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Receive an Update on the Building Integrated Communities Initiative
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Staff: |
Department: |
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Sarah Osmer Viñas, Director |
Affordable Housing and Community Connections |
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Rebecca Buzzard, Community Connections Manager |
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Katelyn Robalino, Community Connections Coordinator |
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Overview: The purpose of this item is to share an update to the Building Integrated Communities <https://www.townofchapelhill.org/government/departments-services/housing-and-community/community-connections/immigrants-and-refugees/building-integrated-communities> (BIC) Initiative. BIC is a collaboration with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill dedicated to strengthening the Town’s engagement of immigrant and refugee residents in Town programs, services, and decision-making processes. The BIC initiative is currently funded by a three-year grant from the NC Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation.
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Recommendation(s): |
That the Council receive this update on the BIC initiative and implementation progress.
Overview of the Building Integrated Communities (BIC) Project: The BIC initiative helps North Carolina local governments successfully engage to improve relationships, enhance communication, and promote civic participation and leadership among immigrant and refugee residents. Chapel Hill was selected to participate as a BIC partner in 2017 and subsequently completed a community assessment and developed a BIC Action Plan. The BIC Action Plan is organized around five key issue areas: public transportation, housing, public safety and law enforcement, leadership, and government communication.
Implementation Progress: Since Council approved the BIC Action Plan <https://www.townofchapelhill.org/home/showpublisheddocument/41909/636861163749570000> in 2019, Affordable Housing and Community Connections, in collaboration with departments across the Town and community partners, have made substantial progress on implementation. For highlights of our implementation progress see below; additional details are included in the attached Summary.
• Unanimous adoption of a Town-wide Language Access Plan (LAP) <chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https:/www.townofchapelhill.org/home/showpublisheddocument?id=44433> in 2019. Since adoption, we have rapidly expanded the Town’s language services - translating hundreds of documents and providing interpretation for hundreds of community meetings.
• Receiving a $375,000 accelerator grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of NC to support implementation of the Action Plan. The Town is completing year two of the grant.
• In 2022, hired our first bilingual Community Connections Coordinator, Katelyn Robalino, to coordinate BIC implementation.
• Renewed contracts with language service organizations and purchased additional interpretation equipment for Town and community use.
• Held trainings for Town employees on Language Access and Justice and have additional trainings planned for this summer.
• Implementing the Town employee language pay incentive to compensate staff for their language ability.
• Surveyed one hundred manufactured home residents, distributed Town resources, and created 4 comprehensive community maps.
• Created additional pathways for participation in Town government by hosting the Town’s second bilingual and hybrid Peoples Academy.
• Offered paid engagement opportunities to compensate immigrant and refugee residents for participating in Town projects.
Fiscal Impact/Resources: The Town received a $375,000 grant from the NC Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation in June 2022 to be spent in increments of $125,000 over the course of three years.
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Attachments: |
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• Building Integrated Communities Action Plan Update June 2024 |
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The Agenda will reflect the text below and/or the motion text will be used during the meeting. |
presenter
By accepting this report, the Council receives the Building Integrated Communities Action Plan implementation update.