Following Governor Cooper’s Veto of HB 966 Budget Conference Report last week, education bills that have made crossover continue to move quickly as the Budget heads back to chamber floors for a potential veto override. Some of the high profile K-12 education bills that moved through committees this week include HB 107: PED Oversight/EPP Changes, HB 362: 15-Point Scale For School Performance Grades, HB 668: Various Higher Education Changes, and HB 922: Enhance Insurance Coverage/Educ. Buildings. Each of these bills have been placed on the Senate Calendar to be considered next week.
A high profile bill that has had little movement in the past few months will be considered in House Committee on K-12 Education next week. SB 5: Building North Carolina’s Future would allow community colleges and local school administrative units access to funds for capital projects as well as increase the amount of tax revenue that is deposited into the General Fund. These capital improvements had been included in the budget through bonds, however this bill aims to reduce state debt by providing a pay-as-you-go system.
This week we worked hard in the Superintendent’s Office selecting the districts that would be awarded grants from the Coding & Mobile App Development Grant Program that will be announced after next week. These grants help districts starting up and continuing professional development and certifications to help teachers learn the curriculum and how to teach students these coding and app development software. The most interesting part about this program is it requires that districts have business partners that are committed to helping the students in learning more and possibly offering job interviews one day.
Furthermore, we looked at all the applicants for the State Board of Education Advisor Positions. These are 2 positions that allow a junior and a senior student to represent students on the State Board for the following year. This is a position that allows students to have a voice on the board in decisions that impact them daily. Of the 140 students that applied, the two selected will be announced soon and be honored by the Superintendent!
Numerous K-12 education bills are scheduled to be heard next week in the House and Senate committees and chambers. Additionally, the State Board of Education will hold their monthly meeting next week on Thursday, July 11th at 9:00 am so we will see what has come to discussion since last month’s meeting focused on school safety.
Local government has many incredible leaders, but the 2020 Democratic debates showed just how many people are hoping to make the jump from the local to federal level. Although Mayor Buttigeg and Mayor de Blasio are the only candidates running that are still in local government, 8 of the 20 candidates who debated this past week got their start there. That’s 40% of the candidates!
The eight folks representing local government during these debates are: Cory Booker (former Mayor of Newark, NJ) , Pete Buttigeg (Mayor of South Bend, IN), Julián Castro (former Mayor of San Antonio, TX), Bill de Blasio (Mayor of New York City, NY), John Hickenlooper (former Mayor of Denver, CO), Beto O’Rourke (former Mayor Pro Tempore of El Paso, TX), Bernie Sanders (former Mayor of Burlington, VT), and Eric Swalwell (former City Councilor of Dublin, CA).
While I was watching these debates I couldn’t help but analyze some of their roles. As some of you may know, most local governments have either a Mayor-Council or Council-Manager form of government. In Mayor-Council governments the Mayor is in charge of day-to-day activities. One example of this is New York City, NY. Whereas, in the Council-Manager form, city managers are tasked with these activities. The City of Durham functions as a Council-Manager system.
In a recent article in CityLab, several leaders discussed their experiences in local government, and how this would inform them in the role as President of the United States. Hickenlooper said, “I do think that having been a mayor provides wonderful training and experience of finding ways to bring people together and achieving goals and accomplishments through that unity.” One book called, “If Mayors Ruled the World,” points out that local governments are capable of changing the world because they rely on collaboration and interdependence. This type of leadership will be necessary going forward as politics get more complicated.
Personally, Governor Hickenlooper’s words were encouraging to me, because it shows that people are realizing the change-makers that exist in local government. More people are understanding our dedication to creating positive communities, and our drive to further this.
No matter what happens, we all know the best Mayor of all time is Mayor Max of Idyllwild, California. 
Hello! It was an eventful week here at EPA, filled with lots of meetings, mentoring sessions, and a news headline. I’ll start with the headline. Bill Wehrum, Assistant Administrator of the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), resigned this week, meaning that I will be getting a new boss. Anne Idsal, who served as Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator of OAR, is expected to replace him. The Assistant Administrator is head of OAR and considered EPA’s top air policy chief, overseeing the various Offices within OAR including mine, OAQPS. A Dr. Jacobson-approved organizational chart can be found here.
Bill Wehrum, former Assistant Administrator of the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation
Many of the meetings I attended this week dealt with ozone issues. Ozone (O3) is a gas that can be found up in the stratosphere or closer to us at ground level. Stratospheric ozone is good; it provides a shield-like layer that protects us from the sun’s harmful rays. You may recall hearing about an “ozone hole,” which is in reference to part of the stratospheric ozone layer being depleted and exposing parts of the world to ultraviolet radiation.
