Unfinished Appropriations Awaits Returning Congress, Second Stimulus Package in Development

On September 8, Congress returned from the August recess to complete work on a continuing resolution that will sustain funding for government programs into early 2009 before adjourning at the end of September.

The new fiscal year begins October 1 and none of the FY2009 appropriations bills have been enacted. Congress will have less than three weeks—the House’s target adjournment date is September 26—to enact a continuing resolution (CR) that is expected to extend federal funding into February or March 2009.

Spending levels in the CR are expected to mirror those in the FY2008 appropriations measures. President Bush has echoed his threat to veto any spending measure that exceeds the discretionary spending limits set forth in his budget plan.

Congressional Democrats will hold off on final passage of the FY2009 appropriations measures until after the November elections in hopes of dealing with an administration that is more supportive of their domestic spending priorities.

In addition, Democrats in the House and Senate remained committed to also adopting a second economic stimulus package.  Prior to the recess, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) indicated her desire to pass a $50 billion package with a focus on infrastructure development.  Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-WV) unveiled a broad outline for a $25 billion measure. Some staff have indicated that a measure could possibly come before the House floor the week of September 15.

For more information, contact NADO Legislative Director Jason Boehlert at 202.624.8590 or jboehlert@nado.org.

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CBO Forecasts $407 Billion Deficit for 2008

On September 9, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) unveiled a new forecast that the federal budget deficit will increase to $407 billion in FY2008, which is $161.5 billion over the fiscal year 2007 figure.  The deficit is expected to increase even further to $438 billion in FY2009.

The projected $438 billion deficit for FY2009, which will begin October 1, exceeds the previous high of $412.7 billion in FY2004.

According to CBO, major factors in the increased deficit include the sluggish economy and its effects on revenue as well as the enactment of an economic stimulus bill (PL 110-185), which provided tax rebates.

The 2009 deficit figure is expected to grow higher because the CBO projections do not include legislative relief for the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), which Congress has addressed on a year-to-year basis, and could put the deficit figure over $500 billion. In addition, it is unknown what impact the government takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will have on the economy.

For more information, visit CBO’s Web site at www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=9706.

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House Approves Trust Fund Measure

On September 11, the House of Representatives approved legislation (HR 6532) that would immediately transfer $8 billion from the U.S. Treasury’s General Fund to the Highway Trust Fund (HTF). The President is expected to sign the measure.

The transfer would extend the life of the HTF, which is predicted to run a deficit of over $3 billion for FY2009.  The measure was originally passed by the House in July but was amended by the Senate to ensure the immediate transfer of funds rather than on September 30.

For additional information, contact NADO Legislative Director Jason Boehlert at 202.624.8590 or jboehlert@nado.org.

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Rural Housing Service Loans Funds Available

On August 19, USDA Rural Housing Service (RHS) announced the availability of $6.42 million in FY2008 funds to carry out a demonstration program to provide revolving loans for the preservation and revitalization of low-income Multi-Family Housing (MFH).

Applications are due October 20, 2008. For more information, contact Henry Searcy, USDA Senior Loan Specialist, at 202.720.1753 or henry.searcy@wdc.usda.gov.

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Federal News and Notes

USDA Holds Public Meeting on Farm Bill Provisions

On September 4, NADO staff attended a USDA Rural Development public hearing to discuss the implementation of renewable energy programs authorized under the recently enacted Farm Bill (PL 110-234).

Discussions focused on changes made to Biorefinery Assistance, Repowering Assistance, Bioenergy for Advanced Biofuels, Rural Energy for America, Rural Energy Self-Sufficiency, Biomass Crop Assistance, Forest Biomass for Energy and Community Wood Energy programs.

For more information, contact NADO Legislative Representative Amy Linehan at 202.624.8177 or alinehan@nado.org

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FEMA Releases Comprehensive Preparedness Guide For Special Needs Populations

On August 15, the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the interim release of Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 301 (CPG-301): Emergency Management Planning Guide for Special Needs Populations.

CPG-301 is designed to aid state and local governments in planning for individuals with special needs during an emergency. This includes individuals with disabilities, those living in institutionalized settings,  children and elderly, people from diverse cultures, persons with limited English proficiency or non-English speaking, and those who are transportation disadvantaged.

The guide provides recommendations for planning for special needs populations and offers recommendations to meet the needs of different jurisdictions based on factors such as size, risks and hazards. A copy of the report is available online at www.fema.gov/pdf/media/2008/301.pdf. For more information, contact NADO Legislative Representative Amy Linehan at 202.624.8177 or alinehan@nado.org.

