Ep 10. Employee Wellness with Nature at Work

Ep 10. Employee Wellness with Nature at Work

Topics: This episode explores how small municipalities can enhance community well-being through nature-based programs like 'Nature at Work'. Guests discuss the benefits, implementation strategies, and funding opportunities for green initiatives that improve employee health, community engagement, and local tourism. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Mighty Municipalities 00:58 Workplace Health and Happiness 02:17 Nature at Work Program Overview 04:58 Pillars of the Nature at Work Program 07:27 City of Sumter's Initiatives 10:05 Community Engagement and Feedback 12:46 Scaling for Small Municipalities 15:12 Leveraging Local Resources 17:22 Grants and Funding Opportunities 19:57 Conclusion and Future Discussions Links: * Nature at Work [https://natureatworksc.org/]  * Resources – Nature at Work [https://natureatworksc.org/resources/]  Grants: * 6/4: California Urban Greening Grant: https://resources.ca.gov/grants/urban-greening [https://resources.ca.gov/grants/urban-greening]: $200k -> $5m  * Projects to mitigate urban heat  * 6/8: CDC Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) grant: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/7859e970-00ec-4f1c-987c-d2d7c0e66415 [https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/7859e970-00ec-4f1c-987c-d2d7c0e66415] - up to $75k for opioid and methamphetamines misuse reduction programs  * 6/22: USDOT: Pipeline Emergency Response Grant: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/be39f3eb-7382-4327-ac46-9397e3b8c502 [https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/be39f3eb-7382-4327-ac46-9397e3b8c502] $50k-$200k  * 6/23: National Park Service: Historic Preservation Fund Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Subgrant Program: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/449cd5d1-d543-4ea0-807a-cf55e54ed823 [https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/449cd5d1-d543-4ea0-807a-cf55e54ed823]  $200k-$500k restoration of properties eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.  Towns under 5000 population are specified as an eligible group and cities under 50k not part of a larger metro.  * 6/26: Preapplication deadline: Undiscovered SC Grants - https://www.scprt.com/tourism/grants/undiscovered-sc-grant [https://www.scprt.com/tourism/grants/undiscovered-sc-grant]  Municipalities with less than 1.25m in Accommodations tax distributions. 50% reimbursement grant up to $200k for improvements or creation of public tourism attractions.  Find Us: Mark Partin is Chief of Staff for the City of Sumter (https://sumtersc,gov).  Subscribe and Find more of Mark's Local Government Leadership Thoughts at https://localleadershipinsights.substack.com/ Karl McCollester spent 20 year in strategic technology consulting for small municipalities in the Carolinas and George.  He is the CEO of GovPossible. GovPossible (https://govpossible.com) is a Public Benefit Corporation that provides software to help small municipalities manage their operations including finance, budget, licensing, permitting, planning, codes enforcement, cemetery, meetings, and website.

Ep 9. - Battling Food Insecurity with the Town of Lamar, SC

Topics: Karl & Mark talk about food insecurity and what municipalities can do to help.   We interview Tim Dargan, the Town Administrator of Lamar, SC, population 832, about the food giveaway program they've been running in cooperation with local organizations for over five years and their lessons learned.  Numbers: * 13% nationally face food insecurity * 15.9% in rural communities  * 86% of counties with the highest food insecurity are in the South  * 86% of counties with the highest food insecurity are rural (Feeding America)  * Several SC Counties reach 20% food insecurity levels (Feeding America)  * Telfair County GA is the highest in the three-state region: 23.1%  Links * Rural Health Initiative [https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/food-and-hunger]   * Hospital Food Pantry [https://charlottehungerford.org/about-us/news-press/news-detail?articleId=52982&publicid=728] * Socastee Library Pantry [https://www.horrycountysc.gov/news/articles/socastee-library-adds-permanent-food-pantry-to-its-shelves/%20] * USDA Summer Food Program [https://www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp/summer-food-service-program%20] * Black Mountain NC Senior Center [https://www.thevalleyecho.com/all-news/lakeview-center-for-active-aging-celebrates-reopening%20] * SC Farmers Market Guidelines [%20https://agriculture.sc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/FarmersMarketToolkit.pdf] Grants * 6/6: USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program [https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/fmpp] * Rolling: USDA Community Facilities Grant & Loan Program [https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/community-facilities/community-facilities-direct-loan-grant-program] * MASC Impact Fund [https://www.masc.sc/impact-fund] Find Us: Mark Partin is Chief of Staff for the City of Sumter (https://sumtersc,gov).  Subscribe and Find more of Mark's Local Government Leadership Thoughts at https://localleadershipinsights.substack.com/ Karl McCollester spent 20 year in strategic technology consulting for small municipalities in the Carolinas and George.  He is the CEO of GovPossible. GovPossible (https://govpossible.com) is a Public Benefit Corporation that provides software to help small municipalities manage their operations including finance, budget, licensing, permitting, planning, codes enforcement, cemetery, meetings, and website.

