North Carolina § 143B-28 - 1. Create Collaboration for Prosperity Zones.

§ 143B-28. 1. Create Collaboration for Prosperity Zones.

For purposes of enhanced collaboration and cooperation between governmental agencies, planning, use of resources, and improved efficiency at a regional level, the State is hereby divided into eight permanent zones as follows: Western Region, consisting of Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, and Transylvania Counties. Northwest Region, consisting of Alleghany, Ashe, Alexander, Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, McDowell, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey Counties. Southwest Region, consisting of Anson, Cabarrus, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly, and Union Counties. Piedmont-Triad (Central) Region, consisting of Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, and Yadkin Counties. North Central Region, consisting of Chatham, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Nash, Orange, Person, Vance, Wake, Warren, and Wilson Counties. Sandhills (South Central) Region, consisting of Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Hoke, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, and Scotland Counties. Northeast Region, consisting of Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, and Washington Counties. Southeast Region, consisting of Brunswick, Carteret, Craven, Duplin, Greene, Jones, Lenoir, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, and Wayne Counties. History (2014-18, s. 3.2.) Intent to Create Collaboration for Prosperity Zones. - Session Laws 2014-18, s. 3.1, provides: "It is the intent of the General Assembly to establish geographically uniform zones in this State to facilitate collaborative and coordinated planning and use of resources, to improve cooperation with other governmental and nonprofit entities at the local and regional level, to facilitate administrative efficiencies within State government, to receive advice on economic development issues by local boards established by a North Carolina nonprofit corporation with which the Department of Commerce contracts, and, to the extent feasible, to establish one-stop sources in each region for citizens and businesses seeking State services at a regional level.” Editor's Note. - Session Laws 2014-18, s. 3.3, provides: "The Departments of Commerce, Environment and Natural Resources, and Transportation, the Community Colleges System Office, and the State Board of Education shall, by January 1, 2015, report to the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations, the Senate Appropriations•ase Budget Committee, and the House Appropriations Committee on how they plan to establish Collaboration for Prosperity Zones as defined by this act." Session Laws 2014-18, s. 4.1, as amended by Session Laws 2015-241, s. 14.1, and as amended by Session Laws 2016-94, s. 15.8, provides: "No later than January 1, 2015, the Departments of Commerce, Environment and Natural Resources, and Transportation shall have at least one employee physically located in the same office in each of the Collaboration for Prosperity Zones set out in G.S. 143B-28.1 to serve as that department's liaison with the other departments and with local governments, schools and colleges, planning and development bodies, and businesses in that zone. The departments shall jointly select the office. For purposes of this Part, the Department of Commerce may contract with a North Carolina nonprofit corporation pursuant to G.S. 143B-431A [143B-431.01], as enacted by this act, to fulfill the departmental liaison requirements for each office in each of the Collaboration for Prosperity Zones, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources shall fulfill the departmental liaison requirements from existing and funded positions. The Department of Commerce shall additionally have at least one employee from the Rural Economic Development Division Main Street and Rural Planning Center physically located in each office in each of the Collaboration for Prosperity Zones, who shall be responsible for assisting communities in the Prosperity Zone with adding value to their economic and community development projects by assisting communities with solutions, including economic development strategic planning, land-use planning, implementation services, downtown economic revitalization, and technical support. "No later than January 1, 2015, the Community Colleges System Office shall designate at least one representative from a community college or from the Community Colleges System Office to serve as a liaison in each Collaboration for Prosperity Zone for the community college system, the community colleges in the zone, and other educational agencies and schools within the zone. A liaison may be from a business center located in a community college. These liaisons are not required to be collocated with the liaisons from the Departments of Commerce, Environment and Natural Resources, and Transportation. "No later than January 1, 2015, the State Board of Education shall designate at least one representative from a local school administrative unit or from the Department of Public Instruction to serve as a liaison in each Collaboration for Prosperity Zone for the local school administrative units and other public schools within the zone. These liaisons are not required to be collocated with the liaisons from the Departments of Commerce, Environment and Natural Resources, and Transportation." Session Laws 2014-18, s. 4.2, provides: "In addition to other related tasks assigned by their respective agencies, liaisons in each Collaboration for Prosperity Zone shall work to enhance collaboration and cooperation between their departments and other State agencies, local governmental agencies, and other regional public and nonprofit entities. The liaisons from the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources and Transportation shall work to consolidate and simplify the process for citizens and businesses seeking permits from their respective agencies. The liaisons from the Department of Commerce shall be used to support local economic development efforts, to coordinate such efforts, and to coordinate the Department of Commerce's activities within each Collaboration for Prosperity Zone. The liaisons from the community college system and local school administrative units shall work closely with the Department of Commerce and other State and local governmental agencies and local businesses in the zone to promote job development through career technical education." Session Laws 2014-18, s. 4.3(a)-(c), provides: "(a) The Departments of Transportation and Environment and Natural Resources shall jointly report to the Office of State Budget and Management, the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations, the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee, the Environmental Review Commission, the Senate Appropriations•ase Budget Committee, and the House Appropriations Committee, as follows: "(1) No later than January 1, 2015, on the establishment of collocated liaisons within each Collaboration for Prosperity Zone and a description of the activities the liaisons have been assigned to perform. "(2) No later than April 1, 2015, on the activities of the liaisons, specifically any activities undertaken that resulted in enhanced collaboration and coordination with the other Department