A windfall of federal funding will literally change the landscape throughout America over the next several years.

The recently passed $1 trillion infrastructure bill makes funding available for all kinds of large capital projects. Additional funding is available through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and many parts of the country still have Coronavirus Aid, Relief, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) funding to spend.

These bills have received an abundance of media attention, but other federal funding programs also have funding available for various community development projects. These programs should not be overlooked.

One funding source of high interest is the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program. This federal program supports and funds collaborative initiatives in local communities. Historically, funded projects have been primarily in lower-income regions of the country, but the program criteria are flexible.

The NMTC program is designed to support projects that benefit citizens or improve economic conditions. Projects that are related to health-care services, public safety, education enhancement, or citizen services are favored. The funding supports projects that help revitalize rural communities, schools, hospitals, and community facilities. Objectives include economic vitality, the creation of jobs, or other critical needs.

Washington, D.C. – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will allocate $7.42 billion to states, tribes, and territories in 2022 from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan announced the funding that the agency would provide through its State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs to create jobs while upgrading America’s aging water infrastructure and addressing lead in drinking water and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination.

In a letter sent to governors on December 2, Regan encouraged states to maximize the impact of water funding from the law – an unprecedented $50 billion investment – to address disproportionate environmental burdens in historically underserved communities across the country.

Nearly half of the total funding is available as grants or principal forgiveness loans that remove barriers to investing in essential water infrastructure in underserved communities across rural America and in urban centers. The 2022 allocation is the first of five years of nearly $44 billion in dedicated EPA SRF funding that states will receive through the act.

California at $609.44 million, Texas at $507.67 million, and New York at $428.07 million will receive the most federal funding among the states.

Louisiana – Public safety and technology requests head the list of projects in the city of Shreveport’s $236 million bond election set for December 11.

The city is seeking voter approval of five propositions, several of which aim to fund improvements to Shreveport’s aging buildings and protect city assets from flooding and other natural disasters.

Proposition 1 would invest $70.65 million in public safety projects, including $27.5 million to construct a new police headquarters.

Shreveport’s current police headquarters was repurposed two to three times before being converted for police use. The city has not constructed a standalone, purpose-built police headquarters in more than 100 years. The cost to repair and modernize the infrastructure of the current police building is estimated at nearly double the cost to build a new facility.

Other public safety bond items include $4.5 million to build police substations in communities, $2 million to make jail improvements and repairs, and $1 million to purchase a new mobile command center.

In addition, the proposition would fund such fire department initiatives as $13.55 million to replace fire vehicles, $4.82 million project to renovate a fire and police training academy, $1.5 million to repair fire stations, and $8.7 million to relocate Fire Stations Nos. 14 and 15.

Proposition 2 would provide $22.74 million for technology projects, including $20 million to fund the expansion of the city’s fiber optic network and install intelligent traffic signals. The proposed network would support broadband expansion and communications for intelligent water and sewer systems.

Other technology projects that would receive funding are the city’s $2 million Dig Once Initiative to reduce damage to city infrastructure and help make Shreveport a smart city and bridge the digital divide.

Proposition 3 would authorize the city to spend $64.7 million on water and sewer drainage projects including the $17.5 million Southern Hills Interceptor, which would replace 24,300 feet of 8- to 42-inch diameter gravity sewer lines that are about 40 years old. Another $12 million would go toward system improvements to address sanitary sewer overflows in the Brookmeade and Querbes areas. Shreveport would replace defective sewer mains and manholes along 9,000 feet of 10- to 30-inch diameter gravity sewer lines and increase capacity upstream of the Wallace Lift Station. More than $22.7 million would fund improvements to drainage ditches throughout Shreveport.

Proposition 4 would commit more than $63.37 million to street projects such as a $20 million effort to remove and replace the Linwood Avenue Overpass and $41.65 million for various bridge and street improvements.

Proposition 5 would provide $21.13 million for Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation projects including upgrades to several tennis facilities and walking trails and replacement of playground equipment.

New Jersey – The state’s Department of Transportation (NJDOT) announced a request for expressions of interest (RFEI) to further its efforts to deploy 100 autonomous vehicles (AVs) in and beyond Trenton.

The Trenton Mobility & Opportunity: Vehicles Equity System (MOVES) Project will act to provide safe, equitable, affordable, and sustainable high-quality mobility to provide on-demand service to the city’s 90,000 residents and other users.

This will be the first large-scale urban transit system in the U.S. to be based entirely on self-driving shuttles. Each vehicle will carry four to eight passengers at a time. The AVs will be low cost to users in underserved neighborhoods.

Operation of the initial 100 vehicle fleet is envisioned with customer hosts on-board for a demonstration period lasting approximately two years to be followed by sustained hostless (“driverless”) operation within the initial operational design domain and expansion of the domain throughout Mercer County and beyond, following a similar deployment process as Trenton MOVES.

This new system will allow Trenton’s households (70 percent of which have limited access to a single automobile or no access at all) as well as traditional road users to get acclimated to the presence of AVs on the streets of the state capital.

