A new administration, new department, and agency leadership, increased federal grant funds available for rural and regional economic development, an economy rebounding from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and continued demand for services at the local and regional level are having a direct and often dramatic effect on the roles of economic development districts and organizations nationwide. Learn about the most recent developments from the Hill and federal agencies that will have a direct bearing on your
programs and services.
Matthew weaver - Creative Collaborations for Economic Developmentnado-web
Economic development is a team sport. From the early planning stages through the full realization of a project or initiative, success requires a high-level of coordination and communication across multiple organizations, stakeholders, and funders. During this session, learn the stories and partnerships behind three projects: an RLF program, an economic resiliency initiative, and a tech training facility.
Andrew Coker- Broadband Leads to Economic Growthnado-web
As this past year has shown more than ever, fast, and reliable broadband service is critical resource to support regional economic development, grow and sustain local businesses, and improve overall quality of life in communities. This session will share promising practices from small and rural communities working to develop and assure coverage.
WealthWorks Network Peer Learning Event: Workforce Development, Energy, and F...nado-web
On March 22, 2021, 40 members of the rural wealth creation network attended a peer learning event to discuss economic development and workforce development, forestry, and energy. Rural wealth creation, or WealthWorks, is a framework for doing economic development that focuses on building upon assets in the community and connecting to real market demand to create lasting livelihoods in rural communities. This video captures the introductory general session moderated by NADO Associate Director Carrie Kissel, and also reporting out from breakout groups, but not the individual breakout group discussions.
Kim Marousek - Setting the Stage for Regional Resiliencenado-web
As events over the past several years make all-too-clear, regions need to be better prepared to anticipate, withstand, and recover from multiple types of shocks and disruptions. Resilience planning and recovery will require regions to think creatively in the face of new and emerging threats. This session will highlight examples of how regions have responded to the current challenges of our time in creative and collaborative ways in an effort to become more resilient and better prepared for the future.
Due to changing demographics and market conditions, affordable and senior housing projects are becoming more prevalent in discussions about housing types within a community. These projects often provide unique opportunities for revitalization and strategic partnerships. There are an array of incentives available to promote this type of housing. This presentation will explain why we are seeing changes in this particular housing market and what communities can do to create strategies for successful development projects that can help achieve multiple community development objectives.
TIF Making The Best Economic Development Decisions For Your CommunityVierbicher
This presentation provides a history and basics of tax incremental financing in Wisconsin,Greater Economic Development Efforts, Assistance Packages, TIF Assistance Request, Case Study, Important Considerations, Municipal Funding Assistance and Best Practices.
A new administration, new department, and agency leadership, increased federal grant funds available for rural and regional economic development, an economy rebounding from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and continued demand for services at the local and regional level are having a direct and often dramatic effect on the roles of economic development districts and organizations nationwide. Learn about the most recent developments from the Hill and federal agencies that will have a direct bearing on your
programs and services.
Matthew weaver - Creative Collaborations for Economic Developmentnado-web
Economic development is a team sport. From the early planning stages through the full realization of a project or initiative, success requires a high-level of coordination and communication across multiple organizations, stakeholders, and funders. During this session, learn the stories and partnerships behind three projects: an RLF program, an economic resiliency initiative, and a tech training facility.
Andrew Coker- Broadband Leads to Economic Growthnado-web
As this past year has shown more than ever, fast, and reliable broadband service is critical resource to support regional economic development, grow and sustain local businesses, and improve overall quality of life in communities. This session will share promising practices from small and rural communities working to develop and assure coverage.
WealthWorks Network Peer Learning Event: Workforce Development, Energy, and F...nado-web
On March 22, 2021, 40 members of the rural wealth creation network attended a peer learning event to discuss economic development and workforce development, forestry, and energy. Rural wealth creation, or WealthWorks, is a framework for doing economic development that focuses on building upon assets in the community and connecting to real market demand to create lasting livelihoods in rural communities. This video captures the introductory general session moderated by NADO Associate Director Carrie Kissel, and also reporting out from breakout groups, but not the individual breakout group discussions.
