News
FY 2024 State Homeland Security Program Application Period is Open
On May 17, 2024, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) announced the opening of the application cycle for the FY 2024 State Homeland Security Program (SHSP). VDEM serves as the State Administrative Agency for this program that is sourced from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Grant Programs Directorate. Applications for the Commonwealth of Virginia grant program are due to VDEM by July 19, 2024. Submitted proposals will be evaluated and awarded in accordance with the FY 2024 Homeland Security Grant Program Notice Of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/homeland-security/fy-24-nofo.
The projected period of performance is September 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026.
The aim of the FY 2024 SHSP is to promote state and local efforts to prevent terrorism and to prepare Virginia for the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk to its security. As in previous years, VDEM will allocate funds for local competitive and non-competitive grants. Awarded funding is targeted to support special operation teams for Hazardous Materials, Search and Rescue, Incident Management Teams, and Radio Caches. The SHSP may also fund a range of activities including planning, organization, equipment purchase, training, exercises, and management and administration.
Eighty percent (80%) of SHSP funds must be passed through to local units of government. At least thirty-five percent (35%) of the overall SHSP funds received by Virginia must be dedicated towards law enforcement terrorism prevention activities. Thirty percent (30%) of SHSP funds must be used for national priorities as described in the NOFO (see hyperlink above).
Visit this VDEM webpage for more information on the 2024 SHSP: https://www.vaemergency.gov/grant-opportunities/fy-2024-state-homeland-security-program-shsp
Construction Continues at the Lewis Street Transit Hub
After great anticipation, construction work officially began on the Lewis Street Transit Hub on April 15. Construction crews from Virginia Infrastructure demolished the existing asphalt and have begun preparing the foundation for the new and improved transit hub. You may have seen activity on the lot as you passed by on Lewis Street. We are amazed each week at how much progress has been made since our last site visit! At the end of May, the contractors completed all excavating and grading work to level the site and have laid the base layer materials that will help mitigate water runoff ensuring the longevity of the pavement.
The most notable change to the lot recently is the installation of the stone retaining wall. This wall will not only serve retaining purposes for the slope of the lot but will also provide additional seating for passengers as they wait for their bus.
Over the next few weeks, we expect to see more curb and sidewalk being poured. By this time next month, it will really begin to take the shape of the future hub. Work on the site is ongoing and on schedule. The CSPDCs still anticipates a completion date by the end of summer.
SAW Housing Summit: The Next Steps, June 27
SAW Housing will convene on June 27, 2024 to discuss the next steps in addressing housing challenges in the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro (SAW) area. Since the October 2023 SAW Housing Summit, the SAW Housing Steering Committee has been actively identifying strategies and solutions while sponsoring “Lunch & Learn” events on specific housing issues. Now, the Steering Committee is ready to introduce its proposed framework for future work.
Attendees will have the opportunity to preview the findings and recommendations from the CSPDC-commissioned Regional Housing Study. Mel Jones from the Virginia Center for Housing Research will present an overview of the SAW-specific data, while Jonathan Knopf from Housing Forward Virginia will outline the study’s recommendations and strategies.
The SAW Housing Summit: The Next Steps will take place from 9:00 AM to noon on June 27 in The Great Hall at the Blackburn Inn & Conference Center in Staunton. For more information on the event and to RSVP, please click here.
SAW Housing is an initiative led by the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, Augusta Health, Valley Community Services Board, Shenandoah Valley Partnership, Valley Homeless Connection, Community Action Partnership of Staunton, Augusta, and Waynesboro (CAPSAW), and the CSPDC.
Rachel Kinzer Hired
Rachel Kinzer joined the CSPDC as their newest Regional Planner on June 3. She is a recent graduate of the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture, earning her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Urban and Environmental Planning. She was an undergraduate and graduate research assistant for UVA’s Environmental Institute’s Climate Restoration Initiative. In that role, she helped conduct qualitative research on the potential of several carbon-capturing land uses and practices in select rural and urban localities in the state. Rachel is from Farmville, VA, and currently resides in Fishersville. In her free time, she enjoys walking trails with her dog. She looks forward to supporting and providing assistance to the communities in the region.
VAPDC Summer Series
The Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions (VAPDC) is offering a free series of virtual training sessions to be held on June 10, August 5, and September 5 at 12:00pm. Topics include FOIA for All, The Virginia Legislative Process, Communications—Telling the PDC Story. Register HERE to participate.