records retention
Register Here
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LELA 201: When Differences of Opinion Escalate: Conflict Resolution Skills for Local Elected Officials will be offered March 23, 2023, ONLINE via Zoom. The class begins at 10:00 a.m. and concludes at 2:30 p.m. with a lunch break in between. The cost of this One-Day program is $225 and we have provided scholarship information at the end of this email.
Conflict at its lowest level is a difference of opinion. However, these differences can escalate and result in strained relationships that impede problem solving, successful goal attainment, and effective governance. We do not have to be resigned to these uncomfortable moments and resort to avoidance or aggression. There is a middle path to responding to conflicts in a civil fashion that supports hearing all sides of an issue regardless of the final outcome.
If you want to influence others to listen to your perspective, if you want to reduce being misunderstood and misunderstanding others, if you want to manage the inevitable tensions that arise for elected officials with one another, citizens and staff, and if you want to maximize your effectiveness as an elected official to carry out your vision for running for office in the first place, there are tools to add to your toolbox.
In this workshop, you will strengthen your ability to effectively manage conflict in a variety of settings by:
a) Identifying when differences of opinion are about to escalate
b) Adding tools that help in deescalating conflicts
c) Practicing five methods for conflict resolution
This highly interactive video workshop will help you develop the leadership skills that allow you to express principled differences in a civil way.
Faculty:
Dr. Heather Lee of Developmental Associates offers an interactive online workshop using presentation, video, small group discussions, and scenario practices to help improve your ability to identify and manage conflict.
Registration:
The cost of this One-Day program is $225, and we have provided scholarship information at the end of this email. You can register for this program at: https://www.sog.unc.edu/courses/when-differences-opinion-escalate-conflict-resolution-skills-local-elected-officials
Scholarships:
Scholarship Information
NCACC County Commissioner Discount
The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners provides cost offsets for county elected officials to attend LELA courses. For information on this discount click here.
Local Government Federal Credit Union
Local Government Federal Credit Union offers scholarships to local government employees to apply toward tuition for conferences, classes, and seminars offered by the School of Government. There are four deadlines to submit applications:
- March 1 (for courses starting between April 1 and June 30)
- June 1 (for courses starting between July 1 and September 30)
- September 1 (for courses starting between October 1 and December 31)
- December 1 (for courses starting between January 1 and March 31)
Visit the LGFCU website for more information and to submit an application.
For more information: Contact Susan Jensen, program manager, sjensen@sog.unc.edu
Thank you for sharing this information with your elected officials.
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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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