Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) announced that all 15 submitted community funding projects were approved by the House Appropriations Committee. The inclusion of this funding in the Appropriations Committee draft bill is the first step in the funding process. The bill now moves to the full Appropriations Committee, consideration on the House Floor, and negotiations with the Senate.
“I am thrilled to announce that so many community projects ranging from infrastructure, to increasing library access for seniors to mental health response programs in Michigan’s 11th District were approved by the House Appropriations Committee,” said Rep. Haley Stevens. “All of my submitted projects for fiscal year 2022 were fully funded and municipalities have already started to see federal funding come through. I urge the House and Senate to move forward on a bipartisan basis to secure full funding for these approved projects that will benefit so many in our community.”
The House Appropriations Committee has allowed members of Congress to submit 10 community funding requests for consideration by the committee for fiscal year 2023. The following criteria must have been met in order for projects to be approved by the House Appropriations Committee:
• Does the project meet the committee’s guidance for determining project eligibility?
• How many constituents will benefit from this project?
• Does the project have broad support demonstrated by stakeholders across the community?
• Can the project’s sponsors meet the requirements for non-federal matching funding when appropriate?
• How promptly and efficiently can this funding be spent?
A full list of projects and their descriptions and funding levels are listed below:
Birmingham Combined Sewer System Critical Rehabilitation Program Project
Request Amount: $1,300,000.00
Project Description: This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the City of Birmingham conducted a comprehensive condition assessment of over 60% of its combined/sanitary sewer system in 2019. Recommendations were made for rehabilitating the existing sewers to extend their useful life, as opposed to waiting for failures and then needing to remove and replace at a much higher cost and disruption to the public. Approximately 150 sewer segments were identified as needing critical repairs and the proposed project will include various rehabilitation methods to address the identified issues. Sewer rehabilitation work could include removal of accumulated debris or sediment, sewer lining, root mass removals, mineral deposit removals, and excavation & pipe replacement of the most severely deteriorated sections that may not be in suitable condition for other “trenchless” rehabilitation techniques. The proposed work is critical for maximizing combined sewer conveyance capabilities that are needed during wet weather to protect against sewer backups and potential basement flooding.
Canton Ridge Road Park Phase 1 Design and Engineering Project
Request Description: $1,000,000.00
Project Overview: This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because Ridge Road Park is a key resource in the community and will include an adaptive and universally designed playground and surfacing, a sledding hill and warming hut, an environmental and education nature center, a pond with fishing pier, a woodland preserve area, an extensive trail system, native plantings, and stream restoration.
Clawson Water Main Reconstruction Project
Request Amount: $710,000.00
Project Description: This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the funding for this project will be used to install an additional water main and replace a current main in the City of Clawson. The proposed project will be to install approximately 373’ of 8” water main on N. Washington from W. 14 Mile to Broadacre where there is not a water main. Additionally, 737’ of current 6” water main will be replaced with 8” water main on Broadacre from N. Washington to N. Main.
Commerce Charter Township Self-Service Library Kiosks for Seniors Project
Request Amount: $235,050
Project Description: This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of creative alternatives to the traditional in-person library outreach visits to nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Due to health, mobility, transportation and other factors, residents of Commerce Township's nursing homes and assisted living facilities are often unable to safely visit the library. The Commerce Township Community Library strives to provide safe and convenient service to all residents, including residents of senior living facilities. This project would allow Commerce Township Community Library to install library kiosks in senior living facilities and other locations in the community, such as the Richardson Senior Center, where older adults often visit. The library kiosks, which work similar to a vending machine, would serve as miniature library branches, allowing residents the opportunity to independently check out and return library items at their convenience, without needing to arrange transportation to the library or wait for a scheduled visit by library staff.
Farmington Shiawassee Connection Project
Request Amount: $2,100,000.00
Project Description: This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because residents and businesses in the city continue to express the need for more accessible and usable public spaces. The project includes the removal and replacement of existing stairs and bridge at Shiawassee Park with a new ADA compliant boardwalk and bridge.