Kim Marousek - Setting the Stage for Regional Resiliencenado-web
As events over the past several years make all-too-clear, regions need to be better prepared to anticipate, withstand, and recover from multiple types of shocks and disruptions. Resilience planning and recovery will require regions to think creatively in the face of new and emerging threats. This session will highlight examples of how regions have responded to the current challenges of our time in creative and collaborative ways in an effort to become more resilient and better prepared for the future.
Due to changing demographics and market conditions, affordable and senior housing projects are becoming more prevalent in discussions about housing types within a community. These projects often provide unique opportunities for revitalization and strategic partnerships. There are an array of incentives available to promote this type of housing. This presentation will explain why we are seeing changes in this particular housing market and what communities can do to create strategies for successful development projects that can help achieve multiple community development objectives.
TIF Making The Best Economic Development Decisions For Your CommunityVierbicher
This presentation provides a history and basics of tax incremental financing in Wisconsin,Greater Economic Development Efforts, Assistance Packages, TIF Assistance Request, Case Study, Important Considerations, Municipal Funding Assistance and Best Practices.
Intergovernmental Cooperation for the Delivery of ServicesVierbicher
This presentation served as the introduction to a 3 hour workshop on Intergovernmental Cooperation for the League of Wisconsin Municipalities. Local leaders from around the state attended the workshop and learned about 4 key elements to successful intergovernmental cooperation: Leadership, Analysis, Negotiation and Implementation. Other presentations from this workshop may be found here: http://www.localgovinstitute.org/content/intergovernmental-cooperation-workshop
TIF-102 Development Incentives vs. Community GoalsVierbicher
This presentation provides the history and basics of tax incremental financing in Wisconsin, TIF as part of Greater Economic Development Efforts, Assistance Packages, Evaluation fo TIF Assistance, Case Studies, Important Considerations when reviewing Municipal Funding Assistance Requests and Best Practices.
Trends in public funding will be discussed including an update on available public grant and loan programs, including new programs and opportunities. Discussion will also focus on what communities should do to enhance their chance to obtain funding. Examples of projects will be reviewed to illustrate how municipalities are using public programs to fund projects.
This presentation provides details about the Small Community of New Glarus, Town and Village Quick Facts, Common Small Town Issues, and Tools for working with small communities.
A Brighter Energy Future for Regions: An Introduction to SolSmart’s Regional ...nado-web
Solar is becoming an increasingly popular option for communities and regions looking to diversify their energy supply, especially as the price of solar installations has continued to decrease. The SolSmart team works free of charge with communities and regions around the country to obtain Gold, Silver, and Bronze designations by incorporating best practices for solar planning, zoning, permitting, and inspection. This session will provide an overview of the SolSmart program and its benefits and highlight how regional development organizations can participate in the process and achieve designation.
-Andrew Light, Program Manager, Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Washington, DC
-Introduction: Chris Rietow, Executive Director, Apalachee Regional Planning Council, Tallahassee, FL
Financing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris Agreement at the...IIED
This is a presentation by Paul Steele, chief economist at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) on financing the Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Agreement at the local level.
The presentation was made at the Money Where It Matters (MWIM) event, held in London from 7-8 December 2016, when the presentation framed the following discussions.
The purpose of the MWIM event was to reflect on our insights and explore further how financing mechanisms can more effectively channel resources to the local level, and identify opportunities to increase flows of finance to the local level in new contexts for development assistance and national investment.
Participants at the event also agreed on outstanding questions that require further research on finance for and with local actors to achieve the effective use and management of funds to deliver climate resilient sustainable development.
More details: https://www.iied.org/promoting-local-access-development-climate-finance
This document is enhanced content for "Community Development Corporations Embrace Historic Rehabs" by Melissa Jest in the Fall 2014 Forum Journal ('Get Real About Real Estate'). To learn more about Preservation Leadership Forum and how you can become a member visit: http://www.preservationnation.org/forum
Overview of TIF and Recent TIF Law ChangesVierbicher
This presentation provides a history of tax incremental financing in Wisconsin, tax incremental financing basics, recent law changes, best practices in using TIF for community development and Examples of Projects.
How to Plan & Fund Capital Improvements ProjectsVierbicher
Discussion will focus on Municipal Budget Cycle vs. Public Funding, Capital Improvements Planning, Conventional Funding Methods, Public Funding Opportunities and Examples of Projects.
