eNews May 26, 2023
Friday, May 26, 2023 - 12:14pm
This edition of eNews is sponsored by:
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In this issue:
- Elected officials are invited to “Learn the Rules of the Road” at VML’s Skills Development Conference June 13-14
- Call for entries: 2023 VML Innovation Awards
- Monthly revenue report: “Making me dizzy, my head is spinning…”
- Money committee chairs weigh in on late reports to the auditor of public accounts…and it ain’t good!
- Feared clawback of federal pandemic relief funds provided to state and local governments appears to be off the table (for now)
- Virginia Housing releases “American Rescue Plan Act and Affordable Housing in Virginia” handbook for localities
- Virginia Housing Commission work groups meet
- Full schedule of the Abatement Academy announced
- Lead and Copper Rule Revisions training available from VDH’s Office of Drinking Water
- Registration open for summer infrastructure bootcamps
- Local officials are invited to attend Hurricane Kick-Off and VIP Day at the VEOC
- Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute now accepting applications for 2023-2024
- Virginia Brownfields Conference registration now open
VML News
Calling all Virginia’s local 
elected officials! Don’t miss VML’s Skills Development Conference (June 13-14)
Join VML staff and experts from a variety of fields to learn about topics important to elected officials and staff from local governments of all sizes in Virginia. This event will be offered both in-person and virtually.
Topics to be covered include:
- Parliamentary Procedure
- Budgeting
- Land Use (including housing and zoning)
- Human Resources Issues (including marijuana legalization)
- Planning District Commissions (including grants and partnership opportunities)
- …and more!
Social networking: Tuesday, June 13 (in-person only)*
- Time: Evening
- Location: Capital Ale House (4024 Cox Road, Glen Allen, VA 23060)
- Venue website here >
- Details: Food and beverages provided for registrants.
*Note: You may attend the Tuesday evening social event in person even if you are registered to attend the Wednesday conference virtually.
Conference: Wednesday, June 14 (in-person and virtual)
- Time: Check-in 8:30 a.m. / Event runs 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Location: The Place at Innsbrook (4036-C Cox Road, Glen Allen, VA 23060).
- Venue website here >.
- Details: Breakfast and lunch provided for in-person attendees. Virtual registrants will receive the link to join ahead of the event.
VML Contact: Rob Bullington, rbullington@vml.org
Call for entries: 2023 VML Innovation Awards
The people who make local governments work do so much for their residents with little or no expectation of recognition. That’s why 47 years ago, the Virginia Municipal League launched its “Achievement Awards” to recognize outstanding work being done by local governments across Virginia. The program went on to become Virginia’s highest honor in local government creativity. In 2017 the name was changed to “Innovation Awards”, but the purpose remains the same: To celebrate all that you do to make your city, town, or county a great place to live!
It’s time again for our members to spotlight programs and individuals that have made a big difference to their residents by creating innovative solutions to address emerging needs.
Learn more about the awards and how to submit your entries here >.
The awards will be presented at VML’s Annual Conference in Norfolk in October.
VML Contact: Manuel Timbreza, mtimbreza@vml.org
Budget & Finance
Monthly revenue report: “Making me dizzy, my head is spinning…”
Fans of 1960s bubblegum pop will undoubtedly associate the above quotation with Tommy Roe’s homage to teenage love. However, if you caught the release of the monthly revenue report last week, you may be experiencing similar feelings and you’re probably not alone. Secretary of Finance Steve Cummings conveyed a dizzying array of state and national financial information to members of the Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee last week that seemed to suggest an economy still searching for direction.
The secretary reported that economic growth in the U.S., as measured by GDP, had slowed considerably but labor markets remained resilient and inflation pressures were beginning to subside. In the Commonwealth, he noted that general fund revenues fell by 8.2% in April, a significant decline compared to the year before. Year-to-date, however, general fund revenues are only down 0.9%, $213.0 million when put in context.
On the other hand, actual general fund revenues, often referred to as “money in the bank”, are up nearly $500 million compared to the December 2022 forecast. Like last year’s $1.95 billion general fund revenue surplus, much of the current-year increase can be attributed to individual non-withholding collections, a notoriously volatile revenue source that is primarily tied to the financial markets and oftentimes hard to predict.
