Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Requests
Below is a list of the project requests Congressman Schiff submitted to the House Commitee on Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2010. They have been posted online in the interest of transparency. Rep. Schiff submitted these projects because he believes they are important to the health and prosperity of our community. The Appropriations Commitee will now select projects that will receive funding. Congressman Schiff will continue to work to support the interests of the 29th District. The appropriations process has just begun, so it's too early to know which projects will ultimately receive federal funding.
$1,000,000 – Advanced Molecular Medicine Initiative, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 East Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010
Funding will be used for the Advanced Molecular Medicine Initiative to perform research to improve molecular-targeted therapies for more effective and less toxic treatment of cancer for members of both the Department of Defense and civilian populations. This research will also develop expertise and technologies directly applicable to defense against biological, chemical or radiological attacks. In this regard, radiation biology is a critical area of research that has overlapping interests between the Department of Defense and the cancer medicine community. This is a good use of federal funds because it will have multiple applications critical to the health and safety of our nation and its residents.
$693,000 - Agricultural Research Initiative, California State University, Fresno Foundation located at 4910 Chesnut Ave., Fresno, CA 93726
Funding will be used for research, outreach-education, and technology transfer activities to augment, enhance and extend the basic agricultural research in California. Its project and program results are made widely available in the public domain through technology transfer assistance and information dissemination, and are provided directly to producers, processors, and consumers who need it most. This is a good use of federal funds because agriculture is a critical and important industry for the nation and this will enable farmers to take advantage of cutting edge technology in the fields.
$500,000 - Altadena Library District Addition and Renovation Project, Altadena Library District, 600 E. Mariposa Street, Altadena CA 91001
The Main Altadena Library is 41 years old and in desperate need of repair, renovation, and expansion to provide modern library services. It is overcrowded and shows the effects of past earthquakes with cracks in the ceilings, concrete slabs, and windows. It lacks energy efficiency, has antiquated lighting, has encapsulated asbestos throughout which needs removal, and is non-ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant. The community room and bathrooms are inaccessible to patrons in wheelchairs. In addition, old bookstacks do not meet seismic codes and cannot be retrofitted because of age and welding. Funding will be used for design, engineering studies and construction. It is on the California State Librarian’s list of critical construction projects. This is a good use of federal funds because it will improve the quality of life for the entire community and would assist the library in continuing providing much needed public services.
$375,000 - Alternate EOC/Training Classroom, City of Alhambra, 111 S. First Street, Alhambra, CA 91801
Funding will be used to construct an Emergency Operations Center training classroom with telecommunications connections to support satellite; computer web based communication networks as well as the electrical for all modern EOC and Training Classroom needs. It will provide for the forward looking satellite training capacities currently under development, further maintaining fire and law enforcement resources. This is a good use of federal funds because it will improve training and response for the city’s emergency services to ensure the safety of its residents in a disaster.
$500,000 - Arroyo Seco Watershed Management Plan, Los Angeles County Flood Control District, Los Angeles County, 900 S. Fremont Ave, Alhambra, CA 91803
The purpose of this project is to complete a feasibility study for the Arroyo Seco Watershed for future restoration efforts that would benefit the community focusing on restoration of the natural hydrologic functioning of the watershed, management of water resources and water quality improvement, habitat restoration, and improved recreational opportunities and open space. This is a good use of federal funds because it will help protect some of the riparian habitat is left in the Los Angeles area and improve the lives of residents by providing much needed open space in an urbanized setting.
$50,000 - Battered Women and Community Education and Resource Center, Alhambra CA Asian Pacific Women's Center,1145 Wilshire Boulevard, 1st Floor, Suite 102 Los Angeles, CA 90017
Funding will be used to educate and empower economically and socially disadvantaged individuals, parents, and families about the causes and effects of domestic violence and increase their access to domestic violence prevention services and various community resources. It will also increase teacher, school staff, and other service providers' knowledge of domestic violence, cultural competency, and barriers that minority communities face, to increase multicultural and linguistically sensitive services. Providing federal dollars to this project would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it would help to reinvest in the education and empowerment of the San Gabriel Valley Community through outreach, intervention, and prevention focusing on women and minorities who are often marginalized.
$1,350,000 - California County Pest Detection Augmentation Program, California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association located at P.O. Box 889, Santa Paula, CA 93061
The Project will expand the pest trapping program to cover more rural-residential areas in California. Federal appropriations have allowed California Agricultural Commissioners to increase the number of pest traps by 5002, covering an additional 612 square miles. These additional traps resulted in the detection of 82 total species of pests including Peach Fruit Fly, Oriental Fruit Fly, Melon Fruit Fly, Mexican Fruit Fly and Guava Fruit Fly. This is a good use of federal funds because it takes preventive steps to keep pest mitigation costs low and protect the nation’s food supply. If any of these pests had gone undetected and become established, eradication and control efforts would have been significant for county, state and federal governments.