Ep8 - Dealing with Drought in Your Municipality

Topics: * Drought Management  * Currently in Moderate Drought in SC:  * Stage 1 Drought Declared; City of Camden Urges Voluntary Water Conservation - Experience Camden, South Carolina [https://experiencecamdensc.com/stage-1-drought-declared-city-of-camden-urges-voluntary-water-conservation/]  * Statewide Moderate Drought  http://www.scdrought.com/index.html [http://www.scdrought.com/index.html]   * Next state commission meeting 4.30  * What Cities can do during a drought, by state * NC – Municipalities can operate autonomously  * GA – Governed by state  * Municipality must obtain permit to draw water  * Georgia Groundwater Use Act, O.C.G.A. §§ 12-5-90 (1972)  * Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) enacts statewide drought mandates, municipalities must comply  * Municipality can declare stricter regulations  * SC - Governed by state Title 49, Section 23: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t49c023.php [https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t49c023.php]   * Must create a plan and ordinance that conform to drought levels set  * Drought levels set by regional commitees in coordination with the statewide committee  * May take action based on the levels as allowed by local ordinance  * Sumter Ordinance: https://library.municode.com/sc/sumter/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH98UT_ARTIIWA_DIV4SHDR [https://library.municode.com/sc/sumter/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH98UT_ARTIIWA_DIV4SHDR]  * May take action automatically based on drought management plans filed with DNR  * Allow more local options to declare based on system levels.  * Most ordinances seem to standardize on a proclamation required by council  * State Model plan & ordinance: https://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/Drought/model_drought_plan.doc [https://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/Drought/model_drought_plan.doc]   * Interstate Impacts * Drought Mgmt Strategies  * Water Conservation Strategies for Municipalities Confronting Drought - Capital Strategic Solutions (CSS) [https://capital-strategic-solutions.com/2025/09/water-conservation-strategies-for-municipalities-confronting-drought/] (Matt)  * MASC Drought mgmt article: https://www.masc.sc/uptown/06-2017/what-do-when-water-becomes-scarce [https://www.masc.sc/uptown/06-2017/what-do-when-water-becomes-scarce?utm_source=chatgpt.com]  Grants  * 6/15: Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust ($5k-$25k): https://smithht.org/grant-seekers [https://smithht.org/grant-seekers] creation, development, preservation, and maintenance of gardens accessible to the public   * 5/26: HUD Housing Counseling Program Grant ($1-$3m) https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/0e956335-bab1-4282-81cd-3a56591ffd70 [https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/0e956335-bab1-4282-81cd-3a56591ffd70] establish/fund housing counseling in your community  * 5/1: Hart Family Fund for Small Towns ($2500-$15k): preservation projects: https://savingplaces.org/hart-family-fund [https://savingplaces.org/hart-family-fund]   * (Reminder) 5/7: The FY2026 Federal Historic Preservation Grants https://scdah.sc.gov/historic-preservation/programs/grants/federal-grants [https://scdah.sc.gov/historic-preservation/programs/grants/federal-grants]     Find Us: Mark Partin is Chief of Staff for the City of Sumter (https://sumtersc,gov).  Subscribe and Find more of Mark's Local Government Leadership Thoughts at https://localleadershipinsights.substack.com/ Karl McCollester spent 20 year in strategic technology consulting for small municipalities in the Carolinas and George.  He is the CEO of GovPossible. GovPossible (https://govpossible.com) is a Public Benefit Corporation that provides software to help small municipalities manage their operations including finance, budget, licensing, permitting, planning, codes enforcement, cemetery, meetings, and website.

