Coronavirus / COVID-19
Webinar Archive
This page contains a listing of webinars, office hours calls, and conference calls hosted by the School of Government in relation to COVID-19. Most calls have been recorded and are now available on-demand through Vimeo. When available, slides from calls are also linked.
Dec. 8, 2021 | Tax Policy & Planning: How States Propose to Bridge COVID-19 Revenue Shortfall
The economic disruption of COVID-19 will substantially affect state budgets in coming fiscal years, with an estimated $275 billion in revenue losses through fiscal June 2022. As states consider tax-based approaches to bridging the gap, businesses and individuals will need to alter their strategic planning to account for potential tax increases. Hosted by the UNC Tax Center, speakers at this webinar included School of Government faculty member Whitney Afonso; Jamie Fenwick, vice president of strategic tax for Charter Communications; Joe Crosby, chairman and CEO of MultiState Associates; and Harley Duncan, leader of the State and Local Tax group in KPMG’s Washington National Tax office.
This webinar is free and available to view on demand. Please click here to view it.
June 3 - June 17, 2020 | Managing Emotions in the COVID-19 Workplace
This mini-series of online courses will include guest speakers and Q&A sessions. The three sessions are on consecutive Wednesdays. Click here to learn more details. Topics include:
- June 3 - Permission to Be Human: Presented by Dr. Tina Brookes - 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
- June 10 - Handling Transition in Changing Times: Presented by Dr. Michael Marks - 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
- June 17 - Managing Emotional Labor During COVID-19: Presented by Leisha Dehart-Davis - 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
To register for this series, please click here.
May 18, 2020 | Zoom Call on Utility Payment Plans Under EO 124 | Now Available On Demand
Unless it is extended, EO 124 will expire on June 1, 2020. Many local units are focused on structuring, communicating, and managing payment plans for customers who incurred delinquencies between March 31 and June 1. There is not a one-size-fits-all model, but there are a lot of great ideas out there. And also a lot of questions! Let's hold one more zoom call to address these issues and facilitate information sharing.
To view a recording on this call, please click here. Slides from the call are available for download here.
May 8 - June 5, 2020 | Planning in a Pandemic
This four-part series of webinars is $125 for all sessions. Sessions are on consecutive Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Click here to learn more details. Topics include:
- May 8 - Remote Planning and Zoning Hearings - Legal requirements and practical considerations for remote meetings and hearings.
- May 16 - 160D Update - Status of technical corrections, possible delays for the implementation deadline, and Q&A on the details of Chapter 160D
- May 22 - Permits & Inspections from Afar - Online permitting, inspections at a distance, and permit extension
- June 5 - Adjusting to a New Normal - Professional responsibilities, practical flexibilities, and ethical dilemmas
May 14, 2020 | Budget-Balancing Tactics in a Time of Crisis | Now Available On Demand
COVID-19 has disrupted state and local economies. Projected losses in local government revenue may force local governments to take dramatic steps to balance their budgets for the upcoming fiscal year. What did we learn from the last recession that can be useful as you put together your upcoming budgets? What advice are professional associations offering for coping with this crisis today?
Join the discussion with UNC School of Government’s local government budgeting expert David Ammons and co-presenters Carl Stenberg and Rob Shepherd as they consider the budget balancing lessons from the 2009-2010 recession,explore which of the tactics used then might apply to our current times, review some of the advice being offered now, and hear from you what tactics you plan to employ to balance your local government budget for FY 20-21.
This discussion is intended for NC city and county managers and complements other SOG and partner-sponsored discussions with budget directors and finance officers in the next few weeks.
Click here to register to view the webinar on demand. Slides from the webinar can be found here.
The full February 2010 Ammons and Fleck research paper, Budget-Balancing Tactics in Local Government, is available here.
May 13, 2020 | Budgeting in a Pandemic | 1-2:30 p.m. | Recording Available Here
How are local governments in North Carolina preparing fiscal year 2020-21 budgets in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic? Hear from local experts on how their communities are being impacted, how they believe their key revenue sources are likely to be effected next year, and how they are coping with the likely recession with budget strategies. Hosted by Whitney Afonso and provided by the NCLGBA and the UNC School of Government this webinar provides insights from around the state on budgeting in the pandemic. The presenters are: Rodney Harris (Cabarrus County), Ken Hunter (Rocky Mount), Tony McDowell (Asheville), Brian Barnett (Pitt County), Teresa Fulk (Newport), and Stephen Hawryluk (Winston-Salem). After their presentations, time was provided for questions that ranged from unexpected COVID-19 expenses, use of fund balance, intergovernmental transfers, to possible budget amendments, and more.