$1,650,000 – California County Pest Detection Import Inspection Program, California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association located at P.O. Box 889, Santa Paula, CA 93061
The Import Inspection element of the California County Pest Detection Augmentation Program is a statewide program operated by county agriculture commissioners to inspect incoming plant material at points of entry in California to prevent the establishment of serious agricultural and environmental invasive pests and diseases. This is a good use of federal funds because it takes preventive steps to keep pest mitigation costs low and protect the nation’s food supply. Any one of these serious exotic insect pests or plants has the potential to establish in California potentially costing millions of dollars in eradication and control efforts.
$300,000 – California Seafloor Mapping Program, California State Coastal Conservancy, 1330 Broadway, 13th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612-2530
Funding will be used to complete the mapping of the Sea Floor and marine habitats off the Coast of California. This information is critical in the development of an ocean circulation model that will allow us to better predict ocean response to natural and human-induced changes, including sea-level rise and coastal inundation from storms. This program is also essential for improving management of California’s coastal waters, among the most productive in the world. Examples of some applications that would benefit from marine mapping and data include: understanding and mitigating the impacts to sea level rise, evaluating the potential for utilizing ocean energy, designating and monitoring marine reserves, improving navigation and ensuring shipping safety, understanding sediment transport and sand delivery, identifying dredging and dumping sites, help identify fault dynamics, regulation of offshore coastal development, and fisheries management. This is a good use of federal funds because it will better enable the nation to monitor climate change, protect the environment, and protect marine commerce.
$150,000 - Career Technology Training for Low-Income Women, Women At Work, 3971 E. Colorado Boulevard - 1st Floor, Pasadena, CA 91107
Funds will be used to expand the Women At Work's Career Technology Training for Low-income Women. These programs and services assist job-seekers of all ages and competency levels in gaining essential and marketable skills in understanding and using technology. This is a good use of federal funds because by providing training resources and employment search support to low-income individuals with little formal education, these individuals will become equipped to become contributors to the tax rolls as opposed to likely recipients of federal programs. In addition, the focus on women also helps to teach the importance of career education to their children and families. In this job market it is more important than ever to ensure that women are well-equipped and trained to enter the workforce.
$1,000,000 – Center for Medical Innovation – Eye Trauma and Visual Restoration, University of Southern California, 3720 S. Flower Street, Suite 325, Los Angeles, CA 90089
USC’s Center for Medical Innovation will apply new bioengineering and regenerative medicine technology with the goal of creating unparalleled advances that promise to save, and even restore sight to soldiers with traumatic eye injuries. This technology will allow remote evaluation of eye trauma – thus preventing unnecessary vision loss – as well as developing implantable prostheses (located either in the retina or in the visual center of the brain) that will restore a degree of sight to soldiers blinded by traumatic eye injury, or to civilians whose vision has been compromised by disease. Federal funding is a good investment because it will greatly accelerate this critical research.
$1,000,000 – Children’s Hospital LA Proteomics Project, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, 4650 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90027
The purpose of this funding request is to carry out a research program relating to children’s cancers focusing on proteomics, the study of protein and protein functions. Proteomics research for cancer cells is essential to learning how the cancer cell behaves as it does, and application of information from our knowledge of both genes and proteins in cancer cells can lead to the discovery of new, cost-effective drug therapies. The methodology could also be applied to other pediatric diseases including diabetes, infectious diseases, immunodeficiencies, and neurological disorders. This is a valuable use of federal funds because it will improve the health and well-being of children with debilitating, and often fatal, diseases.
$500,000 - Citywide Seismic Retrofit, City of Burbank, 275 E. Olive Ave, Burbank, CA 91510
Funding will be used as part of a seismic retrofit of 19 City facilities to strengthen walls and anchor ceilings to mitigate damage in the event of an earthquake. Funding should be used for the most critical infrastructure first, such as City Hall. This is a good use of federal funds because it will ensure the safety of vital city services in the event of an earthquake and better protect the city and its residents.
