Fiscal Year 2011 Appropriations Process

During the annual appropriations process, Members of Congress hear from communities about their specific needs.  Accordingly, all Members of Congress have a responsibility to act on behalf of constituents and advocate for the use of taxpayer funds in a way that promotes the general welfare of a Congressional District or state.

There has been a concerted effort in Congress to improve the level of transparency and accountability associated with requests made by individual Members of Congress for direct appropriations in support of specific projects.  There are good reasons to request funding targeted toward specific needs in the First Congressional District and elsewhere in Colorado, and I will request appropriations for Fiscal Year 2011.  Once again, I will pursue funding initiatives that create much-needed jobs, make critical infrastructure improvements, and support the Colorado institutions that strengthen our state.

Preference will be given to:

• Public Institutions or Entities
• Requests including detailed and itemized budgets
• Those with letters of strong support
• Projects that can be completed in their entirety within 1 year should they receive funding
• Projects fulfilling additional goals of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
  

All Members of the House of Representatives are required by the House Appropriations Committee to certify they have no financial interest in the requests they submit for the Committee’s consideration.  They must also post their requests on their official House website with the following information included:

• The proposed recipient, and the recipient’s address
• The amount of the request
• An explanation of the request, including purpose, and why it is a valuable use of taxpayer funds
  

A list of requests submitted with my support may be found below:

Labor-HHS

Colorado Coalition for the Homeless Stout Street Clinic
2111 Champa Street
Denver, Colorado 80205

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless Stout Street Clinic Services – Stout Street Clinic serves homeless families and individuals who have the most critical medical needs. Services include primary health care, mental health, oral health, substance treatment, and supportive services, provided in an integrated fashion through interdisciplinary treatment teams.  This funding will provide enough resources to ensure critical primary care and mental health services are continued for an estimated 15,000 homeless men, women and children in the state and are integrated with emergency and supportive housing programs designed to improve health status and to reduce disproportionate morbidity and pre-mature mortality rates.  This project represents a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it helps the homeless avoid accessing expensive health care in emergency rooms throughout the state, which increases the demand on overburdened counties and municipalities.  In fact, Denver Health estimates the average cost of one emergency room visit to be $1,334.  Therefore, if an estimated 4,200 of the  homeless patients served with this funding visited community emergency rooms, the cost to taxpayers would be approximately $5.6 million, indicating this saves taxpayers money.  ($1,000,000)

Denver Health and Hospital Authority
660 Bannock Street
Mail Code 0278
Denver, CO 80204

Denver Health Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory – Denver Health, Colorado’s primary “safety net” institution, provides health care to twenty-five percent of all Denver residents, and emergency care to some 55,000 patients every year.  It has the largest federally qualified community health primary care program in the nation.  The majority of the patients served are uninsured, underinsured, Medicaid and SCHIP recipients.  A biplane catheterization laboratory is used for cardiac ablations as well as peripheral stent placement for limb restoration.  This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will help patients most in need both requiring cardiac ablations, placement of defibrillators and persons who are at risk for amputation. The current equipment is outdated and needs to be replaced.  ($1,000,000)

City and County of Denver
1437 Bannock Street
Denver, CO 802020-5390

Denver Green Energy Youth Workforce Development Program – This project will prepare 180 high school sophomores, juniors and seniors in Denver for careers in the energy industry by exposing them to educational pathways that support careers in the green energy sector such as on-the-job training, apprenticeships and technical training, and relevant Associates degree and 4-year college degree programs.  This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it addresses a gap in funding for employment programs for minority youth and help to develop a “pipeline” for an emerging high-paying and high-growth green industry.  ($310,000)

City and County of Denver
1437 Bannock Street
Denver, CO 802020-5390

Denver Veterans Service Office Benefits IT Upgrade – This project will enhance the ability of the Denver County’s Veterans Service Office to expedite claims to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and more efficiently interface with other federal agencies serving veterans including the U.S. Department of Labor.  Therefore, this will also improve coordination with Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs and veteran’s service organizations.  This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will better accommodate a growing veteran’s population, including women, and provide high-level, timely and more effective support and services to the increasing numbers of veterans seeking benefits assistance.  By improving and expanding access to education, employment, health care, housing, mental health and substance abuse treatment, disability compensation, and other benefits to which veterans are entitled,  the City of Denver, State of Colorado and U.S. Government programs will be better integrated and result in a better use of taxpayer funds.  ($186,000)

