For those of you looking for more detail on all the funds in the Recovery Act, I can recommend a document produced by the Patton-Boggs consulting firm. It is available on their website www.pattonboggs.com. This overview is at the Federal level and does not provide any Tennessee specific information, but it does go department by department through the act and explains all the different programs funded, tells the level of funds available, the purpose for which the funds may be used, eligible applicants, deadlines, allocation method and any special criteria involved.
CTAS continues to provide regular updates on the recovery portion of their website as more information about specific programs in Tennessee becomes clearer. From my discussion with administration officials, there is hope that many of the details of how the Recovery Act funds may be distributed and spent should be available over the next few days. Continue to check the state site and the CTAS site for more information.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Information Sessions Scheduled For ARRA Law Enforcement Grants
With ARRA, the Byrne Justice Assistance "Direct" Grant Award will be available to many more local governments than usual. The Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police (TACP) has teamed up with the Office of Criminal Justice Programs to bring informational seminars to three locations. County sheriffs and/or their representatives have been invited. OCJP will be available to answer questions. Agencies that have not an opportunity to apply and receive funds in the past are likely to be eligible for these monies. Additional information can be found at www.tacp.org. The three locations include: JACKSON - March 23 10am to 12noon at Highland Park Conference Center, 615 West Forest Avenue, Jackson (Next to Jackson General Hospital) NASHVILLE - March 25 2 offerings: 10am to 12noon and 1pm-3pm at Metro Nashville PD North Precinct, 2231 26th Avenue North, 615.862.4410 KNOXVILLE - March 26 12noon to 2pm at Knoxville Family Justice Center, 400 Harriet Tubman Street, Knoxville 37915.
Check the recovery section of the CTAS website for more updates and information on Recovery Act developments like this.
Check the recovery section of the CTAS website for more updates and information on Recovery Act developments like this.
Disturbing Education Statistics
The Tenessee State Collaborative on Education Reform (SCORE) has released a sobering report of education facts for Tennessee. Included are findings like:
This group was started by Sen. Bill Frist to begin a series of discussions on how to move education in Tennessee forward. The second meeting of its steering committee will be on Monday, March 23 in Nashville. The organization also holds town hall style meetings across the state. A recent event was held in Jackson on March 9. At that meeting, SCORE Executive Director Brad Smith and Tennessee State Board of Education Executive Director Gary Nixon heard from education leaders from that region about the challenges they are facing, solutions they have found that work, and advice on how SCORE can assist with local education reform efforts. One of the meeting's key takeaways was the importance of making education Tennesseans' top priority and helping raise students' expectations for themselves.
- 77% of Tennessee 8th graders are not proficient in math and 75% are not proficient in reading according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
- 21% of Tennesseans over the age of 18 cannot read well enough to fill out an application, read a food label, or read a simple story to a child.
- 67% of Tennesseans who receive a HOPE lottery scholarship fail to keep it for four years.
This group was started by Sen. Bill Frist to begin a series of discussions on how to move education in Tennessee forward. The second meeting of its steering committee will be on Monday, March 23 in Nashville. The organization also holds town hall style meetings across the state. A recent event was held in Jackson on March 9. At that meeting, SCORE Executive Director Brad Smith and Tennessee State Board of Education Executive Director Gary Nixon heard from education leaders from that region about the challenges they are facing, solutions they have found that work, and advice on how SCORE can assist with local education reform efforts. One of the meeting's key takeaways was the importance of making education Tennesseans' top priority and helping raise students' expectations for themselves.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
CTAS Debuts Recovery Act Portion of Webpage
The UT County Technical Assistance Service now has a portion of their website up and running that will direct county officials to information on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. To find the resources, go to the main CTAS page at http://www.ctas.tennessee.edu/ then click on the Recovery Act emblem in the upper right corner of the page. There you will find brief paragraphs describing elements of the act and linking you to different sources of information. Check this page regularly for updates.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Floodplain Protection
More than $145 million is being set aside to help Tennessee landowners restore thousands of acres of frequently flooded land to its natural state, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The ARRA funds are available through the floodplain easement component of the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program. Landowners can sign up for the easements through March 27, 2009 at their local USDA Service Center. The funding includes both technical and financial assistance to restore the easements. The goal is to have all floodplain easements acquired and restored within 12-18 months. Additional information can be found at: http://www.tn.nrcs.usda.gov/.