The potentially troublesome datapoint that emerged from the Secretary’s presentation was that revenues from withholding (related to wages and salaries) and sales tax were both down; the latter, he noted, “continued to come in well below expectations.” These categories constitute the “bread and butter” of general fund revenues, so the fact that they’re coming weaker than anticipated may give lawmakers pause when a budget is finalized.
With so many crosswinds swirling, it’s no wonder lawmakers continue to look ahead to next month’s data, in the hope that it might shed light on the direction of the economy.
Then again, maybe not.
VML Contact: Joe Flores, jflores@vml.org
Money committee chairs weigh in on late reports to the auditor of public accounts…and it ain’t good!
Two weeks ago, we reminded localities who had yet to submit to the auditor of public accounts (APA) a detailed statement “showing the amount of revenues, expenditures and fund balances of the locality for the preceding fiscal year” to do so as quickly as possible. For the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2022, nearly a year ago, the APA reported on April 25, 2023 that twenty local governments had yet to submit their required report that was due by December 15, 2022.
Last Monday, May 15, 2023, Delegate Barry Knight and Senator Janet Howell weighed in on the delayed submissions at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC). Responding to a presentation from Staci Henshaw, the director of the APA, Del. Knight, the chairman of House Appropriations, alluded to previous years when reports from local governments to the APA were not submitted on time.
Further, he asserted that “If we don’t know how our money – the state’s money – is being allocated and spent in certain communities, we may not want to give them as much as they’re asking.” Sen. Howell, who was chairing the meeting of JLARC, but is also the Chair of Senate Finance & Appropriations, responded “ditto.”
While the mandated report goes beyond simply reporting on state funding provided to local governments, it is important to recognize that state dollars are critical to local government operations. Local governments need to ensure they are being responsive to state budget leaders, especially at a time when additional state resources are on the table for K-12 education, behavioral health services, and public safety.
Del. Knight was clearly frustrated by the delay in report submissions, but he also expressed concerns that the lines of communication between the APA and some localities appeared to be non-existent.
VML Contact: Joe Flores, jflores@vml.org
Feared clawback of federal pandemic relief funds provided to state and local governments appears to be off the table (for now)
As the Biden Administration and House leaders continue to discuss raising the nation’s debt capacity as well as ways to trim growing budget deficits, we’ve been informed by staff from the National League of Cities that the clawback (or recission) of federal relief funds provided through the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) from the American Rescue Plan Act are off the table.
While there are still conversations about “clawing back” federal funds provided to address COVID-19 and its impact on our communities, flexible funding earmarked specifically for state and local governments is not among those federal resources. Of course, we all know from monitoring final negotiations on the state budget that surprises can always emerge, but for now, we seem to be in a good place.
VML Contact: Joe Flores, jflores@vml.org
Housing
Virginia Housing releases “American Rescue Plan Act and Affordable Housing in Virginia” handbook for localities
Virginia Housing’s Government Liaison Office, Policy and Planning team has created an American Rescue Plan Act and Affordable Housing in Virginia handbook for local governments.
View/Download the handbook here >.
Executive summary (excerpt)
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), passed in 2021, directly appropriated more than $13 billion to help Virginia recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. $7.2 billion of those funds are allocated to the Commonwealth and Virginia localities as State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF), which may be applied widely to develop affordable housing in accordance with Treasury rules.
SLFRF funds available to local governments amount to approximately $2.9 billion. These funds can be used for the “development, repair, and operation of affordable housing and services or programs to increase long-term housing security” (Treasury), and therefore could be used as gap funding for housing development projects, planned or under development, that are at risk because of the higher interest rates and production costs.
Virginia Housing Contact: Demas Boudreaux, Demas.Boudreaux@VirginiaHousing.com
Virginia Housing Commission work groups meet
The Virginia Housing Commission hosted four work group meetings last week over the course of two days. VML is a member of each work group.
The meeting materials for all the work groups can be found here >.
