Thursday, January 22, 2009

Stimulus Package

Has anyone been asked to assist their county or local communities in compiling a list of ‘shovel ready’ projects for the new stimulus package? The bulk of the package – about 60% of $550 billion – is to be used to assist State and Local Governments in building new schools and highways, and invest in energy and health-care projects. The rest would provide tax relief for businesses and individuals.
Supposedly, these funds are not earmarked and are to fund projects that could start within 90-120 days.


Question: What do these requests look like? Are they simply a list of priority projects that have preliminary planning done? If so, do they need plans attached?
Alternatively, are they simply a one-page ‘wish list’?

7 comments:

Bob Kazmierski said...

Hi Bob:



Waukesha County put a list together. They used their capital improvements plan and took projects directly from it.



Jerry

Bob Kazmierski said...

Bob,

I was asked by the county to do this. Below is what we submitted.

-Jason

Jason Kauffeld
Community Resource Development Educator
UW Extension Green Lake County
492 Hill Street, Courthouse, POB 3188
Green Lake, WI 54941
Phone: 920-294-4036
E-mail: jason.kauffeld@ces.uwex.edu
Website: www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/greenlake/

An EEO/Affirmative Action employer, University of Wisconsin-Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title IX and ADA requirements

http://greenlake.uwex.edu/



Company Name: Green Lake County

Project Description: Construction of a new Justice Center to house the county jail, courthouse, sherrif's department, and the health and human services department. This 122,000 square foot facility will house 120 employees and 100 inmates. The county is working with Focus On Energy, UWEX, Samuels Group, and Potter Lawson to incorporate Geothermal and other renewable energy / energy conservation components into the facility. Bids were opened on December 4th for first phase construction, ground breaking begins next week. Second phase will be bid in February 2009, with second phase construction to begin in the Spring when the ground thaws.

# Construction Jobs: 150

# of Non-Construction Jobs: 120 county employees in the Justice Center.

Ready to go in 0-90 days? YES!

If you require further information, please feel free to contact me at the number listed below. Also, please feel free to contact Todd Hudzinski, Energy Indepenence Team Leader for Green Lake County at 920-229-1260.


One large ask from the state(and many states across the country) and some muni's is for energy efficiency upgrade for existing government buildings- like boilers, furnaces lighting, insulation. It's one thing to get the buildings assessed and another to have the funding to pay for the upgrades. Focus on energy can help with both but there's still an outlay. This is a long term investment in reduced operating costs and is in keeping with the Obama goals.

Sherrie

Hi Bob,

Sorry, I couldn’t use the blog because its Andy’s blog….anyway… our Regional Planning commission (East Central RPC) put together a lengthy list of projects on behalf of their region and shared it with local politicians.

Catherine

Anonymous said...

One large ask from the state(and many states across the country) and some muni's is for energy efficiency upgrade for existing government buildings- like boilers, furnaces lighting, insulation. It's one thing to get the buildings assessed and another to have the funding to pay for the upgrades. Focus on energy can help with both but there's still an outlay. This is a long term investment in reduced operating costs and is in keeping with the Obama goals.
Sherrie Gruder

Alicia Acken said...

Hey Bob,

I was at a St Croix meeting the other day. The folks from MN have some restoration projects already planned out and written out for their state's initiative. The restoration projects are intended to be job creation projects. I can help you track down these projects if you're interested. It was The Nature Conservancy, Conservation Fund, and maybe NPS.....can't remember if NPS was in or not. John Haack would know too.

Anonymous said...

Colleagues,

I believe the WCA had been involved in this issue a few weeks back.
Perhaps a check in with someone there would be useful.

Rick Klemme

Ps - Chuck Law - could you follow up?

Anonymous said...

I would think that if the local government in question has a capital improvement plan in place and has been funding it, the chances of getting some of the stimulus money goes up. If no plan is in place and the requests look like a grab-bag odds go down. The other comment about making energy efficient improvements in public buildings also makes a lot of sense. But right now who knows what the rules will look like.

Steven C. Deller
Professor and Community Development Economist Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
521 Taylor Hall --- 427 Lorch Street
University of Wisconsin-Madison/Extension Madison, WI 53706
608-263-6251
"Conformity can be costly in a world of uncertainty"
Nobel winning economist Douglass North

Anonymous said...

CNRED Colleagues,

The Local Government Center will host its semi-annual meeting with its advisory group (the three Executive Directors of the state's major local government associations) on Monday. This provides an excellent opportunity to solicit feedback from Mark O'Connell on behalf of the Wisconsin Counties Association.

One of use will report back to you next week on what we learn.

C.

_______________________________________
Charles S. Law, Ph.D.
Director, UWEX Local Government Center
229 Lowell Hall, 610 Langdon Street
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 265-2501