Ground level ozone on the other hand is bad. Ground level ozone is produced when man-made emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) react with heat and sunlight. It is commonly identified as the main component of smog. Ground level ozone can be harmful to our health, causing respiratory problems, reduced lung function and damaged lung tissue. It also can harm crops, vegetation, and sensitive ecosystems. Over the weekend, you may have seen an air quality alert for Chapel Hill. That alert was about excess concentrations of ground level ozone! So, as a recap, stratospheric ozone=good, ground level ozone=bad.
Ozone is one of the 6 criteria pollutants regulated according to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The others are carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide. The EPA is granted authority under the CAA to establish standards for these pollutants to protect human and environmental health. My team within OAQPS helps to review the ozone NAAQS and makes sure that states are meeting the standards.
Another exciting aspect of this week was the “Flash Mentoring” session that was hosted for the interns at OAQPS. Staff from the various divisions within OAQPS sat down with us in a speed dating-style format to offer professional guidance and career advice. Networking is something that I have struggled with in the past, but opportunities like this (as well as the fabulous MPA program) have helped to build my confidence and improve my networking skills. The event also provided an informal setting for me to get to know my coworkers on a more personal level and learn about their backgrounds and goals.
Thanks for reading!
Sydney
An actual sidewalk in downtown Salisbury
First off, congratulations for looking at a picture of a sidewalk and thinking “that looks interesting” – you may be in a small but important group of people!
The truth is, sidewalks (like many local government services) are often overlooked or forgotten about because they aren’t the flashiest topic. However, a lot of foresight and planning is put into these sidewalks by people, like the engineers in Salisbury, so that the citizens they serve can get around a little bit easier. For example, sidewalks are built on a 2° slant so that stormwater will run into the gutter, instead of collecting in a puddle that hungrily awaits your brand new shoes. Further, the incline of a sidewalk ramp cannot be greater than 8° for wheelchair access. Oh, and the truncated domes that stick out right before a crosswalk – those help people with vision impairments know when they are about to cross the road. Admittedly, I think most of these features are required for ADA compliance; however, I felt it was worth pointing out the small details that go into making everyone’s commute a little easier. Sidewalks – you don’t think about them (or their features) until they aren’t there.
Just so that you don’t think life in Engineering is all about sidewalks, I’ll move on to some GIS (Geographic Information System). You may recall that I used GIS while with the Planning Department. Well, here it is again, and in case the message hasn’t come across – GIS IS HELPFUL IN MANY WAYS TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, SO GO LEARN HOW TO USE IT! Seriously, if you can take a class, you should. I plan on taking one next spring myself.
GIS with Curb and Gutter Layer and Aerial Imagery
Ironically, one of my GIS projects involved…drumroll please…SIDEWALKS (right when you thought you had escaped). The Engineering department is updating the GIS Sidewalk layer to show sidewalks that have been added since the last aerial imagery was taken by Salisbury in 2014. Using the newer aerial imagery from 2018, I traced out every new sidewalk on public streets that I could find (cross your fingers that I got them all), which can then be viewed for various purposes, like tracking sidewalk cleaning.
For my other GIS project, we move slightly off the sidewalk…and onto the curb. Actually though, I used the aerial imagery (and Google Street View when harder to see) to highlight every Salisbury street that has a curb or gutter. This layer (pictured below) will eventually be used to help with street cleaning, insuring that every known curb/gutter and corresponding drain are free of debris so that the stormwater system can work properly.
Close-up of GIS Curb and Gutter Layer
The Entire Curb and Gutter Layer for Salisbury with Stormwater features marked by icons
Engineering may not be in my wheelhouse, but I certainly enjoyed my time in the department. At the very least, it made me appreciate the little things that make a town better for the people that live in it. And yes, I do like sidewalks! What gave it away?
Boy oh boy has this week been an interesting one to say the least. Both of my bosses on the Legislative Team have been on much needed vacations so it has been just me holding down the fort over at the General Assembly. As much as I was out of my comfort zone walking around without my bosses who know, quite literally, everyone, it felt good to walk around the legislature, confidently waving back to the lobbyists, legislative assistants, representatives and senators that have started recognizing me even without my bosses.
The conference report on the budget for the 2019-2021 biennium was released Tuesday afternoon following a press conference led by Senate and House leadership. While many people in both parties are happy with most aspects of the budget, there are some still very upset that the legislature chose not to include Medicaid expansion. Meanwhile, our departments over at DPI were all in looking at the education provisions and the comparison between the budget proposals from the Governor, House, Senate, and Conference Proposed Budgets Comparison (xlsx, 143kb) which are far too vast to fully discuss here. While there was plenty of debate surrounding the budget, it was still encouraging to see people work together to help each individual county in North Carolina, especially our teachers!
