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Information on 2010 Jobs Bill Effort. Please click HERE to access a brief summary and HERE for a detailed analysis of the HR 2847, the Jobs For Main Street Act of 2010, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on December 16, 2009. The Senate is working on a separate version that has yet to be released. Senate Democratic leaders have said they will try to advance the bill to the floor next week (Feb. 8, 2010). Click HERE for the Senate Democratic Jobs Agenda, which provides a glimpse into funding priorities, and HERE to view last week’s rumored Senate jobs bill totals and general program allocations.

NARC member areas of interest within the Senate Democratic Jobs Agenda include:

• Surface Transportation Authorization Extension to continue investments in transportation infrastructure;
• Build America Bonds funding mechanism for state and local governments to borrow at a lower cost and move forward public infrastructure projects;
• Transportation Investments (including TIGER grants);
• Water Infrastructure Investments for both drinking water and wastewater;
• Regional Economic Development Grants through the Economic Development Administration; and,
• Dislocated Worker Training Programs to retrain unemployed workers in new skills and trades.

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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was signed into law in February 2009, and provides opportunities and funding for states and local governments within core tax and spending areas.

Share your Economic Recovery story! Click HERE to access NARC's ARRA survey. Please fill each of the sections with detailed information from your organization. It is critical to use ARRA as an exercise to detail the regional and local success stories, as well as record the challenges experienced.

Click below to see what some of your colleagues are experiencing.
Denver Regional Council of Governments
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
Green River Area Development District
Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization
Mountainland Council of Governments
West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission

New Funding Opportunities: RUS and NTIA announce general policy and application procedures for broadband initiatives established pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). RUS is establishing the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) which may extend loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in rural areas. NTIA is establishing the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) which makes available grants for deploying broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas in the United States, enhancing broadband capacity at public computer centers, and promoting sustainable broadband adoption projects. In facilitating the expansion of broadband communications services and infrastructure, both programs will advance the objectives of the Recovery Act to spur job creation and stimulate long-term economic growth and opportunity. 

In addition, the State Broadband Data and Development Program, a competitive, merit-based matching grant program, may fund projects that collect comprehensive and accurate state-level broadband mapping data, develop state-level broadband maps, aid in the development and maintenance of a national broadband map, and fund statewide initiatives directed at broadband planning.

Applications will be accepted between July 14, 2009 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) until August 14, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. ET. The application packages for electronic and paper submissions will be available at http://broadbandusa.sc.egov.usda.gov/download_app.htm.

Click here for more information on this broadband ARRA funding opportunity. Click here to access the BTOP factsheet and here to access the Mapping factsheet.

NARC Resources

• ARRA Grant Opportunities (updated 4/30/09)
• NARC Summary of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) (updated 2/13/09)
  • General Transparency and Accountability - reporting and certifications (updated 2/16/09)
  • Transportation
  • Economic & Community Development
  • Homeland Security
  • Environment
• NARC Comparison Chart of House, Senate and ARRA Spending Levels

Federal Agency Resources
To access general guidance, timelines, reporting and program information.

• General Federal Government website www.Recovery.gov
• US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) click here
• US Department of Transportation (DOT) click here
• US Department of Energy (DOE) click here
  • Specific information on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
  • Specific information on Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG)
• US Department of Agriculture (USDA) click here
• US Department of Commerce (DOC) click here
• US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) click here
  • Final Guidance on State Revolving Fund Capitalization Grants (SRF) from EPA Office of Water
  • EPA Webcast on EECBG Economic Recovery Grant Program
• US Department of Labor (DOL) click here

ARRA Text

• Spending/Appropriations*
• Tax*

ARRA Infrastructure Funding

• Infrastructure Investment Funding (state breakdown) - Prepared by House T&I Committee (updated 2/16/09)
• Highway Funding for Urbanized Areas
• Transit Capital Investment Funding
• Transit Fixed Guideway Funding
• Clean Water State Revolving Fund

*These are large files and may not download properly. If you are having problems, visit the House Rules Committee website to access or visit www.thomas.gov.

ACTION: NARC Member Materials

• Economic Recovery update - Click HERE for FAQ with recent Congressional developments and legislative activities. (updated 1/22/09)
• Economic Recovery Package Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
• General NARC Member Talking Points (for use with your Congressional delegation discussions)
• General NARC Member Congressional Letter (to personalize and send to your Congressional delegation)
• NARC Stimulus Side-by-Side (updated 1/31/09)
• Click HERE to submit your “ready-to-go” infrastructure projects through a simple survey form.

BACKGROUND: NARC Activities

• April 17, 2008 – Economic Development Coalition letter supporting Economic Development Administration (EDA) funding in stimulus
• October 27, 2008 – President Betty Knight letter to Congressional leadership
• October 29, 2008 – House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee hearing testimony, “Investing in Infrastructure: The Road to Recovery”
• November 14, 2008 – President Betty Knight letter to Congressional leadership
• December 5, 2008 – President Betty Knight National Journal blog response, “How Should The Infrastructure Stimulus Be Spent?”
• December 8, 2008 – Regional Infrastructure Investment report press release
• December 8, 2008 – Release of “Regional Infrastructure Investment: Building Our Economies; Investing in Our Communities” report
• December 11, 2008 – Traffic World article, “Regional Councils Urge Recovery Spending”
• December 22, 2008 – Local Government Association group letter to Congress
• February 5, 2009 - Local Government Association group letter to Senator Feinstein on water and wastewater funding.

Contact: Shannon Menard, NARC Policy Manager at 202.986.1032, x217 or shannon@NARC.org with questions, suggestions or more information.

Click HERE to access the December 23, 2008 Member Action Alert.