To view a recording of this call, please click here. Slides from the presentation can be found here.
May 7, 2020 | Legislative Review Webinar
The UNC School of Government is offering this webinar early in the legislative short session to review recently enacted legislation of interest to local governments. One or more additional webinars will be offered later in the year as appropriate.
April 28, 2020| Food Supply During COVID-19: Innovative Ideas for Local Governments
Hear from local experts about ways to harness the power of local food networks to help keep your most vulnerable citizens fed during this unsettled time. Networks including Cooperative Extension Services, local food councils, individual farmers, and non-profits are helping coordinate food supplies for those in need.This free 45-minute webinar showcases some examples of innovative collaborations taking place across North Carolina, from Madison County to the Cape Fear region. Hosted by Rick Morse and provided in collaboration with Community Food Strategies, this broadcast gives you a range of examples that include public and non-profit-based solutions to helping make sure your citizens are nourished in this time of need.
Click here view on-demand for free.
Host: Dr. Korrel Kanoy, Senior Partner of Developmental Associates
The School's Center for Public Leadership and Governance and the North Carolina City and County Management Association hosted three, 45-minute topical live web discussions that are intended to help bolster your ability to meet the personal demands these extraordinary times are placing on you and your staff.
While city/county managers are accustomed to managing difficult and complex situations, our current conditions are generating new stressors. We are employing new strategies for doing our work while we also cope with rapidly evolving threats to our well-being. These uncertain circumstances are generating diverse and often negative reactions within our communities. Local governments will be managing the additional challenges generated by the shelter-in-place order and ensuing economic downturn for a long time to come. We have been sprinting in this race but need to stay healthy for the marathon.
View the slides of the presentation by Dr. Kanoy here. Click here to watch this presentation.
April 24, 2020 | Zoom Call for Local Government Finance Professionals on COVID-19 Related Issues
We heard from many of you that you could not attend last Thursday, April 16's Zoom Call on this subject, so we are going to repeat it here. We have upped our limit to 500 participants. If you were not able to join the call last week, or if you still have finance-related questions, please join Sharon Edmundson, Greg Allison, and Kara Millonzi this Friday. Note that we will be covering most of the same material as we did last Thursday, but will spend the majority of time answering your questions on budget, reporting, audits, internal controls, utilities (including EO 124), and more. As always, feel free to email us questions in advance.
An on-demand recording of this call can be viewed here. Slides from the call can be downloaded by clicking here.
Hosts: Chris McLaughlin, School of Government; Stephen Pelfrey and fellow staff members, North Carolina Department of Revenue
Join the School of Government’s Chris McLaughlin and representatives from the North Carolina Department of Revenue including Stephen Pelfrey, counsel to the Property Tax Commission, on a Zoom call to answer your questions about property tax administration during the pandemic.
Click here to watch this call.
Participating Faculty: Diane Juffras and Bob Joyce
Topics: COVID-19, responding to employee exposure or positive tests of COVID-19, furlough-related topics, continuing questions about FFCRA, emergency paid sick leave, and emergency FMLA leave implementation
April 16, 2020 | Zoom Call for LG Finance Professionals on COVID-19 Related Issues
Participating Faculty: Kara Millonzi and Greg Allison
It’s been almost 2 weeks since our last Zoom check-in, which, for many, feels like a lifetime ago. We know you still have lots of questions as you navigate this new normal amid all of the uncertainty. Join representatives from the NC Department of State Treasurer, School of Government, and NCGOFA to talk about Budget, Utilities, Accounting, Reporting, Cash Management, Internal Controls, Personnel, and Other Finance-Related Issues. We will have less formal presentations during this call to allow more time for questions and information sharing. Please feel free to send questions in advance to Kara Millonzi,millonzi@sog.unc.edu, or Greg Allison, allison@sog.unc.edu, or pose your questions during the call. Thanks for all you are doing to keep your local governments operating effectively during this pandemic!
April 7, 2020 | Employment Law Issues and COVID-19 (Session 3)
Participating Faculty: Diane Juffras and Bob Joyce
Topics: COVID-19, Families First Coronavirus Response Act and new regulations from the Department of Labor, Emergency FMLA Expansion Act, Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act, coverage of COVID-19 illness under the regular Family and Medical Leave Act
April 3, 2020 | Resiliency: Calming in Critical Moments for County and Municipal Managers, Deputy Managers, and Assistant Managers - NOW AVAILABLE ON DEMAND
We have scheduled three, 45-minute topical web discussions that are intended to help bolster your ability to meet the personal demands these extraordinary times are placing on you and your staff. We want to support your ability to manage sustained high stress, think more clearly, be more emotionally resilient, and remain physically strong. The information and insights will be practical and applicable -- right now.