Boy oh boy… Budget Report Press Conference
As noted in my bio and past blogs and as evident through my choice in PWE, I am an avid supporter of all levels of education from early childhood to higher Ed and graduate education. After attending a multitude of house and senate education committees, I was able to attend breakfast with a Senator that serves on the Senate Committee on Education- Higher Ed and K-12. He and I discussed education, immigration, public safety, insurance, motor vehicle laws, and many other policy issues—subsequently relating back how all of these policy issues directly and indirectly impact the children in our schools. Even more interesting (IDK what could be more interesting than education policy), we discussed our varying love for coffee (not Starbucks) and the Senator’s visits to the tobacco and coffee farms in Central and South America. Lastly, the Senator referred to the women in the Senate as “Rock Stars,” as he said we need more people like them (I concur).
Boy oh boy… Checking out the Senator’s newly leased Tesla ~feeling fly~
P.S. If you ever go to Flying Biscuit in the Raleigh area, get their “creamy dreamy grits” 10/10 recommend.
Finally, I had to do miscommunication management on a bill brought up in Senate Education Committee this week. A bill originally about Vacation Rentals was severely altered with a Proposed Committee Substitute to move the School Insurance Fund Section of the Department of Public Instruction that oversees insurance for LEAs (schools) to the Department of Insurance. The issue with the PCS is that DPI had not been aware of any changes being made to their insurance fund for LEAs. DPI representatives addressed the committee, telling them about their confusion with the bill. Consequently, a senator asked the bill sponsor if the Superintendent supported the bill. I am going to positively assume that there was a miscommunication, because the bill sponsor responded that the Superintendent does support the bill. Having my bosses out of town and being “just the intern,” I was stuck speechless. Following multiple calls and informal meetings, the big bosses were able to do some damage control so we shall see where the bill proceeds next…
HB 922 PCS- DPI to DOI
Needless to say, it was a pretty eventful week and boy oh boy am I ready for @Kevin and @Wade to be back from vacation! No one EVER said government was going to be easy and I absolutely love that about it 🙂
One of the most important parts of any internship is the network you make along the way. Working with the Budget & Management Services Department and getting to know everyone better has been incredible. After a few weeks, I realized I also wanted to get to know other City interns as well. Although I love working with my department members, I wanted to gain more insight into what other folks in a similar experience to myself are learning. The Assistant Director of BMS recommended that I send out an email to all department leaders asking for their interns’ contact information. Thankfully, all of the department heads were excited to have their interns involved, and quickly shared their names with me.
We now have a cohort of around ten interns within the City of Durham. We come from a variety of departments, including: General Services, Community Development, Budget & Management Services, City Manager’s Office, and Economic Workforce Development. Everyone has unique interests in local government, and we are all hopeful that this experience will allow us to learn more about how local government functions.
We had our meeting earlier this week, and it was an incredible experience. Each member had fascinating insights into local government, and we all found ways that our work tied together. For example, one intern is working on a project with General Services that will increase trails in the Durham area. He was discussing the financials of the project and budgeting for the improvements, and as I listened I realized just how much I had learned about the fiscal year budget process. It was really incredible to have conversations with folks just as nerdy about local government as myself, and I cannot wait to see where our careers take us.
One of my fellow interns is within the Office of Economic Workforce Development, and she is learning about Durham’s policies on minority and women-owned businesses. Her assignment is to find data on these businesses and create an open data portal for folks in the community to learn more about locations to shop. One of the most beneficial things she has taken away is how complicated gathering data can be, but that community partners can make the process easier.
As we learned about in Human Resources this past semester, the people you surround yourself with at work can change your own experience. Creating relationships in any position is essential to the well-being of yourself and others. I think that by connecting with other interns I won’t just have support from budget staff but also from others in the same career stage as myself. This is crucial to a local government career because as you talk with others about the field, you learn more about changes that can be made, which can lead to positive changes in your community.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion have become standard vocabulary for many organizations to include in their missions, presentations, and conversations around their organizational work. As public servants, these should be organizational values. In our work, we serve a wide range of people with varying backgrounds and cultures. But, the struggle comes from moving beyond the use of the words and building them into organizational action and culture. So this week, I got to experience some of the ways that Chatham County is working towards building diversity, equity, and inclusion into organizational action and culture.