$1.5 million - Design Alosta Connection, Raymond Basin Management Board, 725 North Azusa Avenue, Azusa, CA 91702
Funding will be used for a 30-inch interconnecting pipeline joining the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) Rialto Feeder to the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District pipeline and eventually replace 500,000 acre feet of drinking water in the Raymond Basin and Main San Gabriel Basin Aquifers. This is a valuable use of federal dollars because the program will provide for reliability of local water supplies and optimize imported supplies as well as enhancing water quality in the region, which encompasses the foothill communities of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties along the San Gabriel mountain range, securing water reliability for Pasadena, Alhambra, and Altadena.
$75,000 - Development and Education Program for At-risk Girls, YWCA of Pasadena, 1200 N. Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, CA. 91103
This program is a unique year-round program that provides a safe, fun environment for girls nine to seventeen years old to build self-esteem, learn to work with people of different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds and develop leadership skills. Serving primarily economically disadvantaged girls, this program provides a vital alternative for up to 180 at-risk girls each year through a variety of programs, including After-school Youth Development, Financial Literacy, Community Field Trips, and Mentoring groups. The goal of the program is to ensure that participants graduate from high school, continue their educations, and develop career plans. This is a valuable use of taxpayer dollars because in Northwest Pasadena, the neighborhood primarily served by this program, less than half of women 18 and older have attended college. An alarming 36% haven't even graduated high school, and of these women, 19% haven't made it past the eighth grade. These statistics and studies demonstrate an urgent community need for prevention programs.
$500,000 – DNA equipment for Regional Crime Lab, City of Glendale, 613 East Broadway, Glendale, CA 91206
Funding will be used to establish a regional DNA Laboratory located in Glendale, but in partnership with Burbank and Pasadena, and would be capable of accepting evidence from a multitude of other regional municipalities. Currently, these cities send their DNA to be tested by the County Crime Lab, which sometimes takes as long as nine months to process. Federal funding is valuable because it will enable quick analysis (cheaper than a private lab) with inclusion of property crime evidence, as well as cold cases and backlogged material. This will help these communities solve crimes faster and keep their residents safer.
$300,000 - Downtown Burbank Bicycle/Pedestrian Bridge, City of Burbank, 275 E. Olive Ave, Burbank, CA 91510
Funding will help construct a bicycle and pedestrian bridge connecting Downtown Burbank directly to its Metrolink Station across Interstate 5 and the Metrolink/Union Pacific railroad tracks. This pedestrian link would enable a short walk between the bus and train stops at the Metrolink station and the core of Burbank’s Downtown, including offices, retail, and residential developments. This is a good use of federal funds because it will improve the connection between the city’s commercial and residential development and the second-busiest Metrolink station, along with 10 local and regional bus routes and connect to the San Fernando Bikeway, a regional bike path connecting Burbank to Los Angeles neighborhoods north of the city. It will also improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.
$100,000 - Early College High School, Pasadena Educational Foundation, 351 S. Hudson Ave. Pasadena, CA 91101
Funds would be used to create a program to provide high school students with access to Pasadena City College resources, allowing them to complete their high school education while concurrently pursuing a college degree or certificate. The mission of this partnership is to provide an innovative, academically challenging learning community for underrepresented youth with high academic potential. This is a good use of federal funding because it will provide support for and encourage youth to finish high school and receive a college degree.
$100,000 - Education & Counseling Center, Community Health Alliance of Pasadena, 1855 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Suite 200 Pasadena, CA 91103
Funds will be used to renovate space at the current facility for the CHAP Education &
Counseling Center (ECC). The CHAP ECC will allow the delivery of individual counseling and group support and education to CHAP patients. There are approximately 208,000 residents of CHAP's primary service area of Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre. It is estimated that about one-in-four residents lack health insurance, many of whom are uninsured, are below 200% of the federal poverty level, and who are minorities. This is a valuable use of federal dollars because the current economic downturn has increased the number of uninsured residents, and demand for affordable, accessible care is rising. This will provide an alternative to hospital emergency room usage by families who lack the financial means to pay for health services. Most often, the cost of these hospital visits is borne by provider institutions, state and local government and, ultimately, tax payers and all consumers of health services.
$200,000 - Emergency Response Equipment Caches, Pasadena City College, 1570 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91106
Funding will be used to provide ample emergency response equipment on the community college campus to allow Campus response teams to respond to both natural and man-made disasters by procuring the emergency response equipment and materials and training security personnel. Providing federal dollars to this project will offer a more secure learning environment to students and community members visiting our campuses.
$300,000 - Fair Oaks/SR-110 Improvements, City of South Pasadena, 1414 Mission St, South Pasadena, CA 91030
Funds will be used to widen the Northbound off-ramp at the Intersection of Fair Oaks and SR-110 increasing capacity from 2 to 4 lanes. This is a good use of federal funds because it will greatly improve traffic flow and safety on local streets affected by the terminus of the 710 Freeway.
