Month: March 2020

NARC Analysis: CARES Act

This afternoon, the House of Representatives passed The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (H.R. 748) following an earlier vote this week by the Senate. The bill is intended to provide the country with $2.3 trillion of aid to counter the physical and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This legislation is the third COVID-19 bill to be developed by Congress, following the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 6074) and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201).

The CARES Act, the single largest economic stimulus package in American history, faced a brief challenge in the House when Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) attempted to force a recorded roll call vote on the bill. Congressmembers from both sides of aisle traveled quickly to Washington to establish a quorum, denying Massie’s attempt and passing the legislation with a voice vote.

Following the successful House vote, the bill will now be sent to the President, who is expected to quickly sign it into law.

Below are key items from the CARES Act, including a table of top-level figures, and summaries of the legislation’s primary areas of support, including support for state and local government, transportation, individuals, and businesses.

Top Level Funding Figures (~$2.3 Trillion Total)

SUPPORT FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

State & Local Government Support (New Coronavirus Relief Fund) ($150 Billion)

The legislation provides $150 billion specifically for states, tribes, territories, and some local areas. And provides $8 billion for Tribes and $3 billion for territories (including, oddly, the District of Columbia, which is normally treated as a state for such purposes). Of the remaining $139 billion, funds are distributed to each state based on the state’s population relative to the population of the nation as a whole.

Of the amount each state receives, up to 45% of funds are available to “units of local governments,” which is defined as a county, municipality, town, township, village, parish, borough, or other unit of general government below the State level with a population of 500,000 or greater. A local area would qualify to receive a portion of funding that is equivalent to the proportion the local government’s population bears to the population of the state as a whole.

SNAP, Family Services and Housing ($42 Billion)

$25 billion in additional funding will be provided for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and for other child nutrition programs to support states and localities in meeting growing need for food assistance as a result of coronavirus.

$4 billion in Homelessness Assistance Grants would be provided to state and local governments to address coronavirus among the homeless population. 

CDBG ($5 Billion)

The bill provides $5 billion through the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) for services for senior citizens, the homeless, and public health services. This includes $2 billion distributed using the normal CDBG formula; $1 billion to states based on a formula developed by HUD for COVID-19; and $2 billion to states and localities based on a formula to be developed by HUD within 30 days.

FEMA Disaster Relief Funding ($45 Billion)

$45 billion is being provided in funding for FEMA with $25 billion going to areas with major disaster declarations, like Washington State and New York State. The remaining $15 billion will be used for all purposes allowed under the Stafford Act.

EDA Funding ($1.5 Billion)

The bill allocates $1.5 billion to the Economic Development Administration through September 30, 2022. This will help regions mitigate the local economic crisis and rebuild impacted industries such as tourism or manufacturing supply chains.

USDA-Rural Development Programs ($145.5 million)

The stimulus package provides an additional $20.5 million for the Rural Business Program under the Rural Business Cooperative Service to support loans for rural business development programs. It allocates $25 million for the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program which helps provide broadband services to rural communities to support vital distance learning and telemedicine. The bill also provides $100 million in grants to the ReConnect pilot program to provide broadband services to rural areas to meet the Federal Communications Commission speed standards of 10 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps upstream.

Dislocated Workers National Reserve ($345 million)

The bill provides $345 million for dislocated workers (through September 30, 2022) to prepare for and respond to layoffs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Homeless Assistance Grants ($4 billion)

The stimulus package provides $4 billion to enable state and local governments to provide effective, targeted assistance to contain the spread of COVID-19 among homeless individuals. It will also provide homelessness prevention funding for individuals and families who would otherwise become homeless because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Project-Based and Tenant-Based Rental Assistance ($2.25 billion)

The package provides $1 billion for project-based rental assistance to make up for reduced tenant payments as a result of coronavirus. $1.25 billion for tenant-based rental assistance will be provided to preserve Section 8 vouchers for seniors, the disabled, and low-income working families.