The first event that I attended was the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) training for the Chatham Public Health Department. The training was conducted by the NC Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities. The training was a good combination of self-reflection about our backgrounds, activities to push us out of our comfort zone, and discussion to apply this knowledge to our work moving forward. Below is a slide from the training that mentions the drivers and determinants of health, meaning the things that impact health disparities. What stood out to me most was how the trainers pushed us to think about how these drivers and determinants impact the people we serve in Chatham County.
NCDHHS, NC OMHHD CLAS Training Slide
This past Saturday, Chatham Organizing for Racial Equity (CORE) and the Chatham County Library hosted an event celebrating Juneteenth. For those who do not know, Juneteenth is an important holiday for many people in the African American community. It stems from the end of the Civil War. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation ending slavery (as we traditionally define it). However, African Americans in Texas remained enslaved for an additional two and a half years. On June 19th, 1865, Union soldiers made their way to Texas declaring the freedom of African Americans. For many in the African American community, Juneteenth is a day of remembrance, reflection, and celebration of the actual end of slavery. The event hosted by CORE and the library was titled a celebration of African American Culture and Resilience. It was an amazing space to share history and create community. The event hosted speakers that talked about “African Civilation before Slavery” (Dr. Charles Johnson, NCCU), Human Trafficking in the Historical Context of U.S. Slavery” (Robin Colbert & Christy Croft, NC Coalition Against Sexual Assault) and “Native Americans, Africans & Slavery in NC” (Dr. Arwin Smallwood, NC A&T University). I am thankful that the community was able to have access to such rich knowledge.
Photo courtesy of Stephanie Watkins-Cruz of the Juneteenth Event
And to top it all off, I attended a session from the Chatham County Leadership Academy. There were attendees from all different departments in the County like emergency personnel, officers, nurse supervisors, and a nutritionist. This particular session was Cultural Competency Part II taught by our Human Resources Director, Carolyn Miller. It was a two-hour session that discussed privilege, institutional racism, and implicit bias (system I vs system II thinking). Most importantly, Carolyn Miller talked about how we have to dig deeper when we incorporate diversity into our workforce. She described that it has to go beyond just representative bureaucracy (though important), but that we need to begin to ask the WHY questions. It was a really insightful session that incorporated a lot of great information around racial diversity, equity, and inclusion to push those working in the County to create a more inclusive workplace.
Chatham County definitely has room to grow, as do many other institutions. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the commitment of different folks in the community working towards making diversity, equity, and inclusion not only espoused values, but also enacted values in the County.
From left to right: Me, Stephanie Watkins-Cruz (Chatham County Policy Analyst), and Darrell Butts (Chatham County Budget Analyst) at lunch after the Cultural Competency Part II session.
P.S. I have found my favorite lunch spot! It’s Mi Cancun, where this lovely photo was taken. We can get a good, hearty and YUMMY lunch for under $7. (Also, do you spot any UNC-Chapel Hill MPA alums???)
Anyways, I look forward to updating you again next week!
EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler signs the final Affordable Clean Energy rule
There are a lot of acronyms ahead, so hang with me.
This week, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed the final ACE rule. The Affordable Clean Energy rule aka “ACE” is a new carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions rule developed by the Trump Administration to replace the Obama-era rule known as the Clean Power Plan (CPP). If any of you follow environmental policy issues closely (no? just me?) then you would know that this has been a hotly contested policy decision among competing stakeholders. The ACE rule establishes CO2 emissions guidelines for existing coal-fired electric utility generating units (EGUs). Simply put, ACE provides greater flexibility for states to establish CO2 standards for coal-fired power plants to increase their efficiency and keep them around longer. In contrast, Obama EPA’s CPP established stricter CO2 regulations in response to the 2016 Paris Agreement, an international agreement that seeks to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and curb the effects of climate change. President Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement in 2017.
Proponents of the ACE rule, including coal-industry representatives, argue that the CPP was too burdensome and an overreach of power, and hail the new rule as the Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting jobs and reliable energy sources. Opponents of the ACE rule, including environmental groups, argue that ACE does not do enough to reduce CO2 emissions and discourages renewable energy investment. In any case, the new ACE rule is expected to face heavy analysis and litigation.
Marshall Steam Station is a coal-fired power plant in Catawba County, North Carolina
The ACE rule includes new implementing regulations and future existing-source rules under Section 111 (d) of the Clean Air Act, which is where my office comes in. The Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) is involved with reviewing, permitting, and rulemaking under the Clean Air Act, and will assist in implementing the ACE rule. The final ACE rule will be published in the Federal Register and can be read here: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-06/documents/frn_ace_2060-at67_final_rule_20190618disc.pdf
Until next week,
Sydney
Weeks of June 3-16.
