This Week's Wins
Here are some things worth celebrating this week at Foothills Regional Commission and in our region!
- Rutherford County has been approved for two separate grants through the NC Rural Infrastructure Authority under its Building Reuse program. These grants are in two separate categories.
In the Vacant Building Category, Rutherford will get a $50,000 grant to support the reuse of a building in Ellenboro to be occupied by CrossAir. This project is expected to create seven jobs with an investment of $772,827 by the company.
And, in the Existing Business Building Category, the county will receive a $160,000 grant for the expansion of a building in Spindale that is occupied by Fountain Electric. The project is expected to create 20 jobs, with an investment of more than $1 million by the company. Congratulations to Rutherford County, CrossAir and Fountain Electric! You can read more here.
- Three projects in the Foothills region are among those selected for an Opportunity Appalachia and Mountain BizWorks program that aims to bring jobs, business support and investment to the Appalachian communities of western North Carolina.
Opportunity Appalachia will now provide technical assistance to these selected projects to support the development of investment prospectus, structuring of project financing, market research, operations planning, architectural design and investor outreach. The details can be found here. Congrats to everyone working on these projects, which include:
- Old Fort (Eagle Market Streets Development Corporation, Catawba Vale Community Center) – Development of a 60,000 sq. ft. two-story warehouse into a community-owned asset that provides space for an employee-owned apparel manufacturer as an anchor tenant, as well as local restaurants, locally-owned retail, a Montessori school, and community space for entrepreneurs and local community organizations. The minority-led project sponsor estimates total costs to be $5.1 million with anticipated creation or retention of 75-100 above living wage jobs.
- Old Fort (Camp Grier, Grier Lodging Project) – Creation of a roughly 75,000 sq. ft. outdoor recreation hub that will be used to support an equitable outdoor recreation economy in Old Fort. The Hub will contain light commercial space, camping and van spaces, long-term rental housing, short-term rental lodging, and provide direct access to a 100+ mile trail complex within walking and riding distance of downtown Old Fort. Estimated costs total $20 million with anticipated creation of 30 jobs.
- Shelby (City of Shelby, The Hotel Charles) – Restoration and redevelopment of the historic 32,000 sq. ft. Hotel Charles in Shelby into an upscale-boutique hotel, with approximately 36 rooms. Once completed, the three-story hotel will offer guests walkability to Uptown restaurants, local tourist attractions, event venues, and walking trails. An anticipated 25-30 new jobs will be created, and the approximate hospitality tax for year 1 of operation is approximately $86,000. Estimated costs total $7-8 million.
Got a "win" for the region or FRC that you'd like to see celebrated? Send it to Mackenzie Wicker at mwicker@foothillsregion.org to have it included in our next newsletter.
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FRC Job Opportunity: Transportation Planner
FRC is seeking an experienced, creative individual for the position of Transportation Planner. This person will be responsible for the administration of the Foothills Rural Planning Organization (FRPO) program, which provides transportation planning services to three rural counties in western North Carolina.
The position will also provide transportation technical assistance to local government staff and elected officials, work with state and local staff on the development of long-range transportation plans and funding programs, and serve as staff to various stakeholder committees. More information, including on how to apply, is available here.
FRC is also hiring for the position of Program Manager in the Community & Economic Development Department. More information on that role, including on how to apply for it, is available here.
FRC's general application—along with all job postings—can be found on our website's Employment Opportunities page.
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Rutherfordton Event: Workforce/Affordable Homebuying Workshop
Gateway Housing LLC is working to construct 31 single-family homes in the Creekwood Meadows Subdivision off John Smith Road in Rutherfordton with the goal of meeting a need in both workforce and affordable housing. The homes will be a mix of two and three-bedroom homes with a variety of customization options available for buyers and financing packages that still offer no down payment and low interest for those who qualify.
As Gateway Housing begins to prepare homes for sale, they and the Town of Rutherfordton are hosting a workshop for potential buyers with a household income of $52,000 or below and others working to help secure housing for those in need. Attendees of the event will learn how buyers can obtain one of these new homes with a mortgage below $700 a month and how to support workforce team members in securing a place in the new neighborhood.
