Executive summary 8 I. Introduction 26 II. State government capability 28
ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
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- North Carolina Association of County Commissioners
- North Carolina League of Municipalities
- North Carolina Emergency Management Association
- North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association
- Regional Councils of Government (COGs)
ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORTIn addition to support given to local governments for mitigation planning and project implementation from state and federal agencies, a wide variety of organizations provide local government support for all sorts of mitigation activities. Some of these organizations are non-profit or non-government organizations. Others are associations of professionals or officials that exist to assist their clients or to promote a specific agenda. A few of these organizations are described here. North Carolina Association of County CommissionersThe North Carolina Association of County Commissioners is an organization of all 100 county governments in North Carolina. The NCACC assists the counties to act as essential partners with the state and federal governments in providing services to our more than 8 million citizens. As the form of government closest to the people, counties offer a unique perspective that makes them critical players in decisions affecting their citizens. The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners serves as the counties’ advocate before the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of state government. Boards of Commissioners in every county are eligible for membership in the Association. Collectively through the Association, they strive to preserve and protect the authority and ability of county governments to deliver the services for which they are responsible. The Association employs a staff of more than 20 professionals to run the day-to-day operations and to provide expertise in the areas of lobbying, fiscal and legal research, communications, intergovernmental relations, information technology, field visits and risk management services. The NCACC Board of Directors and its Executive Committee, both composed solely of elected county officials, make policy decisions to guide the Association and its staff throughout the year. While the Board of Directors ultimately sets Association policy, it relies on the Association’s seven Steering Committees for guidance and recommendations. The Steering Committees (Public Education, Environment, Criminal Justice, Human Resources, Agriculture, Tax & Finance, and Intergovernmental Relations) meet regularly to gather and consider information of emerging county-related issues. A representative of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners serves on the State Hazard Mitigation Advisory group (SHMAG) that helped produce this State Hazard Mitigation Plan. Every other year, the Association undertakes one of its most important activities—preparing a package of legislative goals that the Association’s lobbying team and elected officials will pursue before the General Assembly. Each county may submit proposed goals to the Association through the steering committees, who review the proposals and recommend their choices to the Legislative Goals Committee. The Legislative Goals Committee recommends a slate of goals to the Board of Directors, which then selects and distributes the package to all the counties. County commissioners from across the state convene at the Legislative Goals Conference to discuss and vote on the goals package. Every county has one vote. This process enables county commissioners to come to consensus on legislative priorities and speak with one voice on the issues of greatest importance to counties. The two legislative proposals during the 2003-2004 session that have implications for hazard mitigation (albeit indirectly) concern alternative revenue sources for county governments. The Association will request that the General Assembly grant counties statewide the authority to impose impact fees and transfer taxes. (A few counties already have this authority by special legislative dispensation; it has not been a power delegated to all 100 counties). The County Commissioners Association argues that these sources of revenue would place the burden of paying for growth squarely on the shoulders of those responsible for the additional expenses that are incurred by local governments when new development occurs. It is anticipated that the homebuilder and realtor industries will voice opposition to the proposed measures. The Association of County Commissioners operates a self-insurance pool that is offered to all counties. As an insurance provider, the Association wields a measure of “leverage” in terms of dictating certain building standards for county-owned insured property. The Association will not insure any county-owned property that is located in a designated floodplain. A total of 60 counties participate in the Association’s liability and property insurance program. Every county that was impacted by Hurricane Isabel in 2003 was a member of the Association’s insurance pool, and many counties recouped thousands of dollars in losses for flooded vehicles. North Carolina League of MunicipalitiesThe North Carolina League of Municipalities is a nonpartisan federation of cities, towns and villages in North Carolina. Its purpose is to promote excellence and efficiency in municipal government. The League carries out its mission through a range of services and by advocating the municipal viewpoint at the state and federal levels. The League also provides a forum for the exchange of ideas among municipal officials, and provides services and information to help municipal officials meet the needs of their citizens. The League has four standing committees that study and recommend policies on a broad range of topics, many of which are directly or indirectly related to the mitigation capabilities of local governments in North Carolina. The Finance, Administration and Intergovernmental Relations Committee studies issues including municipal