City, county want YOU to give them input on local projects

ASHEBORO — The City of Asheboro has commissioned Walker Consultants, a leader in helping municipalities manage parking infrastructure, to develop a comprehensive study and strategic parking management plan for the downtown business district. 

The plan, once complete, will provide recommendations for managing and improving public parking availability to support a vibrant downtown.

Walker Consultants invites the public to be part of the study. Downtown business owners and employees, property owners, non-profit organizations, residents and the general public now can sign-up for a focus group to share their perspectives by visiting https://tinyurl.com/mvc2bf9j. 

Each focus group will meet with the study team for up to 45 minutes on either Tuesday, Nov. 19, or Wednesday, Nov. 20. All meetings will be held at The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Adult Resource & Education Center (Randolph Senior Adults Association facility) located at 347 W. Salisbury Street. 

In addition to joining a focus group, interested parties also can attend the public open house that will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 20, from 4-7 p.m. at the same location; no registration is required to attend the open house, and individuals can visit at any time. Brief presentations will be given at 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Additional opportunities for public participation are planned and include a survey that will be available in the coming weeks. The study, expected to be completed in 2025, will include short- and long-term physical and policy improvements to ensure the adequacy of downtown public parking.

For more information, visit https://asheboronc.gov/news_detail_T34_R332.php.

County's Hazard Mitigation Survey could use resident opinions

ASHEBORO — In 2019, Davidson County and Randolph County collaborated with AECOM to produce an official Hazard Mitigation Plan. This plan needs to be updated in order to be eligible for federal grant opportunities. 

This important initiative aims to identify potential hazards and develop strategies to reduce risks within our community. Hazard Mitigation is any sustained actions taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from hazards. It is a continuous or ongoing process for both pre- and post-disaster. 

A few examples include: 

- Elevating homes in floodplains.

- Stronger building codes.

- Land use planning.

- Mitigation plans.

- Public Education.

A Hazard Mitigation Plan:

-  Identifies risks and solutions in a pre-disaster environment.

- Reduces the need to respond (or lessens resource burdens).

- Supports decision-making.

- Makes the state more disaster resilient.

- Promotes data sharing between different levels of government and academia.

- Creates eligibility for mitigation funds from FEMA.

- Should be incorporated into other existing planning mechanisms. 

The Davidson-Randolph Region is updating its Hazard Mitigation Plan to minimize the negative effects of hazards. We are seeking input from residents and stakeholders to enhance the plan. This survey aims to gather valuable feedback to shape the draft of the plan. 

Resident participation is crucial, and the survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. All answers will remain confidential. 

Survey Details

Who can participate: All residents of Randolph County.

Duration: You have until Dec. 31, 2024, to complete the survey.

How to participate: The survey can be accessed online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DavidsonRandolph. 

Confidentiality: All responses will remain confidential and will only be used for the purpose of hazard mitigation planning. 

“We encourage every resident to take a few moments to complete the survey,” Randolph County Manager Zeb Holden said. “Your input is invaluable in helping us understand the vulnerabilities in our community and ensuring we have effective measures in place to address them.” 

Results from the survey will be analyzed and used to update the Davidson-Randolph Region Hazard Mitigation Plan and inform future projects and funding opportunities. 

For more information on Randolph County government visit, www.randolphcountync.gov. For regular updates, follow Randolph County Government on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.