This webinar is a primer on how to get involved in key Houston-area flood-mitigation efforts. It provides an overview of the funding involved, methods of public commenting, and an introduction to current concerns in area communities most vulnerable to flooding.
Watch the webinar at: https://texaslivingwaters.org/deeper-dive/a-seat-at-the-table-how-to-engage-in-houston-area-flood-mitigation/
Speakers include:
Dr. Earthea Nance, Associate Professor, Texas Southern University
Danielle Goshen, Water Policy & Outreach Specialist, Galveston Bay Foundation
Amy Reed, Staff Attorney, Environmental Law Institute
Stephanie Oehler, Public Interest Law Fellow, Environmental Law Institute
Jordan Macha, Executive Director, Bayou City Waterkeeper
Amanda Fuller, Director, Texas Coast & Water Program, National Wildlife Federation
The workshop is the first of an intended series of conversations on how area residents can better participate in key processes that will shape their neighborhoods' futures. If you'd like more information on future events contact us at info@texaslivingwaters.org.
This event was hosted online on Aug 5, 2020 by the National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club (Lone Star Chapter), Bayou City Waterkeeper, and Galveston Bay Foundation.
This module will provide an overview of various grants and funding sources available to local governments. Grants will include housing and community development, shared services, those administered by the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, the State Education Department, the Department of Environmental Conservation, and many others. The Consolidated Funding Application and the Economic Development Councils will also be included. For each grant, the material will cover what they can be used for, the maximum funding request allowable, whether a local match is required, and tentative application deadlines.
Intergovernmental Cooperation for the Delivery of ServicesVierbicher
This presentation served as the introduction to a 3 hour workshop on Intergovernmental Cooperation for the League of Wisconsin Municipalities. Local leaders from around the state attended the workshop and learned about 4 key elements to successful intergovernmental cooperation: Leadership, Analysis, Negotiation and Implementation. Other presentations from this workshop may be found here: http://www.localgovinstitute.org/content/intergovernmental-cooperation-workshop
TIF-102 Development Incentives vs. Community GoalsVierbicher
This presentation provides the history and basics of tax incremental financing in Wisconsin, TIF as part of Greater Economic Development Efforts, Assistance Packages, Evaluation fo TIF Assistance, Case Studies, Important Considerations when reviewing Municipal Funding Assistance Requests and Best Practices.
Trends in public funding will be discussed including an update on available public grant and loan programs, including new programs and opportunities. Discussion will also focus on what communities should do to enhance their chance to obtain funding. Examples of projects will be reviewed to illustrate how municipalities are using public programs to fund projects.
This presentation provides details about the Small Community of New Glarus, Town and Village Quick Facts, Common Small Town Issues, and Tools for working with small communities.
A Brighter Energy Future for Regions: An Introduction to SolSmart’s Regional ...nado-web
Solar is becoming an increasingly popular option for communities and regions looking to diversify their energy supply, especially as the price of solar installations has continued to decrease. The SolSmart team works free of charge with communities and regions around the country to obtain Gold, Silver, and Bronze designations by incorporating best practices for solar planning, zoning, permitting, and inspection. This session will provide an overview of the SolSmart program and its benefits and highlight how regional development organizations can participate in the process and achieve designation.
-Andrew Light, Program Manager, Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Washington, DC
-Introduction: Chris Rietow, Executive Director, Apalachee Regional Planning Council, Tallahassee, FL
Financing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris Agreement at the...IIED
This is a presentation by Paul Steele, chief economist at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) on financing the Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Agreement at the local level.
The presentation was made at the Money Where It Matters (MWIM) event, held in London from 7-8 December 2016, when the presentation framed the following discussions.
The purpose of the MWIM event was to reflect on our insights and explore further how financing mechanisms can more effectively channel resources to the local level, and identify opportunities to increase flows of finance to the local level in new contexts for development assistance and national investment.
Participants at the event also agreed on outstanding questions that require further research on finance for and with local actors to achieve the effective use and management of funds to deliver climate resilient sustainable development.