$100,000 - Grief Counseling for Children of the Terminally-Ill, Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services, 210 S. DeLacey Avenue, Ste. 110, Pasadena, CA 91105
This program would fund psychological and emotional support for children of the terminally-ill during the illness and after the death. Research indicates unresolved grief can result in chronic depression and conduct problems, both of which can lead to substance abuse, domestic violence, higher rates of unemployment and incarceration, and psychiatric hospitalizations. Federal funding will go a long way to ensuring long-term taxpayer savings and health and safety of our children.
$562,000 - Headworks Environmental Restoration Feasibility Study, City of Los Angeles 200, North Spring Street, Third Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Funding would complete the feasibility study of the L.A. River Watercourse, Headworks for ecosystem and habitat and restoration, and develop and evaluate the potential restoration alternatives in the Headworks area, located in the San Fernando Valley. The purpose of the Headworks Area Ecosystem Restoration Project is to enhance more than forty acres of ecological habitat on one of the last remaining undeveloped reaches of the Los Angeles River, including the establishment of over twenty acres of high-quality riparian habitat. This is a valuable use of federal funds as it will help protect some of the last riparian habitat in the Los Angeles Area.
$1,000,000 - Hybrid Truck Users Forum (HTUF), CALSTART, 48 South Chester Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91106
Funding will be used to facilitate the development of dual-use high-efficiency technologies which is valuable used if federal dollars because it will give the U.S. military more advanced vehicles for the future, which will reduce their reliance on fuel in the field, improve vehicle efficiency, provide on-board remote power, and create stealth watch capacity. Hybrid truck technology is close to launching in the marketplace, but additional pre-production development, deployment, and testing is needed. This research and technology has both military and commercial applications.
$250,000 - Independent Living Program, Department of Children and Family Services, Los Angeles County, 425 Shatto Place, Los Angeles, CA 90020
The Independent Living Program provide a full array of services that help foster youth stay safe and prepare them for a successful transition to adulthood. Services include life skills, substance abuse counseling, legal assistance, financial aid workshops, job training and retention classes. This is a good use of federal funds because the youth in the foster care system are often prepared to live on their own when they leave the system. In California, 65% of youth leaving foster care do so without a place to live and only 38% have maintained employment for at least one year. They desperately need training and services to ensure they do not need federal assistance in future and can be active productive members of society.
$500,000 - Interagency Communications Interoperability System (ICIS), Glendale/Burbank, City of Glendale, 613 East Broadway, Glendale, CA 91206
Federal funding will be used to purchase additional microwave paths for network enhancement for the only regional interoperable radio system in the LA area. This will make the network less vulnerable to failure and provide additional capacity for expansion. This is a good use of federal funds because these additional microwave paths will make the ICIS network more reliable for critical municipal and first responder communications services serving over one million citizens in the face of a natural or man made emergency.
$300,000 - Las Tunas Dr Street Light Retrofit, City of San Gabriel, 425 S. Mission Drive, P.O. Box 130, San Gabriel, CA 91778-0130
This project will upgrade antiquated street lighting, installing energy-efficient fixtures and new street and pedestrian safety lighting along the Las Tunas Dr arterial corridor. Approximately 1/3 of the project area is in the City's redevelopment area; a majority of the street corridor does not have street or pedestrian lighting. The street is highly developed with retail and commercial buildings. This is good use of federal funds because it will add to street, vehicular and pedestrian safety and will be consistent with the regional council of governments (SCAG) sponsored Liveable Communities Study for Las Tunas Drive.
$75,000 - Life Skills Development Program for At-risk Youth, Boys & Girls Club of West San Gabriel Valley, 328 South Ramona Ave, Monterey Park, CA, 91754
Funding would be used for a comprehensive approach to the education/health/social issues facing our youth. This program will focus on providing at-risk youth educational programs to prevent the onset of drug/alcohol & early sexual involvement, focus and prepare for school, and do exercises to improve the health and well-being of members. This is a good use of federal funds because it will help empower youth and encourage them to be productive and responsible members of society.
$300,000 - Los Angeles County Drainage Area Water Conservation and Supply, Whittier Narrows Dam Feasibility Study, Los Angeles County Flood Control District, Los Angeles County, 900 S. Fremont Ave, Alhambra, CA 91803
These funds will be used by the Army Corps of Engineers to complete the required environmental documentation that will result in an increase in local water supply by allowing water to be stored behind the dams and slowly released downstream to be recharged into the groundwater aquifer. This study deserves federal funding because the operational changes will result in improved water supply reliability for the region by reducing the need for imported water, while ensuring that flood control protection and environmental regulations are maintained.
