APRIL 2020 NEWSLETTER

CURRENT EVENTS

·     Next COG Board meeting with be Thursday, May 28th.

·     KTRPO will hold its next meeting on Thursday,

April 23, 2020 @3:00PM.

Coronavirus Scams

North Carolina’s Attorney General, Josh Stein want citizens to protect themselves against Coronavirus scams. Please report any scams to the North Carolina Department of Justice at: https://ncdoj.gov/file-a-complaint/ or 1-877-5-NO-SCAM

Census 2020

Earlier this month, residents received an initial letter from the U.S. Census Bureau inviting them to participate in the 2020 Census. A copy of the letter is available in [English] and [Spanish]. Please complete the Census questionnaire by visiting: https://my2020census.gov and entering your unique 12-digit

household id.

The Census Bureau offers a tracking tool to view response rates at the state and local levels. The tracking tool is available here .

PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

2020 Tentative TCC/TAC Meeting Dates

All meetings are open to the public and held from 3:00 – 5:00 pm at the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments’ located at 1724 Graham Ave. in Henderson.

·     January 30, 2020

·     February 27, 2020

·     March 26, 2020

·     April 23, 2020

·     May 28, 2020

·     June 25, 2020

·     July 2020 - No Meeting Scheduled

·     August 27, 2020

·     September - No Meeting Scheduled

·     October 22, 2020

·     November 2020 - No Meeting Scheduled

·     December 2020 - No Meeting Scheduled

*Meeting dates are subject to change in order to accommodate NCDOT deadlines. If a meeting date changes, members of the TAC and TCC will be notified

Ethics Reminder

Statements of Economic Interest (SEI) and Real Estate Disclosure (RED) Forms are now available through the N.C. State Ethics Commission. All voting TAC members and TAC alternates are required to complete SEI and RED forms annually. These forms may be submitted electronically. The deadline to receive these forms is April 15, 2020*.

*Note: This deadline is statutory and has not been extended.

Prioritization 6.0

The public comment period for region-wide projects is open until Wednesday, April 8^th at 5:00pm. If interested in offering comments on the region’s projects scheduled to be submitted to NCDOT, please contact Stephanie Harmon at: (252) 436-2040 or sharmon@kerrtarcog.org.

Applications Open for State Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Grants

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is accepting applications from communities for the 2020 Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Grant Initiative. The program provides funding for municipalities across the state to develop comprehensive bicycle or pedestrian plans. All North Carolina municipalities are eligible to apply for a standard bike or pedestrian plan.

The deadline for applications to be submitted electronically is May 19, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. The Department funds plans addressing facilities, programs, policies and design guidelines that encourage safe walking and bicycling. Please contact a member of the KTRPO if interested in applying. 

Great State Trails Plan

Participants are encouraged to complete both surveys. 

Announcing AARP Community Challenge Grants - Deadline Extended 

·     Increasing civic engagement with innovative and tangible projects that bring residents and local leaders together to address challenges and facilitate a greater sense of community inclusion and diversity.

·     Creating vibrant public places that improve open spaces, parks and access to other amenities.

·     Delivering a range of transportation and mobility options that increase connectivity, walkability, bikeability wayfinding, access to transportation options and roadway improvements.

·     Supporting the availability of a range of housing that increases accessible and affordable housing options.

·     Demonstrating the tangible value of “Smart Cities” with programs that engage residents in accessing, understanding and using data, and participating in decision-making to increase the quality of life for all.

Applications Open for State Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Grants

The N.C. Department of Transportation is accepting applications from communities for the 2020 Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Grant Initiative. The program provides funding for municipalities across the state to develop comprehensive bicycle or pedestrian plans. All North Carolina municipalities are eligible to apply for a standard bike or pedestrian plan.



The deadline for applications to be submitted electronically is May 19, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. Award recipients will be notified by September 2020. This program is sponsored by the department’s Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation and the Transportation Planning Branch. Proposals are divided and judged in geographical groups to help establish equitable distribution of funding across the state. Recipients commonly include a diverse mix of municipalities from large cities to small towns.

Plans funded address facilities, programs, policies and design guidelines that encourage safe walking and bicycling. Please contact a member of the KTRPO if interested in applying.

Municipal Annexation Training

In anticipation of the upcoming Census, the Council of Governments was pleased to welcome Mr. John Bridgers, with the North Carolina Office of the Secretary of State Land Records Management Division to conduct a training for local governments on properly recording municipal annexations. The Council of Governments is thankful to the cities of Henderson, Oxford, Creedmoor, and Roxboro as well as Warren County for attending. Attendees learned about the effects of annexations; the constitutional authority of municipal annexations; state statutory requirements for recording annexations; and the consequences of not properly recording annexation documents. If your municipality was unable to attend, please contact the Council of Governments to arrange additional trainings. 

Municipal Water Quality Training

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure will be conducting a municipal water quality training at the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments’ offices in Henderson. The training will cover funding opportunities available to local governments through DEQ. The initial training has been postponed. If your municipality is interested in attending, please contact Michael Kelly at mkelly@kerrtarcog.org or (252) 436-2040 to register. 

AGING

Information for Older Adults

All Congregate/Nutrition centers across the region are closed for at least the next 2 weeks. The situation will be reassessed at that time. Take-out options as well as home delivered options are available in each county. Senior center staff are making safety checks to older adults on a regular basis. 

If you are in need of assistance, please call your local senior center for information or the Area Agency on Aging at (252) 436-2040 Ext 2047.

Franklin County Senior Services: (919) 496-1131

Granville County Senior Services: (919) 693-1930

Person County Senior Center: (336) 599-7484

Vance County Senior Center: (252) 430-0257

Warren County Senior Center: (252) 257-3111

The national Disaster Distress Helpline 24/7/365 crisis counseling & emotional support continues to be available for anyone experiencing distress or other mental health concerns during the ongoing COVID-19 infectious disease outbreak. Call 1-800-985-5990 (press "2" for Spanish) or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to access this service.

WORKFORCE

Warrenton NCWorks Career Center

The NCWorks center in Warrenton is currently closed in order to protect the health of customers and staff. While not serving customers in-person, we will continue to provide services virtually and by phone. Please call 919-693-2686 or send an email to NCWorks.4200@nccommerce.com to receive staff-assisted services, whether you are a jobseeker or an employer. You may also continue to access NCWorks Online at www.ncworks.gov.

NCWorks Career Centers are not actually “unemployment offices,” and we do not process Unemployment Insurance claims. We do help unemployed jobseekers to find new jobs. Currently, you do not need to visit NCWorks to file an unemployment insurance claim. To apply for unemployment benefits, visit www.des.nc.gov or call: 888-737-0259.

Success Story

Mr. Mattox came to NCWorks Career Center seeking assistance for PMP (Project Manager Professional) certification.  He was enrolled in the WIOA program on 7/8/2019 as a Dislocated Worker and successfully completed the PMP exam prep course. 

After 20 years, Mr. Mattox lost his job as a Delivery Project Executive. Through lengthy discussion it was decided that the PMP certification would be essential in assisting customer in acquiring wages comparable to or higher than wages from previous employment. 

January 6, 2020 Mr. Mattox started full time with Microsoft as an Account Delivery Executive with a salary of $180,000.

Looking for a job - look at www.NCWORKS.gov 

MISSION STATEMENT

Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments aims to

promote regionalism that provides opportunities for

local governments to enhance and improve the quality

of life for our citizens through effective delivery of

services and programs.