Recovery & Resilience
Grants Secured
• Crossnore Stormwater Culvert Replacement$1,086,000 grant from Golden LEAF
• West Jefferson Stormwater Project - $210,000 grant from Golden LEAF
• Burnsville Lead Service Line Inventory & Replacement Plan$360,000 loan/grant from NCDEQ
• Avery County Broadband Expansion - $7,999,528 grant from NCDIT
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funding Administration
• Helped 10 Municipalities and 3 Counties Administer a Total of $24,250,519 in ARPA Direct Allocations
• Helped Submit 14 Compliance Reports to the US Treasury Department
• Helped 3 Local Governments Administer a Total of $18,750,000 in State Infrastructure Earmark Funding Stemming from ARPA
Opioid Settlement Fund Assistance
• Assisted Avery County with administering $3,211,705 of Opioid Settlement Funds
Regional Resilience & FEMA Public Assistance Training
• Helped develop emergency planning projects for the region’s seven counties, including Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessments, Emergency Operations Plans, and a Continuity of Operations Plan. These were developed at no cost to local governments using professional consultants of each county’s choosing.
• Assisted the Town of Burnsville with administering FEMA Public Assistance funds.
• Provided in-person and on-demand training to introduce local governments to FEMA’s Public Assistance program and prepare them to leverage the program in future disaster declarations.
Planning & Development Area Agency on Aging
Community-Based Services (includes HCCBG, ARPA and Supplemental Nutrition)
• 179,251 Congregate and Home Delivered Meals Served
• 30,946 In-Home Aide Hours Served
• 24,744 Transportation Trips
• 448 Hours of Legal Assistance
• 2,910 Total People Served
• 1,298 People Served At/ Below Poverty Line
• 848 People Served Aged 85+ Years Old
• $3,278,746 Regional Community Based Services Expenditures
Evidence-Based Health Promotion
Class Participant Data:
• 33 Total Classes Offered
• 410 Class Participants
• 229 Participants Completed a Class Classes Offered:
• Powerful Tools for Caregivers
• Tai Chi for Arthritis and Falls Prevention: Parts 1 and 2
• A Matter of Balance
• Walk With Ease
• Chronic Disease SelfManagement
Family Caregiver Support Program
• 51 Caregivers Served
• $15,000+ Awarded to Caregivers for Respite Care Needs
• $10,000+ Awarded to Grandparents Raising Grandchildren for Financial Support
• 80 Individuals Attended FCSP-Supported Educational Programs and Support Groups
Lifespan Respite Program
• 248 Vouchers Awarded
• $105,069 Worth of Voucher Reimbursements to Caregivers
Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
• 402 Technical Assistances
• 172 Visits to Facilities
• 158 Complaints
• 98 Cases
Critical Infrastructure
• West Jefferson Water and Wastewater Asset Inventory and Assessment - $400,000
• West Jefferson Downtown Stormwater ControlGoldenleaf- $250,000, NCDOT IMD Feasibility Study- $70,000
• Boone Water Tank CDBG
• Town of Burnsville NCDOT IMD Feasibility Study$72,100, South Mitchell Ave. Sidewalk Carbon Reduction Program Grant-$1,036,933.28
• Wilkesboro NCDOT IMD Feasibility Study - $118,000
• Town of Boone Water and Sewer Asset Inventory & Analysis- $400,000
• Town of Boone South Fork New River Restoration Plan - $44,000
• Mitchell County Transportation Dogwood Health Trust grant for the Pine Line deviated fixed route - $75,000.00
• Prioritization of transportation projects in the region for funding consideration in the 20262035 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)
Economic and Community Development
• Jefferson Downtown Improvements ARC Grant$538,625
• NCDIT Digital Champion Grant - $800,000
• Dogwood Health Trust Digital Opportunities Initiative and Cohort
- $250,000 for the collaborative working group
Workforce Development
PY23 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Services
• 4,585: total # of individual customers receiving services through NCWorks.gov and NCWorks Career Centers
• 8: average # of services provided to each customer
• 311: total # of individuals receiving intensive services
• 88 Youth Received Intensive Services
º 46 Participated in Skills Training
º 16 Earned Credentials
