Rural Community Assistance Partnership

Practical solutions for improving rural communities
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February 2012

Tabletop Exercise Tool for Water Systems: Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Climate Resiliency (TTX Tool)

Posted Wed, 2012/02/29 - 12:12pm by RCAP

The PC-based Tabletop Exercise Tool for Water Systems: Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Climate Resiliency (TTX Tool) contains materials that assist those interested in planning and facilitating tabletop exercises that focus on water-sector-related issues.

Format: 
Software tool
Topic: 
Security/emergency-response planning
Climate change
Source: 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Audience: 
Operator
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)
Plant manager
State/federal decision-maker

RCAP among organizations asking Congress to pass Farm Bill in 2012

Posted Tue, 2012/02/28 - 4:16pm by RCAP

As part of the Campaign for a Renewed Rural Development, RCAP was among those organizations that sent the letter below to members of Congress, asking them to pass the Farm Bill in 2012.

February 10, 2012

The Honorable Debbie Stabenow
Chairwoman
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Pat Roberts
Ranking Member
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Rural Matters: Start an email subscription

Posted Mon, 2012/02/27 - 3:11pm by RCAP

Use this form only to start an email subscription to Rural Matters.

We need your mailing (postal) address only for demographic purposes and will not use it or sell it for any other purposes.

To start a print subscription (hard copy sent by postal mail), see the instructions below.

Rural Matters: Convert my print subscription to an email subscription

Posted Mon, 2012/02/27 - 2:32pm by RCAP

Use this form only if you are a current subscriber and are receiving Rural Matters by mail as a hard copy.

By filling out this form, we will stop sending you Rural Matters by mail and will start sending you an email notification when each new issue is available. You can read the full contents of each issue on this website.

Please fill out the form below in its entirety. We need your mailing address - where you are currently receiving Rural Matters - so we know what mailing address to remove from our list.

EPA announces availability of green infrastructure technical assistance to selected partner communities

Posted Fri, 2012/02/24 - 12:38pm by RCAP

EPA is accepting letters of interest from communities interested in receiving direct assistance for projects that facilitate the use of green infrastructure to protect water quality.  Technical assistance will be provided through EPA contract support and will be directed to watersheds/sewersheds with significant water-quality degradation associated with urban stormwater.  The total EPA assistance available is approximately $950,000 and will be distributed among 10 to 20 projects. The value of the assistance available to each project will be approximately $50,000 to $100,000.

Draft fiscal year 2013 National Water Program guidance released for comments

Posted Fri, 2012/02/24 - 12:36pm by RCAP

The draft FY 2013 national water program guidance has been made available for review and comment.  Issued annually, this draft guidance, posted on Feb. 17, provides the priorities, implementation strategies, and performance targets for the national water program for fiscal year 2013.

EPA's Greenversations blog: Bring Back the Water Fountain

Posted Wed, 2012/02/22 - 4:05pm by RCAP

Nancy Stoner, acting Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Water, blogs about water fountains in public places in a recent posting. In the blog, Stoner discusses the benefits in services provided to people in cities in access to clean drinking water as well as the cost savings in choosing tap water over bottled water.

Read Stoner's post

EPA’s FY 2013 budget proposal focuses on core environmental and human health protections

Posted Wed, 2012/02/22 - 3:38pm by RCAP

EPA budget supports President Obama’s vision of an America that is built to last

WASHINGTON – The Obama Administration proposed Feb. 13 a fiscal year 2013 budget of $8.344 billion for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This budget reflects a government-wide effort to reduce spending and find cost-savings and is $105 million below the EPA’s enacted level for FY 2012.

Sample financial-management policy: Compensation and payroll policies

Posted Wed, 2012/02/22 - 3:21pm by RCAP

A sample document that you can use as a template for your system.

Sample financial-management policy:

Compensation and payroll policies

The above is a Microsoft Word 97-2003 file. It is provided here in this form so that you can have the text in an editable file in order to adapt the policies to your utility.

Format: 
Report
Topic: 
Finance
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)
Financial manager/accountant/bookkeeper

Sample financial-management policy: Purchasing policies and purchase-requisition system

Posted Wed, 2012/02/22 - 3:20pm by RCAP

A sample document that you can use as a template for your system.

Sample financial-management policy:

Purchasing policies and purchase-requisition system

The above is a Microsoft Word 97-2003 file. It is provided here in this form so that you can have the text in an editable file in order to adapt the policies to your utility.

Format: 
Report
Topic: 
Finance
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)
Financial manager/accountant/bookkeeper