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Item Q4BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: September 16 , 2009 Division: _County Administrator__ _ Bulk Item: Yes No x Department: County Administrator _ Staff Contact Person/Phone #: Roman Gastesi 292-4441 AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Discussion and direction to staff with regards to the request from The Guidance Clinic of the Middle Keys, Inc seeking assistance from the BOCC. ITEM BACKGROUND: PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES: __________________________________________________________________________________ STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: TOTAL COST: INDIRECT COST: ______________BUDGETED: Yes No ___ DIFFERENTIAL OF LOCAL PREFERENCE: _______________________________________ COST TO COUNTY:SOURCE OF FUNDS: ____________________ REVENUE PRODUCING:AMOUNT PER MONTHYear ____ Yes No APPROVED BY: County Atty OMB/Purchasing Risk Management ____ DOCUMENTATION: Included Not Required___ DISPOSITION:AGENDA ITEM # Revised 7/09 . CARDENAS. PARTNERSLLc MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: DATI:: RE: Monroe County Board of County Commissioners Cardenas Partners LLC September 16, 2009 Overview of Monthly Reports ~ CARDENAS' PARTN E.RSI)'. CON(;RESSIONAL CALENDAR: The House of Representatives passed the FY2009 Omnibus (H.R. 1105) on February 25th by a ,'ote of 245-178. The bill was then received in the Senate and passed without amendment by a voice vote on March 10th. The legislation contained the FY2009 apprOl)riations for: Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy & Water, Financial Servic1es, Interior & Environment, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch, State & Foreign Operations, and Transportation-HUD. H.R. 1105 was signed into law by the President on March 11 th. The funding secured in the FY"2009 appropriations bill is as follows: $2,392,000 for the Florida Keys Water Quality Improvements Program This IrlOney was secured by Congresswoman Ileana Ros- Lehtinen. FY2010 Appropriations Season: Last rnonth Cardenas Partners LLC prepared and successfully submitted all three apprOI)riations requests for Monroe County for FY2010. Cardenas Partners LLC worked closel)T with designated staff from the County to develop a list of priorities for apprOI)riations funding requests. Forms were submitted to Congressman Mario Diaz- Balart~, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Senator Bill Nelson and Senator Mel Martillez. This rnonth Cardenas Partners LLC has met with the appropriations staff members; specifi.cally, Sarah Gamino from Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's office and Nilda Pedrosa from Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart's office, to push for the inclusion of the Count)" s priorities in the FY20 1 0 appropriations bill. The priorities include: 1. Waste'water Infrastructure Improvements; 2.Bridge Repair Project; and 3. Emergency Operations Center. The deadline for submission by the Congressional offices is April 3 rd; Cardenas Partners LLC vvill continue to be in contact with Congressional staff to make sure County projects are sul)mitted. Cardellas Partners LLC has recommended a DC Fly-In for County officials in the coming month in order to sit down with its Congressional delegation as well as certain departJment officials regarding its priorities. Clean Water State Revolving Fund: The CWSRF program is a low-interest loan program for local government wastewater and stormwater projects. Loans are made based on a federally-approved, competitive priorit:y system reflecting environmental and public health considerations and readiness- ~ CARDENAS. PARTN ERSL1(. to-procleed. Moneys are disbursed based on completed, invoiced work. Loans are generally made for a 20-year term at interest rates at least 40% below rates. EP A e:Kpects to award state capitalization grants by early April. Total Florida State fundin~~ amount: $132.29 million. Cardenas Partners LLC met with Valerie Johnson from the Environmental Protection Agenc~r (EPA) to discuss the Clean Water State Revolving fund. She addressed questions regarding how to access funds as well as the timeline that is expected once the funds reach the state. Drinking Water State Revolving Fund: The D"WSRF program is a low-interest loan program primarily for local government drinkinlg water projects. Loans are made based on a federally-approved, competitive priorit)! system reflecting public health and regulatory compliance considerations and readint~ss-to-proceed. Moneys are disbursed based on completed, invoiced work. Loans are gerLerally made for a 20-year term at interest rates 40% below rates. Loan repayments are retllmed ("revolve") to the program to make new loans, combining with any available federal funds, state matching moneys (waived for ARRA), and interest earnings on the SRF. ]~ederal funds, including ARRA funds, are allotted to the states based on a formula in federal regulations. EP A expects to award state capitalization grants by early April, 2009. All funds must obligated through construction contracts at the local government level no later than one year after the effective date of the ARRA. The total Florida State budget amount: $88.07 milliorl. Carderlas Partners LLC