º 65 Received Services that Provide Labor Market/Employment Information
º 23 Participated in Work Based Learning
º $144,960 Dedicated to youth work based learning services
• Ashe County Industrial Park Golden Leaf Grant$920,034.50
• Alleghany County Rural Building Reuse Grant$180,000
• Watauga Slaughter Facility ARC Grant- $500,000, Watauga Slaughter Facility EDA- $817,000
Parks and Recreation/Environmental
• Seven Devils PARTF (HCCOG provided maps)
• Watauga County Recreation Plan
• Watauga Middle fork Greenway- Recreational Trails Program- $100,000 this is administration along with PARTF, Div. of Water Resources
Reports, Studies,
• Mayland Community College Boutique Hotel Environmental Review
• Adopted Digital Inclusion Plan
• Crossnore Comprehensive Plan
• Wilkes County Parks and Recreation Plans
Plans
• Alleghany County Strategic Plan
• High Country Regional Transit Plan Pilot Study
• Alleghany County Comprehensive Transportation Plan
• Watauga County Comprehensive Plan Update
• 223 Adults and Dislocated Workers Served
º 118 Training Services Provided
º 92 Earned Credentials
º 31 Received On-theJob Training/Work Experience
ARPA Funding
• 66 Individuals Served in Substance Use Recovery Services
• 38 Individuals Served in Work Based Learning Services
Average Unemployment Rate: 3.35% (not seasonally adjusted)
Largest Training Sector: Healthcare Workforce by the Numbers
• 758 High Country employers were served by the NCWorks system
• 8,532 services were provided to High Country employers through the NCWorks system
• 3,097 local jobs were posted using NCWorks Online
• 2,078 referrals were provided for posted jobs
• 61 employers supported by work based learning activities via On-the-Job Training and internships
• 50 Hiring events hosted for local employers
• 1,200 job seekers attended local hiring events
Other Projects/Accomplishments
• Received specialized grant to assist in the development of local advanced manufacturing sector partnerships
• Implemented specialized ARPA grant to serve those in recovery
• Implemented specialized ARPA grant to serve small businesses with work based learning activities
• Increased focus on work based learning services for all programs
• Received the NC Governor’s Award for Outstanding Young Adult in workforce development
• Received specialized grant to integrate virtual reality (VR) equipment into career exploration activities at local NCWorks centers
• Participated in state-wide business services forum to assist in crafting the On Team, One NCWorks Vision framework for NC
Planning & Development Cont.
GIS - Public Safety
• Yancey County Next Generation 911 GIS Technical Support
• Avery County Next Generation 911 GIS Technical Support
• Wilkes County Next Generation 911 GIS Maintenance
• Town of Beech Mountain Next Generation 911 GIS Maintenance
• Wilkesboro Fire Department GIS Mapping Services
• High Country Recovery and Resiliency Web Application management
• 9-1-1 County Road (Poster) Map creation for Hurricane Helene recovery efforts
• GIS Mapping Services for Cove Creek Fire Department
GIS - Planning and Technical Assistance
• Burnsville Water System Mapping
• Spruce Pine Stormwater System Mapping
• Newland Stormwater System Mapping
• Elk Park Stormwater System Mapping
• Utility system (sewer, stormwater, and water systems) GIS database and field application maintenance for North Wilkesboro, Wilkesboro, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, Burnsville, West Jefferson, and Newland.
• Librarian/Student Performance Indicators Web App Maintenance
• Ashe County New River paddle trip, river access, and bridge (private and NCDOT) data creation and Canoe Ashe map brochure development.
• Watauga County Gateway Corridor Plan web map maintenance.
• Ashe County Economic Development web application maintenance.
• Annual GIS support for Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, North Wilkesboro, Wilkesboro, and West Jefferson to maintain all local government GIS data (zoning, town limits, trail, and sidewalk data), and manage various public web application products and internal town staff field applications.
• Avery County Dogwood Health Trust GIS Analysis, Mapping and web application development