The deadline for the RFEI response is 10 a.m. EST February 11, 2022. Following the solicitation, NJDOT may issue formal requests for qualifications or proposals.

Virginia – The design phase is underway for a new $181 million Arts and Innovation Academic Building at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).

VCU is planning the new facility to help to strengthen rapidly growing partnerships across arts, business, humanities and sciences, medicine, and engineering.

The space would serve as a hub for critical digital and creative economy initiatives both on campus and in the city, while providing an outlet that allows students to collaborate on a range of projects with companies and other organizations.

With its location at one of the busiest intersections in Richmond, the Arts and Innovation Academic Building would further solidify VCU’s role as an anchor for Richmond’s arts district along Broad Street.

Campus officials hope to break ground on the facility next year. VCU has requested $163 million in state appropriations to help fund the project.

California – The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) will conduct a mandatory pre-bid meeting and site tour at 10 a.m. local time December 15 for civil grading at the Hayward Maintenance Complex (HMC).

Site and civil improvements to the existing rail storage yard and to undeveloped land north of the BART rail storage rack and east of the BART mainline tracks will be made in preparation for the second phase of the project that is one of BART’s “Big 3” capital investments.

A proposed Northern Mainline Connector project is a new component of the HMC. Work will involve construction of new railroad tracks to connect a new East Side Vehicle Storage Yard to BART’s mainline track.

Construction for the Northern Mainline Connector project is anticipated to start in January 2024 and take approximately four years to complete. Construction of the Connector Project is not expected to extend the overall HMC construction schedule.

Upon completion, BART could eventually dispatch 12 trains from the east side storage tracks and use the Northern Mainline Connector to join the northbound mainline in the morning and return at the end of the operating day.

Estimated value of the civil grading contract is $20 million to $40 million.

Strategic Partnerships Inc. (SPI) clients will want to take advantage of Alex Alanis’ 28 years of experience working in politics and government relations.

As a lobbyist and principal owner of a private firm in California, Alex represents clients at the state capitol and in front of state and local government agencies.

He has advocated for marketplace lenders, banks, tech companies, Native American tribes, retail transaction companies, law firms, collection agencies, community colleges, and wildfire prevention groups.

Prior to establishing his own firm, Alex spent 13 years as the vice president of state government relations with the California Bankers Association where he focused on a variety of issues including:

Before joining the association, Alex spent 10 years as a policy and fiscal consultant in the California Senate. He managed a variety of subject areas, including banking, energy, natural resources, environmental protection, transportation, and housing. In addition to working in the State Senate, Alex was the legislative coordinator at the Fair Political Practices Commission.

Alex has a Master of Arts in political management from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from San Jose State University.

His analytical, consensus-building, and strategic skills will serve SPI clients well.

Maryland – Planning for a new wave of federal infrastructure funding, governors and executives from state departments of transportation gathered for the National Governors Association (NGA) Infrastructure Summit from November 30 to December 2 in Annapolis, Maryland.

Five governors joined federal officials and private-sector partners at the event to explore best practices and spotlight gubernatorial leadership on the issue.

Participants in the three-day summit shared resources and discussed strategies for implementing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

During the NGA summit, participants discussed funding and financing infrastructure including through public-private partnerships, collaborations on freight and supply chain issues, planning the future of transportation, jobs and workforce needs, resilient and sustainable infrastructure, and broadband.

Governors, who have been leading on efforts to build and maintain infrastructure in their states and territories, have been urging Congressional action on a stronger federal partnership to address aging public works.

Mitch Landrieu, senior adviser to the president for infrastructure coordination, was among the federal officials to meet with attendees.

Illinois – An influx of $94 million in funding from the Rebuild Illinois capital program will unlock an additional $11.5 million in local contributions to improve public airports throughout the state.

The 96 projects selected for funding will help meet the needs of airports large and small in both urban and rural communities. Projects will include planning, construction, reconstruction, development, and improvement of public airports to increase safety and efficiency. Communities also will benefit from increased aviation access, good-paying jobs during construction, and long-term opportunities for workforce expansion.

Among the projects receiving funding (local contributions included) are:

A total of $150 million of state bonds is identified in Rebuild Illinois for the state’s airports, with $6 million already committed to an air traffic control tower at Lewis University Airport in Romeoville and additional funding committed to airports in Waukegan and Metro East.

South Carolina – The Office of Bar Admissions of the Supreme Court of South Carolina issued a request for information (RFI) as it considers replacement of in-house software used for accepting and processing bar exam applications.

A commercial off-the-shelf software application is desired that incorporates modern technology best practices, assists in delivering increased efficiencies for the Office of Bar Admissions staff, improves the experience for applicants, and maintains adherence to standards set by the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

The office wishes to automate processes involved with corresponding with applicants, receiving payments, and managing submitted documents.

RFI responses are due by 5 p.m. local time December 22.

Washington – The Public Works Board of Washington approved more than $44.6 million in grants for 15 broadband construction projects in unserved and underserved communities on December 3.