Section 202 Housing for the Elderly ($50 million)

This $50 million in funds will help maintain housing stability and services for low-income seniors.

Section 811 Housing for Persons with Disabilities ($15 million)

The bill provides $15 million to make up for reduced tenant payments as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

SUPPORT FOR TRANSPORTATION

In total, the bill provides $114 billion for transportation-related purposes, $88 billion of which for aviation-related grants (as well as industry loans and loan guarantees). Of the remaining $26 billion, most of that goes to transit ($25 billion) and Amtrak ($1+ billion).

Transit ($25 Billion)

The bill provides $25 billion for “Transit Infrastructure Grants” to allow transit agencies to “prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.” These funds are treated as if they are provided under 49 U.S.C. 5307 (Urbanized Area Formula Grants) and 49 U.S.C. 5311 (Formula Grants for Rural Areas), but are distributed in the same proportion as the funds in fiscal year 2020 appropriations under 5307, 5311, 5337 (State of Good Repair Grants) and 5340 (Apportionments based on growing States and high density States formula factors). Funds under 5337 are added to 5307 funds and administered under 5307.

The funds will be distributed in seven days based on FY2020 apportionment formulas. The limitation on the use of funds for operating expenses in urban areas is waved. All of the funds, regardless of which program the funds come through, is for “reimbursement for operating costs to maintain service and lost revenue due to the coronavirus public health emergency, including the purchase of personal protective equipment, and paying the administrative leave of operations personnel due to reductions in service.” These additional operating funds DO NOT need to appear in a TIP, STIP, or LRTP to quality.

Finally, the funds for this section are from General Treasury Funds, not the Highway Trust Fund, and they are not subject to any limitation on obligations. Eligible projects can be funded with 100% federal funds.

Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund

The bill contain a provision that impacts new receipts into the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, treating these funds as mandatory spending not subject to spending caps (and therefore making the funds easier to spend; previously, these funds would require a spending offset). This provision does not affect the spending down of the current HMTF balance (which is $9 billion or so), but does prevent the balance from continuing to grow. This provision will take effect on Jan. 1, 2021 or upon passage of the next Water Resource Development Act (WRDA).

Amtrak ($1 Billion)

Just over $1 billion is provided for Amtrak, including $492 for Northeast Corridor grants and $526 million for National Network grants. Reduces required payment from states for “State-Supported Routes” and sets aside $239 million from National Network grants in lieu of an increase in a state’s payment.

Aviation ($42 Billion [Excluding Loans & Loan Guarantees])

Much of the transportation-related funding in the bill is provided for aviation purposes, including $32 billion in direct grants, $46 billion for loans and loan guarantees (out of the $500 billion loan and loan guarantees program), $10 billion for airport grants, and suspension of collection of Airport and Airway Trust Fund excise taxes for the remainder of the calendar year. In addition, an additional $56 million is provided for Essential Air Service.

General Highway Provision

The bill temporarily allows truck weight limits on the Interstate system to be exceeded for trucks carrying emergency supplies, to be in place through September 30, 2020 so long as the disaster declaration remains in effect.

SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUALS

Unemployment Benefits ($260 Billion)

The bill changes unemployment insurance benefits in several dramatic ways. The bill provides unemployed workers with their basic state unemployment benefits (about $300 per week) plus a federal supplement of $600 per week for up to four months. The bill also extends state benefits for 13 weeks.  This results in up to 39 weeks of benefits for many workers. In addition, the bill provides incentives for states to waive their waiting periods, and makes unemployment compensation available to part-time, self-employed, and gig workers as well.

Notably, this bill does not contain an amendment which was requested by many local government partners to remove a provision that requires states, local governments and their political subdivisions and instrumentalities to provide paid sick leave, while prohibiting these governmental entities from receiving the tax credits available to private employers.