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USDA Solicits Woody Biomass Utilization Proposals

On September 11, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a request for proposals for programs that increase the use of woody biomass from forest restoration activities. Programs should create markets for low-value trees and other residue from hazardous fuel use, handle insect and diseased conditions or treat forest lands impacted by severe weather.  USDA plans to make at least $4 million in grants ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 for up to three years.

Eligible applicants include tribes, states, local school districts, governments, communities, businesses, non-profit organizations, companies, corporations or special-purpose districts. Applicants must be able to match at least 20 percent of the total project costs.

Pre-applications are due no later than November 7, 2008. After a pre-screening, selected proposals will be invited to submit a full application for review no later than February 13, 2009.

For more information, contact Jesse Caputo at jcaputo@eesi.org or 202.662.1882.

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HUD Announces CDBG Disaster Funding Allocations

On September 11, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced initial allocations for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) disaster recovery assistance.  Under the FY2008 Supplemental Appropriations Act (PL 110-252), $300 million was made available to HUD for necessary expenses related to disaster relief, long term recovery and restoration of infrastructure in areas affected by a disaster.  Under the initial state allocations, Indiana is eligible for $10 million, Iowa is eligible for $85 million and Wisconsin is eligible for $5 million in CDBG disaster assistance.  HUD will announce allocations for the remaining $200 million at a later date. 

For more information, contact Jessie Handforth Kome, Office of Block Grant Assistance, at 202.708.3587.

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NADO News and Notes

2009 National Transportation Conference Dates Set: October 28-30 in Savannah, Georgia

The 2009 National Rural Transportation Peer Learning Conference will be held October 28-30 at the Savannah Marriott Riverfront in Savannah, Georgia.  The sixth annual conference, co-sponsored by NADO’s RPO America program and the Development District Association of Appalachia, will also feature joint sessions and networking events with the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO), who will be holding their annual training conference in Savannah at the same time.

According to NADO Executive Director Matthew Chase, “NADO and DDAA established this annual transportation planning conference in 2003 to focus on peer learning and professional development for rural transportation planners, practitioners, partners and policy officials.  Recognizing that many regional development organizations manage both RPO and MPO programs within the same organization, we wanted to offer more cost effective training while also taking advantage of a unique learning opportunity for metropolitan and rural transportation stakeholders.”

Chase continued, “As we prepare for the next reauthorization of the SAFETEA-LU highway and transit bill, we must establish better partnerships and coordination between regional and local planning interests and organizations from major metropolitan to rural.  We need to make sure that local officials across the nation have a clearly defined and pro-active role in transportation planning and project investments.  Professional development will be key as we move forward, because knowledge of the system and process is absolutely necessary for us to make new gains in the policy arena as well as improve our members’ performance and capacity.” 

To learn more about NADO’s RPO America program, visit www.ruraltransportation.org.  To learn more about the 2008 event held in Duluth, Minnesota, visit www.nado.org/conferences/archive/trans.php?con_id=82, or contact Carrie Kissel at ckissel@nado.org or 202.624.8829.

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NADO Board and Policy Roundtables to Meet in Anchorage

In addition to the Annual Training Conference next month in Anchorage, there will be two board meetings, numerous policy roundtable discussion groups, and a few pre-conference workshops.  With all the excitement about the mobile workshops and the conference plenary sessions, we want to be sure that all conference attendees are aware of the schedule for these additional activities.

Saturday, October 4th
9:00 – 10:30am 
Community and Economic Development Policy Roundtable Discussion

9:00 – 10:20am 
NADO Research Foundation

9:00 – 10:30am 
Homeland Security Policy Roundtable Discussion

10:30 – 11:45am 
Rural Development and Farm Bill Policy Roundtable Discussion

10:30 – 11:45am 
Transportation Policy Roundtable Discussion

2:30 – 4:00pm 
Program Area Networking Forum: Federal – State Regional Commissions:
Sharing Lessons Learned with ARC, DRA and Denali Commission

4:00 – 6pm  
NADO Board of Directors Meeting – all conference attendees are welcome!