met with Pete Mitchell and Susie Perez-Quinn from Senator NelsorL's office to discuss the option of obtaining funding for Monroe County through the stimullls that goes directly to the County, not the Florida Keys Water Quality Impro'vements Program (FKWQIP). CardeIlas Partners LLC has conducted a number of conference calls with Monroe County officials regarding meetings that have taken place on behalf of the County concerning stimullus dollars and to discuss the best course of action moving forward. FY2010 Appropriations: Durin~~ the month of April, Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Commlittees (and Subcommittees) began the behind-the-scenes work of drafting the apprOI)riations bills for fiscal year 2010. Markups for all the appropriations bills are not yet sclleduled, but are expected in the coming months. ~ CAR DEN AS' PART N E R S 1.1 ,. Carderlas Partners LLC will certainly attend and monitor the Appropriations Committees' marku]Js for the appropriations bills which the firm has made funding requests on behalf of Morlfoe County. Throughout the month of April, Cardenas Partners LLC remained in close contact with the offices of Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart regarding the progress of the FY201 0 appropriations bills. At the end of April, Cardenas Partners LLC gathered the list of which Member submitted which of the FY201 0 funding requests on behalf of Monroe County. . Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen submitted: - Emergency Operations Center Homeland Security bill $3 million - Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements Interior & Environment bill $1 0 million - Bridge Repair Project Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill $2 million Durin~~ the month of May, Cardenas Partners LLC will plan and attend supplementary meetin.gs with appropriate House and Senate Committee Members (and staff) in order to educat1e them about the County's requests and urge for their inclusion in this year's appropriations bills. 2009 MONROE COUNTY DC FLY-IN: Throu~~hout April, Cardenas Partners LLC worked diligently to assist in planning and executing the DC Fly-In for the Monroe County delegation that took place April 27th throug:h April 29th. On AI)ril 20th, members of the Cardenas Partners LLC team participated in the second conferlence call to plan the DC Fly-In. Cardenas Partners LLC scheduled the following requested meetings for the trip: · Spencer Wayne (Legislative Assistant to Senator Mel Martinez) o Spencer handles Appropriations and Transportation issues for the Senator o Topic: discussed Monroe County's appropriations requests (Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements, Bridge Repair Project and the Emergency Operations Center). Also discussed were the County's requests for the Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill. · Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart and his Chief of Staff Nilda Pedrosa ~ CARDENAS. PARTN ERSil/; o Topic: discussed Monroe County's appropriations requests (Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements, Bridge Repair Project and the Emergency Operations Center). Also discussed were the County's requests for the Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill. · Michael Blake, White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs o Lori Faeth from the Department of the Interior was also present o Topic: The need for federal funding for Monroe County's wastewater infrastructure · Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and her Legislative Director Sarah Gamino o Topic: discussed Monroe County's appropriations requests (Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements, Bridge Repair Project and the Emergency Operations Center). o The Congresswoman was also thanked for her efforts in helping to secure $25,408,000 in stimulus funds for the Florida Keys Water Quality Improvement Program through the Army Corp of Engineers. · Senator Bill Nelson and his Chief of Staff Pete Mitchell o Topic: discussed Monroe County's appropriations requests, specifically Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements o The Senator was also thanked for his efforts in helping to secure $25,408,000 in stimulus funds for the Florida Keys Water Quality Improvement Program through the Army Corp of Engineers. · Frank Walker (Federal Policy Advisor to Governor Charlie Crist) o Frank handles environmental policy issues for the Governor o Topic: Overview of visit, discussed the possibility of a 1 cent gas tax to pay for wastewater infrastructure improvements, the possibility of designating Monroe County as a rural area to enable them to receive grants from the State Clean Water Revolving Fund During the month of May, Cardenas Partners LLC will schedule and conduct supple:mentary meetings with the appropriate staff from the House and Senate offices. SURFiACE TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION BILL: In April, the House Transportation Committee Chairman, Congressman James Oberstar, annouJnced his intention to pass a Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill by the Memorial recess. This bill comes up every five years making it very important to make sure requests are submitted. The Committee provided guidance for Member High- Priority