League Bulletin

March 1, 2019

The Weekly Recap
电视新闻:365足彩下载主席拉扎拉谈论宽带差距
立法者提出多项基础设施和公共安全拨款法案
登记参加雇主供款率网络研讨会
杜克能源费率案例更新-创新费率
Sen. 蒂利斯，同事介绍佛罗伦萨救济措施
我们在这里成长:哈德森的连接艺术 & Business'
主街会议即将在索尔兹伯里举行

WHAT HAPPENED: A newsy week, for sure. For one, 大会的气氛更加热烈, with a marked uptick in session activity and bill-filing -- 150 this week -- and an airing of Gov. Roy Cooper双年展的重点 State of the State speech 提交给参众两院. In other news, 为了填补国会选区的空缺，宣布了新的选举 Rep. Walter Jones' passing) and 9 (per the conclusion 一个受到全国关注的选举欺诈案). 同样值得注意的是:威克县高等法院法官 threw out two 该州的宪法修正案——选民身份证和州所得税税率上限. An appeal is likely.

WHAT IT MEANS: Focusing on the legislature, the long-session is really starting to spread its wings and we'll highlight in this Bulletin some of the latest proposals we're following for cities and towns. We'll also look at Gov. 库珀的演讲，尤其是他对宽带的关注.

ON TAP: Bill deadlines. 现在最重要的是要知道:3月6日, the cutoff for House members to get local bills to the General Assembly's drafting department. (参议院的最后期限是上周.)如果你有地方法案的要求，现在就把它们交给你的众议院议员.

THE SKINNY: Introductory business at the General Assembly is essentially behind us now and we'll soon hear more about the sessions' biggest-ticket item: a new budget. 否则，我们看到的每一份与城镇有关的账单都会载入我们的 easy-to-follow Bill Tracker.

电视新闻:365足彩下载主席拉扎拉谈论宽带差距

The inadequacies of broadband availability in so many North Carolina communities remained in the spotlight this week in a TV news segment 由365足彩下载主席兼杰克逊维尔市长迈克尔·拉扎拉主持, a small business owner who, along with many, 在连接速度严重受限的情况下遇到过增长障碍吗. 杰克逊维尔“只是经历了重大连接问题的一个地区," said WITN news anchor Sharon Johnson before the segment that also included a Navy reservist, Jason Dart, 谁会为完成依赖网络的工作而挣扎. “整个世界都在2019年，我们又回到了这里——我不知道, it feels like 1997,他谈到自己家的网速时说. 它也无法满足他儿子的作业需求, 说到今天宽带速度有多重要.

"Broadband is like electricity. It's like water. Everybody needs broadband access," Lazzara told WITN, 他的报告指出，拉扎拉(以及365足彩下载执行董事保罗·迈耶) brought the concern to Capitol Hill in February. Current market approaches to internet delivery leave residents in less-populous areas (and even in a few urban areas) with less than desirable service. The full segment 还强调宽带对共同医疗和财务需求的重要性. "Everything is connected. You can't do normal life, generally speaking, 在美国无法接入宽带," said Dart. 缩小宽带差距是365足彩下载在2018年报告中讨论的优先事项。”Leaping the Digital Divide，为政策解决方案提供建议. 这和其他资源可以在 andijviekoken.com/broadband.

这个话题在本周的州长会议上也被提了出来. Roy Cooper's State of the State 向立法机关和公众发表讲话. 他称网络不通是“农村社区面临的一个巨大问题”.“太多的北卡罗来纳人没有互联网连接，他们需要申请工作。, do homework or run a small business. Among households without broadband, 大约95%的人生活在农村地区——数字鸿沟带来了非常现实的后果," said the governor. He joined in the call for public-private partnership models that can work to extend fast service where needed.

立法者提出多项基础设施和公共安全拨款法案

As the main providers of basic infrastructure and public safety services that attract jobs and sustains communities, 城市和乡镇总是优先考虑并支持为这些目的增加资金的努力. This week, legislators stepped up by introducing multiple bills to expand funding availability for water, wastewater, and transportation systems, 还有公共安全设备. Each of these bills addressed various funding goals 以团员身份优先, and city leaders appreciate legislative bill sponsors’ willingness to push for these measures. City officials also appreciate Gov. Roy Cooper’s strong support of state investments in local infrastructure priorities such as transportation and broadband, which he reiterated in his State of the State address Monday.

本周提出的一项立法倡议， SB 158扩大公用事业账户资格, 将扩大资格到更多的县公用事业帐户计划, a component of the Jobs Development & 投资补助(JDIG)经济激励计划. Funds in the Utility Account are awarded as grants to local governments in qualifying rural areas for infrastructure projects such as water and sewer, broadband, and transportation. Another bill, requested by the N.C. Department of Transportation, included a new program that, when funded, would direct state dollars to fund improvements at large publicly-owned commercial airports. And a final measure, HB 159国家搜索和救援资金, proposed additional funds to supplement local governments’ purchase and maintenance of public safety equipment.