Stimulus Checks ($290 Billion)

Checks will be sent to Americans in amounts of $1,200 per adult and $500 per child. Check eligibility will be phased out above $75,000 of income for individuals and $150,000 of income for couples.

Tax Reductions for Individuals ($20 Billion)

The bill would provide several tax reduction avenues for individuals including allowing HSA purchases of menstrual Products and temporarily waiving retirement minimum distribution rules.

SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION SYSTEMS

Education Spending ($32 billion)

An education stabilization fund for states, school districts, & higher education institutions will be provided $31 billion. Other Department of Education programs will receive approximately another $1 billion in funding.

SUPPORT FOR HEALTH SYSTEMS

Hospitals and Health Care ($180 Billion)

$100 billion of funding in the bill is being put toward hospitals responding to COVID-19. Other funding will go to drug access; CDC, FDA, NIH, IHS, & other health-related agencies; care for veterans; and the replenishing of the nation’s stockpile of medical supplies.

SUPPORT FOR BUSINESSES

Small Business Support ($377 Billion)

Small business funding will be provided in three ways:

$10 billion of funding is being provided for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for grants up to $10,000 to cover immediate operating costs for businesses.

$350 billion is allocated for the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide loans of up to $10 million per business. Use of that money is flexible as long as businesses keep their workers employed through the end of June.

Lastly, $17 billion will be for the SBA to cover 6 months of payments for small businesses with existing SBA loans.

Large Business Support ($510 Billion)

A large portion of the bill will be used to provide loans and loan guarantees for large companies, particularly for those industries hardest hit by COVID-19 such as airlines.

Tax Reductions for Businesses ($280 Billion)

The bill would loosen caps imposed by the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act on interest deductibility & operating losses, provide payroll tax credits for businesses who retain workers at a loss, and delay employer payroll tax payments from 2020 to 2021 & 2022       $12. The bill would also introduce a very COVID-19-specific provision allowing liquor distillers to make hand sanitizer tax-free.        

FURTHER READING

For more information on the CARES Act check out these other resources:

States and Regions are Exploring the Transition from Gas Taxes to Per-Mile Charges

“Every week is infrastructure week!”

That is the running joke in Washington, DC as Congress and the administration have been hard at work formulating a comprehensive infrastructure package since President Trump’s inauguration in January of 2017. The Trump Administration, House, and Senate have all released different funding priorities for a Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) reauthorization bill, which is set to expire in September.

Trump’s $1 trillion infrastructure plan , the $760 billion House infrastructure plan, and the $287 billion Senate Highway bill (S.2302) all take different approaches to  providing funding to improve the dire transportation and infrastructure situation in the United States, but none offers a plan for how the legislation will be funded. The political near-impossibility of a gas tax increase has led some to consider new funding structures, including charging drivers for the miles they drive rather than the amount of fuel they consume. This approach, referred to as a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax, a road user charge (RUC), or a mile-based user fee (MBUF), is being considered by states as a supplement or a replacement for current per-gallon fuel charges.

As the funding debate plays out at the federal level several states have already implemented pilot or voluntary programs that charge users an annual flat fee to owners of cars using alternative fuels. The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) has collected data and information from various per-mile programs across the country. Below is a map that the Oregon DOT compiled indicating which states have completed RUC pilots, which states are considering or planning RUC pilots, and which states are actively monitoring the topic either via their department of transportation, state legislature or another agency.

NCSL has also gathered information on regional efforts and RUC coalition groups. Two regional groups of states, RUC West and the I-95 Corridor Coalition, have coordinated efforts and resources around RUC issues to leverage resources for educational opportunities and to focus funding efforts. Membership for both coalitions are below:

Significant concerns remain over issues such as privacy, how the fee would be collected and how efficient that collection would be, and concerns about the federal government’s capacity to roll-out a national program. Either program would require passenger vehicles to be tracked, whether through odometer reading, radio-frequency identification (RFID) readers, or onboard devices. Depending on the tax or fee structure, the time and location in addition to miles traveled may need to be captured. The idea that every location and mile traveled in your personal vehicle being tracked, recorded, and captured by the federal government may be unsettling for some.