A resource takeaway from the discussion can be found here. Slides from the presentation can be found here.
Host: Dr. Patrick Jeffs, Founder and CEO of The Resiliency Solution
Hosting faculty: Connor Crews and Norma Houston
Topics: FEMA procurement guidance, best practices under FEMA procurement guidelines and state law, and general purchasing and contracting questions related to COVID-19.
Participating Faculty: Kara Millonzi, School of Government; Shadi Eskaf, Environmental Finance Center; Sharon Edmundson, Department of State Treasurer
Topics: Executive Order 124, which, among other things, prohibits local government utilities from disconnecting water, wastewater, electric, and natural gas service to residential customers for at least 60 days, prohibits local government utilities from imposing certain fees and charges, mandates payment plan parameters, and imposes a new reporting requirement. To access an on-demand recording, click here.
April 2, 2020 | Pandemic-Related Tax Questions - NOW AVAILABLE ON DEMAND
Participating Faculty: Christopher B. McLaughlin
Topics: COVID-19, local government tax and finance. Click here to view or listen to this call on-demand.
April 1, 2020 | Local Government Emergency Loans for Small Businesses and Preparing Your Local Government to Apply for Federal/State/Private Grants - NOW AVAILABLE ON DEMAND
Hosts: Tyler Mulligan, School of Government; Kelley O’Brien, Owner and Principal, KTO Strategy & Communications; Sybil Tate, Assistant County Manager, Buncombe County; Matt Raker, Executive Director, Mountain BizWorks; Kara Millonzi, School of Government
Topics: COVID-19, open meetings, public records, board procedure, public notices, public hearings, minutes, and more. Click here to view or listen to this call on-demand.
March 26, 2020 | Employment Law Issues and COVID-19 - On-Demand Video Coming Soon
Participating Faculty: Diane Juffras
Topics: COVID-19, Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Emergency FMLA Expansion Act, Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act, coverage of COVID-19 illness under the regular Family and Medical Leave Act, FLSA and payroll issues, ADA accommodation issues and any other employment law issue raised by COVID-19
March 23, 2020 | Water/Wastewater Utilities Operations During COVID-19 - NOW AVAILABLE ON DEMAND
Participating Faculty: Kara Millonzi and Shadi Eskaf
Topics: COVID-19, Operations Maintenance, Financial Sustainability, Customer Service
Kara Millonzi and Shadi Eskaf hosted a conference call to discuss challenges related to water and wastewater utilities operations during the COVID-19 outbreak. Click here to view or listen to this call on-demand.
March 20, 2020 | Pandemic-Related Tax Questions - NOW AVAILABLE ON-DEMAND
Participating Faculty: Christopher B. McLaughlin
Topics: COVID-19, local government tax and finance
Faculty member Chris McLaughlin hosted a call on pandemic-related tax questions for officials across the state. Click here to view or listen to this call on-demand.
March 19, 2020 | Office Hours: Special Pandemic Edition - NOW AVAILABLE ON-DEMAND
Participating Faculty: Christopher B. McLaughlin, Frayda S. Bluestein, Norma R. Houston, Jill D. Moore, Diane M. Juffras and Aimee N. Wall.
Topics: COVID-19, Local Government Tax and Finance, Ethics, General Local Government Law, Public Records, Open Meetings, Emergency Management, Public Health, Contracting, Pandemic Response, Employment Law, Social Services Law, and Animal Law.
Six SOG faculty members answered pandemic-related questions from public officials across the state. The format is a conversation and not a lecture. Call-in participants guided the discussion, and participating faculty answered questions relating to any of the areas of local government law in which they practice. Click here to view or listen to this call on-demand.
Participating Faculty: Norma Houston, Diane Juffras, Chris McLaughlin, and Jill Moore
School of Government faculty hosted two live webinars on March 18, 2020, addressing legal questions that have arisen as North Carolina's local governments prepare and respond to COVID-19. This on-demand webinar's information is accurate as of recording on the afternoon of March 18, but due to the rapidly changing situation, may not be accurate at the time of future viewing. Officials may view this free webinar on-demand by registering HERE.