Here is a summary of the meetings:
I. Real Property, Community Development and Best Land-Use Practice Workgroup
This group met to discuss three pieces of legislation from the 2023 General Assembly Session. HJ507 (Marshall) a study to increase the supply of affordable and workforce housing, HB1413 (Marshall) industrial development authorities to promote affordable housing and HB2045 (Carr) zoning for housing production act.
This group went around the room and shared questions, concerns, and thoughts about each piece of legislation. VML’s comments centered around the importance of local land use and concerns about the comprehensive plan and the numerous requirements that it contains.
The next meeting is on July 19 at 10:00am in House Room 1 of the Capitol and a second meeting on August 22 at 10:00am at the same location.
II. Short-Term Rental Workgroup
This group met to discuss SB1391 (Lewis) / HB2271 (Marshall) both of which restrict local government’s power when dealing with short-term rentals managed by a Virginia realtor. This group had a presentation from Joseph Hudgins of the Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia and Lisa Robertson, Former City of Charlottesville Attorney. Mr. Hudgins discussed insurance requirements for short-term rentals; specifically a change to the Virginia administrative code dealing with definitions of short-term rentals.
Beginning January 1, 2024, there will be two definitions for a homeowner policy dealing with short-term rentals. “Occasional rental means rental of the whole or a part of the residence premises for lodging purposes during a policy term (i) for seven or fewer consecutive or random days or (ii) that generates revenue of up to $2,500. Occasional rental is not home-sharing as defined in his section.”
“Home-sharing means rental of the whole or a part of the residence premises for lodging purposes through an online-enabled application, website, or digital network during the policy term (i) for more than seven consecutive or random days or (ii) that generates revenue of more than $2,500. An individual occupying the residence premises through home-sharing is not a roomer, boarder, tenant, or guest.”
Lisa Robertson discussed the process that the City of Charlottesville went through in crafting their ordinance.
This group will also meet again on July 19 at 1:00pm in House Room 1 of the Capitol.
III. Local Land Use and Community Living Workgroup
This group took up three bills – HB2047 (Carr) dealing with affordable dwelling unit programs by zoning ordinance and the comprehensive plan; SB1111 (Hashmi) dealing with Vacant Building registration; and SB1163 (Lewis) dealing with Accomack County and a community revitalization fund.
It was quickly decided that the Community Revitalization Fund bill is supported by the workgroup as a tool for all localities and that will be reported to the full Housing Commission.
Several presentations were given on the other bills and there seemed to be consensus that some form of both bills should move forward. The discussion included the fact that these bills are not a mandate, but rather a tool that local governments could use. Drafts will be presented at the next meeting which is scheduled for August 21 at 10:00am House Room 1 of the Capitol.
IV. Landlord Tenant, Real Estate Law and Affordable Housing Solutions Workgroup
This group took up two bills: SB1089 (Ebbin) on writs of eviction and SB1278 (Boysko) on rent stabilization.
Mariko Lewis, a housing policy analyst with New Virginia Majority, provided a presentation.
This group will meet again on August 21 at 10:00am in House Room 1 of the Capitol.
SIEC-SCIP subcommittee
The Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee (SIEC) created a subcommittee to review the Statewide Communication Interoperability Plan (SCIP) which met on Tuesday. The plan will be reviewed by the subcommittee and any proposed changes will be take up at the next SIEC meeting.
VML Contact: Michelle Gowdy, mgowdy@vml.org
Health & Human Services
Behavioral health commission sets 2023 workplan
As presented on May 16, the 2023 workplan for the Virginia Behavioral Health Authority includes mapping out all the current efforts to improve the behavioral health system and how those pieces fit together; monitoring program implementation and performance for state initiatives such as STEP-VA and permanent supportive housing; and conducting studies sent to the Commission by the General Assembly and Commission members. The Commission is chaired by Senator Creigh Deeds, who chaired the predecessor joint subcommittee addressing behavioral health in Virginia.
With several efforts underway by state agencies to address different facets of the behavioral health system, the Commission will develop a holistic map of those efforts, track progress, and identify gaps of those efforts and continue to monitor these efforts going forward.
The Commission’s monitoring of STEP-VA, Project Bravo, and permanent supportive housing efforts will provide perspectives outside of the state agencies implementing these programs.