These concerns will have to be addressed before a nationwide program becomes a political possibility, but regions and states are taking the lead in testing this important new technology. Below are four states that showcase different approaches to per-mile charges:

Oregon: Road Usage Charge Program – OReGO

Oregon began its RUC journey in 2017 and is now the only state with a permanent RUC program. Oregon drivers are highly encouraged to enroll in the state’s RUC program called OReGO. A typical electric or high-mpg vehicle driver pays two to four years’ worth of registration fees in advance when purchasing a car or renewing their registration. Oregon House Bill 2017, or “Keep Oregon Moving,” will be making increases to these fees in 2022 and 2023 to respond to expected increases in vehicle performance. This could lead to a combined up-front registration fee of hundreds of dollars. If these same drivers enroll in OReGO instead they would not have to pay these registration fee increases. They would only pay the base registration of $43 per year plus the road charge of 1.8 cents per mile.

Utah Road Usage Charge Program

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) began work on implementing their RUC in 2018 when two laws passed through the state legislature (SB 136 -2018 and SB 72 -2019) directing UDOT to implement a RUC process by 2020. SB 72 fiscal note appropriated $755,000 for the program’s initial setup and an additional $115,000 each year for employee operations. It is unclear when this funding will stop, but UDOT anticipates that RUC revenues will begin to fund the program by 2025.  In addition, the state received a $1.25 million federal grant from the Federal Highway Administration’s Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives (STSFA) Program for a study on the program’s success over the next five years. Users will be charged 1.5 cents per mile driven until the accumulated total matches the annual flat fee. In 2020, the flat fee for electric vehicles will be $90. This is significantly less than the $187 average annual state gas tax payments vehicle owners paid in Utah in 2019.

California Road Charge

The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) managed a road charge pilot program through the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) by working closely with the California Transportation Commission, the Road Charge Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), and additional external stakeholders throughout California. From July 2016 through March 2017, 5,000 vehicles statewide reported in excess of 37 million miles, according to the program’s full report. California’s now completed road charge pilot program was a voluntary effort that relied heavily on Oregon’s experience. Unlike Oregon’s program, this pilot was conceptual in nature and no actual financial transactions took place.

Washington Road Usage Charge Pilot Project

In December 2019, the Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC) released  recommendations on how Washington can begin a gradual transition away from the state gas tax and toward a road usage charge system. The commission based its recommendations on extensive research, statewide public engagement and a detailed analysis of participant feedback and system performance of the 12-month Washington Road Usage Charge Pilot Project. The adopted recommendations were transmitted to the Washington State Legislature, Governor Jay Inslee and the Federal Highway Administration last month.

NARC Webinar: The Regional Response to the COVID-19 Epidemic Part III: A Regional Conversation

NARC Webinar: The Regional Response to the COVID-19 Epidemic Part III: A Regional Conversation

Each and every day we are learning of more and more COVID-19 cases. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced individuals in 20 states have been infected by the COVID-19 virus.
 
California and Washington State have declared states of emergency as increasing numbers of their residents become sick. King County, Washington leaders have urged at-risk residents to stay home and away from large groups of people. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Department of Public Health have declared a local and public health emergency in response to the increased spread of coronavirus across the Los Angeles region. And increasing numbers of cases in the Boston area are leading metropolitan Boston and Commonwealth officials to monitor closely the spread of the virus.
 
