A PUBLICATION OF THE NC LEAGUE OF MUNICIPALITIES Southern City VOLUME 69, NO. 1 • 1st Quarter 2019 Salisbury City Council Member Karen Alexander Time, Talent and Treasure 2017-18 Annual Report Summary Local Government’s Vital Role in Census • Energetic Keynote Speakers Focused on Future Readiness, Regional Partnerships, Grants, Broadband, and the Opioid Challenge • Round Table Style Breakout Sessions • Mobile Workshop • Trade Show with 60+ vendors & Vendor Theaters with deep dives into services • Rock the Block! Host City Event with Live Music and Local Food • Food, Fun & Door Prizes! • President’s Gala Featuring the Capitol Steps Comedy Group BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2017-2018 Southern City | 1ST QUARTER 2019 | 1 contents 6 5 Sanford Contributes to Megasite Effort Here We Grow feature story 15 Count on it: Local Government Has Vital Role in 2020 Census Population count helps decide resources flowing to localities 24 Ensuring You Have the Proper Insurance Protection NCLM pools begin appraisal process 6 Time, Talent and Treasure Salisbury City Council Member Karen Alexander says philanthropy comes 36 Hometown Care in many forms Brings Help to 120 Municipal Employees 12 Transportation, Broadband Top Focus of Effort helps cover Florence Municipalities for 2019-20 Legislative Session uninsured losses More than 200 attend Advocacy Goals Conference 37 Open Data Programs 17 Community Healer Actually Reduce Rep. Gale Adcock approaches public office with health in mind Record Requests Preferred Partners Spotlight 26 2017-2018 Annual Report Summary feature story The League enjoys another year of accomplishment 40 North Carolinians 34 Officer in Uniform Fill Ranks of NLC Granite Falls PD Sergeant a true superhero Leadership Meyer, Washington named 38 Five Easy Steps to Improve a City’s Cyber Defenses to BOD Solutions amid more cyber attacks 2 | Southern City | 1ST QUARTER 2019 INSIDE 1 Board of Directors Southern City is a publication for and about North Carolina municipalities, 4 Speaking Out: The Commitment to Service published bimonthly by the North Carolina League of Municipalities 11 Facing Forward: Another Legislative Session is Upon Us in partnership with Innovative 22 Risk Management Services Board of Trustees Publishing, a national publisher of association and corporate 23 From the Trust Perspective: A New Time, a New Role magazines. 41 Talk of our Towns Volume 69 Number 1 44 Taking the Field: Establishing Values and Mission for the 1st Quarter 2019 21st Century Executive Director & Publisher: Paul Meyer Editor: Scott Mooneyham 12 Writer: Ben Brown WWW.NCLM.ORG Southern City (USPS 827-280) is published bimonthly for $25 per year ($2 per year to member municipalities, $1 for single copies) by the North Carolina League of Municipalities Phone: 919-715-4000 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Southern City 150 Fayetteville St., Suite 300 Published February 2019 • Volume 69 Issue 1 • 2019 Published February 2019 • Volume Raleigh, NC 27601 ADVERTISING: For advertising inquiries, please contact Innovative Publishing, 844-423-7272 (toll-free), WRITERS THIS ISSUE 888-780-2241 (fax), or advertise@ innovativepublishing.com USPS 827-280 Periodicals Postage Paid at Raleigh, NC 27676 and additional mailing locations. Scott Mooneyham Ben Brown Director of Advocacy Communication Public Affairs Associate Southern City | 1ST QUARTER 2019 | 3 Speaking Out The Commitment to Service By NCLM President and Jacksonville Mayor Pro Tem Michael Lazzara ack in the fall, we published magazine also is moving to a quarterly We learn from mentors and others what was believed to be my publication schedule, putting it more as young people, absorbing advice Blast column as president in line with similar organizations as and ideas. We learn from experience, of this organization. It was one that we and they turn to more frequent use sometimes pleasant and sometimes looked back over the last year of of social media, podcasts and other not. And often, we learn without even accomplishment of your North Carolina communications to connect with recognizing that we are doing so. League of Municipalities, and how we members and the public. For me, my experiences as a young have continued to evolve into a mission- More than a year ago now, when I Marine were a part of this learning driven organization that is playing a key took the oath of office as president, I process. Then as a business owner in role in helping cites and towns meet knew that doing so was a commitment, Jacksonville. And then, being slowly the challenges created by tremendous one that involved both helping to pulled into community leadership roles economic and societal change. steward general League operations that touched on and drew from those Of course, that was before Hurricane and bolstering our advocacy efforts by past experiences. Florence, and the damage that the better connecting with legislators. The Through that learning and those past storm brought to many parts of North commitment extended beyond my experiences, you begin to recognize Carolina, and before we made the expectations with the extension of my needs in your community. And that difficult decision to postpone CityVision term, but I remain proud of the many builds that commitment to service. 