University of Colorado, Denver
13001 E. 17th Place
Aurora, CO 80045

Collaborative Visualization Laboratory (VisLab) – This project will support the establishment of a unique, state-of-the-art facility for creation, testing and display of visual educational materials in a variety of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), Medicine, and Humanities related subject areas.  This facility will encourage collaborative efforts for education and research across disciplines such as the Education, Medicine, Science, Biology, Engineering, Architecture and the Humanities to explore visual education opportunities that utilize advanced, up-to-date visualization technology.  A main area of focus for the VisLab will be development and deployment of visualization technology outreach programs that target high school students including under-served minority groups in the Denver metro area.  In addition, the VisLab will act as a hub for a new strategic residency graduate level program in visualization with a local and national student base.  This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will focus heavily toward giving students the necessary skills to fill critical workforce needs through courses, seminars and workshops with focus on job building skills in visualization and related technology.  ($800,000)

Metropolitan State College of Denver
P O Box 173362 – Campus Box 1
Denver, CO 80217-3362

World Airport Flight Simulation Laboratory – Metropolitan State College of Denver is currently the 5th largest accredited collegiate aviation program in the world.  Aviation and Aerospace Science Department students at the college require training in regional jets and modernized flight control systems.  This equipment will provide value to taxpayers by enabling students to take advantage of opportunities for employment for pilots by regional airlines, meet demands within the Federal Aviation Administration to replaced thousands of retiring Air Traffic Controllers, and support the personnel needs at the Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration for jobs at our Nation’s airports. ($480,000)

City of Englewood
1000 Englewood Pkwy
Englewood, CO   80110

Family Fitness Childhood Obesity Initiative – The national childhood obesity epidemic is well documented.  To address the condition, the City developed a comprehensive community-based program with the goal of improving family fitness and reducing childhood obesity through physical activity, nutrition and education.  The city will become a resource and take the approach that family fitness and lifestyle changes can successfully impact the effects and onset of childhood obesity.  This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because lifestyle changes are cost-effective compared with long-term medical costs associated with childhood obesity.  ($22,830)

History Colorado
1300 Broadway
Denver, CO 80202

From Student to Citizen Initiative – This will create multi-disciplinary social studies curricula for dissemination throughout the state, ensuring underserved schools and students have access to high quality, standards based social studies education.  A 2005 study of school districts throughout the state conducted by the Colorado Civic Mission of the Schools found that half of the responding districts offered no comprehensive K-12 instruction in social studies.  A 2007 poll indicated that 87% of Colorado teachers surveyed reported that subjects other than reading and math were being ignored in the curriculum.  In 2009, the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) established new social studies academic standards in the four areas that comprise social studies education – history, economics, geography and civics – and on the development of 21st century learning skills.  This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because within two years, History Colorado will ensure that every Colorado 4th grader has access to high-quality, standards-aligned social studies curriculum and experiences.  ($325,000)

University of Colorado, Denver
13001 E. 17th Place
Aurora, CO 80045

Health Profession Pipeline for Rural Colorado – There is an acknowledged severe national shortage of physicians, nurses, and dentists.  Partnering with the Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) throughout Colorado, UC-Denver will offer medical, dental, and nursing students the exposure, support, and incentive to serve in rural areas by establishing and expanding new inter-professional rural clinical rotations with support for local instructors.  Students will work with rural healthcare clinicians, providing care to underserved populations, and have an intensive clinical experience in a community where they might practice in the future.  This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the lack of health professionals in rural areas causes some people to forego preventative care, treatment of serious conditions.  Furthermore, it is projected that by 2025 Colorado will need an additional 2,200 primary care providers beyond the anticipated supply, nearly 85 percent of Colorado counties are designated as primary care health profession shortage areas.  ($925,000)