The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) invites you to join a webinar on Wednesday, March 11, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. eastern that will examine the role that regional councils can play in addressing the COVID-19 epidemic. Leaders from the Puget Sound Regional Council (Seattle), Metropolitan Area Planning Council (Boston), and Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments (COG) will discuss how they are responding to the COVID-19 epidemic and the role regional councils are playing in efforts to contain the virus.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Resources for Regions

NARC COVID-19 Webinar for Regional Councils
NARC hosted a webinar yesterday examining the role that regional councils can play in addressing the COVID-19 epidemic. Leaders from the Puget Sound Regional Council (Seattle), Metropolitan Area Planning Council (Boston), and Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments (COG) spoke on their response to the COVID-19 epidemic and shared ideas for ways that regional councils can support efforts to contain the virus.

CARC Coronavirus Resource Page / Request for Resources and Policies
NARC has created a webpage to house regional resources for combatting coronavirus. If your region has developed resources or policy tools that you would like to share with other regions, please send them in to Jessica Routzahn at jessica@narc.org so that they can be incorporated into the resource page.

SUMMARY/BACKGROUND

The coronavirus disease of 2019, otherwise known as COVID-19, is a respiratory disease caused by a new strain of the coronavirus that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are responding to the outbreak which has now been detected in more than 100 countries internationally, including in the United States. On January 30, 2020, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern.” Less than two months later WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

BY THE NUMBERS

In the United States at least 1,215 people have tested positive for coronavirus as of 10:00 AM March 13, according to the CDC, and at least 40 patients with the virus have died. The CDC updates their coronavirus page regularly at noon Mondays through Fridays. Numbers close out at 4 p.m. the day before reporting resulting in a possible lag of accurate reporting.

Other institutional and media sources are reporting a higher number of confirmed cases. As of Friday morning March 13th the New York Times (NYT) reported 1,663 cases of coronavirus in the United States confirmed by lab tests and 41 deaths, according to the New York Times database. The map below, created by the NYT, showcases the currently reported cases of coronavirus in the U.S.  

New York Times Map of reported Coronavirus Cases in the U.S.: This map was generated on 3/12/2020 at 10:00am.

According to Business Insider, more than half of US states have declared states of emergency in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak, so far these 29 states include:  

Washington, Florida, California, Kentucky, New York, Maryland, Utah, Oregon, North Carolina, Colorado, Massachusetts, Indiana, New Jersey, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Arizona, Connecticut, Louisiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Virginia, Delaware, Montana, Nevada, Arkansas, Kansas, Wisconsin, and Tennessee.

WHAT YOU NEED TO
KNOW

Most recent information
confirms that COVID-19 is spreading from person to person throughout the United
States. Risk of infection with COVID-19 is higher for people who are close
contacts of someone known to have COVID-19 such as healthcare workers or
household members. Patients with COVID-19 have had mild to severe respiratory illness
with symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The first case of
COVID-19 in the United States was reported on January 21, 2020 and there are
now more than 1,000 cases. The following documents from the CDC provide more information
on “what you need to know” (English, Simplified Chinese, Spanish), “what to do if you are sick” (English, Simplified Chinese, Spanish), and how to “stop the spread of germs” (English,
Spanish).

People can help protect
themselves from respiratory illness with these everyday preventive actions:

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with
    unwashed hands.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at
    least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least
    60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.

If you are sick, you
should do the following to keep from spreading respiratory illness to others:

  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then
    throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects
    and surfaces.

FUNDING RESOURCES UPDATE

Congressional Spending
Package:

Politico reported
last Thursday March 6th President Trump signed the $8.3 billion
emergency funding package Congress quickly cleared. The bipartisan package (H.R.6074/Public Law 116-123) provides a total of $7.7 billion
in new discretionary spending and authorizes an additional $490 million in
mandatory spending through a Medicare change. More than $400 million will be
disbursed to states within the first 30 days of the law’s enactment with each
state receiving no less than $4 million. The $8.3 billion new emergency
supplemental funds encompass the following breakdown:

  • More than $3 billion for research and development of vaccines,
    therapeutics, and diagnostics.
  • $2.2 billion in public health funding for prevention,
    preparedness, and response.