More details: https://www.iied.org/promoting-local-access-development-climate-finance
This document is enhanced content for "Community Development Corporations Embrace Historic Rehabs" by Melissa Jest in the Fall 2014 Forum Journal ('Get Real About Real Estate'). To learn more about Preservation Leadership Forum and how you can become a member visit: http://www.preservationnation.org/forum
Overview of TIF and Recent TIF Law ChangesVierbicher
This presentation provides a history of tax incremental financing in Wisconsin, tax incremental financing basics, recent law changes, best practices in using TIF for community development and Examples of Projects.
How to Plan & Fund Capital Improvements ProjectsVierbicher
Discussion will focus on Municipal Budget Cycle vs. Public Funding, Capital Improvements Planning, Conventional Funding Methods, Public Funding Opportunities and Examples of Projects.
This webinar is a primer on how to get involved in key Houston-area flood-mitigation efforts. It provides an overview of the funding involved, methods of public commenting, and an introduction to current concerns in area communities most vulnerable to flooding.
Watch the webinar at: https://texaslivingwaters.org/deeper-dive/a-seat-at-the-table-how-to-engage-in-houston-area-flood-mitigation/
Speakers include:
Dr. Earthea Nance, Associate Professor, Texas Southern University
Danielle Goshen, Water Policy & Outreach Specialist, Galveston Bay Foundation
Amy Reed, Staff Attorney, Environmental Law Institute
Stephanie Oehler, Public Interest Law Fellow, Environmental Law Institute
Jordan Macha, Executive Director, Bayou City Waterkeeper
Amanda Fuller, Director, Texas Coast & Water Program, National Wildlife Federation
The workshop is the first of an intended series of conversations on how area residents can better participate in key processes that will shape their neighborhoods' futures. If you'd like more information on future events contact us at info@texaslivingwaters.org.
This event was hosted online on Aug 5, 2020 by the National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club (Lone Star Chapter), Bayou City Waterkeeper, and Galveston Bay Foundation.
This module will provide an overview of various grants and funding sources available to local governments. Grants will include housing and community development, shared services, those administered by the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, the State Education Department, the Department of Environmental Conservation, and many others. The Consolidated Funding Application and the Economic Development Councils will also be included. For each grant, the material will cover what they can be used for, the maximum funding request allowable, whether a local match is required, and tentative application deadlines.
Public Funding-Current Trends & Successful StrategiesVierbicher
Trends in public funding will be discussed including an update on available public grant and loan programs, including new programs and opportunities. Discussion will also focus on what communities should do to enhance their chance to obtain funding. Examples of projects will be reviewed to illustrate how municipalities are using public programs to fund projects.
How do you make sure your EDA project is both competitive and technically accurate? What makes a strong project versus a weak one, and what about the ones when the scope just doesn’t tell the story? Staff from the EDA Austin Regional office will discuss how they review project applications and what can make or break a project.
A presentation from the Iowa Business Growth Company, which helps bring capital to communities that have formerly had inadequate access to capital, and compensates investors for perceived risks of investing in low-income communities. An overview of the various businesses and programs that have been impacted by the company so far.
Urban finance for local groups for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)IIED
David Satterthwaite, Senior fellow at IIED introduced the urban finance for local groups session at the Money where it matters (MWIM) event.
The presentation was made at the event-Money where it matters, held in London from 7-8 December 2016.
The purpose of the Money Where It Matters event was to reflect on our insights and explore further how financing mechanisms can more effectively channel resources to the local level and identify opportunities to increase flows of finance to the local level in new contexts for development assistance and national investment. It also agreed on outstanding questions that require further research on finance for and with local actors to achieve the effective use and management of funds to deliver climate resilient sustainable development.
More details: https://www.iied.org/promoting-local-access-development-climate-finance
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 3DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 3. In this session, we will cover desktop automation along with UI automation.
Topics covered:
UI automation Introduction,
UI automation Sample
Desktop automation flow
Pradeep Chinnala, Senior Consultant Automation Developer @WonderBotz and UiPath MVP
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
JMeter webinar - integration with InfluxDB and GrafanaRTTS
Watch this recorded webinar about real-time monitoring of application performance. See how to integrate Apache JMeter, the open-source leader in performance testing, with InfluxDB, the open-source time-series database, and Grafana, the open-source analytics and visualization application.