Projects and set the Committee deadline as May 8th. Cardenas Partners LLC worked with Monroe County staff to identify eligible projects and complete the necessary forms. Projects are required to show 80% identified financing. It was highly recommended that projects were only requested where work could be completed within the authorization time :fi~ame. All project requests were accompanied by a letter of support from a state or local government or government agency to both the Committee on Transportation and ~ CARDENAS' PARTN ERS I.l' Infrastructure's Chairman and Ranking Member. All outside sources of financing (Federal, state, local or private) had to be listed in these letters and all projects are requir(;~d to have a public comment period (usually accomplished through environmental asseSSlnent process). Projects should meet requirements under US code and must comply with highway and transit program objectives; museums, horse trails, historic battlefields and other non-transportation projects will not be considered. All projects will be vetted by the Federal DOT. Monro,e County submitted a total of nine (9) projects to Congresswoman Ileana Ros- Lehtinen's office as well as Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart's office. These projects were: · No Name Key bridge · Similar Sound bridge · Tom's Harbor Channel bridge · S.R. 940 - Leg A bridge · Card Sound bridge · Truman Bridge · Seaview Drive bridge · Bimini Drive bridge · Harbor Drive bridge Cardellas Partners LLC will keep the County updated as this bill progresses. STIMULUS UPDATE: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 authorized the General Services AdmiIlistration's (GSA) Public Building Service (PBS) to invest $5.55 billioll in federal public building projects. This includes $4.5 billion to transform federal facilities into exemplary high-performance green buildings, $750 million to renovate and construct new federal offices and courthouses, and $300 million to construct and renovate border statiollS. GSA recently submitted a list of proposed projects and cost estimates to Congr1ess. Buildings were selected based on the speed at which jobs could be created and the magnitude of improved energy efficiency. Florida will receive $168 million in federal stimulus money to pay for projects that reduce: energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency. The money is beiIlg made available through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECI~G) program, which was signed into law in 2007. However, the program was not funde,l until the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was signed into law. The mLoney will be allocated through grants to 17 counties ($74 million), 69 cities '($64 millioll), two tribal governments ($243,000) and the governor's Energy Office ($30 millioll). In addition, the Energy Office will distribute $18 million in sub-grants - 60 ~ CARDENAS' PARTN E.RSllf percent of its federal allocation to smaller cities and counties that are ineligible for direct formula grants. FY201 0 APPROPRIATIONS: During the month of May, Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees (and Subcommittees) continued the work of drafting the appropriations bills for fiscal year 2010. Most of the subcommittees with the appropriate jurisdiction have held preliminary hearings and received testimony from a variety of sources in order to educate themst~lves on current issues and funding requests. Markups for all of the appropriations bills are not yet scheduled, but are expected in the coming' months. Cardenas Partners LLC vvill certainly attend and monitor the Appropriations Committees' markups for the apprOl)riations bills which the firm has made funding requests on behalf of Monroe Count~{ . Throughout the month of May, Cardenas Partners LLC remained in close contact with the offices of Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart regarding the progress of the FY201 0 appropriations bills. House Appropriations leaders expect to begin subcommittee markups when Congress returns the week of June 1. House leaders want to pass all 12 fiscal 2010 appropriations bills before the start of the August recess~, which would give them eight weeks, excluding the one-week July 4th recess. FY201. 0 requests that have been submitted are as follows: . Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements ($5,000,000) - Senator Bill Nelson . Emergency Operations Center ($3,000,000) - Congresswoman Ileana Ros- Lehtinen . Bridge Repair Project ($2,000,000) - Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen . Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements ($10,000,000) - Congresswoman Ileana Ros- Lehtinen SURF ACE TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION BILL: The Cllrrent authorization that guides national transportation policy was adopted in 2005 and allthorized $287 billion. The bill expires on Sept. 30, 2009. In April, Cardenas Partners LLC worked with Monroe County to submit nine (9) projects for the Surface Transl>ortation Reauthorization bill to Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart and Congr1esswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's offices. The following projects were submitted in Mayas High-Priority Projects to the House Transportation and Infrastructure COffilTlittee on behalf of the County: Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen: -Monroe County Bridge Rehabilitation and Repair Projects: Amount - $3,633,800 For thte following bridge repairs; No Name Key Bridge, Similar Sound Bridge, and Tom's Harbor Channel Bridge. ~ CARDENAS. PARTN ERSIl( Carden.as Partners LLC will continue to keep the County updated on the progress of this bill. 2009l\IONROE COUNTY DC FLY-IN: April 27th through April 29th delegates from Monroe County flew to DC for meetings with ttLeir Congressional Representatives as well as staff from relevant Departments and the Wllite House to discuss the County's priorities. As a follow up to the meetings Cardenas Partners LLC helped to draft and send thank you letters. Cardenas Partners LLC also delivered Honorary Conch Certificates to the Congr(~ssmenlwomen, Senators and staff the delegation met with. Carderlas Partners LLC has also followed up with Lori Faeth from the Department of Interior regarding a point of contact within the DOl for the Coastal Barrier Relief System (CBR~;). FY2010 APPROPRIATIONS: Throu1~hout June, Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees (and Subco]mmittees) continued drafting the appropriations bills for fiscal year 2010. Most of the sulJcommittees with the appropriate jurisdictions have held preliminary hearings and receiv(~d testimony from a variety of sources in order to educate themselves on current issues and funding requests. The following Monroe County request was included in the House Homeland Security approI>riations bill: - Emergency Operations Center: $200,000 We look forward to seeing the remainder of the Committee Reports (including funded projects) in the coming weeks, especially for the Transportation and Housing & Urban Devel4)pment Appropriations bill. Carde][}as Partners LLC will continue to monitor and update the County as the bills move throug;h committees. HIGHWAY BILL UPDATE: In June, Congressman Oberstar rolled out his blueprint for a six-year, $500 billion dollar bill d(~signed to overhaul the Department of Transportation (DOT), expedite projects, coordinate planning for different modes of transportation and tie federal funds to measu.rable benchmarks. This came after DOT Secretary, Ray Lahood, proposed enactiJng a short-term, I8-month reauthorization to ensure there is time to replenish the High~/ay Trust Fund, which is scheduled to run a large deficit by the end of the current authorization on September 30. ~ CARDENAS. PARTN ERSIl' Congressman Oberstar has committed to get this bill passed and signed by the President before the September 30th deadline. The bill would provide roughly $450 billion for surface transportation projects and an additional $50 billion for high-speed rail. With Congress working on the 12 appropriations bills, healthcare reform and global warming legislation this timeline seems unreachable. Cardenas Partners LLC will keep the County updated as this bill moves through Congress. STIM1JLUS: TIGER Grants The stimulus appropriated $1.5 billion to the grant for investments in surface transportation infrastructure. The deadline for submission is September 15, 2009. These grants are to be awarded on a competitive basis for capital investments in surface transpo,rtation projects that will have a significant impact on the Nation, a metropolitan area or a region. This grant is called "TIGER Discretionary Grants" Funds are awarded to State and local governments and eligible projects include: - interstate rehabilitation - bridg~e replacement - seisnlic retrofit projects for bridges - road realignment - public transportation projects Further grant information is available at http://www.dot.gov/recovery/ost/ Monro,e County was forwarded this information in early June and was encouraged to apply. Smart Grid Technologies and Electric Transmission Infrastructure U.S. E:nergy Secretary Steven Chu announced this month that the Department of Energy is soli(;iting applications for $3.9 billion in grants to support efforts to modernize the electric grid, allowing for greater integration of renewable energy sources while increasing the reliability, efficiency and security of the nation's transmission and distriblltion system, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Secretary Chu announced the release of the final Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA) for $3.9 billion in Recovery Act funds. Approximately $3.3 billion for the Smart Grid Illvestment Grant Program and $615 million for smart grid demonstration projects will help develop and implement smart grid technologies across the country. As paIt of the Smart Grid Investment Grant Program, DOE will provide cost-shared grants to support manufacturing, purchasing and installation of existing smart grid technologies that can be deployed on a commercial scale. Funding under the Smart Grid DemOIlstration Program will be used to demonstrate how emerging technologies can be ~ CARDENAS- PARTN ERSLI< applied in innovative ways within the electric delivery system to provide integrated and economically-feasible solutions. The Investment Grant program is intended to enable smart grid functions on the electric system as soon as possible, while the Demonstration program is aimed at identifying and developing new and more cost-effective smart grid equipment, tools, techniques, and system configurations that can significantly improve upon today's technologies. The fil1al FOAs reflect the more than 600 comments DOE received on the draft solicitations. The Department previously announced that while the maxiIIluIll award limits for both programs were being increased, the Department will support projects of all sizes. 