Clean Diesel Programs
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Clean Diesel Campaign is the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) program will soon open its grant program, funded through ARRA. The deadline for proposals will be April 27, 2009. ARRA funding for DERA grants will focus on promoting economic recovery, preserving and/or creating jobs, and reducing diesel emissions. Early information about the DERA grant program can be found on the EPA National Clean Diesel Campaign website at www.epa.gov/otaq/eparecovery/prognational.htm. EPA Region IV estimates that approximately $19 million will be available for projects in the southeastern region.
Please check out the National Clean Diesel Campaign website if you are interested in looking for collaborative projects to serve your area. Some of the eligible projects, such as diesel retrofits, would provide 100 percent funding. DERA funds may also be used to cover the incremental cost of biodiesel above the cost of conventional diesel. It is expected that proposed projects could include a broad reach of diesel engines, including ports, airports, locomotives, agricultural pumps and off-road equipment as well as transit buses, school buses, etc. This could be an excellent opportunity to do some significant projects to address harmful diesel emissions, as well as to bring much needed stimulus funding into your area.
Please check out the National Clean Diesel Campaign website if you are interested in looking for collaborative projects to serve your area. Some of the eligible projects, such as diesel retrofits, would provide 100 percent funding. DERA funds may also be used to cover the incremental cost of biodiesel above the cost of conventional diesel. It is expected that proposed projects could include a broad reach of diesel engines, including ports, airports, locomotives, agricultural pumps and off-road equipment as well as transit buses, school buses, etc. This could be an excellent opportunity to do some significant projects to address harmful diesel emissions, as well as to bring much needed stimulus funding into your area.
Estimates of Tennessee Recovery Act Funds
The state Department of Finance & Administration is continuing to revise its estimates of how much Tennessee will likely receive over the next two years from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) signed into law in February. Governor Bredesen and the Administration are using the $4.5 billion projections to help structure the 2009-2010 state budget, expected to be released to the General Assembly on March 23. The F&A estimates can be found at: http://tnrecovery.gov/030309-TN-Allocation-Summary.pdf
Friday, March 13, 2009
Education Recovery Act Funds to Be Distributed to States Soon
According to the U.S. Department of Education Website (see press release here), $44 billion dollars in funding should be sent to states within the next few weeks. An additional $49 billion will be distributed in 6 months. In Tennessee, these funds will primarily go to Title I schools and for IDEA (special education) purposes. The recovery act funds can be used to restore cuts to K-12 education, but since Tennessee has worked hard to avoid cutting BEP funding, we are not in the same position as many other states.
Tennessee has made and proposed substantial cuts to higher education, so the portions of recovery act funding that may be used to restore cuts will go more towards higher education in our state. Many county officials and state legislators have been asking about recovery funds that can be used for K-12 construction. There original House of Representatives version of the recovery act included $14 billion for k-12 construction. Unfortunately, none of these funds were included in the Senate version or the final conference committee version that became law.
State officials have been cautioning local school systems and directors of schools that these funds must be used carefully as the funding will cease after two years. They are encouraged to use the funds for non-recurring expenditures or to help delay or soften budget cuts. If a local school district uses these funds to pay new or existing teaching positions, they will have to find funds from other sources to replace this recovery act funding after two years.
Tennessee has made and proposed substantial cuts to higher education, so the portions of recovery act funding that may be used to restore cuts will go more towards higher education in our state. Many county officials and state legislators have been asking about recovery funds that can be used for K-12 construction. There original House of Representatives version of the recovery act included $14 billion for k-12 construction. Unfortunately, none of these funds were included in the Senate version or the final conference committee version that became law.