Holocaust Memorial Center Education Outreach Programs
Request Amount: $550,000.00
Project Description: This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because The Holocaust Center (HC) serves over 100,000 Michiganders each year. It is Michigan’s only Holocaust Museum, and one of the largest such museums in the United States. The HC has identified several focused educational initiatives to fulfill its mission: Teacher-training programs in Holocaust and genocide education, transportation subsidies for Title 1/31a school field trips, and educational programs for Michigan students in the museum. CPF will enable The HC to expand and improve these services, giving every Michigander equal access to Holocaust and genocide education and the tools to fight antisemitism.
Northville Randolph Drain Serenity Point and Riverbank Stabilization Project
Request Amount: $560,000
Project Description: This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the Randolph Drain, Serenity Point and Riverbank Stabilization Project seeks to repair a pair of deteriorated drainage structures that serve the cities of Northville and Novi. The Randolph Drain emerges from beneath Hutton Street, forming a confluence with the Walled Lake Branch of the Rouge River flowing through historic Ford Field in Northville. The drains are severely undermined and have contributed to eroding the banks of the river and endangering the stability of Hutton Street. In addition to stabilizing the drainage structures and river embankments, the Ford Field Master Plan calls for the development of a scenic viewing area in this location, overlooking the spillway of the Upper Mill Pond built by Henry Ford for the Ford Valve Plant, one of his first Village Industry Plants in the 1920’s. The stabilization of the drains and river embankments will address a safety hazard and an eyesore and will create a serene viewing point, benefiting the many visitors who are attracted to this popular, regional destination. The project will be done in partnership with the Oakland County Water Resource Commission who repairs and maintains the drain.
Oakland County Farmers Market Modernization & Improvement Project
Request Amount: $2,269,00.00
Project Description: This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it is a multi-jurisdictional project, serving all of Oakland County, Michigan, which seeks to improve the facility and increase access to the project area. This project would fully renovate and significantly improve the market’s aging facility – between 160,000 to 200,000 people visit the market each year. The current building does not meet current ADA guidelines and its restrooms are not accessible. The project will increase accessibility in and around the market, create new program space for educational and physical activities, develop a commercial kitchen for popular cooking demonstrations and incubator use, build accessible/family restrooms, and improve the overall site with storm water management and demonstration gardens. It will increase and promote access to healthy, nutritious food by facilitating more than $50,000 per year in food assistance benefits, while better supporting our 100+ Michigan farmers.
Oakland County Health Division – Laboratory Construction and Equipment
Request Amount: $1,200,000.00
Project Description: This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it would fund the construction of a Health Division Laboratory facility expansion, equipped with advanced technology to meet the growing public health needs of the community. The implementation of this project would enhance the capacity and capabilities of the Laboratory. Digital-drop-PCR instrumentation – currently used for COVID testing – will be improved to expand the County’s testing capabilities to trace the source of pollutants and monitor water quality at beaches throughout Oakland County. Hologic Panther digital instruments will be utilized to improve public health testing for influenza and hepatitis viruses, STDs and bacterial pathogens. This expansion will increase the capacity of OCHD testing, allowing the Health Division to process more labs for uninsured clients of partner organizations, increasing access to quality care.