$5 million - Los Angeles River Revitalization Study & Demonstration Project, City of Los Angeles 200, North Spring Street, Third Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Meaningful ecosystem restoration in the Los Angeles River requires upstream storage and reconfiguration of the existing concrete channel, which is not possible without completion of the Army Corps Study simultaneous ecosystem restoration and community revitalization benefits. Funding of this request is a valuable use of taxpayer dollars because the project is a major environmental restoration and mitigation and flood control initiative. This is a valuable use of federal dollars because it will restore the deteriorated LA River watercourse and the surrounding ecosystem and habitat, thereby improving the air and water quality, and mitigating potential flooding hazards for the communities adjacent to, and along, the 32-mile course of the Los Angeles River.
$300,000-Main Street Replacement Project, City of Alhambra, 111 S. First Street, Alhambra, CA 91801
Funding will be used to replace the Main Street Sewer, which is reaching capacity and cannot handle additional businesses and housing units in the area. This will prevent sewer overflow peak wet-weather conditions and will improve the security of the sewer system and allow for increased growth and development in the city. It is a good use of federal funds because investment in aging infrastructure will enable to city to grow and prosper in the future and put people to work and create good paying jobs now.
$100,000 - Mental Health Care for Uninsured Children, Young & Healthy, 37 North Holliston Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91106
Funds will help provide comprehensive direct mental health services to uninsured and under-insured low-income school children throughout Pasadena and its surrounding communities and also provide school-based counseling and support groups, on-site counseling, in-service training for teachers, parent education, consultation with teachers and school principals. This is a good use of federal funds because it is an efficient and cost-effective alternative to hospital emergency room usage by families who lack the financial means to pay for health services required by their children. Most often, the cost of these hospital visits is borne by provider institutions, state and local government and, ultimately, tax payers and all consumers of health services. Moreover, parents who must rely upon hospital emergency rooms and urgent care centers to obtain help for their sick or injured children typically do so only in response to serious injuries or severe illness.
$1,000,000 - Metrolink Positive Train Control, Southern California Regional Rail Authority, 700 S. Flower Street, Suite 2600, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Positive Train Control (PTC) is a predictive collision avoidance technology designed to stop a train before an accident occurs. The goals of PTC are to help prevent train-to-train collisions, speeding and over-speed derailments, incursions into track work zones, and movement of a train through a switch left in the wrong position. PTC is designed to keep a train under its maximum speed limit and within the limits of its authorization to be on a specific track. Federal law requires the implementation of Positive Train Control on railroads nationwide by 2015. This is a good use of federal funds because it will allow Metrolink to implement PTC by 2012 and increase safety for railroad passengers by helping to prevent future train crashes, like the one that occurred in Chatsworth last year.
$150,000 – Music Access and Education for At-Risk Youth, Pasadena Symphony Association, 117 E. Colorado Blvd., Suite 200, Pasadena CA 91105
Funding will be used for music programming and education for elementary and middle school students at Title One schools with 55% of students living well below the poverty line and over 73% students in the free lunch program. In national studies, it has been proven that arts programs succeed in reaching these young people and help them stay in school. It has also been found that these programs decrease involvement in delinquent behavior, increase academic achievement and improve youth's attitudes about themselves and their future.
$250,000 - Neighborhood Outreach Workers Program, City of Pasadena, 100 N. Garfield Ave. Pasadena, CA 91109
Neighborhood Outreach Worker (NOW) program that provides intervention strategies to youth currently involved in gang activity or in a gang but may be interested in leaving that life. In addition to convincing these young gang members to curb their violence, the program is designed to prepare them for the legitimate job market by encouraging them to complete high school (or a GED) and seek further training and education if necessary. Sessions provided for program participants have included computer literacy training, driver's license test preparation, and guest speakers from the community. Funding will be a valuable use of taxpayer dollars because this program has proven to be a valuable tool in offering at-risk youth viable alternatives to crime and violence. It has significant community support and would be an excellent model for existing federal gang-prevention efforts.