Transportation

Denver Regional Transportation District
1600 Blake Street
Denver, CO 80202

East Transit Corridor – The East Corridor is a 22.7-mile commuter rail corridor extending from Denver Union Station on the western end, providing service east to Denver International Airport.  The East Corridor is projected to carry an average of 37,900 daily passengers by 2030.  It is a component of RTD’s 12-year comprehensive transit service and facility expansion called FasTracks, 122 miles of rail and 18 miles of Bus Rapid Transit region-wide.  The requested funds are for preliminary engineering, final design, and Right of Way acquisition for the East Transit Corridor.  Funding for the East Corridor was approved by the voters of the RTD in November 2004 as part of the vote approving FasTracks financing.  NEPA clearance is scheduled to be completed in 2009.  RTD anticipates FTA approval into preliminary engineering in the first six months of 2009.  For FY10, RTD will provide a 43.77% non-federal share. ($40,000,000)

City and County of Denver
1437 Bannock Street
Denver, CO 80202

Denver Bicycle Sharing – This funding would provide half the amount of money required to double the size of Denver’s city-wide Bike Sharing System, which is scheduled to launch in 2010 with 50 stations and 500 bikes.  Top priority locations will be in economic improvement and transit oriented development locations across the city, especially in under-served communities. This request is from the City and County of Denver in partnership with Denver Bike Sharing, the 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable corporation that was created by the City and owns and operates the system. ($950,000)

City and County of Denver
1437 Bannock Street
Denver, CO 80202

56th Avenue Improvements – This project is the second stage of phased improvements along the 56th Avenue corridor from Quebec Street to Peña Boulevard.  The project will improve regional mobility, including access to Denver International Airport (DIA), Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge (US Fish and Wildlife Service and US Army), Martinez Army Reserve Center (United States Army Reserve), and the United States Postal Service.  This is a good use of taxpayer funds because regional mobility and local access in the northeast quadrant of Denver are dependent on 56th Avenue as one of the few continuous east-west arterials in this area.  Between Interstate I-70 and 96th Avenue, 56th Avenue offers the only opportunity for the development of a regionally significant arterial.  In addition 56th Avenue is the designated emergency detour route for Interstate 70 to Denver International Airport. ($3,837,314)

Commerce City, CO
7887 East 60th Avenue
Commerce City, CO 80022

Tower Road to Peña Blvd – This funding would assist the City with the design and engineering of a missing on-ramp to westbound Peña Boulevard from Tower Road.  The ramp will provide a less confusing and more convenient alternative for access to Peña Boulevard.  This connection will improve access to I-70 and the interstate system.  Additionally, the improved access will support economic development in the region.  Peña Boulevard was constructed as the primary access to the Denver International Airport (DIA) in 1995.  Along Peña Boulevard’s 10½ mile length, there are five interchanges.  All the other interchanges are full movement, providing access in all directions.  Currently, access is limited to a toll road (E-470) or to the next interchange 3¼ miles away.  ($1,250,000)

City and County of Denver
1437 Bannock Street
Denver, CO 80202

Denver Composts – The City of Denver is seeking start up capitol funds of $900,000 to purchase equipment so that it may launch a community-wide Compost Collection program.  The City has been conducting a very successful pilot program for the past year as a result of a waste composition study that found 57% of Denver’s municipal waste stream is compostable organic materials.  Organic material in landfills is a major contributor to methane gas, which is a potent greenhouse gas targeted for reduction through Denver’s Climate Action Plan.  The opportunity to expand the City’s compost collection program to the full service area of 170,000 households will play a significant role in helping the City achieve its greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.  The City also expects that through its leadership to start a community-wide compost collection program, it will spur market investment in area infrastructure, resulting in opportunities for other smaller public and private entities to begin similar programs. ($900,000)

Denver Regional Transportation District
1600 Blake Street
Denver, CO 80202

West Corridor – The West Corridor Preferred Alternative is a 12.1 mile light rail line with 11 stations, extending from Denver Union Station on the eastern end, providing service west through Denver, Lakewood, Jefferson County and Golden, with a major Intermodal facility at the Denver Federal Center.  As a critical component of the comprehensive FasTracks program, it serves the entire region.  The FTA signed a Full Funding Grant Agreement on January 16, 2009.  The project has received a Record of Decision through the NEPA process and has strong local and regional support as demonstrated by voter approval of the FasTracks plan.  Per the Full Funding Grant Agreement ($308.6 million) signed in January 2009, the federal New Starts share is less than 43.5% of the total project cost ($709.83 million).  It received $60,000,000 in FY09 Appropriations legislation.  ($40,179,000)