Oakland University Vehicular Wireless Communications System Testing and Standards Facility Program
Request Amount: $3,000,000.00
Project Description: This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because Oakland University (OU), a Michigan public university in Rochester Hills, MI, is proposing to acquire a multi-probe, indoor measurement system to characterize the performance of antennas and communications systems on large platforms to address the important need for testing facilities on a national and regional basis. If funded, the testing, certification, and research development measurement system will be the only vehicle-level, independent, open-use facility of its kind in the U.S. OU has operated an outdoor antenna measurement system for research, education and industry testing since 2008 but that system does not meet the speed and measurement accuracy requirements of 5G wireless communication systems. In addition, it can’t perform full communication system and co-existence analyses of multiple wireless systems. The proposed measurement system would be used for workforce development\training, research, product development, certification and standards development activities. Faculty and students, ranging from undergraduate to doctoral levels, will gain valuable experience operating and maintaining this capability. The university anticipates the new facility will be used by over 60 companies including automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEM), Tier-I\II suppliers, federal laboratories, academic institutions, and the U.S. Military. The combined commitment of OU, along with this request, will enable Michigan and the U.S. to close an important technology gap in wireless technology testing and standards development, thus enabling vehicle autonomy and connectivity projects to flourish. The proposed system, MVG SG3000F, is capable of characterizing the three-dimensional radiation pattern and communication system performance of antennas on large complex structures such as military/civilian vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
Plymouth/Northville/Northville Township Mental Health Police Response Project
Request Amount: $135,359.00
Project Description: This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because this is a multi-jurisdictional project serving three communities. Funding would be utilized for sustainability and capacity building for two embedded behavioral health clinicians within the Northville Township, Northville and Plymouth Police Departments and Northville Youth Network to respond with police officers and assist people of all ages in mental health crisis. The behavioral health clinicians will be licensed, Master's level professionals and will provide crisis intervention and stabilization, mental health and substance abuse assessment, coordination, and referral to treatment as well as community outreach. In addition to immediate Mobile Crisis Co-Response, the clinicians will also have the capacity to provide immediate telehealth services to support officers in the field, when co-response is not feasible due to safety or geographical issues. Through the Northville Youth Network, the clinicians will be available to provide prevention and behavioral health support to children, adolescents and their families who have been referred to the juvenile diversion program by the police departments.
Schoolcraft College’s Manufacturing & Engineering Center Project Industry 4.0 Training
Request Amount: $1,025,000.00
Project Description: This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because Schoolcraft College’s Industry 4.0 Training Initiative is imperative to keep our state competitive. As manufacturing plants, warehouses and supply chains become more fully automated, the technologies driving these changes increase the need for employees to be technically adept. In data-rich industries of sensors, scanners, information and data, advancements have reduced downtime while increasing quality and productivity. The Schoolcraft College Industry 4.0 initiative will skill and upskill workers in transformative technology occupations by providing training and credentialed programs in such areas as mechatronics technicians, industrial engineering technicians, robotics technicians, and supply chain management production and logistics technicians. The Schoolcraft College proposal to add higher-level certifications through training on updated and technologically advanced equipment will lead to a critically needed right skilled and more robust labor force.
Troy Sylvan Glen Lake Park Project
Request Amount: $1,500,000.00
Project Description: This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because Sylvan Glen Lake Park is currently one of the City’s ten neighborhood parks and is the largest coming in at 40 acres. Although the park is currently classified as a neighborhood park, it is likely to be reclassified as a community park with the expansion of amenities such as restrooms, paved parking, play structures, and a fishing pier. Funding will be used to assist with the expansion of these amenities at Sylvan Glen Lake Park.
Waterford Downtown Revitalization Project
Request Amount: $750,000
Project Description: This project will establish a downtown within the heart of Waterford Township that will promote a sense of place, community activity, and economic development where people live, work and play. Presently, several of the buildings on Dixie Highway near Frembes Road are dated and in need of facelifts. The Downtown Revitalization Project proposes the implementation of several streetscape projects to get people out of their cars to socialize, interact and explore local business. The streetscape projects include pedestrian oriented street lighting, the placement of trees and creation of greenspace, sidewalk widening and the addition of benches and trash cans.
West Bloomfield Parks and Recreation Commission Social Work Services for Senior Citizens Project
Request Amount: $85,000.00
Project Description: This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the senior citizen community in West Bloomfield has been asking for additional resources from its government. The project would provide a social work professional to help senior citizens find resources that increase their quality of life.
Original source can be found here.