Sunday, October 5th
8:00 – 9:15am 
Regional Caucus Membership Meetings – all members are encouraged to participate in their region’s caucus

9:30am – 12:00pm 
Local Officials and Policy Members Learning Lab: This session will offer policy officials who serve on regional development organization boards insights and information useful in their leadership roles. Topics may include marketing, partnership building, board roles and responsibilities, regional development organization philosophies and purposes, creating strong organizations, organizational change and other relevant topics and concerns. 

9:30am – 12:00pm 
Executive Directors Peer Learning Lab: This workshop will explore strategies and models for positioning your regional development organization for the future. Presenters will highlight the importance of building an entrepreneurial and customer‐driven culture within your organization, including establishing partnerships with business, education, government and philanthropic leaders within your region. Presenters will discuss techniques for becoming a regional leader, both as an executive director and organization. This involves outreach strategies, communication tools, statewide associations
and peer accountability, and internal operations and structure.

9:30am – 12:00pm 
Nominating Committee (Closed to committee members and candidates only)

5:00 – 6:00pm  
Reception for New Members, New Board Members and New Executive Directors

6:-00 – 9:00pm  
Opening Reception and Dinner (Casual)

Monday, October 6th
7:45 – 8:45am 
Breakfast for DDAA Members

5:00 – 6:30pm 
Innovation Awards Reception

Tuesday, October 7th
3:30 – 5:30pm 
Annual Business Meeting – all conference attendees are welcome
NADO Board of Directors Meeting – all conference attendees are welcome

7:00 – 9:00pm  
President’s Award Dinner (business attire)

Conference Program and Registration Hours/Location at the Hilton

Visit http://nado.org/conference_files/atc2008.pdf for the complete conference schedule.

Room locations will be posted in the conference program which attendees can pick up at the Conference Registration area.  The program will also be made available on line during the week of September 22nd for your advanced planning.

New this year:  Conference registration will be open on Thursday, October 2nd from 4:00 – 7:00pm.  We strongly encourage anyone attending the mobile workshops on Friday to register on Thursday afternoon.  Conference registration will be open all day on Friday, beginning at 8am and ending at 6pm.  Normal conference registration hours will resume on Saturday at 8am. 

Conference registration will be on the 2nd floor of the hotel, outside of the Aleutian Room.

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Save the Date! NADO Brownfields Workshop is Coming to Iowa

The NADO Research Foundation will be hosting an educational brownfields workshop in Des Moines, Iowa November 5--6, 2008. 

"Community Development through Brownfields Revitalization" is designed for community developers, regional planners, local/county governments, economic developers, non-profits, environmental consultants and private firms involved in community revitalization projects or cleanup of contaminated properties.

Tentative topics to be covered include:

• The nuts and bolts of brownfields redevelopment
• How to fund your brownfields project (state and federal brownfields programs)
• Streamlining the brownfields process – organization, techniques and tools
• Green building and smart growth – the next generation of brownfields redevelopment
• Creative brownfields practices and success stories

For more information on this workshop and to register please visit www.nado.org/rf/innocenters/brownfieldstrain.php or contact NADO Environmental Program Manager Mike Bellamente at 202.624.7809 or mbellamente@nado.org.

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National Rural Transportation Conference Held in Duluth; Congressman Oberstar Addresses Conference

On August 17 – 19, the National Rural Transportation Peer Learning Conference was held in Duluth, Minnesota.  The conference attracted over 160 participants from regional development organizations across the nation.

A major highlight of the conference included a video address from Congressman James L. Oberstar (D-MN), which he produced especially for NADO.  View the Congressman’s address at www.ruraltransportation.org/Conferences/videos.

Other focal points included plenary sessions on economic competitiveness, climate change, and transportation and land use, as well as breakout sessions that highlighted peer learning and networking.  Speaker presentations are available on the conference website at http://www.nado.org/conferences/archive/trans.php?con_id=82&content=con_presentations.

Mobile workshops included views of the Arrowhead region’s transportation assets, including touring the North Shore Scenic Drive, a harbor cruise and view of the Port of Duluth, a visit to Cirrus Design’s manufacturing facility, and a walking tour of downtown Duluth. 

Excellence in Regional Transportation Award winners were recognized in a special conference reception and a report, available at www.ruraltransportation.org/files/excbook08.pdf.

All conference sessions and mobile workshops have been approved for AICP Certification Maintenance credits.

For more information, contact Program Manager Carrie Kissel at ckissel@nado.org or 202.624.8829.