In this webinar, we will review the benefits of leveraging InfluxDB and Grafana when executing load tests and demonstrate how these tools are used to visualize performance metrics.
Length: 30 minutes
Session Overview
-------------------------------------------
During this webinar, we will cover the following topics while demonstrating the integrations of JMeter, InfluxDB and Grafana:
- What out-of-the-box solutions are available for real-time monitoring JMeter tests?
- What are the benefits of integrating InfluxDB and Grafana into the load testing stack?
- Which features are provided by Grafana?
- Demonstration of InfluxDB and Grafana using a practice web application
To view the webinar recording, go to:
https://www.rttsweb.com/jmeter-integration-webinar
Software Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered QualityInflectra
In this insightful webinar, Inflectra explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming software development and testing. Discover how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing every stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from design and prototyping to testing, deployment, and monitoring.
Learn about:
• The Future of Testing: How AI is shifting testing towards verification, analysis, and higher-level skills, while reducing repetitive tasks.
• Test Automation: How AI-powered test case generation, optimization, and self-healing tests are making testing more efficient and effective.
• Visual Testing: Explore the emerging capabilities of AI in visual testing and how it's set to revolutionize UI verification.
• Inflectra's AI Solutions: See demonstrations of Inflectra's cutting-edge AI tools like the ChatGPT plugin and Azure Open AI platform, designed to streamline your testing process.
Whether you're a developer, tester, or QA professional, this webinar will give you valuable insights into how AI is shaping the future of software delivery.
GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using Deplo...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
DevOps and Testing slides at DASA ConnectKari Kakkonen
My and Rik Marselis slides at 30.5.2024 DASA Connect conference. We discuss about what is testing, then what is agile testing and finally what is Testing in DevOps. Finally we had lovely workshop with the participants trying to find out different ways to think about quality and testing in different parts of the DevOps infinity loop.
Epistemic Interaction - tuning interfaces to provide information for AI supportAlan Dix
Paper presented at SYNERGY workshop at AVI 2024, Genoa, Italy. 3rd June 2024
https://alandix.com/academic/papers/synergy2024-epistemic/
As machine learning integrates deeper into human-computer interactions, the concept of epistemic interaction emerges, aiming to refine these interactions to enhance system adaptability. This approach encourages minor, intentional adjustments in user behaviour to enrich the data available for system learning. This paper introduces epistemic interaction within the context of human-system communication, illustrating how deliberate interaction design can improve system understanding and adaptation. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate the potential of epistemic interaction to significantly advance human-computer interaction by leveraging intuitive human communication strategies to inform system design and functionality, offering a novel pathway for enriching user-system engagements.
State of ICS and IoT Cyber Threat Landscape Report 2024 previewPrayukth K V
The IoT and OT threat landscape report has been prepared by the Threat Research Team at Sectrio using data from Sectrio, cyber threat intelligence farming facilities spread across over 85 cities around the world. In addition, Sectrio also runs AI-based advanced threat and payload engagement facilities that serve as sinks to attract and engage sophisticated threat actors, and newer malware including new variants and latent threats that are at an earlier stage of development.
The latest edition of the OT/ICS and IoT security Threat Landscape Report 2024 also covers:
State of global ICS asset and network exposure
Sectoral targets and attacks as well as the cost of ransom
Global APT activity, AI usage, actor and tactic profiles, and implications
Rise in volumes of AI-powered cyberattacks
Major cyber events in 2024
Malware and malicious payload trends
Cyberattack types and targets
Vulnerability exploit attempts on CVEs
Attacks on counties – USA
Expansion of bot farms – how, where, and why
In-depth analysis of the cyber threat landscape across North America, South America, Europe, APAC, and the Middle East
Why are attacks on smart factories rising?
Cyber risk predictions
Axis of attacks – Europe
Systemic attacks in the Middle East
Download the full report from here:
https://sectrio.com/resources/ot-threat-landscape-reports/sectrio-releases-ot-ics-and-iot-security-threat-landscape-report-2024/
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 4DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 4. In this session, we will cover Test Manager overview along with SAP heatmap.