Denver Regional Transportation District
1600 Blake Street
Denver, CO 80202

Gold Line Transit Corridor, Denver Regional Transportation District – The Gold Line is a 10.8-mile commuter rail corridor extending from Denver Union Station on the southern end, extending north and west through Denver, Adams County, Arvada, and to an end-of-line in Wheat Ridge.  The Gold Line is projected to carry an average of 16,800 daily riders by 2030.  It is a component of RTD’s 12-year comprehensive transit service and facility expansion called FasTracks, 122 miles of rail and 18 miles of Bus Rapid Transit region-wide.  FasTracks was approved by voters in November 2004.  The requested funds are for preliminary engineering, final design, and Right of Way acquisition for the Gold Line Transit Corridor.  NEPA clearance is scheduled to be completed in 2009.  A Record of Decision (ROD) is expected from the FTA in 2009.  RTD anticipates FTA approval into preliminary engineering in the first six months of 2009.  For FY10, RTD will provide a 61.46% non-federal share. ($40,000,000)

Colorado Department of Transportation
4201 E. Arkansas Avenue
Denver, CO 80222

U.S. 6/SH 95 Bridge Replacement – This project will replace the U.S. 6 (6th Avenue) Bridge over Sheridan Boulevard (SH 95) located in the Denver Metropolitan Area. The bridge was built in 1961, is currently structurally deficient (sufficiency rating of 45.1), and needs to be replaced. ($6,600,000)

City and County of Denver, Department of Aviation
8500 Pena Blvd.
Denver, CO 80249

F7 Taxiway Construction – This funding request will construct Taxiway F7 which is a high speed exit for Runway 16R-34L. This will reduce runway occupancy time while in the north flow, which is DIA’s predominate configuration. Design, construction management and matching funds will be made available by the City and County of Denver. ($8,000,000)

City and County of Denver
1437 Bannock Street
Denver, CO 80202

South Platte River Regional Trail Upgrade – The South Platte River regional trail through Denver is the City’s primary multi-use trail.  It runs the entire length of the City, connecting with other regional and secondary trails to form a network.  The trail is heavily used by the cycling community as both a recreational and commuter trail.  As Denver’s population continues to increase, and as pressures continue to build for non-auto travel, it is critical that this trail be improved for the safety of all users, creating appropriate fall zones and separating uses to eliminate conflicts.  Currently, the South Platte River Greenway trail system consists of either 8-foot or 10-foot wide concrete paths.  Some sections are 35 years old.  These existing trails should be replaced with new, 12-foot wide, multi-use trail, with a 3-foot clear/fall zone on both sides.  In addition, in order to increase safety of users by separating uses, a 4-foot minimum width, soft surface jogging path should be installed parallel to the trail. ($2,500,000)

Colorado Association of Transit Agencies
1580 Lincoln Street
Denver, CO 80203

Colorado Transit Coalition Statewide Bus & Bus Facilities – This statewide request will help transit agencies in the 1st Congressional District and across the State of Colorado make the bus purchases and facility improvements necessary to provide safe, reliable and adequate transit service to Coloradoans. As part of this request, the Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) is seeking funds to purchase 12 over-the-road intercity coaches.  The estimated unit cost of each vehicle is $520,000.  All of the new 45 ft. coaches will meet the latest and most stringent EPA emissions standards.  RTD’s existing coaches have accumulated very high mileage and have exceeded the FTA replacement guidelines of 500,000 miles.  The existing coaches have become mechanically unreliable for the mileage-intensive service they provide.  RTD’s service area is home to 2.8 million residents and includes 40 cities and towns.  Annual passenger boardings are about 99 million. ($5,000,000)

City of Englewood
1000 Englewood Pkwy
Englewood, CO 80110

Sustainable Regional Transit Oriented Development Study – This request will fund a place making planning process as part of the community’s 2011 work plan.  This planning effort will identify:  1) additional development opportunities to support the regional light rail transit system, 2) efforts to be undertaken to maintain a sustainable transit oriented development, 3) livable and walkable community best practices to implement in the study area and 4) planning, development and design practices that will serve as a model for developing the next generation of TOD’s in the region or nation.  This place making initiative is intended to support additional public and private investment in the area and identify adjacent development opportunities where job preservation and creation can be achieved.  The City of Englewood is requesting funding in the amount of $70,000 to match its $50,000 to undertake this planning study. ($70,000)

