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Welcome to alexandriava.gov/recovery

The City has established this Web page to keep the public informed about how much funding the City of Alexandria will receive from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009, and how it will be used. Like the Federal Web site recovery.gov, and the state of Virginia's Web site, stimulus.virginia.gov, this page will be frequently updated to bring you the latest information about stimulus funding in Alexandria. Please e-mail questions and comments to recovery@alexandriava.gov.

Mayor Euille Today Show: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009

What Does the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 Mean for Alexandria?

Like many municipalities, Alexandria will be obtaining funding from the federal economic stimulus package, and has worked since December 2008 to identify needs within the City. Prior to the enactment of the Recovery Act, a Special City Council Subcommittee on Federal Stimulus Package Funding developed a list of needs that might be eligible for stimulus funds, whenever they became available. Key areas of need that the City hopes to address through the stimulus funding include:

Job creation and employment training
Green initiatives, which could include job training in emerging green industries, green retrofitting, and energy efficiencies for public buildings
Transportation infrastructure and transit improvements
Public school infrastructure, school improvements and special education
Public safety
Community services, community development and housing

Mayor William D. Euille joined 29 other Mayors in January to meet with the White House and members of Congress about the Federal stimulus bill. On January 22, City Manager James K. Hartmann submitted a report to City Council about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the City’s plans for implementing it.

On February 20, several days after the Recovery Act was signed, Mayor Euille was invited, along with 85 Mayors from across the nation, to meet with President Obama and Vice President Biden to discuss the challenges and opportunities our City and the nation are facing during the economic downturn.

Now that the Recovery Act has been enacted, and the City is learning more about the details and funding levels within the bill, the list of needs will be refined. To maintain accountability and transparency during this fluid and rapidly changing process, it is our commitment to keep you informed. Please check back frequently for updates.

When does the City expect to receive funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act?

The award of recovery funds varies depending on the source of funding for the project. Some recovery funds will be given to the City based on a formula, and some funds will be distributed through competitive grants. Once a stimulus grant is officially awarded, the federal funds can be accessed by the City in one of two ways: through a drawdown process or through reimbursement at a later date. Fortunately for local governments, the federal government is using drawdown and payment processes based on existing grant regulations. Additionally, the means for accessing the funds can be done through online, electronic mediums. This provides the City faster and more efficient access to stimulus funds. The City expects to receive a majority of the funding for which it qualifies over the next two fiscal years (FY 2010 & FY 2011).

How will the recovery funds affect the City’s budget?

Some funds will help enhance capital projects that are already underway and possibly pay for projects that are currently unfunded. If funds are used for operating expenses, the City cannot substitute, or supplant, recovery money to pay for programs already included in City’s budget. The City can only use recovery funds to supplement or enhance programs that are currently in the budget.

How did the City determine which grants to apply for?

In January 2009, prior to the passage of the Recovery Act, City staff developed an initial list of potential projects that might be funded based on broad funding categories that were being discussed at that time. After enactment of the legislation, the Alexandria City Council appointed a subcommittee to work with City staff to identify projects to submit for consideration. City staff was divided among several work groups to focus on specific project categories – for example, public safety, social services, etc. Once City staff determined which grant programs were funded through the legislation, the initial list of projects from January was further refined based on the criteria that projects must meet to qualify for the limited recovery funds that are available. Throughout 2009 the City has sought federal funding through nearly two dozen formula and competitive grant programs covering a wide range of projects. As the City receives information about grant awards and anticipated funding, descriptions of the projects will be posted to this website.

How will the City track and report its spending?

The City has appointed an Accountability Committee, chaired by the City of Alexandria’s Director of Finance, Laura Triggs. The Committee is responsible for tracking stimulus funds once a grant is awarded and ensuring the grant managers within City departments accurately report their expenditures and performance measures to the proper federal agencies. The first quarterly reporting deadline was on October 10, 2009, and the City was successful in submitting all of the required reporting materials to the federal government. For the first quarterly report, the City submitted information on 5 grants as prime recipients to FederalReporting.gov. The next reports are due in January 2010.

How can I contact the City with questions or comments about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act?

E-mail your questions and comments to recovery@alexandriava.gov.

Overview

The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) signed into law by President Obama on February 17th, 2009, includes measures to modernize our nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need.

Related Sites

News

Alexandria Federal Stimulus Funding Update
The City of Alexandria has recently been awarded four grants funded by the federal stimulus legislation, and continues to pursue federal stimulus funding for unmet needs in public safety, transportation, energy efficiency, job training, homelessness prevention, and pre-school and K-12 education.
City Joins Regional Application for MWCOG's Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2
July 1, 2009 The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) was allocated approximately $2 billion in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as a source of funding to stabilize communities that have been hard hit by foreclosure, vacancy, and abandonment. Two City census tracts were identified by the Department of Housing and Urban Development as having a high risk of foreclosure activity, and were found to be eligible for inclusion in an application for NSP funding: 1) tract 2004.01, which includes areas of Eisenhower Avenue West and South Van Dorn Street; and 2) tract 2001.03, which includes Lincolnia Hills and communities along Quantrell Avenue and Armistead Street.

Because NSP grant policies favor regional proposals, the City is joining five other jurisdictions in applying for the program as a consortium with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. These jurisdictions are the Counties of Fairfax, Prince George's and Prince William, and the Cities of Bowie and Gaithersburg. The City plans to use funding received through this program to assist first-time homebuyers in buying foreclosed homes within the above census tracts.
City Sells General Obligation Bonds for Public Facilities, Schools, Infrastructure and Metro Capital
June 23, 2009 The City of Alexandria competitively sold $79.7 million in AAA/Aaa-rated general obligation bonds at a favorable overall 3.28% true interest cost.