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CCAP 2015 Spring Conference
Registration is open for CCAP's 2015 Spring Conference. The spring conference, which will be held at the Hilton, Harrisburg from March 22 - 24, 2015, will open with committee meetings on Sunday and feature a variety of educational sessions.
Online registration is available, and more information, including a conference agenda, can be found on the CCAP website. The registration deadline is March 13, 2015 at 4:00 p.m.
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Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance Changes
Significant changes have been made to the Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Guidance, a comprehensive document that details the specific criteria of the three HMA programs: the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) programs. The Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15) HMA Guidance provides stakeholders with updates and refinements of program policies and practices. These enhancements will promote resilience, and streamline application review, eligibility requirements, project cost estimate and implementation.
The changes apply to the HMGP for disasters declared on or after the date of publication, as well as the upcoming PDM and FMA application cycles.
The HMA Guidance consolidates each program's eligibility information, outlines the common elements, and spells out the unique requirements among the programs so that federal, state, federally-recognized tribal and local officials can easily identify key similarities between the various programs. For more information, or to view specific changes, visit the FEMA website.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact FEMA's Intergovernmental Affairs Division at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov.
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FY 2015-2016 Budget Address
The House and Senate will convene in joint session Tuesday, March 3, to hear the annual budget address which will preview Gov. Wolf's proposed FY 2015-2016 budget. This is the formal kickoff to budget season.
The joint session will begin at 11:00 a.m., with the Governor to begin his address shortly after. It is typically broadcast live on the Pennsylvania Cable Network, as well as through streaming video on a variety of web sites. Following the budget address, CCAP will be analyzing proposed funding levels. You will be able to find a spreadsheet as well as more information on the CCAP budget web site by the end of the day Tuesday with funding in the Governor's proposed FY 2015-2016 budget. That spreadsheet will be updated throughout the week, and additional analysis will be provided in the March 6 issue of the Legislative Bulletin, as well as future issues of the Bulletin and the Update. |
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Source Water Protection Project Grants
The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania Citizen Education Fund through its Water Resources Education Network (WREN) Project is pleased to announce the opening of the 2015 grant round for Source Water Protection (SWP) Collaborative projects. Funding is available to help launch or strengthen community partnerships that raise awareness and educate citizens about ways to keep Pennsylvania drinking water resources clean and healthy.
For 2015, applicants can select from among three tiers for source water protection grants: local project, expanded local project, and county SWP collaborative project. Details about the three-tiered SWP grant track, as well as grant guidance information and application forms are available at the WREN website. The deadline for submitting applications is March 20, 2015.
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Public/Private Partnership Training
Public/Private Partnerships (P3s) are becoming a tool that local governments, quasi-public entities and government agencies are using to achieve necessary community investments. They are utilized for major re-investments as a result of a changing economy, closure of a major employment center, loss of retail anchors or shifts in tax bases.
The Pennsylvania Chapter of APA and the Pennsylvania Local Government Training Partnership presents Public Private Partnerships Training. At any one of the following four locations statewide, join a planner and lawyer experienced with P3s to understand how your community could benefit from these innovative, yet complex, partnerships:
- May 5, Wexford
- May 6, State College
- May 19, Camp Hill
- May 20, Philadelphia
For more information, or to register, please follow this link.
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NACo 2015 Achievement Awards
The National Association of Counties (NACo) is excited to announce that it is currently accepting applications for the 2015 Achievement Awards!
For forty-five years, NACo has recognized innovative programs in county government through the Achievement Awards Program. The awards provide an excellent opportunity for winners to promote their successes to a larger audience and share best practices with their partners and peers.
As a non-competitive awards program, each application is judged on its own merits and not against other applications received. Awards are given in 21 different categories culminating with an awards celebration at the 2015 NACo Annual Conference and Exposition in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
For more information on the application process, deadlines and program criteria, please see the promotional materials by clicking here. For more information, please contact, awards@naco.org.
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Pennsylvania Prison Wardens Association Awards
Each year the Pennsylvania Prison Wardens Association recognizes its members by awarding up to 3 "Lifetime Achievement Awards" for individuals with at least 20 years experience in the field of corrections throughout Pennsylvania. They also proudly award the "Warden of the Year" for a Warden serving at least 5 years.
Commissioners are invited to recommend Correctional managers within the county for one of these prestigious awards. Nominations should include a completed nomination form as well as a brief narrative of the individual, and should be returned by March 13, 2015.
For questions, or to receive a copy of the nomination form, please contact John J. Prebish, Jr., PPWA Awards Chairman at (814) 472-1351 or jprebish@co.cambria.pa.us.
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Green Infrastructure Webinar Series
Penn State's Green Infrastructure Webinar Series will explore how green infrastructure can put communities and landscapes on the road to sustainability. The first in this series will concentrate on introducing green infrastructure and explore maintenance of these structural systems. Beginning in late summer, the webinars will discuss non-structural topics such as open space conservation, green infrastructure elements, natural resource conservation standards, and conflict resolution.
The webinars are currently scheduled from February through June. Webinars begin at 12:00 p.m. and are free to participants.
For more information or to register, follow this link or email vjc1@psu.edu.
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$75 Million in Jail Reform Grants
The MacArthur Foundation has announced an exciting opportunity to undertake local jail reform through its new Safety and Justice Challenge, a five-year $75 million investment that seeks to reduce over-incarceration in jails.