- STEP-VA is the multi-year, multi-stage initiative carried out under the supervision of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) to help transform the current behavioral health system by substantially expand the basic services required of community services boards (CSBs). More than $381 million has been appropriated for this program since 2017. The Commission noted there were few real insights into the program’s impact after six years of implementation.
- Project BRAVO is an initiative under the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) that began in Dec. 2021. Medicaid is the largest payer of behavioral health services in Virginia, and Project Bravo’s goal is to implement effective, innovative services with reimbursement rates that match the cost of delivery and ensure access to quality services. Initial use and outcome data is available for the Commission to review.
- Permanent supportive housing (PSH) is intended to integrate basic behavioral and primary health care services with stable housing for individuals with mental illness. The General Assembly has appropriated more than $175 million since 2018 to expand access to PSH. The Commission will evaluate utilization and outcome data to see how effective PSH is in improving long-term outcomes.
The 2022-24 Appropriations Act directs the Commission to study ways to maximize school-based mental health services across Virginia. Commission staff will estimate the current reach of services, identify strategies to connect new and existing interventions with school settings, and evaluate opportunities to maximize Medicaid funding for these services.
Finally, the Commission will look at the necessities and barriers to implementation for an Expedited Diversion to Court-ordered Treatment (EDCOT) program. This limited study will help identify process and implementation challenges that remain unaddressed to divert individuals with mental illness from the criminal justice system to the behavioral health system through a civil commitment process.
The Commission’s next meeting is scheduled for July 18.
VML Contact: Janet Areson, jareson@vml.org
Commission on Youth establishes workplan
The General Assembly’s Commission on Youth, chaired by Delegate Emily Brewer, met virtually on May 15 to set its 2023 study plan, to include additional study of the state’s foster care system, the admission of minors into inpatient mental health facilities, and an update to the Commission’s collection of evidence-based practices for children and adolescents with mental health treatment needs (ninth edition update).
The foster care study will build on the Commission’s previous work and bills and budget amendments introduced during the 2020 General Assembly on behalf of the Commission to improve the foster care system.
This year’s efforts will include creation of work groups to develop recommendations on workforce retention, liability insurance for foster care agencies, and foster care family recruitment and retention. The Commission will also participate in the Virginia Department of Social Services’ working group to implement a statewide driver’s licensing program and the Office on Children’s Ombudsman study of legal representation in child dependency cases. Commission staff will also analyze and review state agency efforts and recent recommendations regarding foster care points of contact at institutions of higher education, housing for aging out foster care youth, and workforce programs for foster care and special education foster care youth.
The Commission will also review an issue referred by the General Assembly regarding the age of consent for admission to a mental health facility for inpatient treatment. A letter was sent to the Commission on Youth and Behavioral Health Commission by House Courts of Justice Chair Rob Bell regarding HB1923 (Tata), a bill passed by indefinitely in the Committee that would increase from 14 to 16 years of age the minimum age requiring the consent of a minor prior to his/her admission to a mental health facility for inpatient treatment for up to 120 hours upon the application of such minor’s parent. The bill would also add addiction as a reason for a minor to be admitted to a mental health facility for inpatient treatment.
The Commission on Youth agreed to take up the bill in its study plan and will review and analyze Virginia’s laws, policies, and procedures on this front; look at other state’s consent laws and policies as well as federal laws and regulations that may apply. It will also interview a variety of stakeholders.
Finally, the Commission will update its publication addressing evidence-based practices for children and adolescents with mental health treatment needs. This will be the ninth edition of this collection. This new edition will include a section on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth mental health and a section addressing the Family First Prevention Services Act.
VML Contact: Janet Areson, jareson@vml.org
Resources
Full schedule of the Abatement Academy announced
The Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority (OAA) and the Virginia Institute of Government (VIG) are pleased to announce the launch of the new “Abatement Academy” for 2023. The Academy is composed of a series of FREE, bi-weekly webinars to highlight examples programs that align with nationally recognized principles for the use of funds from opioid litigation. The intended audience includes local government representatives, state agency professionals, and groups or individuals who provide services or support to people suffering from opioid use disorders.
The Abatement Academy will also include one-day in-person workshops on September 7 (Abingdon) and October 19 (Charlottesville).