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RPO America and National RPO Council of Peers Meet in Duluth

During the National Rural Transportation Peer Learning Conference held in Duluth, Minnesota, RPO America held its Annual Business Meeting, followed by a meeting of the National RPO Council of Peers.  RPO America is a program affiliate of the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and the NADO Research Foundation that serves as the national professional association for rural transportation planning professionals, practitioners, policymakers and other stakeholders.  The association includes all dues-paying members of NADO.

The RPO America membership elected its leadership for the 2008 – 2009 term during the Annual Business Meeting.  The elected officers are:

• Chair: John Marshall, Transportation Manager, Western Piedmont Council of Governments and Unifour RPO (NC)
• Vice Chair: Chris Fetzer, Director of Planning, Northern Arizona Council of Governments
• Secretary: Laura Lewis Marchino, Assistant Director, Region 9 Economic Development District of Southwest Colorado, Inc.

In addition, Matthew Chase, Executive Director of NADO, will serve as Treasurer of RPO America, a non-elected position.

Members of the National RPO Council of Peers have recently been nominated by members of the NADO Board of Directors and appointed by NADO President Leanne Mazer.  Council members for 2008 – 2009 include:

• Dewayne Hellums, North-Central Alabama Regional Council of Governments
• Chris Fetzer, Northern Arizona Council of Governments
• Ken O'Donnell, Western Arkansas Planning and Development District
• Marjie Kirn, Merced County Association of Governments (CA)
• Laura Lewis Marchino, Region 9 Economic Development District of SW Colorado, Inc.
• Marlie Sanderson, North Central Florida Regional Planning Council
• Robert Hiett, McIntosh Trail RDC (GA)
• Gena McCullough, Bi-State Regional Commission (IL/IA)
• Kelly Murray, Illinois Association of Regional Councils
• Lisa Gehlhausen, Indiana 15 Regional Planning Commission
• Stu Anderson, Iowa Department of Transportation
• Brian Tapp, Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission
• Randall Embry, Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency
• Kevin Belanger, South Central Planning Development Commission (LA)
• Tom Reinauer, Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission
• Mike Pennington, Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland
• Diane Rekowski, Northeast Michigan Council of Governments
• Pat Henderson, Arrowhead Regional Development Center (MN)
• Susan Moe, FHWA – Minnesota Division
• Ronda Allis, Region 9 Development Commission (MN)
• Kurt Brummett, Three Rivers Planning and Development District (MS)
• Connie Willman, Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MO)
• Kent Van Landuyt, Missouri
• Paul Mullen, Omaha-Council Bluffs MAPA (NE/IA)
• Michael King, North Country Council, Inc. (NH)
• Lesah Sedillo, North Central New Mexico Economic Development District
• Donald Rychnowski, Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board
• Travis Marshall, North Carolina Department of Transportation
• John Marshall, Western Piedmont Council of Governments (NC)
• Misty Casto, Buckeye Hills-Hocking Valley Regional Development District (OH)
• Debora Glasgow, Southwest Oklahoma Development Authority
• Scott Wilson, Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments
• Bob Skarada, Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission
  

SERDI Offers New Executive Director Training

The SouthEast Regional Directors Institute (SERDI) partnered with NADO to hold an introductory training workshop for new executive directors and senior staff on September 8 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  As the multi-state professional development association for the 112 regional councils of the Southeast, SERDI has been working internally and with partners such as NADO to create a new training curriculum for regional council executive directors.

Jim Youngquist, Director of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock’s Institute for Economic Advancement and NADO Executive Director Matthew Chase provided an overview of the regional council profession.  Youngquist led the group though research on the top seven issues facing regional councils in the current environment.  Chase provided training on becoming an effective grassroots advocate.

To view the NADO presentation, The World of Politics:  Shaping the Future of the Nation’s Regional Councils, visit www.nado.org/legaffair/local08.pdf.

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New EPA Brownfield Grant Guidelines Now Online

EPA has posted the Grant Proposal Guidelines for the FY2009 Brownfields Assessment, Cleanup and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grants.  This year, each grant type has its own guideline document for submitting proposals.  All proposals are due November 14, 2008.  To view the Guideline documents visit www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicat.htm.  Accompanying fact sheets and Frequently Asked Questions are also posted on the Web site.

For general questions regarding EPA's grant proposal process, contact your local EPA regional contact or NADO Environmental Program Manager Mike Bellamente at 202.624.7809 or mbellamente@yahoo.com.