'Under the final solicitations, the maximum award for the Smart Grid Investment Grants will be $200 million; the maximum award for the Smart Grid Demonstrations will be $1 00 million. FY2010 APPROPRIATIONS: Throughout July, Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees (and Subcornmittees) continued drafting the appropriations bills for fiscal year 2010. Most of the sut)committees with the appropriate jurisdictions have held preliminary hearings and receivt:~d testimony from a variety of sources in order to educate themselves on current issues and funding requests. Cardenas Partners monitored all of the scheduled Appropriations markups for the House and Senate as well as obtained and reviewed Committee Reports (which detail earmarked projects) for all of the bills which have been made available. The following Monroe County request was included in the House Homeland Security approl:.riations bill: .. Emergency Operations Center: $200,000 Cardellas Partners will continue to monitor and update the County as the bills move through committees and head to conference. FUTlrRE COUNTY FLY-IN: Cardellas Partners is attempting to coordinate a September fly-in for a delegation from Monr()e County to discuss appointing the Marathon airport as a point of entry to the U.S., meet ,vith EP A officials to discuss the possibility of the Keys being designated an area of critical concern in order to be eligible for grant funding, and possibly meet with FEMA Director Craig Fugate regarding the County's need for an Emergency Operations Center. Also cliscussed were the issue of basement dwellings, and environmental zoning concerns that nt~ed to be addressed. Throughout July, Cardenas Partners participated in two conference calls with County officials and staff to discuss this fly-in. Cardenas Partners will continue to stay in contact ~ CARDENAS- PARTN ERStl< with ttle County through the month of August regarding preparations and meetings that are sch.eduled for the trip. TRANSPORTATION BILL UPDATE: Yieldillg to Senate lobbying, the House boosted to $7 billion a short-term fix for the l1early depleted Higllway Tlust FUlld illlegislatioll it pass~u W~dn~sday. The bill (HR 3357) was passed by 363-68. It now goes to the Senate, which is expected to clear it swiftly for President Obama's signature. The measure also would extend fundin,g for the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and increase the commitment authority for the Federal Housing Administration's two main mortgage assistance programs. The House bill initially included only $5 billion to shore up the highway fund however; the Transportation Department has told Congress that $7 billion is needed to ensure the trust fund can continue making payments to states through the end of fiscal 2009. :Senate negotiators insisted on the $7 billion total, according to aides. The money would be transferred to the highway fund from the general fund. The House and Senate are at odds over a broader reauthorization of highway, bridge and transit programs. House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James L. Oberstar, D-Minn., is pushing for action this year on a six-year, $500 billion overhaul of the current law. The Senate and the White House, preoccupied with other priorities, want to extend the CWTent authorization for 18 months after it expires Sept. 30. The adlministration plan would require $20 billion to keep the transportation fund solvent through the I8-month period, including the immediate $7 billion infusion. Oberstar had hoped to limit the short-term transfer to $3 billion to maintain pressure for the six-year authorization when lawmakers return in the fall however; he agreed to accept the $7 billion transfer. The Highway Trust FWld depends largely on revenue from a federal tax on motor fuels, but th~~ revenue has fallen as motorists respond to higher fuel prices by driving less and buyin~~ more fuel-efficient vehicles. The tax also is not indexed to inflation, so it has lost grouncl over the years. Oberstar is by no means the only House members who wants to tackle a full-scale overhaul now. Ways and Means has been holding hearings on different options for replenishing the Highway Trust FWld and putting it on a more secure fiscal footing in the future. WASTEWATER: ~ CARDENAS- PARTN ERSu' Another avenue of funding for Monroe County to seek funding for its wastewater compliance is through the Small Community Wastewater Construction Grants program thrOUgll the State of Florida. Currently, the County is unable to receive funding through this grant because of the criteria for "disadvantaged communities". Carden.as Partners has drafted a letter for the County Commissioners to sign and send to Secretary Michael Sole, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, requesting the DEP to r~con~id~r its curr~nt criteria. Tlu; Courlty's trUl: suciO"~CUI10ll1ic profiles includf~s as average working wage that is far less than the median