Valley Pulse

We’re not the only ones looking for stimulus money from the federal government. It’s all the rage as localities look to boost their economies.

At Monday’s City Council meeting in Waynesboro, Councilwoman Lorie Smith outlined efforts by the city to identify projects that could qualify for some of the $800 billion in stimulus money.

“Staff is working on the stimulus package, basically built on infrastructure,“ Smith said.

Smith said she had talked to Rep. Bob Goodlatte last Monday (Jan. 19), who told her he wants a list of projects in his hands as soon as possible. She said she would also forward copies of Waynesboro’s list to Sens. Jim Webb and Mark Warner, as well as Gov. Timothy Kaine and state legislators.

She expects that Congress will be able “to pull the trigger” on the stimulus bill by mid-February. Goodlatte “intimated that the monies would go through VDOT, for instance, to the states.“ City Manager Mike Hamp, Smith said, told her that the city needs to be in touch with its VDOT representatives with regard to bridge maintenance and road projects.

Staunton, meanwhile, has identified more than 40 projects worth more than $229,497,000 and has given its preliminary approval to submitting them. The vote at the meeting was 6-0, with Dickie Bell being absent from the meeting. Mayor Lacy King asked that the intersection of Richmond Road and Statler Boulevard be added to the list, as turn lanes are needed there.

Some of the big ticket items on its list include:
* renovations to R.E. Lee High School ($75 million)
* Frontier Drive improvements in the city ($25 million)
* renovations to Thomas W. Dixon Elementary School ($25 million)
* passenger rail on I-81 ($16 million)* resurfacing 150 lane miles of city streets ($15 million)
* Richmond Road improvements near I-81 ($10 million)
* Peyton Creek restoration ($9.75 million)
* Frederick Street area streetscape improvements ($9.4 million)
* Hardy parking lot garage ($7.5 million)
* Sidewalk construction ($5 million)
* Churchville Avenue reconstruction ($5 million)

Assistant City Manager Jim Halasz told the Staunton City Council last Thursday on the city’s list of “viable” projects. City Manager Steve Owen said it would bring back to the council a refined list once the city understands what the criteria will be for getting stimulus money.

“We have provided to you a list of very viable and useful projects that we believe,“ Halasz said, “could be funded through this particular program even though it’s not clear at this time what all the criteria are for the selection of projects or how the funding might flow from the federal government to the states and/or the localities.“

Nelson County has also identified more than $34 million in projects it wants money for, including $13.8 to update and expand the Wintergreen Water Treatment Plant, $7 million for a new courthouse and $3 million to increase the county’s broadband capabilities.