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NADO Research Foundation Conducting Study on CEDS and Transportation Planning

The NADO Research Foundation’s Center for Transportation Advancement and Regional Development is conducting a study on the relationship between economic development planning in the CEDS and transportation planning processes.  Currently, the Center is seeking economic development district responses to an online scan, available at www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB2283QDXZD2Y.  Please take a few minutes to visit the link and respond to the questions.  All responses will be greatly valued in this research effort.

Preliminary results of this study will be made available during the “Coordinating Investments: Transportation and Your CEDS” session at NADO’s Annual Training Conference. 

The Center for Transportation Advancement and Regional Development operates under cooperative agreement No. DTFH61-06-H-00029 with the Federal Highway Administration.

Contact Program Manager Carrie Kissel at ckissel@nado.org or 202.624.8829 for more information.

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Anchorage Hilton Still Sold Out: Rooms Needed

NADO’s room block at the Anchorage Hilton continues to be completely sold out.  Those who have not yet made a reservation at the Anchorage Hilton can reserve a room at one of the overflow hotels and contact NADO Meeting Planner Vicki Glass (vglass@nado.org or 202.624.8574) to have their name placed on the waiting list.  As rooms become available at the Hilton, Vicki will move people over there.
For those who have rooms at the Hilton they no longer need, please do not cancel them – contact Vicki Glass at 202.624.8574 or vglass@nado.org so she can transfer them over to someone on the waiting list.

For information on the overflow hotels, visit www.nado.org/conferences/annual.php.

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Member Upgrades

NADO is pleased to announce that the South Georgia RDC (Valdosta, GA), has upgraded to sustaining member. John Leonard is the Executive Director. For additional information, visit www.segrdc.org.

NADO is pleased to announce that the Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency (Louisville, KY) has upgraded to a platinum plus member.  Jack Scriber is the Executive Director.  For additional information, visit www.kipda.org.

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Welcome New Members

Jerrod Haberman, Director, Panhandle Area Development District (Gering, NE). For more information, visit www.nepadd.com.

Bill Howell, Executive Director, Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments, (Price, UT).  For more information, visit www.seulg.dst.ut.us.

Vince Lane, Executive Director, Kentucky County Judge Executive Association (Frankfort, KY).  For more information, visit www.kcjea.org.

Debbie Martin, President & CEO, Shelby Energy Cooperative Inc. (Shelbyville, KY). 
For more information, visit www.gshelbyenergy.com.

Brett Doney, Executive Director, Great Falls Development Authority, Inc. (Great Falls, MT).  For more information, visit www.gfdevelopment.org.

Michael Busha, Executive Director, Treasure Coast RPC (Stuart, FL).  For more information, visit www.tcrpc.org.

Jim Youngquist, Executive Director, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Institute for Economic Advancement (Little Rock, AR).  For more information, visit www.area.ualr.edu.

Kentucky Community of Technical College Systems (Versailles, KY). For more information, visit www.kctcs.edu.

Jeanne MacDonald, Director, Dickinson State University, Strom Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Dickinson, ND).  For more information, visit www.dsu.nodak.edu.

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New Executive Directors

Nick Brady has been named Executive Director of the Eastern Plains COG (Clovis, NM).  For additional information, visit www.epcog.org.

Kerry Metzger has been named Executive Director of the Ohio Mid-Eastern Government Association (Cambridge, OH).  For additional information, visit www.omegadistrict.org.

John Hemmings has been named Executive Director of the Ohio Valley RDC (Waverly, OH).  For additional information, visit www.ovdc.org.

Amanda Remington has been named Executive Director of the Mid Columbia EDD (The Dalles, OR).  For additional information, visit www.mcedd.org.

Blaise Emerson has been named Executive Director of the Black Hills Council of Local Governments (Rapid City, SD)

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NADO Calendar of Events

2008 Annual Training Conference, October 3 - 7, 2008
Hilton Anchorage, Anchorage, AK

Community Development through Brownfields Revitalization, November 5 - 6, 2008
Hotel Fort Des Moines, Des Moines, IA

2009 Washington Policy Conference, March 2 - 4, 2009
Marriott Crystal Gateway, Arlington, VA

2009 Annual Training Conference, August 29 - September 1, 2009
Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, Chicago, IL

2009 National Rural Transportation Peer Learning Conference, October 28 - 29, 2009
Marriott Savannah Riverfront, Savannah, GA 

2010 NADO Annual Training Conference, August 28 - 31, 2010
Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina, San Diego, CA

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