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 Formation

NARC 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 Snapshot

TRANSPORTATION – $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?

Economic Recovery Discussions Continue… Please Join Us!

THANK YOU !

For more information, please contact: Shannon Menard

Policy Manager [email protected], X 217

National Association of Regional Councils

202-986-1032 (T) • 202-986-1038 (F) • www.NARC.org