




	January 2009 Federal Stimulus Funding Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation WDNR Grant Applications Due April 15th Current Issue www.AyresAssociates.com Subscribe		Federal Stimulus Funding (January 2009)
			A $787 billion federal stimulus package, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, was signed by President Obama on February 17. The package includes tax cuts, government aid, and infrastructure spending. Distribution of the stimulus money is planned through more than a hundred specific programs. Some of the stimulus money will increase funding for existing programs, and some stimulus money will be in the form of competitive grants that will require project proposals to be prepared and submitted to federal agencies. As an example of state agencies preparing for receipt and distribution of these funds, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) has solicited Phase 1 projects from local governments. These projects need to have final plans and approvals completed by March 17, 2009. Phase 1 projects have already been designed or have design nearly complete. WisDOT may solicit Phase 2 projects that would need to have final plans and approvals by late summer or early fall. The stimulus bill calls for wastewater and water funding to be distributed through state Revolving Loan Fund programs, including the Clean Water Fund and Drinking Water Fund, as well as Rural Water and Waste Disposal. These programs are a combination of grant funds and loan dollars. Wisconsin has established a new "Office of Recovery and Reinvestment" (http://recovery.wisconsin.gov) that will implement the federal stimulus package according to federal guidelines.