From:                              Katie Conner

Sent:                               Tuesday, February 4, 2020 8:59 AM

To:                                   Katie Conner

Subject:                          Kerr-Tar Regional COG February 2020 Newsletter

 

 

Constant Contact


 


All the news and updates you don't want to miss.

 

 

 

FEBRUARY 2020 NEWSLETTER

 

 

CURRENT EVENTS

 

 

·     February 20th, Focus 20/20 Regional Economic Development Summit @ McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center. Registration begins at 8:30.

·     Next COG Board meeting with be Thursday, March 26th.

·     KTRPO will hold its next meeting on Thursday, February 27, 2020 @3:00PM.

·     RAAC Meeting on Wedneday, February 12th @ 2:00PM

 

 

 Announcing Focus 2020 - A Regional Economic Development Summit

 

Don't forget to register. Space is limited!

 

 

 

DEQ Community Waste Reduction and Recycling Grant (CWRAR) Available

 

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is now accepting proposals for the 2020 grant cycle. The deadline to submit a proposal is 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 20, 2020. This recurring annual grant program provides funding to public recycling programs for projects that help communities build lasting capacity to divert materials from the waste stream and / or increase public awareness of recycling. This grant cycle is timed to correspond with local government budget cycles. Funding for the 2020 CWRAR Grant winners becomes available on July 1, 2020.

 

Download the 2020 request for proposals (RFP) by selecting one of the following links (PDF or Word). For more information or assistance please contact Sandy Skolochenko at (919) 707-8147.

 

 

 

Vance-Granville Community College recently launched a new partnership with KARTS, the public, rural transportation system, to help students travel to and from any of the college’s four (4) campuses at no cost. Through the partnership, the college will use grant funds and donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund to pay for students to use KARTS. Students can now make appointments for KARTS to pick them up by calling 252-438-2573 and then dialing “0”. If students need to cancel appointments, they can call the same number. Appointment timeslots are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Appointments can be made up to two weeks in advance. Service requests for the following day are taken no later than 1 p.m., or as capacity allows.

Students can request tickets on campus from any VGCC employee. Once students have these fare tickets, they must present their VGCC student IDs, along with the tickets, when boarding the KARTS transportation bus. Students who do not show up for scheduled appointments three times are subject to be prohibited from using this service in the future.

Current pickup/drop-off locations on campus are as follows:

 

• VGCC Main Campus (Vance County), in front of Building 7;

• VGCC Franklin Campus (Louisburg), in front of Building 1;

• VGCC South Campus (Butner/Creedmoor), in front of Building 1; and

• VGCC Warren Campus (Warrenton), between Buildings 2 and 3.



KARTS is a service of the Kerr Area Transportation Authority. Its mission is “to provide safe, dependable and accessible transportation services in the most efficient and effective manner possible in order to improve mobility, support livable communities, enhance local economies, and provide opportunities to expand horizons of the citizens of Franklin, Granville, Vance and Warren Counties.” 

 

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

 

 

SPOT Prioritization 6.0 Subcommittee

 

The Prioritization 6.0 Subcommittee will meet on Thursday, February 13th at the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments office in Henderson. The Subcommittee’s recommendations will be presented to the full KTRPO TAC and TCC at the February 27, 2020 meeting for approval. 

 

 

Ethics Reminder

 

Statement 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. The KTRPO is available to schedule appointments with TAC members and TAC alternates to assist with completing and filing of these forms.

 

NCMOVES Poster Contest

 

 

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is encouraging students to create posters around the theme, Leaping into the Future as it relates to future transportation needs in North Carolina. All students who live in and/or attend school in North Carolina and were born between Jan. 1, 2001, and Dec. 31, 2014, are encouraged to participate by submitting their own artwork. All entries must be turned in or mailed and postmarked no later than Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. For more information and a list of permitted media, please refer to: https://www.ncdot.gov/initiatives-policies/Transportation/nc-2050-plan/Pages/poster-contest.aspx We look forward to some great submissions from our region’s talented students! 

