MAPC Municipal ARRA Briefing Boston, MA Monday, April 27, 2009 Shannon Menard, Policy Manager, NARC

1. MAPC Municipal ARRA Briefing Boston, MA Monday, April 27, 2009 Shannon Menard, Policy Manager, NARC

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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

13. 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!

14. 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)

15. Questions? Comments?

16. Economic Recovery Discussions Continue… Please Join Us!

17. National Association of Regional Councils202-986-1032 (T) • 202-986-1038 (F) • www.NARC.org THANK YOU ! For more information, please contact: Shannon Menard Policy Manager shannon@NARC.org, X 217