The workshop will be held Friday, July 15, 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. at Rutherfordton Clubhouse, 241 Clubhouse Drive, Rutherfordton. Free lunch will be provided. Space is limited and reservations are required. Please RSVP by July 10 by emailing terry@gotothehub.org.
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Resource: USDA/US EDA Rural Development Guide
The United States Department of Agriculture and the US Economic Development Association have partnered to release a new resource guide aimed at helping rural communities understand which available programs best serve which projects.
"Stronger Together: Federal funding and planning strategies designed to promote sustainable economic development in rural America" breaks programs down into four focus areas:
- Planning & Technical Assistance
- Infrastructure & Broadband
- Entrepreneurship & Business Assistance
- Workforce Development
The guide can be accessed here.
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Good Reads on the FMLA
The UNC School of Government Coates' Canons law blog has several new posts that may be of interest to local governments. These focus on the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
The FMLA requires employers to provide employees with 12 weeks of unpaid but job-protected leave each year for qualifying situations, including for the birth or adoption of a child, for the employee’s own serious health condition, or for an employee to care for an immediate family member with a serious health condition. Click on the title below to access the respective post.
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NCDHHS Resource: COVID Updates
Summer officially began June 21, which means the United States has entered the third summer of the pandemic. We're seeing the sixth wave of COVID and many people are getting sick for the first time. Cases are six times higher than last summer. Fortunately, hospitalizations remain in check. In addition, people are likely to get COVID multiple times.
Much has changed over the past few years and it can be difficult to keep up with the latest information. A representative from the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services (NCDHHS) Division of Aging and Adult Services in an email shared the following recent developments, which were compiled by NIHCM Foundation:
- New Vaccine: The Food and Drug Administration has endorsed the Novavax shot. This vaccine was developed using decades-old technology and is an important option for those who are unable to take an mRNA vaccine.
- Children’s Vaccinations: Kids are at risk of severe COVID outcomes and almost 90% of children hospitalized during the omicron wave were unvaccinated. (Fortunately, the rollout of vaccines for children under 5 is underway.)
- Long COVID: A CDC study suggests that more than one in five adult COVID survivors in the U.S. may develop long COVID. Many want to know whether they have long COVID and there are more than 200 symptoms of the condition.
- CDC has shared two new graphics tailored for the How Right Now campaign, which emphasizes mental health issues and emotional wellbeing during this time. These materials place a strong emphasis on emotional wellbeing as a function of interconnectedness with community and culture. You can download the content in English here and in Spanish here.
- These CDC webpages also have updates or new information.
- And finally, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public health podcast has a recent episode here in which experts Keri Althoff and Elizabeth Stuart speak with the host about where we are in this pandemic summer, what’s changed, what hasn’t, and where we might be headed.
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More Upcoming Events
- NC Foothills Farm Tour - June 25 and Oct. 15 in Rutherford and Polk counties. Learn more here or find the link for tickets—sold per vehicle—on the tour’s website.
- NCDOT Public Info Session: NC Clean Transportation Plan - June 28, 6-7 p.m. Registration required and available here.
- LeverageNC Webinars - Register and see all free webinars here. Upcoming ones include:
- June 29, 10 a.m. - Fostering Public-Private Partnerships
- July 13, 10 a.m. - New Data Insights on Main Street Resiliency and Recovery
- July 27, 10 a.m. - Destination Creation in Any Size Community: One Business at a Time
- Strategic Planning Framework for Public Sector Organizations - July 12 in Atlantic Beach. $125. Register and learn more here.
- Cash Management and Investment of Public Funds - July 12-28, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. via Zoom. Presented by the UNC School of Government. $525 fee. Intermediate class for finance officers, treasurers and/or staff with cash management responsibilities. More info and registration here.
- 2022 NADO National Regional Transportation Conference - July 19-21 in Kansas City, MO. Register and learn more here.
- Essentials of Municipal Government - July 25-27 via Zoom. Presented by UNC School of Government. Learn more and register here.
SAVE THE DATE: The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has announced the date of its 2022 annual conference, One Appalachia: Connection & Collaboration, which it will co-host with the state of Maryland Oct. 17-19 at the Rocky Gap Resort in Flintstone, Maryland. More information is available here.
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