Thursday, 19 February 2009 23:42

Stimulus Funding

slide4.pngAmador County - Amador County Transportation Commission Director Charles Field expressed his disappointment in what he sees as a relatively small portion of stimulus funding allocated to his agency through the new federal bill. ACTC staff has been advised that their share of Amador County’s funds should be approximately $733,000. “Since we are desperate for funds, we are willing to endure the pain,” said Field. The pain he refers to is costs involved with filing additional federal paperwork, which is a complicated bureaucratic process. In a memo to the commission, Field said, “the other half of California’s bridge and roadway stimulus funding will likely be made available through the State Transportation Improvement Program and the State Highway Operation and Protection Program.” This could mean an additional half million dollars could become available for the county. Despite its size, Field was disappointed that Amador County will receive such a small portion of $3 billion made available statewide for roads and bridges out of approximately $30 billion nationwide. During their meeting on January 21, ACTC authorized its staff to work with cities in the county to develop prioritized lists of transportation projects that may be successfully funded. He said that list has been paired down to cover only the highest priority projects. “We believe we are ready to submit and participate,” said Field. Supervisor Richard Forster said, “we will take what we can get.” Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.