Registration is now open for all online sessions here >.
Future webinars will be held on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month through December 14, 10:30–11:30 am.
The sessions will be broken down based on the following nationally recognized five principles:
Principle 1: Spend the Money to Save Lives
- June 8 – 10:30-11:30 – Virtual Webinar, How our Community is Saving Lives Through Targeted Harm Reduction with Tammy Bise, Mt. Rogers Health District and Daniel Hunsucker, Lenowisco Health District
- Note – Sessions on this principle were also held on April 27 (Virtual Webinar, Ginny Lovitt from Chris Atwood Foundation – see video link below) and May 25 (Providing the Full Continuum of Recovery Support at CARITAS with Benjamin Carr and Emily Lehmann)
Principle 2: Use Evidence to Guide Spending
- June 22 – 10:30-11:30 – Virtual Webinar, Measuring the Impact of a Fire/EMS Agency Connecting People to Treatment After an Overdose with Dr. Allen Yee & Batt. Chief Justin Adams, Chesterfield County Fire & EMS
- July 13 – 10:30-11:30 – Virtual Webinar, Measuring the Effectiveness of Certified Recovery Homes in Virginia with Anthony Grimes, Executive Director, Virginia Assoc of Recovery Residences
- July 27 – 10:30-11:30 – Virtual Webinar, Evidence Proves that Certified Peers can Serve in Critical Positions Across the Continuum of Care with Robyn Hantelman and Tom Jackson, Virginia Recovery Advocacy Project
Principle 3: Invest in Youth Prevention
- Aug 10 – 10:30-11:30 – Virtual Webinar, Recovery Academy — The High School Experience that is Changing Lives with Justin Savoy, Coordinator, Chesterfield Recovery Academy
- Aug 24 – 10:30-11:30 – Virtual Webinar, Virginia Foundation for Health Youth
- Sept 14 – 10:30-11:30 – Virtual Webinar, Youth and Adolescent Substance Use Prevention Strategies in Northern Virginia with the Fairfax County Community Services Board
Principle 4: Focus on Racial Equity
- Sept 28 – 10:30-11:30 – Virtual Webinar, Resources and Methods to Overcome Barriers to Access with Kevin Roy and Leah Kaugman, Shatterproof
- Oct 12 – 10:30-11:30 – Virtual Webinar, How Local Governments Can Create or Expand Recovery Courts and Alternative Dockets with Anna Powers, Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia
- Oct 26 – 10:30-11:30 – Virtual Webinar, Serving Diverse Individuals in a Peer-Led Recovery Community Organization with Honesty Liller, McShin Foundation
Principle 5: Develop a Fair and Transparent Process for Deciding Where to Spend the Funding
Nov 9 – 10:30-11:30 – Virtual Webinar, Community Engagement Leads to Support for a Treatment Facility in SW Virginia with Rick Mitchell, Bob Garrett, Linda Austin, Mended Women Treatment Center
Dec 14 – 10:30-11:30 – Virtual Webinar, Identifying Gaps and Measuring Your Impact – An Overview of the Framework for Addiction Analysis and Community Transformation (FAACT) with Leslie Egen, FAACT Program, DCJS
Register now for FREE Abatement Academy sessions.
Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority information
- Website: www.voaa.us
- General questions can be sent to info@voaa.us
- Presentation slide decks are available at https://www.oaa.virginia.gov/media/presentations/
- Grants Portal is here https://www.oaa.virginia.gov/portal-grants/
- FAQ (Found in Grants Portal’s Resources and General Information. Updated as necessary.) https://www.oaa.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/oaa/pdf/OAA-Frequently-Asked-Questions-20230228.pdf
OAA’s mailing list is live
If you would like to subscribe to receive news and updates from the OAA, please click here.
Please note: You may need to check spam/junk folder for your welcome email and add info@voaa.us to trusted addresses or mark as “not spam/junk”.
Videos of OAA information sessions for local government
All OAA sessions partnered with Virginia Institute of Government are available at the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service’s YouTube channel.
May 2, 2023 state RFP session.
April 27, 2023 Abatement Academy, Ginny Lovitt from Chris Atwood Foundation (CAF).
