Services

The UNC EFC assists communities; provides training and policy analysis services; and disseminates tools and resources on topics such as environmental cost accounting, rate setting, and the development of sustainable cost recovery and institutional management systems.

The following are some examples of the services we offer.

Training
Policy Projects
Outreach/Technical Assistance

 

Training

UNC School of Government Courses. Every year, the UNC School of Government (the largest local government training program in North Carolina) provides a variety of financial management and accounting trainings to hundreds of local government finance and budgeting professionals. The UNC EFC has been asked to help integrate environmental management concepts into these courses. The UNC EFC has developed presentations on using municipal budgets effectively to encourage and monitor environmental management. Other trainings include capital planning, budgeting and capital budgeting with a water and wastewater capital overview.

Statewide Training Program for Municipal Officials. The UNC EFC participated in a statewide training program sponsored by the NC League of Municipalities and the UNC School of Government to provide basic governance training to elected officials throughout the state. The UNC EFC is responsible for designing and delivering environmental finance sessions that will be delivered to over 700 local officials at 8 locations throughout the state.

Water and Wastewater Capital Finance Course. The UNC EFC worked with the UNC School of Government to develop and co-sponsor a comprehensive 2-day course on capital finance for local government utility, management, and finance officials. The course has become a regular offering of the School of Government, and attracts one of the most diverse groups of participants at the School, with equal representation of professionals from technical and financial fields. The course focuses equal attention on sources of capital finance and planning techniques.

Policy Projects

Assessing Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Funding in Appalachia. The UNC EFC was awarded a competitive contract to carry out a drinking water and sewer infrastructure needs assessment for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). The project began in the fall of 2003 and continued through 2004. The project includes developing quantitative estimates of water and sewer needs in the 13 state/410 County ARC region; preparing a detailed and quantitative catalog of public financial water and sewer assistance in the region; identifying and analyzing financial management and infrastructure financing strategies within the region, especially strategies likely to have an impact in distressed communities; and developing financial management case studies. The project looks at strategies implemented at the local level as well as statewide strategies implemented by funding agencies and state/regional agencies.

Stormwater Model Ordinance. The UNC School of Government's Environmental Finance Center , in cooperation with the League of Municipalities and the Association of County Commissioners, has developed a draft model local ordinance for the Phase II stormwater regulations as implemented in North Carolina . Local governments will use the finalized version of the model ordinance to develop a post-construction program that best fits their long term growth and fiscal needs, and that complies with the requirements of Phase II stormwater regulations

NC Disadvantaged Community Program. The UNC EFC met with the State NC State Revolving Fund Coordinator to present information on disadvantaged community programs in other states in an effort to encourage the state to establish a disadvantaged community program. UNC EFC prepared an inventory of other state programs and a cash flow model.

Options for Addressing Agricultural Waste Disposal Challenges. The UNC EFC participated on the advisory panel for review of alternative swine waste management systems under the Smithfield Foods-Premium Standard Farms Agreement with the N.C. Attorney General. A primary outcome of this effort is judging economic feasibility of various alternative waste technologies.

Outreach/Technical Assistance

Water Leadership Program Board Trainings. The UNC EFC has designed board trainings to provide financial planning assistance to small water utilities in NC with funds from the Southeast Regional Small Public Water Systems Technical Assistance Center (SETAC).