Welcome to "The Pine Needler," your go-to source for all things happening in the Central Pines Region! We're here to keep you in the loop with our bi-monthly updates on upcoming events and regional news. Stay connected with us as we bring you the latest happenings and stories that will surely make your day pine-tastic! | |
- CPRC Golden Pinecone Award Winners
- 2026 Property Tax Calendar
- Transportation Demand Management RFP
- Data Center Development Resource Page
- Climate Ready Communities
- HUD Withdraws FY25 Continuum of Care NOFO
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- Popular Links & Resources
- CPRC with Lee Tour
- Career Opportunities
- Upcoming Events
| | Popular Links & Resources | |
2025 Golden Pinecone Award Winners! | Last Thursday, December 4, we held our End of Year Celebration where we recognized Board Members who are rolling off the Board, CPRC staff years of service milestones, and awarded our first ever Golden Pinecone Awards! This event brought together elected officials, municipal and county partners, and community leaders to recognize individuals, organizations, and initiatives that keep our region thriving, connected, and resilient. | This year's inaugural Golden Pinecone Award Winners are: | |
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Evergreen Excellence Award: Virginia Johnson, Town Clerk, Town of Cary - Honored for her professionalism, integrity, and leadership in fostering transparent communication and intergovernmental cooperation
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Longleaf Leadership Award: Andy Moore, Mayor, Town of Smithfield - Recognized for more than 26 years of public service and transformative leadership in economic development, infrastructure planning, and regional collaboration
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Rooted in Results Award: Crisis Assistance Response & Engagement (CARE) Team, a partnership between Chapel Hill Police Department, Carrboro Police Department, and Orange County - This team was celebrated for providing a compassionate, non-law-enforcement response to behavioral health and community needs
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Heart of the Pine Award: John Keefer, Director of Organizational Effectiveness, Durham County - Recognized for exceptional partnership with CPRC on grant initiatives, street medicine, and senior home repair, demonstrating deep commitment to regional innovation and shared impact.
| Read the full press release linked below for all the details! | | | | 2026 Property Tax Calendar | The new year brings new property tax due dates and assessment and collection deadlines. Chris McLaughlin lists and describes these in Property Tax Bulletin 184, "2026 Property Tax Calendar." The bulletin includes deadlines for the 2026-2027 tax year as established by the Machinery Act. Duties for which no specific deadline is prescribed by law are not included. | Pursuant to G.S. § 105-395.1, deadlines falling on weekends or holidays that affect the rights or tax liabilities of taxpayers are extended until the next business day. Deadlines that require tax officials to act by a specific date are generally transferred to the last business day before the deadline. Holiday dates shown in the calendar are those set by the North Carolina Office of State Human Resources. Counties and municipalities observing other holidays may need to adjust the calendars accordingly. | | |
Transportation Demand Management RFP | |
Central Pines Regional Council is now accepting applications for fiscal year 2026-2027 through the Triangle Transportation Choices transportation demand management program. Three funding opportunities are available this cycle:
- Traditional RFP
- Innovative & Pilot Projects RFP
- Community-Based & Non-Profit Organizations RFP
| A brief overview of eligibility, program priorities, and key requirements for all three RFPs can be found in this FY27 RFP Information Sheet. | |
RFP Schedule & Key Dates:
- Grant Period of Performance: July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027
- RFP Release Date: December 2, 2025
- SMART Goals Virtual Office Hours (hosted by Jenna Kolling): December 9 (1:00 - 2:00 pm), January 16 (10:00 - 11:00 am)
- RFP Close Date: February 6, 2026 by 5:00 pm ET
- Awards will be announced early May 2026
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Data Center Development Resource Page
Local governments across the region are increasingly being approached by data center developers. Although these projects can bring opportunities for localities, it is important to understand their wide-reaching impact on communities and plan accordingly. Central Pines aims to be a convener for local governments as they are being approached for these developments to ensure that local jurisdictions understand the context and implications of these project, share resources so that local municipalities can coordinate their approaches, and identify strategies for informed, collaborative decision-making. Our new Data Center Resource Page serves as a single place for sample ordinances, policies, and analysis about this emerging trend.
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Climate Ready Communities Quick Start Program
The Climate Ready Communities Quick Start Program is a cohort-based program where communities move through the climate resilience planning process together. An expert Climate Resilience Specialist will guide participants through the process, assist with workshop facilitation, and support all participating communities with their unique data and information needs. The cohort will follow the updated Practical Guide to Building Climate Resilience. There is no cost for selected communities to participate. The program is designed to support jurisdictions that do not have the funds to hire a contractor. The State Resilience Office serves as the Navigator organization for North Carolina. If your community is interested in applying, contact us by December 10.
| The GEOS Institute will hold an information session on the Climate Ready Communities Quick Start Program Friday, December 5 at 12pm. Register for the Information Session. | | |
HUD Withdraws FY25 Continuum of Care Notice of Funding
The Department has withdrawn a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) with respect to the Continuum of Care (CoC) grant program. This withdrawal will allow the Department to make appropriate revisions to the NOFO, and the Department intends to do so. In the previous FY 24-25 NOFO, the Department reserved the right to make changes to the NOFO instead of processing renewals for a variety of reasons, including to accommodate a new CoC or Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) priority or new funding source. The Department still intends to exercise this discretion and make changes to the previously issued CoC NOFO to account for new priorities. HUD anticipates reissuing a modified NOFO well in advance of the deadline for obligation of available Fiscal Year 2025 funds.
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CPRC with Lee Tour
CPRC Executive Director Lee Worsley has a goal of visiting all 50 communities that are a part of the Central Pines Region. See what his most recent stop is!
| | | | Work Local in the Central Pines Region | |
There are so many amazing career opportunities to serve your community and work for local government in the Central Pines Region. Check out the most recent job postings here!
| | | Upcoming Events & Opportunities | | | |
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