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Gov. Lee Announces Special Session on Public Safety to Begin August 21
[May 8, 2023] NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced that he will call for the Tennessee General Assembly to convene a special legislative session on August 21, 2023, to strengthen public safety and preserve constitutional rights.
“After speaking with members of the General Assembly, I am calling for a special session on August 21 to continue our important discussion about solutions to keep Tennessee communities safe and preserve the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens,” said Gov. Lee. “There is broad agreement that action is needed, and in the weeks ahead, we’ll continue to listen to Tennesseans and pursue thoughtful, practical measures that strengthen the safety of Tennesseans, preserve Second Amendment rights, prioritize due process protections, support law enforcement and address mental health.”
Starting today, Tennesseans are invited to engage in the conversation by sharing feedback here.
Gov. Lee will meet with legislators, stakeholders and Tennesseans throughout the summer to discuss practical solutions ahead of the special session.
The Governor’s office will issue a formal call ahead of the special session.
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Now Available: An Overview of the Transportation Modernization Act
Now that the Transportation Modernization Act has passed, how will counties be affected with this influx of new money? We're talking MILLIONS in road funding assistance over the next few years. What defines a state aid road? How can these funds be spent in local highway departments?
If you missed last week's special webinar with TCHOA Director Brett Howell and TCSA Director David Connor where we discussed vital updates to county highways, be sure to watch this webinar on how these funds can be spent, how funds are allocated, and so much more!
Watch the full video by clicking the button below or the image above. If you're a county official looking to earn credit for the webinar, be sure to login through K@TE to access the video through UT's system.
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We Want to Hear from You!
There's been a lot of changes here at TCSA over the past few years, and as TCSA changes the way it communicates with members and partners, we want to hear about the ways in which you consume news and information.
Please take a few minutes to complete this anonymous, short survey to help us better understand our members. We thank you for your cooperation!
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Third Thursday Webinar Announcement: State GIS Data Resources
The State of Tennessee, Finance and Administration, Strategic Technology Solutions – GIS Services group will be giving a webinar titled “State GIS Data Resources” on May 18th, 2023, at 1:00 - 2:00 pm CDT. These resources can save your county time and money!
Applicable for:
County Mayors, EMA/ECD Directors, Highway Superintendents, County Commissioners, Assessors, Engineering/GIS Managers, Planning/Zoning and more.
Topics covered:
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Aerial Imagery, LiDAR (elevation), Recreation and Hydrography (surface water) data programs
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State Mapping applications
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State Open Data – 911 Address/Roads, Parcels, Imagery, Elevation Products, Landuse, etc
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GIS User Resources
Benefits and Use Cases: Flood mapping, engineering, site planning, zoning, recreation, tourism, utilities and more.
Click the image above to add it to your calendar!
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New TDEC Competitive Grant Applications Now Live
TDEC is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the ARP competitive grant program!
The competitive grant program involves the allocation of $200 million towards three project types: regionalization ($100 million), water reuse ($50 million), and resource protection ($50 million). The application solicitation period for these three grants opens today, May 9th, and will close on August 8th, 2023.
- Regionalization refers to projects that connect infrastructure to improve services and optimize capacity. The regionalization grant manual with additional details can be found at this link.
- Water reuse involves projects that capture water that would otherwise be discarded, treat it, and reuse it for beneficial purposes. The water reuse grant manual with additional details can be found at this link.
- Resource protection refers to projects that improve water infrastructure resilience to extreme weather, improve stormwater management or water quality, and/or restore natural landscapes. The resource protection grant manual with additional details can be found at this link.
Competitive Grant Applications
Competitive grant applications shall be submitted through TDEC’s Grants Management System (GMS). Each competitive grant has its own application. Applicants should create an account through GMS and search for the following applications for each program:
- DWR-ARP Regionalization Grants State Water Infrastructure Grants (SWIG)
- DWR-ARP Water Reuse Grants State Water Infrastructure Grants (SWIG)
- DWR-ARP Resource Protection Grants State Water Infrastructure Grants (SWIG)
Competitive Grant Workshops
TDEC will be hosting a competitive grant workshop series during the weeks of June 6th and June 12th. These 2-hour sessions will provide details regarding the program and application to support interested applicants. Please see the Engagement Opportunities page on the TDEC ARP website for additional details regarding the webinars.
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Register Today for TCSA's Legislative Conference!
There’s still time to register for the conference that’s sure to be packed with vital information for county officials. For a draft of the conference agenda, click here to view it.
You may have your hotel reservation, but make sure you have also registered for the upcoming Legislative Conference itself. This helps TCSA to plan meals and events for you. You can register on-site, but you must bring a check or pay by credit card at the time of registration to do so.
To register for TCSA’s Legislative Conference happening May 23 - 25, 2023, in Gatlinburg, please click here. We look forward to seeing you in May!
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Tennessee Approves Law to Include 988 on ID's
May is Mental Health Awareness month, and in honor of this, the TN Dept. of Health is sharing resources and updates related to mental health awareness for individuals. Here's an update from TNDH about some positive new legislation from the TN General Assembly this year.
A new law recently passed by the Tennessee General Assembly requires public higher education institutions to include the telephone number for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on student identification cards purchased after July 1, 2023. An expansion of the "Save Our Students Act" passed last year for Tennessee public schools with grades 6-12, the new law also includes requirements to post information on the 988 number and mental health resources available to students on the higher education institution's website or mobile app. For more information about the legislation, please click here.
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Resources, Events & Training for County Leaders
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