2018, our annual conference. With that organizational accomplishments during Every municipal leader has their own decision came another: extending out that time. story, their own mentors and their own my term and those of our other officers That commitment, of course, is not so experiences, helping each to recognize and board members so that they would different from that made by all elected those community needs, how you can coincide with the annual conference officials – a commitment to service. help fellow citizens. and our annual business meeting now It is that commitment that makes Each of you has your own story. You planned for May. possible the ability to work together have your own mentors and experiences So, now, this column comes as what to better our communities – whether that helped you to see those community will be my final one in Southern City. that involves you and your fellow local needs. And those experiences led to You will notice that there are a few other leaders taking action locally or working your own commitment to service. changes in the magazine, including a through an organization like the League We all can take pride in that new column that will feature different to try to improve all cities and towns in commitment. But I also challenge all faces from the organization to let the state. locally-elected officials to think beyond you know a bit more about different None of us come to this idea of your city or town. aspects of League operations. The service without learning. continued on page 43 4 | Southern City | 1ST QUARTER 2019 Sanford Contributes to Megasite Effort In each edition, Southern City will regularly feature one of the local stories uploaded by member municipalities to HereWeGrowNC.org as a part of the League’s campaign promoting investments by cities and towns that aid economic growth. To learn how your local story can be featured, go to HereWeGrowNC.org. investment in sewer, the Moncure Megasite will be the most ready and quickest to the market of all sites in the Southeastern United States and the Carolina Core,” asserts Sanford Mayor Chet Mann. “Speed to market is crucial for companies in the 21st century global economy. Having a site that can meet their production timetable without risk to their schedule is essential to landing an OEM,” he says. The Moncure Megasite developments nicely tie in with Lee County’s new Central Carolina Enterprise Park, a he Sanford City Council strengths,” says Diana Hales, chair collaborative development between has awarded approximately of the Chatham County Board of the City of Sanford, Lee County T$12 million in construction Commissioners. Connecting the site to Government, and the private sector. contracts to extend the City of Sanford’s the Big Buffalo Wastewater Treatment The megasite is “the largest potential wastewater collection system to the is a fundamental component of making employment property in the state,” Moncure Megasite. Located near the it competitive across the state and notes James Crawford, former chair intersection of Old U.S. 1 and U.S. 1, the nation, she says. The megasite has also of the Chatham County Board of 2,500-acre North Carolina Certified Site benefitted from a $4 million Golden Commissioners. While increased is a cooperative endeavor between the LEAF Foundation grant awarded to employment will benefit surrounding City of Sanford and Chatham County. the City of Sanford to support sewer counties, it also accomplishes Governor It is expected to serve as an economic infrastructure. Cooper’s and the NC General development catalyst that will benefit The grant was part of the foundation’s Assembly’s mutual goals of job creation Chatham, Harnett, Lee, and Wake Major Site Development Initiative, and tax base expansion. counties, the central Carolina region, which aims to make North Carolina “An OEM locating at the Moncure and the state as a whole. megasites more competitive by Megasite would be a game changer “Working together with the City of investing in the infrastructure necessary for our community,” Mann points out. Sanford to fully develop the Moncure to appeal to original equipment “We believe this megasite will bring Megasite builds on both of our manufacturers (OEMs). “With this continued on page 43 Southern City | 1ST QUARTER 2019 | 5 Salisbury City Council Member Karen Alexander in the council chambers she designed for the city. The architect by trade did not charge the city for the services. Photo credit: Ben Brown 6 | Southern City | 1ST QUARTER 2019 Cover Story Time, Talent and Treasure Salisbury City Council Member Karen Alexander Says Philanthropy Comes in Many Forms By Ben Brown, NCLM Advocacy Communication Associate n giving credit, we often invoke visit with her in Salisbury was the local served a term as mayor.