NC FIRST Commission Seeks Public Input
The N.C. Department of Transportation’s NC FIRST Commission is asking the public to use a new online investment tool to provide input on future revenue solutions from now until December 14, 2020.
Creating Revenue and Finding Transportation Solutions, or CRAFTS, allows you to create your own revenue and investment scenarios. This tool was created by SAS to aid the NC FIRST Commission in finding revenue solutions as the group prepares to make final recommendations to the Board of Transportation.
NC FIRST unveiled the CRAFTS tool in September, allowing commissioners to test the tool before it was made available to the public today. The public can now access the tool and comment portal on the CRAFTS webpage.
Commissioners will review public input before making final recommendations in January for sustaining the future of North Carolina’s transportation system.
The NC FIRST Commission was formed in March 2019 to research and advise the secretary of transportation of potential components of a sustainable long-range transportation investment strategy.
https://www.ncdot.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/2020/2020-12-1-crafts-tool-public-input.aspx
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2020 North Carolina Employer Needs Survey
The 2020 Employer Needs Survey asked over 3,000 business establishments during the Fall of 2019 about their hiring practices, with emphasis on hiring difficulties and workforce needs. The NC Dept of Commerce Labor & Economic Analysis Division (LEAD) has carried out an Employer Needs Survey every two years since 2014, allowing for comparisons across time as labor market conditions shifted during the recovery from the Great Recession. Respondents to the 2020 survey came from all 100 of the state’s counties, and the industry mix and firm size of the Overall sample is reflective of the state. Although labor market conditions have changed dramatically since the reference period due to the coronavirus pandemic, the survey results offer a snapshot of the tight labor market conditions faced by employers a few months ago as well as other more long-term challenges for the workforce development system.
Summary Handout
Full Report: https://files.nc.gov/nccommerce/documents/files/2020-Employer-Needs-Survey_Final.pdf
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Join Us for a Virtual COVID-19 Panel Discussion in the Northwest Region!
Please join the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC), in partnership with the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, on December 15 to hear from local business leaders about the effects, challenges, and opportunities the Northwest Region has faced in light of the pandemic.
We will also highlight the valuable counsel and services EDPNC provides to help North Carolina businesses, small and large, through recovery as we move onward as one.
Moderated by David Jackson, President/CEO, Boone Area Chamber of Commerce.
Panelists will include:
Christopher Chung, CEO at EDPNC
Sarah Chester, Executive Director at Carolina Textile District
George Auten, Principle at Atriax Group, PLLC
Ali Karnib, VP of Operations, Composite Business Unit at NanoXplore, Inc.
John Loyack, VP Global Business Services at EDPNC
Bill Slagle, Northwest Existing Industry Expansions Manager at EDPNC
Please share this invitation with your local businesses so they can learn more about what EDPNC can do for them!
Those interested in attending this virtual event should register by December 14.
More Information
Register Here
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Free Classes:
Mayland Community College
Click on the flyer for more information on a great opportunity to start a new career for free! Mayland Community College now has money available through the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief fund to provide free workforce classes to anyone wishing to begin a new career. Please help us get the word out.
Even though MCC primarily serves Avery/Mitchell/Yancey there may be customers interested in online classes or commuting in!
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NCDOT Great Trails State Plan - Public Review of Draft Trail Network Maps
We are making excellent progress on the Great Trails State Plan. Our consulting team is working on the first draft of the plan, and we are in the last stages of finalizing the draft trail network. And, thanks again for providing feedback on the draft network. We received so much feedback from Division stakeholders in the last couple of months that has helped to refine the network from earlier drafts. We also received over 13,000 responses from the public through our survey and online web map. We appreciate your involvement and support of the draft network and plan.
To finalize the draft network, we would like to get additional feedback from the public in response to the draft maps. We’ve setup a Public Input page for the public to view the plan overview presentation, pdf copies of draft maps, a web-based map of the network, and provide specific comments to each of the Division maps. We are currently working with NCDOT Communications to distribute the Public Input page to community organizations, partners, and the public throughout NC.
Please help us spread the word about public review of the draft maps by distributing the Public Input page to your networks and/or hosting a link to the Public Input page on your agency or organizational websites.
The link to the Public Input page is provided here: https://publicinput.com/ncgreattrailsstate.
And, the link to our Great Trails State Plan Get Involved page is provided here: https://www.ncdot.gov/divisions/bike-ped/great-trails-state/Pages/get-involved.aspx. The Get Involved page provides an overview of public input thus far and the link to the Public Input page.
The deadline for public comment on the draft maps is Friday, December 4th, 2020.
As for next steps in the planning process, the draft plan will be available for Steering Committee and Division Stakeholder review next month and followed by public review of the draft plan likely in January.
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myFutureNC County Profiles Webinar
Join the NC Rural Center, myFutureNC, and Carolina Demography on Wednesday, December 9, 2020 from 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. to learn more about their County Attainment Profiles and the customized data specific to your local county.
About the County Data Profiles
myFutureNC in partnership with Carolina Demography has created data profiles for every North Carolina county that highlight county-level educational attainment and key education and workforce performance metrics.
It is the hope that leaders can use these profiles to help facilitate conversations and informed decision-making on local priorities aimed at increasing education levels with a specific emphasis on the "opportunities for improvement" uniquely identified by county.