Ep7 - Business Licensing

Topics: Business Licensing  * What it is by state  * GA – Occupational Tax – only on businesses with physical presence.  * NC – Business registration – flat with max set by state  * SC – Business License  Revenue versus Regulation  Top Questions  * Insurance Agencies vs Brokers  * Peddlers - Forest Acres Peddlers Ordinance [https://library.municode.com/sc/forest_acres/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH14PESO] * Roadside Food [https://agriculture.sc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/RF_SellingFoodRoadSideFAQ2025.pdf] (DHEC) Entrepreneurial Options  * Prepared Food/Popcorn/Coffee/Sno-cones (roadside food p.2)  * Home-Based Food Production [https://agriculture.sc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/SCHome-basedFoodProductionLawBook2025_digital.pdf]  * Mowing/Raking/Lawn Aeration  * Car Wash/Detailing  * Lot Cleaning/Clearing  * Knife Sharpening  * Pressure Washing  * Painting  Economic Development  * Mapping/Business Listing  * Forecasting  * Resiliency & Health  Inter-Department Communication Grants  * HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) Supplemental / Special NOFOs (select rounds) — April 23, 2026 local competition deadlines. Municipalities often apply or partner for homelessness and housing initiatives. https://www.hud.gov/hud-partners/community-coc [https://www.hud.gov/hud-partners/community-coc]  * National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) – Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program — May 14, 2026. Funds urban greening, stormwater, and habitat restoration projects with strong municipal involvement. Grants seek to address water quality issues in priority watersheds, such as erosion due to unstable stream banks, pollution from stormwater runoff, and degraded shorelines caused by development. https://www.nfwf.org/programs/five-star-program?activeTab=tab-2  [https://www.nfwf.org/programs/five-star-program?activeTab=tab-2] * Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) – Area Development Grants (cycle deadlines vary by state) — many late April–early May 2026 submission cutoffs for local infrastructure and economic development.  https://www.arc.gov/grants-and-opportunities/area-development-program/ [https://www.arc.gov/grants-and-opportunities/area-development-program/] https://scprt.widen.net/s/fvbgp66gtk/fy25-pard-guidelines_20241120 [https://scprt.widen.net/s/fvbgp66gtk/fy25-pard-guidelines_20241120]  SC Contact: Barry Butler [https://www.arc.gov/staff/barry-butler/] Find Us: Mark Partin is Chief of Staff for the City of Sumter (https://sumtersc,gov).  Subscribe and Find more of Mark's Local Government Leadership Thoughts at https://localleadershipinsights.substack.com/ Karl McCollester spent 20 year in strategic technology consulting for small municipalities in the Carolinas and George.  He is the CEO of GovPossible. GovPossible (https://govpossible.com) is a Public Benefit Corporation that provides software to help small municipalities manage their operations including finance, budget, licensing, permitting, planning, codes enforcement, cemetery, meetings, and website.

Ep6 - Municipal Recruitment & Incentives of Remote Workers

In this episode Mark Partin and Karl McCollester explore innovative recruitment packages by municipalities, focusing on attracting remote workers and leveraging natural resources. We discuss examples from West Virginia, Folly Beach, SC, Cheraw, SC, and McPherson, KS, highlighting strategies that don't rely solely on financial incentives but also community engagement and quality of life improvements. Topics: * Small Town Recruitment  * Recruitment incentives to relocate for remote work These 5 US states will pay you to move there—and one even has a $23,000 relocation package\ [https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/these-5-us-states-will-pay-you-to-move-there-and-one-even-has-a-23-000-relocation-package/ar-AA1XjmSj?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=69a628569342477a8c1fc3c0e10c9aac&ei=61]  * Recruitment incentives including housing allowances for public safety personnel: Housing stipends for Folly Beach police, fire could expand [https://www.postandcourier.com/charleston_sc/folly-beach-housing-program-police-fire-stipend/article_075460c2-2459-4a3e-956a-d9df7d4ae4d8.html]  * Cheraw: https://www.masc.sc/uptown/06-2025/cheraw-makes-its-case-attract-remote-workers [https://www.masc.sc/uptown/06-2025/cheraw-makes-its-case-attract-remote-workers]   * https://www.makemymove.com [https://www.makemymove.com/]   Grants  * 5/11/2026 ($350k): National Endowment for the Humanities Collections Stewardship grant:  * https://www.neh.gov/program/collections-stewardship [https://www.neh.gov/program/collections-stewardship]  * https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/0dde865e-f4ba-4b19-8e14-b5b86cb7ccdc [https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/0dde865e-f4ba-4b19-8e14-b5b86cb7ccdc]  * 4/30: ($200k) Knight Cities Challenge Grants https://knightfoundation.org/knight-cities-challenge [https://knightfoundation.org/knight-cities-challenge]   Find Us: Mark Partin is Chief of Staff for the City of Sumter (https://sumtersc,gov).  Subscribe and Find more of Mark's Local Government Leadership Thoughts at https://localleadershipinsights.substack.com/ Karl McCollester spent 20 year in strategic technology consulting for small municipalities in the Carolinas and George.  He is the CEO of GovPossible. GovPossible (https://govpossible.com) is a Public Benefit Corporation that provides software to help small municipalities manage their operations including finance, budget, licensing, permitting, planning, codes enforcement, cemetery, meetings, and website.