$500,000 - Neuroscience Institute and Stroke Center, Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, 501 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank, CA 91505
Funds will be used to purchase equipment and do some minor construction work to create a Stroke Center dedicated to providing innovative and state-of-the-art treatment, interventions, prevention, and research. Research demonstrates that patients who receive care in a unit such as the one being developed at Saint Joseph’s had a 17% reduction in death, a 7% increase in being able to live at home, and an 8% reduction in length of stay. Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center has one of the highest stroke admission rates in LA County, and ranks in the top 10% of the nation in quality of stroke care. This is a good use of federal funding because it will expand access to quick and high quality neurological care to the San Gabriel Valley where there is a great need.
$500,000 - New Central Library Project, City of Burbank, 275 E. Olive Ave, Burbank, CA 91510
Funds will be used to construct a new Central Library in the Civic Center Development in Burbank. The current library is no longer able to accommodate the increase in circulation and customers. It is also non-ADA compliant and there is no way to restore the current building due to space restrictions. Providing federal dollars to this project will improve the quality of life for the entire community, enable access to all customers and will assist the library in continuing providing much needed public services.
$300,000 - Paramount Boulevard Improvements, City of Monterey Park, 320 West Newmark Avenue, Monterey Park, CA 91754
There is need to widen the on and off ramps of the 60 freeway (SR-60) at the Paramount Boulevard location which will allow for increased vehicular capacity. The project is vital to relieving traffic congestion along this freeway corridor and providing access to the newly redeveloped Market Place Center which will improve the local economy in this underdeveloped area of the city. Paramount Boulevard also provides access to the south side of the City of Monterey Park and the northern portion of the City of Montebello, and as these cities grow, congestion is increasing proportionately. This is a good use of federal funding because it will reduce congestion and will provide stimulus to the local economy by providing roughly 100 construction jobs.
$100,000 – Pasadena Work Center and Supported Employment Program, AbilityFirst, 1300 E. Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91106
The purpose of the AbilityFirst Pasadena Work Center and Supported Employment programs is to assist people with disabilities to find work. The AbilityFirst Supported Employment program is geared to develop an individual's work skills, understanding, and ability to adhere to the standards required of a work environment, with the goal of advancing each individual's personal independence and realization of his/her potential. Program components include mainstream job readiness training, on-the-job training and job coaching, to include support from AbilityFirst with follow-up activities for as long as the individual remains employed. Federal funding will enable participants to reduce their dependence upon government assistance and increase their income levels and ability to live more independently as contributing members of their communities.
$250,000 – Police Communications Upgrade, City of Monterey Park, 320 West Newmark Avenue, Monterey Park, CA 91754
The City's current radios have been in use for about 10 years and nearing their useful lifecycle. If our current radios are not replaced by 2010, radios that become defective may not be repairable, thus leaving the officer without proper means of communications. Funds will be used to purchase new radios for police vehicles and portable radios. This is a good use of federal funding because they will help the police better protect the city in case of a natural disaster, terrorist attack or other emergency.
$375,000 - Public Safety and Emergency Operations Center, City of Monterey Park, 320 West Newmark Avenue, Monterey Park, CA 91754
Monterey Park is a member of the Los Angeles Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) due to the area's potential as a target of terrorist activity. The City's current Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is located in City Hall with severe space and technological constraints that limit the functionality of the Center. Funds will be used for a new EOC that will provide sufficient space and equipment necessary to respond to a disaster and will house communication equipment to fully interface with Los Angeles County and other municipalities' EOC's. This is a good use of federal dollars because it will enable the city to more effectively manage and respond an emergency of disaster proportions.
$500,000 - Purchase of CNG Buses, City of Glendale, 613 East Broadway, Glendale, CA 91206
The Glendale Beeline, serves the communities of Glendale and La Canada Flintridge and Los Angeles County, and performs approximately 2,400,000 passenger trips per year. Over the past 22 years since the Beeline was implemented, the system has grown every year to become a vital component of the southland’s regional public transportation infrastructure. The Beeline needs to expand capacity due to increasing ridership and anticipated transit oriented development in the area. This is a good use of federal funds because it will help purchase alternative fuel (CNG) buses would be used to expand service in order to reduce overcrowding on existing local services, increase the use of public transportation and reduce congestion.
$500,000 – Rape Kit Backlog Elimination Program, Los Angeles Police Department, 200 North Spring Street, Third Floor, Los Angeles, California 90012 Over the last 12 years, the Los Angeles Police Department has collected approximately 14,000 sexual assault evidence kits. These kits have not all been examined and are being maintained in LAPD evidence storage freezers. However, detectives only requested testing in about one-half of the cases in which a kit was collected due to the lack of laboratory capacity and trained forensic DNA analysts to conduct the testing. For this reason, approximately one-half of the sexual assault evidence kits (7,000) remain untested. Funds will be used for overtime and outsourcing to ensure that each and every rape kit at the LAPD is processed. This is a good use of federal funds because it will help eliminate the backlog of untested cases and bring many of the perpetrators of these unsolved rapes to justice.