April 19, 2023 Q&A session.
March 8, 2023 Q&A session.
February 1, 2023 grants process session.
December 13, 2022 introductory session.
December 8, 2022 introductory session.
VIG Contact: Jennifer Nelson, jenn@virginia.edu
Lead and Copper Rule Revisions training available from VDH’s Office of Drinking Water
To support waterworks personnel to prepare for requirements of the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions, the VDH Office of Drinking Water (ODW) is providing free training beginning June 12, 2023.
A training team contracted by ODW will offer a one-day in-person training at twelve locations across the state beginning June 12, 2023. These training courses are intended for smaller waterworks, which serve fewer than 10,000 persons. Each training will cover the same material, which will focus on the newly required Lead Service Line Inventory and Lead Service Line Replacement Plan, both due October 16, 2024. Waterworks may register for the day that is most convenient to their location and schedule. Space is limited at some locations, so we ask you to send no more than two representatives to the training.
Times: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. Bring your own snacks and lunch.
Dates and locations are:
- Monday, June 12: Augusta County
- Tuesday, June 13: City of Winchester
- Wednesday, June 14: Town of Culpeper
- Thursday, June 15: City of Roanoke
- Tuesday, June 20: Hanover County
- Wednesday, June 21: Richmond County
- Thursday, June 22: Accomack County
- Friday, June 23: Town of Courtland
- Monday, June 26: City of Bristol
- Tuesday, June 27: Town of Dublin
- Thursday, June 29: Town of Farmville
- Friday, June 30: Henry County
The detailed schedule is available on the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions web page.
Individual technical assistance
You may also be eligible to receive individual technical assistance from the training team. This assistance will be available beginning in July and will prioritize systems that serve fewer than 100 consumers and those that attended the one-day training. Depending on your needs, technical assistance may be a virtual meeting, or an in-person visit to your waterworks. Technical assistance sign-up will be available following the training from the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions web page.
VML Contact: Mitchell Smiley, msmiley@vml.org
Registration open for summer infrastructure bootcamps
The Local Infrastructure Hub is launching five new bootcamps, which aim to help small and mid-sized cities develop competitive applications for federal infrastructure grant programs, including: the Combined Railroad Crossing Elimination Program & CRISI; the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund; Neighborhood Access and Equity Grants; the Bridge Investment Program; and several broadband opportunities.
Registration for the new bootcamps led by the National League of Cities is open through May 31.
More about the grant programs
The Combined Railroad Crossing Elimination Program & CRISI: This program provides funding for highway-rail or pathway-rail grade crossing improvement projects, promoting safety and mobility for people and goods. Communities can use grant funding for track relocation; to improve or install protective devices, signals, or signs; to improve safety; and to conduct environmental audits of eligible projects.
The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund: This fund provides cities, towns, and villages with opportunities to address urgent water challenges facing local communities. More specifically, the fund offers a variety of financial assistance through loans, purchase of debt or refinance, guarantees, insurance, investments, and additional subsidization. Through these grants, local governments can improve their drinking water and wastewater systems.
Broadband Opportunities: This bootcamp introduces cities to the entire ecosystem of federal broadband opportunities, as well as ways cities can engage with the private sector and serve as promoters of household programs. Cities will learn about broadband in their community, identify future opportunities, and do a deep dive into available federal programs, particularly the new Broadband Equity, Access, & Development Program (BEAD), which helps fund opportunities for communities looking to expand high-speed internet access through broadband planning, deployment, mapping, equity, and adoption projects and activities.
Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant Program: The Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant Program helps to reconnect neighborhoods divided by infrastructure. Cities, towns, and villages can use funds to address local infrastructure projects such as removing, replacing, or retrofitting highways and freeways. This grant program supports equitable transportation planning and will allow residents to become more active in the infrastructure projects that negatively impact them and their surrounding environment.
The Bridge Investment Program: The Bridge Investment Program works alongside all levels of government to meet community infrastructure needs with a focus on reducing the number of existing bridges in poor condition or in fair condition as risk. This funding marks an unprecedented focus on bridge infrastructure, which is vital for connecting residents and local communities.