Registration: https://web.cvent.com/event/82990079-3c49-482b-9817-9f7ad8de4834/summary
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Caregivers of Older Adults Survey
The High Country Area Agency on Aging Family Caregiver Support Program needs your help! The family caregiver support program is dedicated to help family caregivers in the High Country. Through this program we offer a multitude of services at no cost family caregivers. These services include but are not limited to case management, respite vouchers, information and assistance, and other supplemental services.
The High Country AAA is asking for your input to improve the organization's understanding of the needs of caregivers of older adults throughout our seven-county region during the COVID-19 pandemic. The family caregiver support program is dedicated to help family caregivers in the High Country. Through this program we offer a multitude of services at no cost to the family. These services include but are not limited to case management, respite vouchers, information and assistance, and other supplemental services.
The High Country AAA is asking for your input to improve the organization's understanding of the needs of caregivers of older adults throughout our seven-county region during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please complete this Survey the best of your knowledge. Your assistance is greatly valued and appreciated! Your responses will be used to inform the High Country Area Agency on Aging Family Caregiver Support Program and will be kept confidential to AAA staff. Thank you for your dedication to the family caregivers of Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey Counties. Your assistance is greatly valued and appreciated! Your responses will be used to inform the High Country Area Agency on Aging Family Caregiver Support Program and will be kept confidential to AAA staff. Thank you for your dedication to the family caregivers of Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey Counties.
Survey Link: https://forms.gle/N3vY4w1McdrLRzQg8
I have also attached the referral form for the family caregiver support program, please refer anyone you might think will benefit from this program. The eligibility requirements are that the caregiver must be caring for some 60 years of age or older who needs help with at least two activities of daily living (toileting, bathing, ambulating, eating, getting in/out of bed or chair) or they must be caring for someone living with Dementia.
Feel free to share this survey to your networks or reach out to me if you have any questions.
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Local Government Training Program - Professional Development Scholarship
The Local Government Training Program (LGTP) is pleased to announce that we will be offering $200.00 scholarships to local government professionals in western North Carolina, to help pay for virtual professional development offerings from UNC’s School of Government. Due to the limitations for face-to-face instruction being offered in the western region, the LGTP is working to support our local government jurisdictions by helping to mitigate professional development training costs and increase attendance and participation in these opportunities. These scholarship dollars will be used to help pay for the tuition costs for upcoming virtual instruction. To see a list of upcoming courses offered by the School of Government please check https://www.sog.unc.edu/courses/.
In order to apply for these scholarship funds please complete the attached application and return it to Bob Boylan, rcboylan@email.wcu.edu, prior to registering for the program with the School of Government. Once you have received confirmation of your approval, you will then complete the registration process with UNC. When you submit your course registration form, you will be required to confirm your payment method; you should select the option to be invoiced. Scholarship funds will be applied to your balance at the end of the month in which you applied. Once your scholarship has been applied to your account, a final invoice will be generated with the remaining balance to be paid by your jurisdiction. If the cost of the workshop is less than $200.00, this scholarship will cover the entire tuition. Please share this information with any other employees in your jurisdiction who are interested in taking advantage of this opportunity. For additional information or if you have any questions please contact me via email or at (828)-227-3442.
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Keys to Economic Recovery from COVID-19
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What strategies will help local economies recover more quickly from the COVID-19 pandemic? The ncIMPACT Initiative at the UNC School of Government and NCGrowth at the Kenan Institute for Private Enterprise are collaborating on a project to assess the short term impacts of local factors and local government actions that aim to help people feel safe engaging in activities that improve the economy.
Register for a free series of webinars where we will share what we learn and collect your input as the project progresses. Let's dive into the data and learn from each other as we navigate next steps in North Carolina.
Upcoming Webinar Dates:
January 27: Using Data to Drive Decisions in the Face of Crisis
All webinars begin at 2:00 p.m. EST
This project is supported by the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with funding from the North Carolina Coronavirus Relief Fund established and appropriated by the North Carolina General Assembly.
Learn more and register once for the series at: https://go.unc.edu/s2N4T |
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Legal Basics for Advisory Boards Webinar
January 21, 2021
10 am – 2:45 pm (with a 45-minute lunch break)
Online | Zoom
We are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the Legal Basics for Advisory Boards Webinar on Thursday, January 21, 2021, from 10 am – 2:45 pm, with a 45-minute lunch break from 12 – 12:45 pm. The class will be held via Zoom, and will be available for on-demand purchase after the live webinar date.
Registration: To register for this course, please visit the course webpage. The registration fee is $150.
Topics: Municipalities and counties throughout the state rely on advisory boards for recommendations on a wide range of local government issues. This online crash course for advisory board members is designed to help them do their important work effectively and lawfully. Participants will gain a basic understanding of topics relevant to all local government advisory boards, including the open meetings law, the public records law, and board procedures. (NOTE: This course will not cover procedural requirements specific to planning boards or quasi-judicial proceedings.)
Materials: Any related documents will be posted under the “materials” tab on the course web page. Each registrant will receive Suggested Procedural Rules for Local Appointed Boards in an e-format.
Faculty coordinator: Trey Allen at tallen@sog.unc.edu
For more information: Contact Rachel Mintel, program associate, at mintel@sog.unc.edu
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Upcoming Local Elected Leaders Academy Courses
Dates, topics, and links for course descriptions and registration are included below. As a reminder, CPLG is offering 25% registration discounts in recognition of the budget disruptions local governments continue to experience as the NC economy slowly recovers. Our continued use of virtual platforms provides wide access to these offerings. I hope you can take advantage of some of these important options to hone your local leadership skills.
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