$1,000,000 – Rape Kit Backlog Reduction Program, County of Los Angeles Sheriff's Department 4700 Ramona Blvd., Monterey Park, CA 91754
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has more than 4700 unanalyzed sexual assault kits in evidence storage. Los Angeles County is implementing a new policy to test all rape kits and is aggressively working through the backlog of kits to complete this goal. Funds will be used to reduce the backlog by paying for overtime for full-time staff and the outsourcing of some cases to private labs to ensure all kits are analyzed and uploaded into CODIS. This is a good use of federal funds because it will help eliminate the backlog of untested cases and bring many of the perpetrators of these unsolved rapes to justice.
$370,000 – Regional Homeland Security Training Center Initiative, Rio Hondo College, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier, California 90601
Rio Hondo College operates a state-of-the-art Public Safety Center, which has been federally designated as a Regional Homeland Security Training Center. The Center graduates over 300 students annually to become fire fighters and police officers. Funding will be used to purchase equipment, outdoor lighting and a portable unit for training at night to meet the rising demands for training from LA County first responders and Rio Hondo students at the Center in order to prepare for natural and CBRNE disasters. This is a good use of federal funds because it will better prepare first responders to protect the public and save lives in the event of a natural or man-made emergency.
$500,000 - Robinson Park Renovation and Rehabilitation, City of Pasadena, 100 N. Garfield Ave. Pasadena, CA 91109
This seven acre park, which serves residents of nearby low and moderate income neighborhoods, no longer meets the needs of the community in its current state. Robinson Park improvements are part of the City’s ongoing efforts to curb youth violence by offering safe and effective alternatives to crime. Funding will be used for the reconstruction of the Community Center building which includes a computer learning lab, community meeting rooms and study space, expanded gymnasium and other facilities to support the programs designed to curb youth violence in this impacted community. This is a good use of federal funds because it will improve the quality of life in the community and help provide safe and productive activities for youth.
$1,000,000 – San Gabriel Trench Project, Alameda Corridor East Construction Authority, 4900 Rivergrade Road, Suite A120, Irwindale, CA 91706
The Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority is a single purpose construction authority created by the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments to mitigate the impacts of significant increases in rail traffic over 70 miles of mainline railroad in the San Gabriel Valley that transverses 31 cities with 2 million residents. In fact, train traffic through the Valley will increase by as much as 160 percent by the year 2020. The San Gabriel Trench Project in the City of San Gabriel, CA, an important component of the ACE-San Gabriel Valley Project, will construct a 2.1-mile railroad trench for trains to travel underneath roadway bridges to be built at Ramona Street, Mission Road, Del Mar Avenue, and San Gabriel Boulevard. This is a good use of federal funds because it will improve safety while enabling more efficient goods movement from the ports to the rest of the nation.
$200,000 – Science Education Programming, Friends of the Observatory, 2800 East Observatory Road, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Funding will help create a new education program that will center on informing children about scientific processes and the universe. Much of the content will come from federally-funded NASA missions and partnerships with JPL. This is a good use of federal funds because according to the National Science Board, the earlier children are exposed to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts, the more likely they are to be interested in pursuing a career in the sciences.
$150,000 - Small Business Assistance Program, Foothill Workforce Investment Board, 1207 E. Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91106
This project will provide outreach, analyze company needs and refer the company's management to resources to help the companies to remain stable and viable. The target will be small businesses which employ 25 employees or fewer and are more likely to hire local job seekers. The project will provide consultation services, workshops, and technical assistance, and access to capital to emerging and existing small businesses and start up entrepreneurs. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the current recession has spiked unemployment rolls and there is an immediate need to help individuals to get back to work and for local businesses to avert closures. Also, this money would provide a stimulus to the local economy by increasing the buying power of workers, thus helping businesses to stay open.
$150,000 – Small Business and Entrepreneurship Program, Pasadena City College, 351 S. Hudson Ave. Pasadena, CA 91101
Funding will be used to fund the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Program to develop a business start-up consultation service throughout the region with a no-fee service and develop a series of short-course workshops that support business plans, products and services, industry analysis, marketing, funding sources, and fiscal responsibility. This project will be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it addresses directly to the needs of individuals seeking new career opportunities and encourages small business development. Further, at a time when the number of available jobs is shrinking, the network provides a support system to guide the growth of new businesses in the sector of the economy most responsible for new job creation.
