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Past Projects
Use the navigation bar to review the projects that the UNC EFC has worked on.
 Corinth,
Mississippi - Financing Scenario: The EFC assisted
the Corinth Gas and Water Department (CGWD) to develop a cash
flow analysis for their plan to replace their groundwater source
with surfacewater from the Tennessee - Tombigbee Waterway. The
EFC also helped CGWD gauge the perceptions of the five nearby
utilities regarding the surface water project and to investigate
how the existing capital reserve fund could be used to finance
the project. |
 Tap
and Impact Fees : The EFC conducted a survey of initial, one-time
fees for new residential customers of North Carolina water and sewer
utilities. Generally, utilities charge three types of fees in North
Carolina: tap fees, impact fees and special assessments. This survey
focused on tap fee and impact fee amounts and the bases that are
used to calculate these fees for 325 water and/or sewer utilities
throughout the State in 2005. |
|
 Water
and Sewer Authority of Cabarrus County (WSACC) Governing Board Organizational Development Project: The Water and Sewer Authority of Cabarrus County, one of the state's largest multi-jurisdictional utilities, requested assistance from the Environmental Finance Center to provide organizational development support to the Board of Directors as part of their efforts to reexamine their governance structure and inter-jurisdictional financial policies. Other water/ sewer authorities should find this process applicable as their organizations mature and their boards enter similar cycles of evaluation. |
Disadvantaged
Communities Programs: Through
the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program, states
receive funds from the federal government which used capitalize
state managed revolving loan fund programs. States are given a
degree of flexibility in how they design the programs including
the ability to design special programs for "disadvantaged communities."
This project included an inventory of EPA Region 4 states that
have chosen to implement disadvantaged community programs and
explores how NC should
define a "disadvantaged community" as it relates to the DWSRF.
|
 Water
and Sewer Financial Capacity and Affordability: The
Environmental Finance Center conducted a policy analysis on the
financial capacity of utilities. The analysis provided utilities
and funding organizations with quantitative information at the community/utility
level on the ability of utilities to meet anticipated capital financing
challenges. As part of the analysis, the EFC researched reports
and studies on documented needs and financial capacity. The study
focused on North Carolina and other EPA region 4 states (Tennessee,
South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Kentucky). |
 Hydropower
Relicensing: Opportunities for and Obstacles to Environmental Quality
Improvements and Recreational Enhancements on Southeastern Rivers
(603 KB; pdf): This report on the process and actual examples of
hydro relicensing agreements in the Southeastern United States is
a great introduction for local governments, citizen groups, and
others who wonder what the possibilities are for environmental and
recreational benefits from relicensing proceedings. |
|
 Financing
Land Conservation:
An important part of the EFC's work evaluated financing systems
for land conservation. The EFC had completed several projects that
helped explain the cost and means of financing land conservation.
This page includes information about One
NC Naturally, an initiative of the N.C. Department of Environment
and Natural Resources, a NC state agency conservation funding needs
assessment. The North Carolina "Land & Water Conservation
Commission" was created at the end of the 2005-2006 legislative
session. The Commission was tasked with identifying financing options
for the State to reach its goal of securing a total of $1 billion
over five years to add to conservation trust funds. The Commission
met on 11/16/06 to hear from experts about the existing conservation
funding streams. EFC's Richard Whisnant was among those who addressed
the Commission. He presented the group with a full slate of funding
options. |
|
 2005-06
Solid Waste Fee Schedules: The EFC provided support to the North
Carolina League of Municipalities (NCLM) in carrying out their bi-annual
survey of solid waste practices.The NCLM conducted a survey in summer/fall
of 2005 related to the finance and practice of solid waste service
provision. This survey yielded information on the fee schedules
of garbage, recycling, yard waste, and bulk item collection for
130 North Carolina municipalities. See the NCLM
web site for more information. |
 Wake
County School Recycling Program Case Study: This UNC EFC case
study detailed the Wake County Solid Waste Management Division's
(SWMD) pilot program as well as its results which show that the
SWMD can increase services, reduce costs and utilize partnerships
with other organizations in order to will improve overall program
efficiency, save up to 39% per year, and form the foundation for
a sustainable recycling program supported by education for students.
|
 Cost
Recovery Systems for Recycling: The UNC EFC worked on a pilot
project in Orange County to develop and evaluated alternative cost
recovery systems for communities with extensive recycling programs.
The UNC EFC worked with County staff and a Citizens advisory board
to make sure that program service objectives, as well as customer
equity concerns are carefully considered and addressed. The project
included preparation of financial planning and fee setting models
capable of assessing a variety of different revenue options including
district taxes, county wide taxes and targeted customer service
fees. |
| Developing and Evaluating Environmental Finance Distance Education Tools: The UNC EFC in collaboration with state certification boards developed distance education tools for the certification of water and wastewater professionals on various environmental finance topics (accessing funding sources, rate setting, budgeting, etc.). These tools can be a cost-effective and interactive way for instructors and learners to supplement face-to-face and self-study learning. |
| Consortium on Growth in the Southeast: In conjunction with the Southern Consortium of University Public Service Organizations (SCUPSO), the Southern Growth Policies Board, and the Video Development Initiative (ViDe), with funding from the Southeastern University Research Association (SURA), the UNC EFC linked together with faculty around the southern United States who work on aspects of growth management. The means for this linkage was the emerging technology of large scale video networks (LSVN), under development for eventual widespread deployment on Internet 2. Faculty in the consortium use desktop videoconferencing to share thoughts and data about the numerous efforts at growth management around the region. |