 

 

NC MOVES 2050 FUTURE NEEDS SURVEY

 

 

The North Carolina Department of Transportation wants to build a transportation system people want, need and will use. So, what is it that you want? Now is the time to speak up.



Participate in the survey to tell us what is important to you. Share this survey with your family and friends. Everyone’s voice is welcome. Survey will be open through February 14, 2020.

 

 

NCDOT Receives Grant to Start Human Trafficking Training

for Public Transit Workers 

 

Thanks to a federal grant, the N.C. Department of Transportation will start a program this year to train public transportation employees on how to recognize and respond if they see human trafficking.

 

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced this week the NCDOT will receive a $120,000 grant to develop and deliver training on human trafficking for public transit providers statewide. The grant will also be used to pay for human trafficking education materials that can be posted in bus stations and other public transportation facilities, as well as on public transit vehicles.

 

“Human traffickers frequently use public transportation to move their victims because it’s inexpensive and provides for greater anonymity,” said Julie White, NCDOT’s deputy secretary for Multi-Modal Transportation. “That’s why it’s critically important that front-line staff and operators of our public transit vehicles know what to look for and how to respond, if they even suspect they’re witnessing human trafficking.”



NCDOT is one of 24 organizations nationwide selected to receive grants for a federal human trafficking and public safety initiative. Human trafficking refers to modern-day slavery and affects millions of people worldwide, but is often underreported because it’s difficult to recognize and victims are afraid to come forward.  

 

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper proclaimed January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month. 

 

 

Comprehensive State Rail Plan Update – Input Needed 

 

The NCDOT Rail Division is working to update the Comprehensive State Rail Plan. This plan will identify ways to make strategic passenger and freight rail investments that support safe and reliable rail transportation, while spurring economic development. The completed plan will be issued in 2020.

 

Stakeholder feedback is a key piece of this plan. The Department appreciates all the feedback received so far. To ensure a wide range of feedback, NCDOT has created an online survey site with questions about rail project needs and opportunities. The Department encourages you to participate in this survey. The survey is available via the following: https://ncstaterailplan.metroquest.com/

 

If you have any questions or would like to speak with the study team, please contact Eddie McFalls with the NCDOT Rail Division at: ebmcfalls@ncdot.gov or (919) 707-4727 or the consultant team at Dewberry Engineering; Rachel Vandenberg rvandenberg@dewberry.com or Beth Smyre esmyre@dewberry.com

 

 

S-Line Meeting

 

On January 16, 2020, the KTRPO, regional and neighboring stakeholders as well as NCDOT Division 5 engineers attended an S-Line meeting in Raleigh. The S-Line is a proposed regional vision for rail that will connect North Carolina to cities throughout the Southeast and heavily traveled Northern area corridors. Representatives from the NCDOT Rail Division and Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation made presentations providing an overview of the S-Line; discussing the purpose and benefits of infrastructure investment; and providing critical next steps. The S-Line is designed to serve passengers and freight to meet the needs of the changing economy and provide an alternative transportation option. The key stops in the region to be serviced by the S-Line include: Henderson [Vance County], Youngsville [Franklin County], and Ridgeway [Warren County].

 

 

 

Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements [CRISI]

Grant Application Now Open

 

The S-Line is a key component in NCDOT applying for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant application in April 2020. The CRISI grant leverages private, state, and local investments to support safety enhancements to infrastructure for passenger and freight railroads. Improving corridor and multi-modal connectivity and securing funding for environmental projects through STI and federal discretionary grants are the two main purposes of the grant. The proposed corridor cost is $100M, with $45M in right of way funding availabilities. To strengthen the grant application, resolutions of support are encouraged. If interested in obtaining sample resolution supporting the grants efforts, please contact a member of the KTRPO.