    • $950 million of which is to support state & local
      health agencies.
  • $1 billion for procurement of pharmaceuticals and medical
    supplies, to support healthcare preparedness and Community Health Centers,
    and to improve medical surge capacity.
  • $61 million to facilitate the development and review of medical
    countermeasures, devices, therapies, and vaccines, and to help mitigate
    potential supply chain interruptions.
  • $1.25 billion to address the coronavirus abroad to help keep
    Americans safe here at home.
  • Allows for an estimated $7 billion in low-interest loans to
    affected small businesses, to help cushion the economic blow of this
    public health emergency o $300 million so the government can purchase
    vaccines at a fair and reasonable price.

U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS):

On March 4th the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced upcoming
action to provide initial resources to a limited number of state and local
jurisdictions in support of our nation’s response to the coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19).

  • Initial $25
    million cooperative agreement to the states and local jurisdictions who
    have borne the largest burden of response and preparedness activities to
    date.
  • Initial $10 million
    cooperative agreement to state and local jurisdictions to begin implementation
    of coronavirus surveillance across the U.S., building on existing
    influenza activities and other surveillance systems.

Coronavirus Response
Package:

In a Bloomberg Government
report individuals affected by the novel coronavirus could receive paid leave,
food assistance and unemployment insurance would be expanded, and Medicaid
funding to states would be increased under H.R. 6201
introduced in the House by Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY). The measure would
also provide emergency funding for the Special Supplemental
Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, also known as WIC, as
well as the Commodity Assistance Program. The measure would require insurers,
Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health programs to fully cover tests for
the virus. Under the legislation funds provided would be designated as
emergency requirements and wouldn’t count against the discretionary spending
cap for fiscal 2020.

Stafford Act and FEMA
Disaster Relief Funds:

In a new letter,
Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Gary Peters (MI) led 36
senate democrats in urging President Trump to immediately consider a national disaster
declaration  that would allow FEMA to
utilize $40+ billion disaster relief funds to aid state and local governments  responding to the coronavirus outbreak. In the
letter, the Senators note that were a disaster declaration granted, use of the Disaster
Relief Fund would allow FEMA to provide emergency protective measures to the
state at a 75% federal to 25% state cost share for a wide range of eligible
expenses and activities.

As more information comes
out about the coronavirus outbreak, we will provide updates on a NARC webpage
that is currently being developed as this is an emerging, rapidly evolving
situation and the CDC is providing updated information and guidance as it
becomes available.

All information and
resources provided in this blog should be paired with the frequent updates
provided by the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC), the Executive
Office of the President of the United States, the World
Health Organization (WHO), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
among others.

Regional Resources for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Epidemic

Regional Resources for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Epidemic

Each and every day we are learning of more and more COVID-19 cases. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced individuals in 20 states have been infected by the COVID-19 virus.
 
California and Washington State have declared states of emergency as increasing numbers of their residents become sick. King County, Washington leaders have urged at-risk residents to stay home and away from large groups of people. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Department of Public Health have declared a local and public health emergency in response to the increased spread of coronavirus across the Los Angeles region. And increasing numbers of cases in the Boston area are leading metropolitan Boston and Commonwealth officials to monitor closely the spread of the virus.
 
The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) invites you to join a webinar on Wednesday, March 11, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. eastern that will examine the role that regional councils can play in addressing the COVID-19 epidemic. Leaders from the Puget Sound Regional Council (Seattle), Metropolitan Area Planning Council (Boston), and Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments (COG) will discuss how they are responding to the COVID-19 epidemic and the role regional councils are playing in efforts to contain the virus.

NARC Webinar: Differential Privacy for the 2020 Census

NARC Webinar: Differential Privacy for the 2020 Census

Each and every day we are learning of more and more COVID-19 cases. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced individuals in 20 states have been infected by the COVID-19 virus.
 