The quest for knowledge is at an all-time high and well suited at a place like Urban Institute. I immensely enjoy learning more about the Institute and working with Teresa Derrick-Mills, as well as, conversing with my junior buddy and other junior staff during the weekly check-ins. During the staff meetings, I get to learn how each research associate is working towards their goals and meeting expectations. Some have the fortune of being child or family welfare administrators and writing research protocols or requests for budgeting large-scale projects that impact many people. It is fascinating how many tasks and external research the associates are managing at one time. One notable task is working on building stronger fathers in the inner-city neighborhoods in the Bronx to build strong families.
Another special experience was attending the Convening held at Urban Institute by the National Women’s Law Center. The Center and advocates from around the United States met to discuss female and minority empowerment in the work place. They discussed litigation methods and ways to fight discrimination in the work place. The speakers ranged from a PhD in employment litigation, to experts in behavioral analysis and empowerment methods. Some had studied worker representation in the restaurant business, some had studied sex discrimination in the military, some had conducted research on employer retaliation methods and others provided consultancy for workplace inclusivity measures. I found an innate interest in the intersection between human resources and legal compliance within organizations relevant to the Urban Institute as an organization and its research projects.
Finally, the many brown bags offered by Urban Institute include topics from web scraping, to fighting the rising cost of living in poverty and importing data files in R. The opportunities to develop oneself professionally and learn more about American neighborhoods and demographics is so unique.
Don’t be fooled – this is NOT City Manager Bailey. It’s just Ben Wyatt on Parks and Recreation (tv show) after becoming City Manager
This was it – my week with Administration. I try not to play favorites, but I am earning a Master of Public ADMINISTRATION degree, so I forgive myself. Plus, I was very excited to learn from City Manager Bailey, a highly regarded City Manager and a great example to follow if you want to be a City Administrator someday (like me).
Monday featured a Management Team meeting in preparation for Tuesday night’s Council Meeting, when the FY20 (Fiscal Year 2019-2020) budget was to be adopted along with an agenda full of other action items. City Manager Bailey went around the room to check with every department, making sure not only that they were good to go, but also that he knew about any potential issues with the council or with people attending the meeting. For example, a Pickleball versus Tennis debate rages on in the City (it’s a long story that I will hopefully get to during my Parks and Rec post), and the Parks and Recreation Director made note that some people may use the public comment period to discuss that debate and how it affected the budget to be adopted.
Monday night, the City hosted a Public Hearing on “Fame,” a statue in the middle of downtown (and actually in the median of a main road, so really in the middle) that is owned by the Daughters of the Confederacy group and has made groups in town uncomfortable. As someone who was on UNC Chapel Hill’s campus when Silent Sam fell, I was very familiar with the debate. We will see what Council decides to do (or not do) after hearing public comment for 2 hours, but I will give my praise to the people of Salisbury for being civil and neighborly despite such a divisive issue.
Tuesday, I was able to shadow and talk with City Manager Bailey. After a check-in conference call with the Police Department (who are having an ironic problem of not getting grants because crime is getting too low to qualify), he had a conversation with a council member wanting to make sure they were fully prepared for the Council Meeting. At the Council Meeting, City Manager Bailey and staff presented the budget with 3 different options in regards to what Council wanted to do with the extra revenue gained by NOT lowering the tax rate, which I thought was an interesting way to make things simpler for council. The budget was adopted (WOOT WOOT) and will be posted here by July 1.
One important note worth mentioning, especially for future City Managers: whenever Council criticized something, Mr. Bailey was adamant that he was recommending the budget because he supported every decision in it, never coming close to blaming staff.
One cool project I have been working on all week is researching community engagement done by local governments across the United States…and a few in Canada. Salisbury has a few great programs, including Community Engagement Walks on Fridays and Chit, Chat, and Chew events, all in different neighborhoods throughout the City. However, staff want to know how they can reach more citizens to increase participation at Council Meetings and other community events. One cool option many cities are doing is to use online engagement, especially through a single website that lists all projects and events. This allows engagement from people who have tough schedules or simply don’t want to go to a Council Meeting (I understand that others don’t love them as much as me). Another interesting option is Participatory Budgeting (PB), where local governments allocate money to projects submitted and voted on by citizens. In fact, we had a conference call with the City of Durham this week, which allocated $2.4 million to PB projects, and lets students under the age of 18 vote as well!
If you want to know more about PB or the City of Durham, go check out Hallee Haygood’s blog! Otherwise, you can stick with me and come back next week for some engineering!!! (seriously though, you should check out the other blogs!)