Colorado Department of Transportation
4201 E. Arkansas Avenue
Denver, CO 80222

SH 88 (Belleview): Santa Fe to Broadway – This project is a 1.1 mile long surface treatment project on SH 88 (Belleview Avenue) within the Denver Metropolitan Area.  Belleview is a primary regional arterial that carries approximately 32,000 trips on an average day.  This stretch of road is in very poor condition, with no remaining service life.  ($1,000,000)

City of Englewood
1000 Englewood Pkwy
Englewood, CO 80110

Broadway Ramp – The Broadway Curb Ramp Project will strive to revitalize our community through the utilization of our city streets in a vital business district by improving pedestrian safety and further insurance of City compliance with ADA Title III (28CFR, Pt. 36 §4.7). This will be accomplished through the replacement and upgrading of Non-ADA compliant ramps to ADA compliant ramps for 20 city blocks on S. Broadway from the intersection of Floyd Ave. to Rafferty Gardens in Englewood, Colorado. ($202,854)

Energy and Water

State of Colorado, Colorado Water Conservation Board
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, CO  80203

State of Colorado, Colorado Water Conservation Board; Chatfield, Cherry Creek and Bear Creek Reservoirs, Colorado, Omaha District, General Investigations Study; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Investigations – The Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Project would create storage space for an additional 20,600 acre-feet of water in Chatfield Reservoir.  There is an agreement to share the water between multiple downstream and upstream users.  This funding will ensure U.S. Army Corps of Engineers resources continue to be fully available to the Omaha District Civil Works staff to complete the Feasibility Report (FR) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Chatfield Reallocation project.  This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because this authorized project and federal investment in the FR/EIS is leveraged with a 50 percent non-federal share.  This could expand water supply for 15 municipal and agricultural water users in the Denver metropolitan area and northeast Colorado.  Water storage, environmental mitigation and recreational modification costs are totally borne by the 15 water users. ($225,000)

City and County of Denver, Department of Public Works
201 West Colfax Avenue, Dept. #608
Denver, Colorado 80202

City and County of Denver Department of Public Works; South Platte River Feasibility Study; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, General Investigations - This feasibility study will evaluate a wide range of alternatives and recommend the best solutions from economic and environmental perspectives for improvement of the South Platte River through Denver.  Such improvements will include:  water quality, recreation, park and open space opportunities, water conservation, increased habitat, channel stability, and water deliverability.  This is an efficient use of taxpayer funds because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District has already supported the project and devoted substantial resources to get these studies underway.  It will also complement substantial public-private investments to improve the river environment, recreational and trail amenities along the River.  ($400,000) 

Defense

The Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
6848 S. Revere Parkway
Centennial, CO  80112

The Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Colorado National Guard Emergency Response Network  – The Colorado National Guard Emergency Response Network is a system of mobile vehicles and equipment that support an architecture that includes both mobile and terrestrial infrastructure to support voice, video, data, cell, and radio communications over satellite, wireless, and terrestrial links while eliminating current reliance upon commercial telecommunications and power grid networks.  This project enhances the ability of the Colorado National Guard to respond to critical emergencies at the behest of U.S. Northern Command (Title 10) or the Governor of Colorado (Title 32).  This project supports the National Guard's domestic emergency response capability.  This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the project will enhance the ability of first responders to deal with domestic catastrophes, benefiting all of Colorado. The communications and command post capabilities of this system will also be useful during major events (i.e. the DNC in Denver in 2009). ($4,500,000)

Interior

The Water Research Foundation
6666 W Quincy Avenue
Denver, CO 80235

The Water Research Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency  – Science and Technology – This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because research supported by the Water Research Foundation supports safe water concerning 80 percent of the drinking water supply in the United States.  The Foundation’s work is focused on applied research on cost effective technologies to enhance drinking water quality and address the most pressing drinking water  issues such as the impacts of pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupting chemicals, the impact of climate change, remediation of quagga and zebra mussels, drought response, desalination, wastewater reuse, aging system replacement, efficiency improvement.  The Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on research on water distribution systems with the Office of Ground and Drinking Water and this activity is also supported in statute (The Safe Drinking Water Act – 42 U.S.C Section 300 J). ($1,000,000)