登记参加雇主供款率网络研讨会

365足彩下载将于4月5日上午10点举办网络研讨会.m. to discuss a recently approved increase to the employer contribution rate for the Local Government Employees’ Retirement System (LGERS). Registration is open. LGERS董事会批准了这一增加, effective for fiscal year 2019-20, 解决预计未来数年系统资金严重短缺的问题. The webinar will be an opportunity for staff of the Retirement Systems Division of the Treasurer’s Office to share information about the change and answer any questions League members may have.

杜克能源费率案例更新-创新费率

The N.C. Utilities Commission held a hearing this week to learn from Duke Energy Carolinas why it didn’t comply with a commission order to produce a plan for innovative rates based on advance metering infrastructure (AMI) – a continuation of an issue the League raised 在公用事业公司2017年的费率案中，它代表其成员进行干预. It is the League’s hope that Duke Energy Carolinas will offer rates under which municipal customers can save money by making better decisions about energy usage.

Sen. 蒂利斯，同事介绍佛罗伦萨救济措施

U.S. Sen. 汤姆·提利斯(Thom Tillis)和他的同事周二公布了一项两党合作的提案，售价13美元.6 billion disaster relief package 帮助那些仍在努力从佛罗伦萨飓风中恢复的地区. 据报道，特朗普总统支持该提议 press release. The bullet points cite relief for farmers and rural communities hit by Florence and other natural disasters; help for veterans' health facilities and military construction projects that Florence impacted; emergency money for important watershed and wastewater infrastructure; and support for highways and transit projects that natural disasters set back. 北卡罗来纳州继续从飓风佛罗伦萨中恢复过来, this bipartisan legislation is a positive step to ensure our great state receives the resources it needs to help communities affected by the storm,” Senator Tillis said.

Gov. 罗伊·库珀的办公室最近也宣布了新的复苏援助, specifically for local governments. That's via the recently instated N.C. Office of Recovery and Resiliency, which launched a pair of programs for local governments struggling financially since Florence. “城镇可以获得赠款和贷款, cities and counties so they can continue to meet the needs of their residents while recovering from storm damage," the governor said in a press release with full details. 总的来说，已经批准了700多万美元用于单个城镇.

我们在这里成长:哈德森的连接艺术 & Business'

The Town of Hudson is notching up on regional economic development with the homegrown advancement of arts and entrepreneurship. That story，该镇政府同意了 Here We Grow, unfolds at the HUB Station, 小镇准备提供支持的校园, 为当地艺术家和商人提供负担得起的工作空间, sell, connect and grow. "We are anxious to see it grow as it becomes a vital part of the Hudson community and a destination point for all of Caldwell and surrounding counties,哈德逊镇经理丽贝卡·本特利说. Read all about it at Here We Grow, 北卡罗莱纳州最杰出的地方经济发展故事集, brought to you by the League in partnership with WRALTechWire.

North Carolina’s economic strength is rooted in the diversity of its cities and towns — a diversity that’s the direct result of allowing local residents to pursue their own unique visions. We encourage you to join in this effort to promote the municipal investments that are crucial to growing our state’s economy, 并教育公众它们的重要性. No one knows these stories better than the people in the cities and towns where they are happening. Help spread the word about the successes you’re seeing — from mill towns utilizing old resources in new ways, 去那些聪明的想法正在把它们变成创新中心的大城市. By telling these stories, you can ensure that cities and towns have the freedom to act and invest in the ways that make the most sense for their residents.

Join Here We Grow today. Send an email to about@herewegrownc.org 要求登录凭据，免费到团员城市和乡镇.

主街会议即将在索尔兹伯里举行

The 2019 N.C. Main Street Conference, 被称为“该州市中心振兴和发展的首要聚会”,将于3月12日至14日在索尔兹伯里举行. The theme this year is "Time. Talent. Money.“并将探索这些元素如何在市中心的改善中相互作用. "The 2019 conference will offer attendees tools to help transform their downtown districts while allowing public-private partnerships to flourish, ways to help local businesses grow, 以及如何开发一个综合的市区规划," says a press release. The event is put on by the N.C. 商务部及其主街 & Rural Planning Center, whose leaders expressed excitement in bringing it to Salisbury this year. 主街中心主任Liz Parham说, “Salisbury is the epitome of what a Main Street community is; a strong public-private partnership that develops innovative economic development strategies and initiatives, 通过实施“主街四点方针”.登记和其他信息在 ncmainstreetconference.com.