Twenty sites will initially be selected to receive a grant of $150,000 to support an intensive six-month planning process, during which they will rigorously examine how their jails are being used and what strategies will reduce the inappropriate use of jails without compromising public safety. Each site will produce a plan for implementing these reforms. Then, beginning in 2016, as many as 10 of these jurisdictions will be selected for a second round of funding of up to $2 million to support implementation of their jail reduction plans.
Applications are due March 31. More information about the Challenge can be found at www.safetyandjusticechallenge.org, and the RFP is available by following this link.
The MacArthur Foundation will host one more live webinar on March 3, from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m., to walk applicants through how the competition will work and answer questions. To register, send an email to safetyandjustice@macfound.org.
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CCAP Priorities Announced
County leaders unveiled their 2015 Legislative Priorities this week. At the top of the list is 911 Services System Reform. Other key priorities include
maintenance of the shale gas impact fee, human services funding and further system reform, addressing the commonwealth's responsibility for court funding, diversifying the county tax base, improving support systems for inmates with
mental health and substance abuse issues, preventing substance abuse and drug overdose, partnering to implement transportation, infrastructure and bridge funding, improving solid waste management and funding for county
recycling programs, and creating parity among county hotel tax authorizations
For more information on the 2015 CCAP Priorities, please visit the CCAP Priorities Page on the CCAP website.
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New 911 Resources Available for Counties
A comprehensive rewrite of the Public Safety Emergency Telephone Act of 1990 is the top priority for counties in 2015. CCAP has created a 911 funding and system reform web page with resources for counties to stay informed regarding this effort and to engage in grassroots advocacy. New materials have recently been added to this page, including updated talking points, a sample resolution and a recording of the February 3 conference call for CCAP members. |
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SCALE Request for Applications
SCALE (Spreading Community Accelerators through Learning and Evaluation) is an exciting opportunity, made available by the support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, for communities in the United States to substantially accelerate their health improvement journey. SCALE recognizes and values that communities hold the solutions to improve their health. The goal of SCALE is to equip communities with skills and resources to unlock their potential and achieve significant results.
Twenty pacesetter communities will be selected to participate in SCALE, a 20-month intensive "learning and doing" program designed to assist communities to achieve unprecedented results in improving the health and well-being of people, populations and the community-at-large. SCALE will support communities in their efforts to address factors that contribute to health, lead complex change, and advance equity. For more information please visit the SCALE initiative website.
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Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has invited individuals and organizations to apply for the 2015 Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence. The awards program is open to all Pennsylvania businesses, farms, government agencies, educational institutions, non-profit organizations and individuals who have created or participated in the development of a project that promotes environmental stewardship and economic development in the state.
Eligible projects must have been completed between August 1, 2013 and July 31, 2014. Projects should showcase technological advances, promote renewable energy solutions, reduce environmental threats, provide environmentally responsible economic opportunity, foster environmental education or restore watersheds.
Winners will be recognized in April during an awards ceremony and dinner hosted by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. The award application and guidelines are available on DEP's website. For more information, visit www.dep.state.pa.us, keyword: Governor's Award.
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New Local Government Training Opportunities Announced
The Pennsylvania Local Government Training Partnership is a training initiative between the Governor's Center for Local Government Services and Pennsylvania's statewide associations, including CCAP. There are many options for upcoming training sessions, as well as sessions that can be downloaded and viewed at your convenience. PACourses offered through the partnership are designed to keep municipal officials current on new laws and legislative requirements and enhance their ability to govern more effectively. Year-round, statewide training is provided in the areas of local government administration, finance, community and economic development, public safety, land use and planning, public works, recreation, environmental, and tax collectors.
Some new trainings recently announced include:
- 2015 Municipal Road Maintenance and
Safety Symposium
April 19-22, 2015
Hershey Lodge, Hershey, PA
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Collaborative Approaches
to Funding Fire and EMS Services
March-April 2015
Various statewide locations
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New Tools and Opportunities for Advancing Sound Land Use
March 7, 2015 (Snow Date: March 14, 2015)
Roessner Hall - Albright College, Reading
For more information, or to register for a course, visit the PA Local Government Training Partnership website.
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| Upcoming NACo Webinars
Registration is now open for the following NACo webinars:
- Supreme Court Mid-Term Review
March 5, 2015
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. - What to Look for in the 2015 County Health Rankings
March 19, 2015
2:00 - 3:15 p.m.
In addition to these webinars, there are recordings of webinars from the past six months on a range of topics. To access these recordings, or for additional details and registration information, please click here.
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Job Postings
As counties notify us of current vacancies we post them on our website and list them in the Update.
Additional information on each posting can be found by clicking on the name of the vacancy you are interested in. To submit a job posting, refer to the CCAP website. For additional information on submitting a job posting contact Mandi Glantz at mglantz@pacounties.org.
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| Upcoming Events
- 2015 March IT Directors Quarterly Meeting
March 10, 2015 - PCYA 2015 March Quarterly Meeting
March 18-20, 2015
The Nittany Lion Inn, State College - PACDAA March Membership Meeting
March 18-20, 2015
Toftrees, State College - 2015 CCAP Spring Conference
March 22-24, 2015
Hilton, Harrisburg
For a complete listing of upcoming events refer to the CCAP website.
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