Applicants requested more than $90 million for 29 different projects, and the board approved qualified projects until all available program funds were exhausted. Demand exceeded available funds by 209 percent.

Projects awarded conditional funding are:

Funding announced on December 3 is part of the 2021 State Legislature’s infrastructure investment of the federal Coronavirus Capital Project Fund. It continues the Legislature’s commitment to connect communities with little or no reliable, affordable broadband service. Awards are conditional on the receipt of federal funds.

The board will open an application cycle for $13 million in state funded broadband construction loans in spring 2022.

Alaska – State officials announced a new plan on December 6 to re-energize the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS), including a new ocean-class vessel to replace the 57-year-old Motor/Vessel (M/V) Tustumena “Tusty” ferry.

Alaska’s marine highway transports goods, vehicles, and passengers between 35 communities. The system also links these areas to the state's highway and rail network.

The replacement vessel for Tusty is estimated to cost $200 million to $250 million and will be competitively bid using a construction management/general contractor “CM/GC” delivery method. The new ship is expected to begin service in 2027. The new ship’s vehicle and passenger capacity would increase by 40 percent over the Tustumena, from 34 to 52 vehicles and from 160 to 250 passengers.

Other marine highway upgrades include:

The highway system also will improve scheduling services for passengers to plan trips around a reliable schedule. An 18-month schedule of ferry sailings became available for the first time on AMHS last summer.

In addition, AMHS recently established essential ferry service for rural communities with a potential for $1 billion in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Backup ferry service has begun for M/V LeConte while the ship is in annual overhaul maintenance, and the state launched a targeted recruitment program for maritime workers, given the global shortage.

Virginia – In an effort to gather current market insight and industry capabilities related to telecommunications expense management solutions, the state of Virginia has issued a request for information (RFI).

The Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) is seeking input on architecture/infrastructure, support, and the associated service delivery models and managed services.

In particular, VITA is interested in learning about current and potential industry/marketplace solutions for these goals:

Since February 2015, VITA has managed its telecommunications expenses and agency billing through a Telecommunications Expense Management and Billing System (TEBS) that has been customized at VITA’s request to support the customer’s ability to order services, capture and process supplier invoices, bill its customers, collect and manage assets, perform reconciliations, manage disputes, and provide all customer level reporting.

VITA has experienced operational and technical challenges using the current solution and delivery model. The agency lacks the consumption data and reporting capabilities that it needs to perform its function effectively and efficiently and drive effective business decisions to optimize and manage costs, understand trends, and forecast accordingly. Furthermore, the current environment requires numerous manual interventions to achieve expected outcomes. Increased telecommunications orders and calls due to the COVID-19 pandemic have only exacerbated this situation.

RFI responses are due by 4 p.m. EST January 7, 2022.

California – Yolo County released a request for information (RFI) as it seeks to implement contemporary virtual server hardware infrastructure.

County officials are interested in information on various platforms, such as Hyper Converged Infrastructure (HCI), Disaggregated Hyper Converged Infrastructure (dHCI), and composable infrastructure.

Through this RFI, Yolo County hopes to understand not only what opportunities are available, but also identify solutions to:

The deadline for RFI responses is 4 p.m. PST December 15.

California – Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Amy Tong as director of the Office of Digital Innovation on December 1. She will succeed Udaya Patnaik as director. Tong has been director at the California Department of Technology. Before that, she was chief deputy director of the Office of Systems Integration and chief information officer at the California Health and Human Services Agency.

Virginia – The Alexandria City Council selected James Parajon as the new city manager, effective January 18, 2022. He will succeed City Manager Mark Jinks who is retiring. Parajon most recently served as a deputy city manager at the city of Arlington, Texas. Prior to that, he was Arlington’s community development and planning director.

Georgia – The Atlanta Regional Commission is expected to vote on the appointment of lone finalist Anna Roach as its executive director on December 8. If approved, she will take over from Doug Hooker who is retiring in March 2022. Roach has been serving as Fulton County chief operating officer. Prior to that, she was the county’s chief strategy officer and assistant county manager.

Kansas – The city of Manhattan named Brandon Keazer as director of the Manhattan Regional Airport. Keazer has served as the airport’s assistant director since 2015. Before joining the team in Manhattan, he worked for the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority, first serving as a sergeant in the Police and Fire Department then transitioning to airport operations.

Tennessee – The University of Tennessee System board of trustees confirmed Peter Buckley as chancellor of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, effective February 1, 2022. Most recently dean of the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and executive vice president of medical affairs for the VCU Health System, Buckley succeeds Dr. Steve Schwab.

Hawaii – Gov. David Ige appointed Patrick McCain as the deputy director for administration of the Hawaii Department of Transportation on December 1. McCain most recently was an immigration services officer with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He will fill the position vacated by Lynn Araki-Regan in August. His appointment is subject to Senate approval.

Mary Scott Nabers, Publisher

Devin Monk, Editor

Government Contracting Pipeline, a publication of Strategic Partnerships, Inc., is a free, weekly newsletter detailing important happenings nationwide and the premier source for federal, state, and local government news and contracting opportunities.