revenues, taxation, personnel, and general government. The Community and Economic Development Committee deals with economic development, land use planning, zoning, annexation and housing. The Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Committee studies water and wastewater, environmental protection, solid waste, stormwater management, watershed protection, and environmental regulations. The Transportation, Communications and Public Safety Committee handles issues of roads, streets, transit programs, police, fire, cable, and telecommunications. Cooperation and interaction between governments is a guiding principle for the League, a tactic that can often enhance the collective capabilities of local governments. Working together, local governments can accomplish a great deal more than can be accomplished separately. Today, as responsibility and authority for various services and regulations are divided among levels of government, intergovernmental cooperation remains essential if citizens are to be served effectively and efficiently. The League of Municipalities facilitates local-to-local relations, as well as local-state and local-to-federal relations. Local interactions include town to city to village; through the League, cities and towns can exchange information and cooperate on any number of projects. League publications, such as Southern City and survey reports, provide details on how other municipalities are handling particular challenges. NCLM meetings and conferences offer forums for both formal and informal exchange of information. The League of Municipalities maintains a close working relationship with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners to aid in municipal to county relations. The executive committees of the two organizations meet to discuss mutual concerns and the advocacy staffs of the League and the Association work together on may common legislative goals in the General Assembly. Much the same kind of cooperation occurs at the regulatory level. League and Association staff work to ensure that the local government viewpoint is heard as regulators decide on rules that will affect local operations. The League, along with the Association of County Commissioners was instrumental in getting mutual aid legislation passed in the General Assembly, allowing local governments to provide and receive assistance from each other during emergency situations. The League supports the efforts of the state’s lead regional organizations or councils of government (COGs) and works most closely with the Joint Regional Forum. The Joint Regional Forum includes representation from each COG and acts as an advisory body to the League and the Association on regional issues. The League’s work with local-state intergovernmental relations includes representation of the municipal viewpoint at the state legislative and regulatory level. The League seeks to have municipal officials appointed to state committees, commissions and boards. The League routinely works with staff members of state agencies, departments and the General Assembly to ensure that everyone has accurate information about municipalities. A representative of the League of Municipalities serves as a member of the State Hazard Mitigation Advisory Group (SHMAG) that helped produce this State Hazard Mitigation plan (322 Plan). NCLM staff members also assist municipal officials in determining which state agency or department has jurisdiction or responsibility for a particular issue or problem. The League serves as a clearinghouse for information about state programs. The League staff also works with the North Carolina Division of Water Quality in the rulemaking process for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II Stormwater Regulations. The League worked to bring municipal officials into the rulemaking development process so that the final rules would be reasonable and feasible. In dealing with local to federal intergovernmental relations, the League maintain contact with members of the North Carolina delegation in Washington, D.C. to keep the State’s two senators and 12 representatives informed on how federal legislation and regulations will affect North Carolina cities and towns. The League also coordinates visits to Washington of small groups of municipal officials to lobby on municipal issues. The League of Municipalities provides assistance to municipalities in their efforts to comply with the Phase II Stormwater Regulations that are part of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) of the federal Clean Water Act. The league has made available a major innovative assistance tool, Storm 2003. This is an interactive software and engineering support package to guide local officials through the Phase II stormwater permit application process. Together with its sister organization, the Association of County Commissioners, the League can greatly enhance the capability of local governments in North Carolina to reduce the vulnerability of their citizens to natural hazards. The League and the Association both have entered into Memoranda of Agreement with NCDEM to expedite the delivery of assistance to their members following a disaster. The organizations were a strong voice for the Floodplain Management Law that was passed by the Legislature in the 2000 Legislative Session. While they advocated for removal of the two-foot freeboard provision in the flood bill, both organizations strongly supported the need to restrict hazardous and other incompatible uses in the floodplain. The League and the Association emphasized the need for updated flood maps throughout the state, and have been strong advocates of the North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program. The organizations can also provide a useful vehicle for disseminating information about hazards and mitigation to local governments and the general public. North Carolina Emergency Management AssociationThe North Carolina Emergency Management Association (NCEMA) is a voluntary organization of agencies and individuals involved in the field of emergency management throughout the State. The NCEMA strives to coordinate the efforts of its members in a common