Federal, state and local officials will meet in Mebane this week for a workshop aimed at finding ways to help improve the quality of life in economically disadvantaged communities.
The Community Solutions Workshop will be Friday and Saturday at the Mebane Arts & Community Center, 622 Corregidor St. The workshop is being organized by the West End Revitalization Association, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.
“People throughout North Carolina face significant health and environmental challenges, which reduce their quality of life,” said Michael Regan, secretary of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality. “We hope this workshop will start a discussion that leads to a stronger partnership aimed at tackling these issues and fostering economic prosperity."
The workshop will bring together leaders from North Carolina communities and state and federal agencies to discuss issues such as helping vulnerable communities find access to healthy food, better public transportation options, and more public assistance opportunities. Other topics will include citizen science approaches to monitor air and water quality, strategies for including communities in planning and zoning issues, and how the state Department of Environmental Quality is helping protect vulnerable communities from environmental and health hazards.
Speakers will include Regan, Omega Wilson from the West End Revitalization Association, Navassa Mayor Eulis Willis and Danielle Spurlock, assistant professor of City & Regional Planning at UNC-Chapel Hill.