America has water problems. Water stress can be found in almost every state. New Mexico falls into the category of extremely high ‘water stress’ for multiple reasons, including climate change, limited rainfall and reduced volume of water in both the Rio Grande and Colorado rivers, which are major water resources for the state. Arizona, California, […]
A brownfield property is an abandoned site that has been contaminated by previous industrial use. Many brownfield properties are the former sites of dry-cleaning firms, manufacturing plants or gas stations. To be used, the site must be remediated and made safe. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has funded remediation projects for years and recently announced […]
Climate change and the need for mitigation efforts for disaster control have resulted in more federal funding available for public entities throughout the U.S.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) soon will distribute up to $500 million from a new Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program for pre-disaster mitigation projects. The funding is available for public officials at the state and local levels of government.
While waiting on Congress to create a national infrastructure bill, several cities have begun significant infrastructure initiatives this year. I rarely make predictions about anything. That’s because so few things are certain. However, I’m very comfortable making one. Congress will pass an infrastructure bill in the near future. When COVID-19 is finally controlled, Congress will aggressively focus on stimulating the economy and creating jobs, and nothing will result in quicker economic stimulus and job creation than infrastructure reform. Promises made must be kept – and there is bipartisan support in Congress.
With midterm elections only a month away, the media is talking non-stop about who will win, what party will prevail and how voters feel about volatile issues. Most commentators and reporters are focused on House and Senate races… but it is likely that gubernatorial campaigns will determine whether infrastructure reform moves forward. States like Georgia, […]
The expanded use and funding for Private Activity Bonds (PABs) has again taken over the spotlight in infrastructure debate in America. A six-page document claimed to be the draft outline for President Trump’s long-awaited national infrastructure plan was leaked this week and PABs are among the major infrastructure funding principles addressed. The leaked plan does not yet […]
Senators worked until past midnight in early December to pass their version of a federal tax reform bill. Since the House had passed its version earlier, both houses of Congress are now negotiating final compromises. There are plans to get a bill on the president’s desk by Christmas. Local government leaders, however, are not happy […]