MID-CAROLINA
Council of Governments
Creative Regional Solutions

September 16, 2020
News & Updates for the Mid-Carolina Region
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
September is Falls Prevention Awareness Month
Webinar: Rural Housing Challenges in the Unfolding Pandemic
Social Determinants of Health in Rural Communities Toolkit
Heart and Soul Approach to Community Development
MCCOG Virtual Learning Series: The Show Must Go On
Visit Our New Website
September is Falls Prevention Awareness Month
Every 14 seconds an older adult is treated in the hospital for a fall-related injury. More than 2 million adults are treated in emergency departments for fall-related injuries every year. It is important to stay active and healthy to improve and maintain your mobility.

Here are 7 tips to help prevent falls:

Schedule a Doctor’s Visit - Regular visits with your physician can help to identify and prevent symptoms that can lead to falls

Use an Assistive Device - Assistive devices such as canes, walkers, scooters, or wheelchairs can increase stability and prevent unexpected falls

Schedule a Vision Check-Up - Vision is a major concern for many older adults and regular vision checks can greatly reduce the chances of a fall

Wear Proper Footwear - 30% of older adults with foot problems and trouble walking or moving will suffer a serious fall; wearing the right footwear can decrease the chance of this happening

Balance Improvement Activities - Yoga, Tai Chi, and other stretch-based exercises can help promote balance muscle coordination

Regular Exercise - Exercise has been shown to increase leg strength, improve balance and prevent falls

Medication Management - Many prescription and over the counter medications can cause side effects or interactions such as dizziness or drowsiness which can increase a persons risk for falling

Click here to learn more.
Webinar: Rural Housing Challenges in the Unfolding Pandemic
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, homes have become offices, schools, places of worship, and our safe havens. But in many rural places and tribal communities, housing is a growing challenge. Many cannot work or learn from home because of connectivity challenges. Others face mortgages or rents too high to afford with newly depressed wages or newly inflated real estate and rent prices caused by competition from a flood of urban refugees. But brick by brick and loan by loan, committed rural organizations are providing assistance to keep rural residents sheltered as the pandemic and its effects unfold.

Join the Aspen Institute for the third ROAD Session, in which rural and tribal organizations will share their analysis and useful strategies for helping rural residents, workers, and families address housing distress and homelessness. They will provide details on available housing programs and modes of collaboration useful to advance safe, affordable solutions now and over the long-term, including strategies that could help fend off further crisis if federal and state unemployment and housing assistance run dry.

This virtual exchange will be held on September 22 from 3:30pm to 4:30 pm and will be followed by peer-learning breakout sessions. Click here for more information and to register.
Determinants of Health in Rural Communities Toolkit
The Rural Health Information Hub has developed a Social Determinants of Health in Rural Communities Toolkit. The toolkit compiles promising models and resources to support organizations implementing programs to address social determinants of health in rural communities. Topics include food access, health promotion, telehealth, and rural transportation. In addition, the toolkit offers strategies for evaluating programs, sustaining funding, and disseminating information.
Heart and Soul Approach to Community Development

This five-part series will prepare participants to get started with Community Heart & Soul, a unique community development model that brings people together to build stronger, healthier, and more economically vibrant small cities and towns based on what matters most to everyone. It results in a clear path for the future while restoring pride, attracting new leaders, honoring history and culture, and building trust.

Guided by three principles - Involve Everyone, Focus on What Matters Most, and Play the Long Game - Community Heart & Soul towns are demonstrating resilience during the current COVID-19 crisis. Click here to learn more about the webinar series and register. 
MCCOG Virtual Learning Series: The Show Must Go On
Mid-Carolina Council of Governments, in partnership with East Carolina Council of Governments and WithersRavenel, is pleased to announce a series of free virtual training events for our local governments and regional partners, The Show Must Go On.

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of crisis planning, operational efficiencies, cash flow modeling and, above all, agile thinking. Organizations not only need to adapt to the current upheaval, but also anticipate whatever world awaits on the other side. Public service operations must continue.

These free virtual training events, scheduled for each Wednesday from October 7 to November 4, aim to help public officials efficiently and effectively manage some of the toughest challenges and unfunded mandates that lie ahead for local government leaders and public servants.

Mark your calendars for the following dates. You may attend one session or all five. Registration information is coming soon.

160D, what does it mean to me?
Wednesday, October 7
The clock is ticking to revise existing land-use ordinances to comply with NC rules and better unify your development regulations. Learn more about Chapter 160D, when the deadlines are, and how it affects your community.
Presented by Brendie Vega, AICP, and Daniel Rauh, AICP

Risk and Resiliency Planning 101
Wednesday, October 14
Get ahead and be proactive by planning for wet-weather events through CCTV data and modeling. Also, learn how to meet state and federal mandates for AWIA, EPA Risk Assessments, Emergency Response Plans, and ADA Transition Planning.
Presented by Ken Orie, PE, and Keith Pugh, PE

The Benefits of Using Trenchless Technologies
Wednesday, October 21
Disruptions to traffic, business, communities - water and wastewater system work can be rough on cities and towns. But trenchless technology makes replacement and rehabilitation work much less painful. Hear from the engineers who revolutionized the City of Greensboro’s program.
Presented by Kevin Eason, PE, and Robbie Bald, PE

Embracing Proactive Infrastructure Planning
Wednesday, October 28
Is your infrastructure dying a slow death? How Asset Management Planning, Prediction Modeling, Capital Improvement Plans and Rate Setting can help your community in the present while properly preparing for the future.
Presented by Eddie Staley, GISP, and Seth Robertson, PE

COVID Got Your Finances Down?
Wednesday, November 4
Are you looking for creative ways to keep capital projects and initiatives moving? We’ll share ideas on grants and loans, financial analysis and modeling, rate adequacy and setting, and business analytics and proactive planning.
Presented by Seth Robertson, PE, and Melissa Cardinal
Visit Our New Website
Mid-Carolina has been taking steps to prepare for a comprehensive re-branding of the organization. As part of this process, we have developed a new, temporary website. The website address is www.midcarolinacog.org.

Click here to visit the new site.
Share Your Good News
If you have news, events, announcements or other items you would like included in an upcoming FYI, please email Justin Hembree, MCCOG Executive Director.

Please let us know if you have questions, need additional details about the information we have shared or if there is a way the Council can be of service.
Mid-Carolina Council of Governments
Mid-Carolina Council of Governments is a multi-county, planning, development, and human services organization. We reach across county and municipal borders to provide technical assistance to our local governments and to administer programs that benefit our region’s citizens.

Our mission is to provide creative regional solutions to relevant and emerging issues in Cumberland, Harnett, and Sampson Counites while providing a standard of excellence in the delivery of federal, state, and regional services for our local governments and the people they serve.