income with 40 percent of families earning less than $40,000 per year. Further the County feels that the designation of Monroe County and the Florida Keys as an Area of Critical State Concern by Chapter 380.0552 of the Florida Statutes serves as a justifiable basis for inclusion in the "disadvantaged community" for the purpose of distribllting state revolving fund monies. The letter has been signed by the Commissioners and Cardenas Partners is currently waiting to receive a copy to give to the County's delegation. Cardenas Partners will also draft l{~tters of support to be sent to the DEP from Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Senators Mel Martinez and Bill Nelson. MISC:ELLANEOUS: Throughout the month of July, Cardenas Partners has worked on various issues for Monroe County. For example, Cardenas Partners was tasked with locating a contact at the Department of Interior for County staff to contact regarding the Coastal Barrier Relief System Digital Mapping Overhaul. Cardenas Partners was able to locate the correct staff at the DOl and forward the information on to the County. Additionally, Cardenas Partners was asked to research possible opportunities for Federal funding for WomanKind in Monroe County and was able to find grant money available through the Department of Health and Human Services. The funding is for Health centers that are community-based and patient-directed organizations that serve populations with limited access to health care. These include low income populations, the uninsu.red, those with limited English proficiency, migrant and seasonal farm workers, indivicluals and families experiencing homelessness, and those living in public housing. FY2010 APPROPRIATIONS: The House of Representatives broke for the five-week August Recess on August 1 st while the Se:nate broke Friday, August 7th. Therefore, there were no substantive developments throughout the past month in the current appropriations cycle. ~ CARDENAS- PARTNERSu, To reiterate the latest developments and best predictions for the coming months: The following Monroe County request was included in the House Homeland Security appropriations bill: .. Emergency Operations Center: $200,000 Carderlas Partners will continue to closely monitor all appropriations activity in both the House and the Senate throughout the upcoming months and keep Monroe County updated in a timely fashion. FUTURE COUNTY FLY-IN: Carderlas Partners, after noting the federal focus on healthcare and talks with the County, has decided to push back the County fly-in to October. The County plans to discuss appointing the Marathon airport as a point of entry to the U.S., meet with EP A officials to discuss the possibility of the Keys being designated an area of critical concern in order to be eligible for grant funding, and possibly meet with FEMA Director Craig Fugate regarding the County's need for an Emergency Operations Center. Also to be discussed were t]le issue of basement dwellings, and environmental zoning concerns that need to be addressed. Cardellas Partners will continue to stay in contact with the County through the month of Septenaber regarding preparations and meetings that are scheduled for the trip. CARDENAS PARTNERS UPCOMING VISIT TO MONROE COUNTY: Cardellas Partners is planning a trip to the County September 16th_19th to update the County' on their federal agenda and discuss the upcoming fly-in. Cardenas Partners plans on mec~ting individually witll each Comnlissioller as well as key staff while in the Keys. Cardellas Partners will be presenting at the County Commission meeting planned for W edn(~sday, September 16th. WASTEWATER: Anothler avenue of funding for Monroe County to seek funding for its wastewater compliance is through the Small Community Wastewater Construction Grants program through the State of Florida. Currently, the County is unable to receive funding through this grant because of the criteria for "disadvantaged communities". Cardellas Partners has drafted a letter for the County Commissioners to sign and send to Secretary Michael Sole, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, requesting the DEP to reconsider its current criteria. The County's true socio-economic profiles includles as average working wage that.is far less than the median income with 40 percent of families earning less than $40,000 per year. ~ CARDENAS. PARTN ERS II< Further the County feels that the designation of Monroe County and the Florida Keys as an Area of Critical State Concern by Chapter 380.0552 of the Florida Statutes serves as a justifiable basis for inclusion in the "disadvantaged community" for the purpose of distribllting state revolving fund monies. The letter has been signed by the Commissioners and Cardenas Partners is currently waiting to receive a copy to give to the County's delegation. Cardenas Partners will also uraft lt~tt~rs of support to b~ s~nt tu the DEP from Congresswoman II~ana Ros-Lehtinen and Se:nator and Bill Nelson. The County has also approached Cardenas Partners regarding H.R. 3202, the "Water Protection and Reinvestment Act." This bill was introduced in July by Congressman Blume:nauer from Oregon. If passed, H.R. 3202 would establish a $10 billion annual fund for improvements to the Nations drinking water and sewage treatment systems. The bill is