$500,000 - Smart Grid Initiative, City of Burbank, 275 E. Olive Ave, Burbank, CA 91510
Funds will be used to develop an advanced smart grid program employing state-of-the-art smart meters, high speed load control system, and a very versatile high capacity Wi-Fi technology. This is a good use of federal dollars as it will create jobs to help the economy and the regional community, improve energy efficiency, provide incentives for consumers to reduce energy usage and are a necessary precursor widespread use of plug-in hybrids.
$300,000 - Solar Panels for City Hall, City of South Pasadena, 1414 Mission St, South Pasadena, CA 91030
Funds will be used to reduce the City's electricity use by installing solar panels on the roof of City Hall. Panels would cover the entire roof to offer the maximum benefits. Also located in the City Hall complex are the Police and Fire Departments, so not only would the solar panels benefit City Hall but these buildings as well. Any surplus electricity generated will be placed back in the grid for Southern California consumers. Federal funding will be useful by helping improve air quality in our region and in the nation by the production of less electricity and reducing our addiction to foreign oil.
$100,000 - Solar Power Installation, Maintenance Development Program, Pasadena City College, 1570 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91106
Funds will be used to establish a program for students to learn the necessary skills to enter the green-tech industry and will enable them to earn an AA/AS degree and/or Certificate of Achievement, Occupational Skills Certificate and Electrical Certification from the State of California. Allocating federal dollars to this project would support national growth in renewable energy, especially in the Photovoltaic Solar industry. Increased demand for individuals with these skills from local utilities, as well as the county, the state, and local municipalities, further demonstrates the use of federal dollars for this employment training project.
$300,000-Storm Drain Installation, City of Temple City, 5938 Kauffman Avenue, Temple City, CA 91780
There is an easement that runs through private property to Arden Drive which is creating a pool of stagnant and unsanitary water on Green Street. The solution to this safety hazard is to install an underground storm drain. This is a good use of federal funds because it will improve safety in the neighborhood by reducing potentially hazardous stagnant water.
$300,000 - Streetlight Safety and Improvement Project, City of Alhambra, 111 S. First Street, Alhambra, CA 91801
The City of Alhambra serves 87,000 people and is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the 6,500 city-owned streetlights. The existing street lighting system in the seven identified areas were installed at the time the housing tracts were built, some dating back to the late 1940’s and serves approximately one-third of Alhambra’s population. Funding for the project would convert the street lighting system from a series light circuit to a multiple light circuit, enabling city engineers to better troubleshoot and repair any problems and maintain lighting for the rest of the neighborhood if one of the streetlights breaks. The conversion project would also result in energy savings for the city and the taxpayers and is ready to go. This is a good use of federal funds because it will improve efficiency, save energy, increase safety and create construction jobs.
$500,000 - Water & Power Smart Grid/Automated Metering Infrastructure, City of Glendale, 613 East Broadway, Glendale, CA 91206
Funding will be used to create a smart-grid system in Glendale with smart meters for water and electricity, software to manage the systems billing and loan control systems that will promote demand response, energy conservation, and dynamic pricing options. This is a valuable use of federal funds because will create jobs to help the economy and the regional community, improve energy efficiency, provide incentives for consumers to reduce energy usage and are a necessary precursor widespread use of plug-in hybrids.
$300,000-Wilson Reservoir Replacement, City of South Pasadena, 1414 Mission St, South Pasadena, CA 91030
Funding will be used to help replace the Wilson Reservoir, which is South Pasadena’s most critical water storage facility. The reservoir was purchased in 1923 and holds 0.9 million gallons. It does not meet current earthquake standards and inspection report indicated that a severe roof collapse could occur at any time. This is a valuable use of federal funds, because as the City's most critical water storage site, if this reservoir taken out of service the City will be completely dependent upon outside water sources and with Southern California already experiencing severe drought conditions this will only add additional strain on all regional water users. South Pasadena is a public municipality and is able to provide the requisite matching funds.
$45,000 - Youth Development and Government Program, YMCA of Burbank, 321 East Magnolia Boulevard Burbank, CA 91502-1132
The Youth & Government program uses a variety of activities to build, encourage, and strengthen those life assets and character traits that will help high school students become involved responsible adults. The program uses high quality experiential and educational simulation based upon California's state government. Funding will focus on encouraging at-risk and low-income youth to become involved and interested in government and provide them with outside school activities that are educational and keep them occupied and out of trouble. This program is a good use of federal dollars to encourage students to become interested and involved in the democratic process and students who complete the program are significantly more likely to vote regularly in the future.