mapc municipal arra briefing boston, ma monday, april 27, 2009 shannon menard, policy manager, narc
TRANSCRIPT
MAPC Municipal ARRA Briefing
Boston, MA
Monday, April 27, 2009
Shannon Menard, Policy Manager, NARC
What is NARC?
• National non-profit membership trade organization
• Represents multi-jurisdictional regional planning organizations - COGs, MPOs, LDDs, RPOs – large and small, urban and rural– Members like MAPC
• Formed by NACo and NLC to address regionally based challenges and produce solutions
What is NARC?
• Governed by local elected officials
• NARC President: Hon. Steve Cassano, Selectman, Town of Manchester, CT
• Concentrate on four core areas – Transportation– Economic & Community Development– Homeland Security/Public Safety– Environment
Economic Recovery Formation• NARC testified before the House T&I
committee 10/29• Worked in concert with NACo, NLC and
USCM – and other partners• Spoke with both Congress and the New
Administration• Stimulus Snapshot report – over $24B
infrastructure investment needed• Continual and up-to-date information analysis
and sharing• NARC Economic Recovery website
– www.narc.org
Economic Recovery FormationNARC supported:
– Increasing EDA, environment/energy, transportation, etc. funding
– Funding water and wastewater projects through 100% direct grants, not loans.
– Including all proven housing programs, i.e. CDBG and Neighborhood Stabilization
– Supporting funding drilled down to the local level through current programs and formulas, ensuring regions and local governments get direct allocations.
– Requiring States to engage with local governments – urban and rural – in project selection
– Ensuring reasonable and attainable timeframes to obligate and report on project funding
– Including local governments and local elected officials as partners in the recovery process
Economic Recovery Formation
• Why these mechanisms/outcomes?– Maintains mechanisms in current law
• Congress stressed this aspect
– Reinforces the federal/local partnership with allocations to large, medium and small regions
– Intends to drill $ down to the local level– Highlights the accountability, transparency
and filling real need
American Recovery & Reinvestment Act
• President Obama signed ARRA into law 2/17/2009, Denver, CO
• $787 billion in total federal aide
• Mix of tax cuts and direct federal spending
Tax Provisions Snapshot
• Recovery Zone Bonds– Like empowerment zones
• Energy Bond Provisions– $1.6 billion in new "clean renewable energy
bonds”– $2.4 billion more of qualified energy conservation
bonds• Options for State and Local Governments to
Issue Tax-Credit Bonds – House & Senate• Build America Bonds
– State and local governments with a new tax credit bond option for new capital projects.
Local Provisions SnapshotTRANSPORTATION
– $27.5B highway• 30% suballocated to regions and localities
– $8.4B transit
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT• $150M EDA• $1B CDBG• $2B Neighborhood Stabilization Program• $3.95B Workforce Investment Act Training and Employment
Services• $2.5B Rural Broadband Infrastructure Development
ENVIRONMENT• $1.38B Rural Water & Waste Disposal Direct loans/grants• $3.2B Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grants
(EECBG)• $4B CWSRF; $2B DWSRF• $100M Brownfields
National Snapshot• State, local and regional ARRA experiences range
from very collaborative to not collaborative at all• Connecticut DOT hasn’t engaged the regions at all • Missouri DOT engaged the MPOs only after
information was leaked to local newspapers• FL holding regular meetings with COGs and MPOs –
as well as municipalities• TX met regularly with COGs and municipalities to
prioritize projects• Regional and Local leadership highlighted in many
examples – lots of public involvement in some cases• Many ARRA Czars to handle recovery efforts and act
as a point of contact
Regional Example - CA
• California - An example unlike any other– CA’s state law further redistributes federal
transportation money– CA State Legislature contemplating further
legislation to handle ARRA– Caltrans has been actively engaging the MPOs
and rural areas since 11/08, but they’re required to by State law
– CA following all of the normal processes for public comment, NEPA, etc.
Regional Example – Kansas City
• MARC has been maintaining a public database of projects since 12/08– Publicized on their webpage (much like is
called for under ARRA’s reporting requirements)
– Received many comments from public– Including citizens in process
Audience Participation
• How are MA municipalities being included?
• Are you involved in the process?
• Is there a good mix of rural and urban?
• What is the initial reaction to monies spent?
SHARE YOUR STORY!
Where do we go from here?
• Budget Resolution & Appropriations
• Transportation Authorization – SAFETEA-LU expires September 2009
• Climate Change – Waxman-Markey bill
• EDA Reauthorization
• Livable Communities initiative
• Water & Wastewater funding bill(s)
Questions?
Comments?
National Association of Regional Councils202-986-1032 (T) • 202-986-1038 (F) • www.NARC.org
For more information, please contact:
THANK YOU !
Shannon MenardPolicy Manager
[email protected], X 217