front to protect the lives and property of North Carolina. The Association coordinates and assists the efforts of all its member organizations with emergency preparedness responsibilities including those for cities, towns and districts. The NCEMA serves to collect and disseminate helpful information concerning matters related to emergency preparedness, and to coordinate contacts between local, state and federal emergency agencies. The Association also serves as a clearinghouse for expertise, ideas, and recommendations for enhancing and improving emergency management operations. Membership in the Emergency Management Association is open to individuals, professionals, insurance agents, homebuilders, fire marshals, building inspectors, floodplain managers, county commissioners, traffic control operators and others. Agency members include the State Fire Association, North Carolina Rescue Association, NC OEMS, Search Dog Associations, County Fire and Rescue Associations, Traffic Control Groups, Amateur Radio Operator Groups, North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, NCDOT, NCDOC, National Guard, Civil Air Patrol, law enforcement agencies, and others. A representative from the NCEMA serves on State Hazard Mitigation Advisory Group (SHMAG) that helped prepare this State Hazard Mitigation Plan. His role was to provide the local emergency management perspective on hazards, vulnerabilities, and capabilities as it related to mitigation policies emanating from the State. The Association acts as a liaison between NCDEM, and the local units of Emergency Management across the state. Many of the local hazard mitigation plans in North Carolina have been prepared through county emergency management offices. The Association has provided support to this endeavor through data compilation, analysis, as well as goal and strategy formulation. North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning AssociationThe purposes of the North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association are, among others, to provide leadership in the development of sound planning policies and practices; provide continuing planning education; and to increase awareness of the planning process, the planning profession, and the benefits planning can bring to the citizens of North Carolina. The NCAPA has made smart growth one of its major foci, and members of the NCAPA have made many presentations to audiences across the state about smart growth. The NCAPA smart growth outreach program includes a power point presentation about many aspects of smart growth, including the need to mitigate the impacts of natural hazards. The presentation emphasizes that building disaster-resilient communities is a key element of sustainability, and incorporates the idea of building out of harm’s way to avoid flooding disasters such as that experienced during Hurricane Floyd. The presentation also makes the point that preserving natural areas as open space, greenways and corridors can serve to reduce flood hazards in many communities. It is through widespread dissemination of information regarding hazards by organizations such as the NCAPA that the idea of hazard mitigation and sustainability as mutually supporting goals will become ingrained in our citizenry. Regional Councils of Government (COGs)The 18 Councils of Government (COGs) in North Carolina were established by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1972 as voluntary organizations of county and municipal governments within a region. Each COG provides services that are more readily handled on a regional basis rather than by individual local governments. Typical services include programs for the aging, land-use planning, economic development, environmental protection, and other types of collaborative efforts. Member governments pay dues to support the work of the regional council and appoint representatives to discuss problems they share and to work out ways to deal with those problems. The Joint Regional Forum includes representation from each of the COGs. A representative of a regional council of government serves as a member of the State Hazard Mitigation Advisory Group (SHMAG). The following GOGs are active in North Carolina:
Natural hazards do not strike solely within the bounds of clearly defined political boundaries. Many of the impacts of natural hazards are regional in scope, and are best dealt with on a regional basis. This is particularly true of flooding, which can be exacerbated by communities living within the same watershed or river basin. A collaborative approach to finding solutions to some of these problems can often be more effective than individual communities working alone. Some of the regional Councils of Government in North Carolina are well run and organized, and contribute much to the well-being of the residents in all their member communities. Typically, areas of the state that are least advantaged and who have fewer resources (for example, some rural counties east of I-95) have relied on the COGs to administer programs, write grants, and provide other services which the local government cannot manage. However, not all Councils of Government are adequately staffed or equipped to deal with multiple issues. A few COGs have provided technical support and guidance to local governments to prepare local Hazard Mitigation Plans, although no COG is a direct recipient of HMGP planning funds. The State has only provided planning grants to local governments. COGs may assist communities by developing grant applications, as well as serving as a point of contact for grant administration and hazard mitigation plan development. Directory: div div -> 9th May 1950 the schuman declaration div -> Supplemental demographic information div -> Introduction A. Purpose & Authority div -> This section includes changes made during the 2013 update div -> General occupational safety and health rules subdivision z toxic and hazardous substances div -> Computer Basics What is a computer div -> Mobile county, alabama regular board meeting div -> Privacy: Campus Living & Technology Download 1 Mb. Share with your friends:
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