NLC Contact: Katie Dailinger, dailinger@nlc.org
Opportunities
Local officials are invited to attend Hurricane Kick-Off and VIP Day at the VEOC
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the Virginia Emergency Support Team (VEST) welcomes local government officials to attend the Virginia Emergency Operations Center (VEOC) on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 for an exclusive opportunity to kick-off Atlantic Hurricane season with Governor Glenn Youngkin, hear from experts on what resources are available for public entities and residents before, during, and after a disaster, and take a tour of our state Emergency Operations Center and Situational Awareness Unit.
The tentative agenda is as follows:
- 8:30am – 9:00 – Arrival/Networking (light refreshments and coffee will be available)
- 9:00am – 9:30am – Welcome/Opening remarks from leadership/Media setup
- 9:30am – 10:00am – Governor Youngkin media briefing
- 10:00am – 10:15am – Break (media will depart)
- 10:15am – 11:00am – Overview of VDEM and VEST preparedness and response actions and resources
- 11:00am – 11:15am – Break
- 11:15am – 11:45am – Overview of VDEM recovery resources (including state and federal assistance processes)
- 11:45am – 12:15pm – Closing remarks and Tour
Invited guests will include the Governor’s Cabinet, State Agency Heads and Leadership, Members of the General Assembly and Congressional Delegation, Local Emergency Managers and Chief Administrative Officers, Voluntary Organizations, and VEST Private Sector Partners.
Media: Media will be on-site from 9am-10am for the Governor’s annual hurricane briefing. They will be instructed not to engage with or film others that are on-site without consent. The media will be escorted out of the building at the conclusion of the Governor’s remarks. For those that would like to join after the media have departed, there will be a scheduled break at 10am that will accommodate your arrival.
VEOC encourages everyone to attend or send a representative from your locality/organization if possible. To ensure an accurate headcount, take a moment and register at this site >.
Directions to the VEOC are available here >.
VDEM Contact: Lauren Opett, Lauren.Opett@vdem.virginia.gov
Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute now accepting applications for 2023-2024
Recruiting is underway for the 2023-2024 Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute (VNRLI) Applications are due June 2nd and scholarship assistance is available. Applications are available on the VNRLI website.
What: Six three-day sessions utilizing a proven mix of mini-lectures, experiential role plays, exercises, stakeholder panel discussions, tools for virtual engagement, peer and faculty mentoring, and field trips. VNRLI’s curriculum is updated each year to incorporate new issues and natural resource topics. A sample curriculum can be found here.
When & Where:
- Session 1: September 20-22, 2023 – Location TBD
- Session 2: November 8-10, 2023 – Virginia Beach
- Session 3: January 10-12, 2024 – Richmond
- Session 4: March 6-8, 2024 – Location TBD
- Session 5: April 24-26, 2024 – Southwest VA
- Session 6: June 5-7, 2024 – Charlottesville
Cost: The program fee of $3,450 includes lunch each day, and at least one dinner at each session.
Financial Assistance: A limited number of need-based scholarships are available to cover the program fee, as well as mileage (for travel to and from sessions) and lodging for recipients. Candidates from underrepresented communities are encouraged to apply. You can find more information about applying for a scholarship on the application and online here.
For additional information, please visit the VNRLI website. Applications are due June 2nd to Alexandra Cook at the below email address.
VNRLI Contact: Alexandra Cook, abc3hc@virginia.edu.
Virginia Brownfields Conference registration now open
Registration is now open for the 2023 Virginia Brownfields Conference hosted by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The event will be held in historic Danville from June 13 at 1 PM to June 15 at 3 PM.
Registration available here >.
This conference will showcase multiple brownfields success stories from around the state. Featuring a presentation of the ongoing revitalization of the Danville White Mill, now known as Dan River Falls. Attendees will have the chance to learn about Brownfields from concept planning to final development and reuse. Also covered will be funding options, mixed-use and main street development, creating a community brownfields inventory, addressing underserved communities, and site assessment challenges.
Representatives from Virginia Energy will kick off the event with a special presentation and a day-long Clean Vehicle Expo. Mobile workshops and social event options will also be offered.
DEQ Contact: Karen Weber, karen.weber@deq.virginia.gov