The UiPath Test Manager overview with SAP heatmap webinar offers a concise yet comprehensive exploration of the role of a Test Manager within SAP environments, coupled with the utilization of heatmaps for effective testing strategies.
Participants will gain insights into the responsibilities, challenges, and best practices associated with test management in SAP projects. Additionally, the webinar delves into the significance of heatmaps as a visual aid for identifying testing priorities, areas of risk, and resource allocation within SAP landscapes. Through this session, attendees can expect to enhance their understanding of test management principles while learning practical approaches to optimize testing processes in SAP environments using heatmap visualization techniques
What will you get from this session?
1. Insights into SAP testing best practices
2. Heatmap utilization for testing
3. Optimization of testing processes
4. Demo
Topics covered:
Execution from the test manager
Orchestrator execution result
Defect reporting
SAP heatmap example with demo
Speaker:
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Connector Corner: Automate dynamic content and events by pushing a buttonDianaGray10
Here is something new! In our next Connector Corner webinar, we will demonstrate how you can use a single workflow to:
Create a campaign using Mailchimp with merge tags/fields
Send an interactive Slack channel message (using buttons)
Have the message received by managers and peers along with a test email for review
But there’s more:
In a second workflow supporting the same use case, you’ll see:
Your campaign sent to target colleagues for approval
If the “Approve” button is clicked, a Jira/Zendesk ticket is created for the marketing design team
But—if the “Reject” button is pushed, colleagues will be alerted via Slack message
Join us to learn more about this new, human-in-the-loop capability, brought to you by Integration Service connectors.
And...
Speakers:
Akshay Agnihotri, Product Manager
Charlie Greenberg, Host
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish CachingThijs Feryn
A presentation about the usage and availability of Varnish on Kubernetes. This talk explores the capabilities of Varnish caching and shows how to use the Varnish Helm chart to deploy it to Kubernetes.
This presentation was delivered at K8SUG Singapore. See https://feryn.eu/presentations/accelerate-your-kubernetes-clusters-with-varnish-caching-k8sug-singapore-28-2024 for more details.
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish Caching
Texas Department of Agriculture
1. Texas Department of Agriculture
Office of Rural Affairs
LCRA Community and Economic Development
Open House
December 16, 2011
Michael West
Todd Staples, Commissioner
2. Rural Economic Development Resources
• Federal
– USDA, EDA, SBA
• State
– Governor’s Office
– Texas Department of Agriculture
– Texas Workforce Commission
• Regional and Local
– COGs
– Chambers, Small Business Development Centers, etc.
3. Trade and Business Development
• Financial
– TCF
– J4T
– TAFA
• Non- Financial
– GoTexan Marketing
– CRC – Certified Retirement Community
– TRIP – Texas Rural Intern Program
– Broadband Mapping
4.
5.
6.
7. Texas Capital Fund
funded with Community Development
Block Grant (CDBG) monies from the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD)
8. 2011 TCF Advantages
• A new short form application
• Open application process
• Awards Monthly
9. TCF Job Creation Programs
• Infrastructure Development
– Funds for public/private infrastructure
– Encourages new business development and expansion
• Real Estate Development
– Funds for Acquisition, New Construction or
Rehabilitation
– 0% Interest Loan up to 20 years
• Funding $50,000 to $1.5 Million
10. TCF Rural Downtowns
• Main Street Development
• Downtown Revitalization
– Awards from $50,000 to $150,000
– Funds for public infrastructure in applicant's
designated downtown area
– Aids in eliminating handicap barriers and
deteriorated conditions in downtown areas
11. Jobs For Texas
• Jobs For Texas, or J4T, is an innovative
program designed to increase small
businesses’ access to capital and enable
private entrepreneurs to make market-driven
decisions to grow jobs.
• $46.5 million award from U.S. Department of
the Treasury as part of the State Small
Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI).
• Anywhere in Texas!!!!!!