and with other governmental agencies, improved administrative efficiencies, and any steps taken to make services to citizens and businesses within each zone more efficient, economical, and user-friendly. "(b) The Community Colleges System Office and the State Board of Education shall each report to the Office of State Budget and Management, the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations, the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, the Senate Appropriations•ase Budget Committee, and the House Appropriations Committee, as follows: "(1) No later than January 1, 2015, on the establishment of liaisons within each Collaboration for Prosperity Zone and a description of the activities the liaisons have been assigned to perform. "(2) No later than April 1, 2015, on the activities of the liaisons, specifically any activities undertaken that resulted in enhanced collaboration and coordination with other governmental agencies, improved planning on use of educational resources, and improved administrative efficiencies. "(c) The Department of Commerce shall include in its first report under G.S. 143B-431A(f) [143B-431.01], as enacted by this act, a report on the establishment and activities of its liaisons in each Collaboration for Prosperity Zone. The Department of Commerce shall send a copy of this report to the Office of State Budget and Management, the Senate Appropriations•ase Budget Committee, and the House Appropriations Committee." Session Laws 2014-18, s. 4.4, provides: "The Departments of Commerce, Environment and Natural Resources, and Transportation, the Community Colleges System Office, and the State Board of Education shall use funds available to carry out the requirements of this section. Nothing in this act shall be construed as an authorization for payment of additional compensation for persons serving as liaisons." Session Laws 2014-18, s. 5, provides: "It is the intent of the General Assembly to receive and review the reports required by Section 4.3 of this act concerning the creation of the Collaboration for Prosperity Zones and to use those reports to further address the following topics: "(1) Enhancing collaboration and cooperation between State and other governmental agencies in order to streamline and improve services to citizens and businesses, to make such services more user-friendly, and to implement collaborative and cooperative interagency measures to enhance access to services. "(2) Reducing barriers faced by citizens and businesses in accessing services that are unnecessarily caused by agency specialization, which may produce a 'silo mentality.' "(3) Additional recommendations regarding liaison personnel, including expanding the requirement to other State departments. "(4) Ways to integrate collaboration between educational institutions in each Collaboration for Prosperity Zone on the one hand and other governmental agencies and local businesses on the other. "(5) Requiring the establishment of interagency one-stop shops in each Collaboration for Prosperity Zone. "(6) Consolidating programs or services. "(7) Cross-training employees. "(8) Identifying offices, equipment, and support services that may be efficiently and economically shared between agencies in each Collaboration for Prosperity Zone. "(9) The grouping of counties within each Collaboration for Prosperity Zone to determine whether there is a better configuration while keeping the same overall number of zones." Session Laws 2014-18, s. 6.1, provides: "Nothing in this act shall be construed to obligate the General Assembly to appropriate funds to implement this act." Session Laws 2015-241, s. 1.1, provides: "This act shall be known as 'The Current Operations and Capital Improvements Appropriations Act of 2015.' ' Session Laws 2015-241, s. 33.4, provides: "Except for statutory changes or other provisions that clearly indicate an intention to have effects beyond the 2015-2017 fiscal biennium, the textual provisions of this act apply only to funds appropriated for, and activities occurring during, the 2015-2017 fiscal biennium." Session Laws 2015-241, s. 33.6, is a severability clause. Session Laws 2016-94, s. 1.2, provides: "This act shall be known as the 'Current Operations and Capital Improvements Appropriations Act of 2016.'" Session Laws 2016-94, s. 39.4, provides: "Except for statutory changes or other provisions that clearly indicate an intention to have effects beyond the 2016-2017 fiscal year, the textual provisions of this act apply only to funds appropriated for, and activities occurring during, the 2016-2017 fiscal year." Session Laws 2016-94, s. 39.7, is a severability clause. Session Laws 2017-57, s. 15.10(a), (b), provides: "(a) For each Collaboration for Prosperity Zone established in G.S. 143B-28.1, the employees of the Department of Commerce in the zone shall submit a report on or before September 1 of each year to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources, the Joint Legislative Economic Development and Global Engagement Oversight Committee, and the Fiscal Research Division on the following criteria: "(1) Jobs anticipated to result from efforts of the employees, including the name and contact person of each company creating new jobs in the zone. "(2) The location of each project, including the development tier designation of the location. "(3) Project leads that were not submitted to the Department for possible discretionary incentives pursuant to Chapter 143B of the General Statutes. "(4) Proactive local government outreach to share information and planning services that are available. "(5) Coordination of regular meetings with Prosperity Zones agency representatives to increase collaboration of services and resources to local communities. "(6) Completion of strategic economic development plans, downtown revitalization project plans, implementation services, market studies, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) mapping, and assistance with development policies for local governments that can be measured for economic impact, including investment, business growth, and jobs as a result of the planning effort. "(7) Existing business expansion activities, service requests, and number of contacts and inquiries. "(8) New business location activities and number of contacts and inquiries. "(b) The Department of Commerce shall develop performance metrics for Community Planners for the Collaboration for Prosperity Zones established in G.S. 143B-28.1 using the criteria listed in subsection (a) of this section. The Department of Commerce shall submit a report on or before September 1 of each year to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources, the Joint Legislative Economic Development and Global Engagement Oversight Committee, and the Fiscal Research Division detailing the performance metrics and the measurements observed for each Community Planner within the Collaboration for Prosperity Zones." Session Laws 2017-57, s. 1.1, provides: "This act shall be known as the 'Current Operations Appropriations Act of 2017.'" Session Laws 2017-57, s. 39.4, provides: "Except for statutory changes or other provisions that clearly indicate an intention to have effects beyond the 2017-2019 fiscal biennium, the textual provisions of this act apply only to funds appropriated for, and activities occurring during, the 2017-2019 fiscal biennium." Session Laws 2017-57, s. 39.6, is a severability clause.