Asheville’s Economic Recovery and Reinvestment 2009

To maintain transparency and accountability, the City of Asheville has developed a policy review and project management framework for coordinating economic recovery funding initiatives.

by Johnnie Grant

The City of Asheville is calling for proposals from local organizations and agencies for a community portfolio of projects to be considered for funds available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (AARA). The project portfolio and other information about Asheville’s response to the act is available at www.ashevillenc.gov/economicrecovery, and will be made available to state or federal agencies in order to demonstrate the community’s capacity to effectively use recovery funds.

Asheville’s economic recovery program will include current city
staff to ensure the highest levels of transparency and accountability.
Brenda Mills, Asheville’s Minority Business Programs Coordinator, will
serve as AARA project coordinator, Jeff Reble as communications
manager, and Kris Grayson as grants administrator.

The act
went into effect when it was signed by President Obama on Feb. 17. An
overview of the act can be found online at
www.recovery.gov/?q=content/act, and at the bottom of that web page is
a link to the full text. The act focuses on infrastructure projects
(roads, bridges, mass transit, water and waste water facilities,
digital infrastructure, etc.), renewable energy, weatherization, health
and human services, and education.

Brenda Mills selected as Project Manager of ARRA. Photo: Urban News

Preference is given to
activities that can be started and completed expeditiously, with a
specific goal of awarding 50% of available funds to projects that can
be initiated within 120 days of passage of the act.

The act
also emphasizes the use of grant funds in a manner that maximizes job
creation and economic benefit. A summary of goals outlined in the act
states its intent: 1) To preserve and create jobs and promote economic
recovery; 2) To assist those most impacted by the recession; 3) To
provide investments needed to increase economic efficiency by spurring
technological advances in science and health; 4) To invest in
transportation, environmental protection, and other infrastructure that
will provide long-term economic benefits, and 5) To stabilize state and
local government budgets, in order to minimize and avoid reductions in
essential services and counterproductive state and local tax increases. 

Projects
can be submitted to the City of Asheville using a Community Project
Proposal Form. Information requested for each submission includes: a
description of the project or infrastructure investment; purpose of the
investment; total cost of the investment and an estimate of how many
jobs it will create; project schedule; a brief description of how the
project will achieve the goals of the Recovery Act, and contact
information for the proposing agency.

Proposals and
questions should be emailed to
[email protected]. Although there is no deadline for
submissions, it is strongly encouraged that projects be considered as
soon as possible while final passage of the act is considered.

Any
projects that advance for funding consideration via the City of
Asheville if and when funds become available through the programs
described in the legislation will be subject to City Council
consideration and approval.

Additional information and resources are available through the following links:

Asheville community project proposals

White House Goals & Benchmarks for the American Recovery Act (PDF)