 

 

Announcing National Diesel Emission Reduction Program RFP

 

The U.S. EPA is offering approximately $44 million in Diesel Emission Reduction Program (DERA) grant funds to support projects aimed at reducing emissions from the nation’s existing fleet of older diesel engines. The Agency’s DERA applications are being accepted nationwide for projects that represent significant reductions in diesel emissions from fleets in areas designated by the EPA as having poor air quality. Application packages must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by Wednesday, February 26, 2020. The EPA will host a series of webinars to assist applicants in learning more about the program and grant guidelines. For further details, please visit https://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/clean-diesel-national-grants#rfa If interested in applying for a DERA grant, please contact a member of the KTRPO.

 

AGING

 

RAAC meeting February 12, 2020, 2-4 p.m. at the COG

 

Please join us for our RAAC meeting. Our guest speaker will be Joyce Massey-Smith, Director of the NC Department of Aging and Adult Services. She will speak about aging concerns in rural areas. We will also explore ideas as we develop our new regional aging plan. All are welcome!

 

 

We Want Your Input!

 

Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging is developing a new regional aging plan for 2020-2024. Here is the link is for the ten-item survey. Survey responses will guide our priorities and help us plan for the future. We are interested in responses from all ages and perspectives. You may have personal or professional experience with aging adults, and may have very good ideas for our new plan. With the growing older population, new ideas and innovations are coming from many sources! Our new aging plan will address the needs of aging adults, caregivers, and persons living with disabilities in your county.

 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8RH3MDX

 

Please return this survey by February 29, 2020. Feel free to forward the link to others in our region.

 

If you would like to help develop our new aging plan, we would love to have you join our next meeting. Thank you, and if you have questions or would like to know more about the Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging, please call our office at 252 436-2040.

 

 

 

 

NEW Family Caregiver Social Group

 

 

 

Caregiver Directed Voucher Program

 

 

WORKFORCE

 

Success Stories

 

Marcus stopped in to the Henderson NCWorks Career Center looking for full-time employment opportunities. He acknowledged that he had a felony conviction and served 19 years in prison for a crime that he had committed when he was 16 years of age. Marcus was released in January and has been working part-time at Food Lion but wanted to find a full-time opportunity. We discussed the best approach for disclosing his background with prospective employers, both on applications and during the interview process. Marcus was referred to a job fair the following day and provided the contact information for Hard Hat Workforce Solutions.

 

Marcus called our office two days later to report that he had contacted a Hard Hat recruiter after leaving our office, interviewed the following day (using the approach we had discussed) and was hired as a Laborer. He started his new job on Monday, December 16th

 

 

Denise Marrow is currently attending Vance-Granville Community College and has an expected graduation date of May, 2020. Denise will graduate with an associate degree in Bioprocess Technology. Denise was faced with unexpected car repairs and was unable to pay her tuition for the 2020 spring semester. She applied for the Finish Line Grant to assist with tuition payment.



Denise is very thankful for receiving the Finish Line Grant. She is also very appreciate of the assistance she received from the staff at VGCC and NCWorks Career Center. 

 

 

 

 

Are you having a hard time landing a job and feel defeated or frustrated? NCWorks Career Centers have staff and programs that can assist you. To find your local NCWorks Career Center and see the upcoming events click here.

 

 

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

 

 

Communities Served:

 

Franklin County

Granville County

Person County

Vance County

Warren County

Town of Bunn

Town of Butner

City of Creedmoor

Town of Franklinton

City of Henderson

Town of Kittrell

Town of Louisburg

Town of Macon

Town of Middleburg

Town of Norlina

City of Oxford

City of Roxboro

Town of Stem

Town of Stovall

Town of Warrenton

Town of Youngsville

 

 

 

 

Executive Director

Diane Cox

 

Planning & Development

Michael Kelly

 

Workforce Development

Vincent Gilreath

 

Area Agency on Aging

 

 

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.

 

Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments

Contact Info:

252-436-2040

252-436-2055 fax

 

Our mailing address is:

P.O. Box 709

Henderson, NC 27536

 

Website:

 

Kerr-Tar Regional COG | 1724 Graham Avenue, Henderson, NC 27536 2524362040