News – Page 31 – SEDA Council of Governments

Webcast: New cybersecurity requirement for Department of Defense contracts

Posted on April 6, 2020 by DNS Admin

Starting this fall, contractors will be required to have a cybersecurity certification to obtain U.S. Department of Defense contracts.

A free webcast will show interested businesses how to obtain the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification. It will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. May 28 through Zoom.

There is a limit of 100 registrants. To register, visit https://bit.ly/2xOlB96.

Scott Dawson, president of Core Business Solutions, will present the training. It is cosponsored by SEDA-Council of Governments’ (SEDA-COG) Procurement Technical Assistance Center.

For more information, contact Robert Brown at rbrown@seda-cog.org or 570-522-7224.

The webcast is sponsored by the Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) of SEDA-Council of Governments, Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission, Northwest, Southeast PA, Northern Tier, Northeastern PA, JARI, and North Central; and Indiana University of Pennsylvania, California University of Pennsylvania’s Government Agency Coordination Office, Slippery Rock University, the Innovative Manufacturers’ Center, and PA Partnerships for Regional Economic Performance.

SEDA-COG’s Procurement Technical Assistance Center helps companies explore and compete in the local, state, and federal government marketplace. For more information about the SEDA-COG Procurement Technical Assistance Center, visit www.seda-cog.org/ptac/.

The Procurement Technical Assistance program is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the Defense Logistics Agency.

Statewide “Stay-at-home” order for all of Pennsylvania

Posted on April 2, 2020 by DNS Admin

Governor Wolf has issued a statewide “stay-at-home” order for all counties in Pennsylvania in order to limit the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

State residents are directed to stay home unless they are involved in certain essential activities, such as collecting food and groceries, picking up prescriptions or medical supplies, going to or from work in life-sustaining businesses, caring for a family member or pet in another household, or other essential travel.

Thirty-three counties were already under these restrictions; the order now covers all counties and will remain in effect until April 30.

People who need to leave home for life-sustaining activities are encouraged to practice social distancing by maintaining at least six feet of separation from other individuals, washing hands with soap and water frequently, covering coughs and sneezes with a sleeve or elbow and regularly cleaning high-contact surface areas.

More guidance on activities that are allowed during the stay-at-home order are available here.

SEDA-COG Operational Response to COVID-19

Posted on March 25, 2020 by DNS Admin

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and Gov. Tom Wolf’s order to close the physical locations of non-life-sustaining businesses, SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) has closed its office(s) during this time, and in-person meetings have been cancelled/postponed.

We continue to serve you during this time of crisis. Staff are working remotely and are available by phone and email. This includes assistance to businesses and communities.

However, our Weatherization and Housing Rehabilitation work is not permitted to continue until the governor lifts his order because of in-home contact with clients. We will resume weatherization and housing rehabilitation services as soon as we are permitted.

Importantly, our Crisis services are still functioning. The Crisis program repairs a malfunctioning heating unit at no cost to residents who qualify for fuel assistance, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The Crisis program runs until April 15 this year. For residents whose heat source is malfunctioning, they should call their county assistance office. The county assistance office will forward the completed referral to SEDA-COG to assign to a subcontractor. We encourage any clients with questions or concerns to reach out to us at information@seda-cog.org and we will direct your inquiries to the relevant department.

Thank you, and stay safe!

National Census day is April 1, 2020

Posted on March 5, 2020March 5, 2020 by DNS Admin

Many Pennsylvanians may wonder why the 2020 Census matters. There are three simple reasons. First, it’s in the Constitution that every resident must be counted every ten years. Second, it’s important to participate to make sure we have fair representation in Congress. And lastly, our census count will affect the next decade of federal spending, policy, and decision-making.

It’s about fair representation. The census is used to decide how many seats each state gets in the U.S. House of Representatives. Pennsylvania has 18 Congressional representatives. We used to have 19 but lost a seat after the 2010 Census.

Census data are used to decide how $675 billion in federal public funding is spent every year. Federal spending on programs like highway planning and construction, transit formula grants, and transit capital investment grants. Pennsylvania gets $26.8 billion annually from just our 16 largest federally-funded programs. That’s about $2,000 per Pennsylvanian each year.
Everyone counts. Be a good neighbor and spread awareness in your community. Information and outreach resources are available at pa.gov/census.