12. Jobs For Texas
• J4T – Loan Guarantee
– $10 Million
– Your Local Lender
• Bank, Credit Union, CDFI
– 50% Loan Guarantee
• J4T – Venture Capital
– $27 Million
– Two Partner VC Firms
• Advanced Capital Partners
• Enhanced Capital
13. Texas Agricultural Finance
Authority
• Maybe you are not a Farmer/Rancher, but I
bet you Know One!
• And your rural area depends also on their
success.
• Financial Resources
• Grant Funds
14. TAFA Overview
Agricultural Loan Guarantee (ALG)
Interest Rate Reduction (IRR)
Young Farmer Interest Rate Reduction (YFIRR)
Young Farmer Grant (YFG)
15. TEXAS CDBG
The Texas Community Development Block
Grant Program is now in the Office of Rural
Affairs in the Texas Department of
Agriculture.
16. CDBG Replaced 8 Programs!
• Urban Renewal
• Open Space
• Neighborhood Development
• Neighborhood Facilities
• Public Facilities
• Historic Preservation
• Model Cities
• Water and Sewer Grants
17. CDBG Primary Objective
• Development of viable “urban” communities
by providing:
• Decent Housing
• A suitable living environment; and
• Expanding economic opportunities
• The primary beneficiaries of the program are
persons of low/moderate income.
18. “Block Grant”
• CDBG funds are allocated by HUD as a
“block grant” based on a HUD formula.
– Based on population and poverty
– Flexibility
19. CDBG – National Objectives
All proposed CDBG activities must meet either:
1. Principally benefit low- and moderate-income
persons;
2. Aid in the elimination of slums or blight; or
3. Meet other community development needs of
particular urgency which represent an
immediate threat to the health and safety of
residents of the community
20. Ineligible Activities
• Construction of buildings and facilities used for the general
conduct of government (e.g. city halls, courthouses, etc.);
• New housing construction, except under very limited
circumstances;
• The financing of political activities;
• Purchases of construction equipment (generally);
• Most operation and maintenance expenses
21. CDBG - History
Housing and Community Development Act of 1974
The introduction of the CDBG program in 1974 signaled a
move away from individual categorized federal
development assistance programs towards the block
Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG)
grant model, which gives communities broad latitude in
using funds for a variety of development activities. The
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 authorized
states to administer the CDBG programs.
US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
22. State CDBG Programs
• States are given wide latitude in the
design/implementation of their programs.
• Maximum Feasible Deference:
“Secretary will give maximum feasible deference to the
State’s interpretation of the statutory requirements and
the requirements of the regulation...”
(24 CFR Part 570.480(c))
24. State CDBG Program in Texas
Largest “State CDBG” program in the nation
(based on dollars granted)
Serves:
1,015 cities
244 counties
25. State CDBG – Fund Allocation
FY11 Allocation: $66,604,737
26. Community Development (CD)
Fund
• Finances many different activities, although
most funds are for Water /Waste Water -
Public Facilities
• Largest Fund Category in TXCDBG
• Applications are taken every two years.
Applications are ranked for two years of
TxCDBG funding.
28. Regional Review Committees
• One Regional Review Committee (RRC) in
each of the 24 COG regions.
• RRC members establish regional priorities and
the RRC’s application scoring factors.
• The TxCDBG state staff (TDA) score is only
10% of the RRC total score.
30. Colonia Fund
• Colonia Construction Fund – generally water/sewer/septic
tanks/service connections.
• Colonia Economically Distressed Areas Program Fund
• Colonia Planning Fund
• Colonia Self-Help Centers Fund (2.5%) – Administered by the
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA)
through an Inter-Agency Agreement with TDA
31. Disaster / Urgent Need Fund
• Federal Declarations – TxCDBG funds the
county or city’s source of funds for the FEMA
required 25% match.
• State Declarations – TxCDBG is the only source
of disaster relief assistance for eligible
counties & cities.
32. Small Towns Environment Program
• “Self-Help” Fund – driven by local community
volunteers performing work on the project.
33. Planning and Capacity Building
Fund
• Provides funds for cities and counties to prepare
planning activities that assess local needs,
develop strategies to address local needs, & build
or improve local capacity.
34. For Assistance, Please Contact:
Texas Department of Agriculture
Michael West
512-463-4320
finance@TexasAgriculture.gov
Web site: www.TexasAgriculture.gov