All 15 of Rep. Greg Stanton’s Community Project Funding requests, totaling $23 million, are included in the omnibus appropriations package for Fiscal Year 2023.
“Each of these projects came directly from the community and will improve the quality of life for Arizonans by supporting local law enforcement, investing in water infrastructure, building affordable housing, and strengthening our local economy,” Stanton said.
Stanton championed the projects that will directly benefit Arizonans:
$5.5 million to advance Stanton’s signature Arizona-centered environmental infrastructure authority. In the 2022 Water Resources Development Act, which passed earlier this month, Stanton expanded the overall authority to $200 million. These funds will be used to provide grants to communities and tribal nations across to address their water infrastructure needs. Since authorization of the authority in 2020, more than $24 million in federal funds have been delivered to 16 water projects across Arizona.
Maricopa County
$600,000 for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office’s Rapid DNA Enhancement Project. These funds would allow MCSO to purchase two additional Rapid DNA instruments. The tool processes samples quickly and can generate investigative leads in 90 minutes, as opposed to the many months it can take for results from the state crime lab due to backlogs and higher priority casework. Stanton and MCSO Sheriff Paul Penzone announced the partnership at a press conference in July.
$1.8 million for Maricopa Community Colleges Biomedical Technician Training Program. These funds would be used by Maricopa Community Colleges to develop and expand its STEM program, creating an additional 100 seats to prepare students for careers as lab technicians, bioscience quality systems managers, and bioscience process managers. This will build the pipeline for STEM-focused jobs, where job growth continues to outpace the number of qualified individuals available to fill those jobs. Stanton and MCCCD leaders touted the funding in August.
Chandler
$3 million for a new Reclaimed Water Interconnect Facility—a critical project for Intel’s continued growth in the East Valley. These funds would help construct a new 10-million-gallon per day interconnect conveyance and treatment facility. This facility will help improve the city’s water management and drought resiliency while ensuring a necessary supply of water to support Intel’s expansion. Stanton announced the funds in partnership with Intel leaders and Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke and members of the city council in July.
$680,000 for equipment for a Joint Mobile Command Center for the Chandler Police Department to increase law enforcement and emergency response capacities during large-scale emergency events.
Tempe
$500,000 for Affordable Workforce Housing. These funds would help address the Valley’s homelessness crisis by supporting the site preparation necessary to develop 390 affordable and workforce housing units to serve vulnerable populations. Upon completion of this project, vulnerable populations would not only be provided shelter, but also workforce development support to help them secure and maintain employment. Stanton toured the site with Mayor Corey Woods and city councilmembers in April.
$850,000 to construct a pedestrian underpass to improve safety at College Avenue and University Drive. These funds would fund the design of an underpass to separate pedestrians and bicyclists from motor vehicles to improve the safety of this high-traffic corridor and intersection. This intersection is the gateway to Arizona State University and is used by more than 80,000 students, employees, faculty and visitors to the campus and surrounding local businesses. A study determined that an underpass is the only viable and economical option to resolve the safety concerns.
Phoenix
$300,000 to advance Rio Salado Oeste, completing the General Reevaluation Report necessary to advance this ecosystem restoration project to construction. When completed, this project will connect two existing ecosystem restoration projects, Rio Salado Phoenix and Tres Rios, restoring 19 miles of river corridor through Phoenix to improve flood control and restore critical habitat.
$4 million for Valley Metro to purchase eight electric buses, as well as the associated infrastructure to help transition to a zero-emission bus fleet.?This builds off of Stanton’s work securing a $16 million Federal Transit Administration grant to purchase additional buses in August.
Mesa
$800,000 for new bus shelters. These funds would be used to purchase and install 40-60 bus shelters to provide seating for transit-dependent riders and protect them from extreme heat. The majority of the city’s bus service operates in the western part of the city where the population is denser and includes many transit-dependent, low-income households.
Scottsdale
$1.8 million to improve safety and road access along 77th Street. These funds would construct a secondary access point for area residents and first responders to the Vista Del Camino II residential community because the primary access point is easily flooded and unusable during storms. The project will construct a two-lane roadway connection from North 77th Street to East Pierce Street at the south end of the community.
Local Nonprofits
$1.5 million for the Trellis at the Mission Low-Income Affordable Housing Project. These funds would support an innovative affordable housing development consisting of 43 townhomes for low-income households with incomes below 60 percentage Area Median Income. After a period of residency, households will have the option to transition to homeownership.
$750,000 for Central Arizona Shelter Services to renovate its Vista Colina Family Shelter. These funds would help address the region’s homelessness crisis by renovating a 30-unit apartment shelter that provides support and services to families experiencing homelessness. The project would include bathroom renovations, new flooring, upgraded HVAC units, and other necessary structural repairs.
$650,000 for dental equipment for Native Health, Inc. These funds would be used to purchase equipment for six dental operatories that serve American Indians and Alaskan Natives. Such equipment includes imaging, sterilization, HVAC, mechanical, and lab equipment. This would create a place for the AI/AN community to access high quality dental care.
$500,000 for Take the Lead, Inc.’s Women Entrepreneurs Leadership Development Program. Take the Lead, Inc. provides research-based, effective leadership development programs for women entrepreneurs to improve skills, networks, and strategic action plans to propel business growth. Particularly prioritizing women of color, the intensive leadership training and coaching program empowers entrepreneurs to launch and grow strong businesses, which in turn benefit the Arizona economy.
A detailed summary of the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2023 is available HERE. The House is expected to vote on the legislation today, before sending it to the President’s desk for signature.