City OKs acceptance of federal stimulus money

By Becky Bosshart

Wednesday, March 18, 2009 | 1:18 p.m.

Over the next two to three years, the City of Las Vegas is expecting to receive millions in federal economic stimulus money that will benefit the homeless, transportation projects and employment aid.

“It’s a massive bill,” said Scott Adams, director of the Office of Business Development and the city’s redevelopment manager. “I can speak from experience, in the 32 years been doing this I have never seen anything like this on the federal level.”

The council approved at its Wednesday morning meeting the city’s plan to pursue funds available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“As long as they are legal and green I want to get them,” Mayor Oscar Goodman said about the federal dollars.

City service departments have formed stimulus grant coordinating committees and drafted a tracking sheet to pursue grants.

Adams said there will be a dramatic increase to federal programs in Las Vegas and that city departments will be able to compete for more dollars through existing programs.

“We’re still getting our arms around it,” Adams said. “It’s a massive program. It’s almost a trillion dollars and nothing has been done like this before.”

Some of what the city expects it will receive from the feds:

• A Homeless Prevention Grant of $2.1 million, with some of those funds funneled into foreclosure intervention emergency housing
• Community Development Block Grant capital improvement projects funding of $1.4 million. “You can’t build a toilet for that, that’s a joke,” Goodman said.
• A transportation allocation through the Nevada Department of Transportation, $40 million of which will come to Southern Nevada
• Through the Federal Transit Authority, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada is to receive $33 million, which will benefit the downtown transportation center and the Northwest Park and Ride
• City of Las Vegas highway projects are to receive $10 million for roadway repairs
• Between $3.5 and $5 million for community energy projects to reduce kilowatt hour usage
• $6.4 million in criminal justice funds

What the city will apply for:

• Neighborhood Stabilization Fund of $30 million
• Workforce training funds of $8.5 million from the Department of Labor
• $21 million for Union Park development phase two infrastructure
• The Office of Business Development will look at New Market Tax Credits and how they can be applied to the proposed Mob Museum downtown.

Adams said all grants will be reviewed prior to submittal. The city’s Web site will soon contain a link to the city's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act activities, he said.