currently in the House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment and has 14 cosporlsors. As is, Cardenas Partners feels that the County has the best chance of obtaining funding throug:h section 206: Sec. 206: High Priority Project Grants This s~~ction provides that a state must allocate 50 percent of the amount received from the Tnlst Fund in the form of grants or "grants equivalent" (loans under which the State forgives repayment of 100% of the principal amount of the loan). Some communities can take OJG debt and pay back loans for wastewater projects, but others may not have this capacity. Grants can help communities that cannot make loan repayments, such as those with d.eclining or low-income populations. In this section, water agencies will still be responsible for paying for half the project cost. By continuing to distribute half of the SRF filnding in the form of loans, states will ensure financial stability of the SRFs, which will continue to revolve. In ad(lition to developing a priority list for traditional SRF loans, the state must incorporate additional priorities for grants. The priority for the use of grant funds will be given to projects that address the most serious water pollution problems and benefit comm"unities with the greatest need or incorporate nonstructural or decentralized treatment practices. These criteria are very broad so that states will have maximum flexibility in determining the use of these grant funds. This section also provides that Indian tribes shall be eligible for this funding. Cardellas Partners is working setting up meetings with Congressman Blumenauer's staff during their fly-in in October and is working with County staff on a resolution to pursue this fu:nding. ~ CARDENAS- PARTN ERSIl< STIMULUS UPDATE: Broadband Demand: The lCommerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announced today that they received almost 2,200 applications requesting nearly $28 billion in funding for proposed broadband projects reaching all 50 U.S. states and territories and the District of Columbia. -l'his is the first round of American Recovery and Reinve:stment Act funding aimed at expanding broadband access and adoption to help bridge the technological divide and create jobs building Internet infrastructure, with $4 billion available through loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations. The R(~covery Act provided a total of $7.2 billion to NTIA and RUS to expand access to and ad.option of broadband services. Of that funding, NTIA will utilize $4.7 billion to deploy broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas in the United States, expancl public computer center capacity, and encourage sustainable adoption of broadbtand service. RUS will invest $2.5 billion to facilitate broadband deployment in primarily rural communities. Approximately $2.4 billion from RUS and up to $1.6 billion from -r~TIA is available in this first grant round. Applications came in from a diverse range of parties including state, local, and tribal governments; nonprofits; industry; anchor institutions, such as libraries, universities, community colleges, and hospitals; public safety organizations; and other entities in rural, suburban, and urban areas. Registration for Recovery Recipients: Recipients of funds disbursed by federal agencies under the $787 billion economic recovery program will be able to register at a government website beginning Monday, Aug. 17. State ,md local governments, contractors, universities, non-profits and others that have received a grant, loan or contract of $25,000 or more under the American Recovery and Reinvt~stment Act of 2009 are required to register on the website, www.J~ederaIReporting.gov. Individual recipients of Recovery funds are not required to register or report. Registration is the first step in a process that requires recipients to submit spending reports to FederalReporting.gov beginning Oct. 1. Recipients have until Oct. 10 to submit reports, which, among other things, should detail the amount of money they have received and spent, the project scope and timetable, and the number of jobs created. Thereafter, recipients must file quarterly status reports. INVE:STMENT AMOUNT BY AGENCY State: Florida ~CARDENAS' PARTNERSI" Departmlent of Health and Human Services $2,128,231 $2,169,798 $1 ,569,766 Departm1ent of Labor $199,748 $691 ,949 $1,068,610 Departm,ent of Education $4,575,983 $3,099,348 $261 ,677 Department of Agriculture $45,623 $244,611 $212,428 Department of Housing and Urban $385,274 $343,816 $52,060 Developrnent Department of Transportation $1 ,694,1 59 $1,347,738 $5,548 Department of Justice $225,755 $236,905 $3,953 Department of Energy $470,717 $1 54,566 $ 2 ,089 Environn1ental Protection Agency $247,203 $243,304 $656 National Science Foundation $0 $46,867 $468 National Endowment for the Arts $0 $1 ,644 $400 Railroad Retirement Board $7,049 $0 $0 US Army Corps of Engineers $ 24,839 $0 $0 Corporation for National and Community $1 ,771 $2,507 $0 Service Departmlent of Veterans Affairs $42, 11 3 $0 $0 Social SE!curity Administration $918,890 $0 $0 General Services Administration $70,664 $0 $0 DepartrTlent of the Interior $27,585 $10 $0 DepartrTlent of Commerce $3,283 $49,359 $0 Departrrlent of Defense $249,588 $0 $0 Total $11,318,475 $8,632,423 $3,1 77,654