California and Washington State have declared states of emergency as increasing numbers of their residents become sick. King County, Washington leaders have urged at-risk residents to stay home and away from large groups of people. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Department of Public Health have declared a local and public health emergency in response to the increased spread of coronavirus across the Los Angeles region. And increasing numbers of cases in the Boston area are leading metropolitan Boston and Commonwealth officials to monitor closely the spread of the virus.
 
The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) invites you to join a webinar on Wednesday, March 11, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. eastern that will examine the role that regional councils can play in addressing the COVID-19 epidemic. Leaders from the Puget Sound Regional Council (Seattle), Metropolitan Area Planning Council (Boston), and Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments (COG) will discuss how they are responding to the COVID-19 epidemic and the role regional councils are playing in efforts to contain the virus.

NARC Webinar: The Regional Response to the COVID-19 Epidemic

NARC Webinar: The Regional Response to the COVID-19 Epidemic

Each and every day we are learning of more and more COVID-19 cases. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced individuals in 20 states have been infected by the COVID-19 virus.
 
California and Washington State have declared states of emergency as increasing numbers of their residents become sick. King County, Washington leaders have urged at-risk residents to stay home and away from large groups of people. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Department of Public Health have declared a local and public health emergency in response to the increased spread of coronavirus across the Los Angeles region. And increasing numbers of cases in the Boston area are leading metropolitan Boston and Commonwealth officials to monitor closely the spread of the virus.
 
The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) invites you to join a webinar on Wednesday, March 11, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. eastern that will examine the role that regional councils can play in addressing the COVID-19 epidemic. Leaders from the Puget Sound Regional Council (Seattle), Metropolitan Area Planning Council (Boston), and Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments (COG) will discuss how they are responding to the COVID-19 epidemic and the role regional councils are playing in efforts to contain the virus.

Friendly Regional Competition: SEMCOG and MORPC Compete on Census Response Levels

The countdown for the 2020 Census is now reaching single digits
as households begin receiving census packets in less than a week. With the
clock ticking down, regional councils are making their final outreach pushes to
ensure that as many residents as possible in their regions are counted. The
stakes are high for the census, as each resident that is counted has a
significant impact on the amount of federal dollars that their community will
receive over the next ten years.

Two regional councils, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
(SEMCOG) and Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) have entered a
friendly competition to see which region can receive the highest percentage of Census
responses. “At SEMCOG, we’re making a successful census for Southeast Michigan
fun. I’ve challenged our mid-Ohio peers – those Buckeyes from the Columbus
region at the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission – to see which region gets
the highest percentage of responses. I issued this challenge the day after last
year’s Michigan-Ohio State football game, and we really need to win this one.”
said SEMCOG Executive Director, Kathleen Lomako, in a
blog post on the competition.

To support a strong census response, SEMCOG has developed a Hard-to-Count Populations map and a media toolkit with materials in English, Spanish, and Arabic that can be used by the local governments in the Southeast Michigan region. The media toolkit includes a “Southeast Michigan Counts!” video which was produced by SEMCOG staff:

MORPC has also been active, chairing the government subcommittee and providing staff for other subcommittees in the Columbus and Franklin County Complete Count Committee. “MORPC has a unique role, because we have the ability to extend the work of the Columbus/Franklin County Complete Count Committee to the rest of Central Ohio,” said Aaron Schill, MORPC Director of Data & Mapping in a MORPC census post. This way we can help get every person in every corner of Central Ohio counted, including traditionally hard-to-count populations like ethnic and racial minorities, immigrants, children, and renters.”

Staff and board members of SEMCOG and MORPC pose with an Ohio State / Michigan Census banner.

Staff and board members of SEMCOG and MORPC posed for a picture at NARC’s National Conference of Regions in February. As the census gets underway, we will be looking forward to hearing the results of the competition. Regardless of who comes out on top, both regions are set to benefit from the energetic and creative effort that their regional councils are making to ensure that their communities are counted!