NEWS: Wake Board Receives Stimulus Update, Approves Action on Two Projects

6/1/2009

The Wake County Board of Commissioners provided feedback on three grants, accepted funds for community development, and approved an application for water/sewer funding as part of the American Recover and Reinvestment Act, at their regular meeting today, Monday, June 1, 2009. During stimulus update, the board provided feedback on the competitive Carolinas Blue Skies & Green Jobs Initiative grant that has been applied for, but not awarded. Commissioners also commented on information presented to them about funding levels for two ARRA grants that have been awarded directly to Wake County and are included in the County Manager’s proposed fiscal year 2010 budget:

· Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) Direct Allocation
· Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant (EECBG).

Later in the meeting, Commissioners accepted Community Development Block Grant funding and approved a stimulus funding application for the Water/Sewer Jordan Lake Water Reclamation Project.

Carolinas Blue Skies & Green Jobs Initiative
The Carolinas Blue Skies & Green Jobs Initiative grant is a partnership with the localities involved with the Triangle J Council of Governments. The grant is designed to expand the use of alternative fuel and advanced vehicle technologies, including the installation or acquisition of infrastructure necessary to support these vehicles.

Wake County applied for $500,000 in Federal funds and would be committed to $848,954 in local matching funds for a total grant of $1.3 million for two projects:

$513,954 for the conversion/replacement of 20 vehicles in the County’s fleet to hybrids.
$835,000 for installing a new private alternative fuel site in Raleigh.

The local matching funds for the hybrid vehicle conversion/replacement are already budgeted in the County’s fiscal year 2010 budget. The local match for the private alternative fuel site is not budgeted, and is a horizon project for the County. .

Byrne JAG – Direct Allocation
The Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant is a direct allocation of funding specific to Wake County. The Wake County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) is eligible to receive $416,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice, as part of the Justice Assistance Grant Program, under the ARRA. Funds for needed equipment are limited in the fiscal year 2010 budget and would be used to purchase new targeting systems for the Firearms Education Training Center, emergency equipment and in-car cameras for vehicles, and additional surveillance equipment. It will also be used to fund supplies for the Crime Prevention Unit and costs associated with the WCSO Summer Adventure Camp for at-risk students.

Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant
The Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) is a direct allocation awarded to Wake County for $3,030,000 to reduce energy consumption or carbon emissions. The County will use these funds for Hammond Road Detention Center – Phase 2 Expansion. The EECBG will allow for substantial ongoing energy conservation and it will allow the County to offset some capital improvement funds for the project. Specifically, the grant will fund three projects at the Detention Center.

· Automated Building Energy Management System: A system that monitors and controls multiple building systems such as heating, ventilating, and air conditioning; lighting; security and fire alarms. Using building sensors and occupancy trends, this system will automatically turn on/off lights, changes temperatures in rooms and report system problems. The system will save approximately $72,757 per year.
· Roof Insulation: The rigid roofing insulation system will provide appropriate drainage, reduce heat and radiation from the sun, and prevent the loss of heat and cooling from the building interior, resulting in savings on air conditioning costs of approximately $220,478 per year.
· White Roof Membrane: The highly reflective, white roof will provide energy savings by reducing heat absorption, therefore reducing the demand for cooling the building. The application will save approximately $35,560 in energy consumption each year.

Community Development Block Grant
Wake County is receiving $380,721 in Community Development Block Grant – Recovery (CDBG-R) funds. The federal government is strongly encouraging grantees to use CDBG-R funds for hard development costs associated with infrastructure and public facilities activities that provide basic services to residents, or activities that promote energy efficiency and conservation through the rehabilitation or retrofitting of existing buildings. The proposed CDBG-R budget is summarized below:

· Administration Costs: $27,721
· Cornerstone Building HVAC System Upgrade: $ 38,000
· Crosby Garfield Building Electrical/Fire Alarm: $ 315,000

Water/Sewer for Jordan Lake Water Reclamation Project
The Jordan Lake Water Reclamation Project is a continuance of the Water Reclamation and Reuse Plan that provides water and sewer infrastructure to the Wake County portion of Research Triangle Park, RTP South. The plan, developed with the town of Cary and Durham County, provides reclaimed water from the Durham County Triangle Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to RTP South and the surrounding area. The system also serves Cary customers, including the USA Baseball fields at Thomas Brooks Park, and Durham County customers in the Durham County portion of RTP.

The purpose of Wake’s grant application is to attempt to cover some portion of the $3.0 million in County funds allocated for the project. The maximum potential grant award is $1.5 million. One of the requirements of the application is that the Board of Commissioners approves a resolution regarding the application for stimulus funds.

The handout to the Board that summarizes stimulus funding for Wake County is available here.

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