State officials have been cautioning local school systems and directors of schools that these funds must be used carefully as the funding will cease after two years. They are encouraged to use the funds for non-recurring expenditures or to help delay or soften budget cuts. If a local school district uses these funds to pay new or existing teaching positions, they will have to find funds from other sources to replace this recovery act funding after two years.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
CTAS Budget and Financial Managment Training
The County Technical Assistance Service is offering extensive training to county officials on operating budgets, capital budgets and debt management over the months of March and April. The classes are being offered in Franklin, Jackson, Dunlap, Cookeville, Knoxville, and Johnson City. For more information on times, dates and locations, see the CTAS website at http://www.ctas.tennessee.edu/.
As an experiment, one of these classes is being held in the evening to make it more convenient for county commissioners to attend. On March 30, there will be a training session on managing county debt at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center, 605 Airways Blvd., Jackson, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Dinner will be provided at the meeting site starting at 5:30 p.m.
This session will discuss (1) proper processes and procedures for accounting of debt; (2) where to find the data on debt; (3) how projects should be funded and how to borrow; (4) policies and committee considerations; and (5) best practices in debt management.
An extended version of this class will also be held at the same location on March 31 from 8:00 a.m. – noon for all county officials. Managing the county's debt and finances is becoming increasingly difficult in the current economy and I encourage any county commissioners who are interested to contact CTAS for more information about these training opportunities.
As an experiment, one of these classes is being held in the evening to make it more convenient for county commissioners to attend. On March 30, there will be a training session on managing county debt at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center, 605 Airways Blvd., Jackson, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Dinner will be provided at the meeting site starting at 5:30 p.m.
This session will discuss (1) proper processes and procedures for accounting of debt; (2) where to find the data on debt; (3) how projects should be funded and how to borrow; (4) policies and committee considerations; and (5) best practices in debt management.
An extended version of this class will also be held at the same location on March 31 from 8:00 a.m. – noon for all county officials. Managing the county's debt and finances is becoming increasingly difficult in the current economy and I encourage any county commissioners who are interested to contact CTAS for more information about these training opportunities.
On-line Recovery Resources
The best information regarding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is availble through on-line resources. The details regarding this legislation are developing so rapidly and changing so continuously that it is hard to have accurate information in any other format.
I have posted links on here before to different organizations and agencies that were monitoring the legislation as it was being developed. Now there are significant new Federal and State resources on-line specifically dedicated to administration of these funds.
The first place to start is http://www.recovery.gov/., the primary federal site for recovery information. Tennessee is in the process of developing its own site for state recovery information which can be found at www.tn.gov/recovery. In addition, there is another website designed specifically to help governments and organizations find and apply for grants related to the recovery act at http://www.grants.gov/. For information regarding education related recovery funds, you can get data at http://www.ed.gov/. Other Federal departments and agencies as also providing information related to aspects of the act that they oversee. Sorting through all this may end up leaving a local official overwhelmed. I'm working with the UT County Technical Assistance Service to develop a resource that will help sort out those elements of the Recovery Act that most directly affect Tennessee Counties and make that information more accessible.
Check here and the CTAS website frequently for more information on this topic.
I have posted links on here before to different organizations and agencies that were monitoring the legislation as it was being developed. Now there are significant new Federal and State resources on-line specifically dedicated to administration of these funds.
The first place to start is http://www.recovery.gov/., the primary federal site for recovery information. Tennessee is in the process of developing its own site for state recovery information which can be found at www.tn.gov/recovery. In addition, there is another website designed specifically to help governments and organizations find and apply for grants related to the recovery act at http://www.grants.gov/. For information regarding education related recovery funds, you can get data at http://www.ed.gov/. Other Federal departments and agencies as also providing information related to aspects of the act that they oversee. Sorting through all this may end up leaving a local official overwhelmed. I'm working with the UT County Technical Assistance Service to develop a resource that will help sort out those elements of the Recovery Act that most directly affect Tennessee Counties and make that information more accessible.
Check here and the CTAS website frequently for more information on this topic.
Recovery Resources and Information
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that passed in February is creating significant interest in local communities and continues to be the buzz at the State Capitol. The large and complicated legislation is now being interpreted through volumes of federal rules and regulations. State administrations and agencies are sorting through these ever-changing guidelines to determine how the funds can be made available to help.
On Monday of this week, Governor Phil Bredesen named Charles L. Harrison, CPA, CGFM, as Special Assistant to the Governor for Recovery Act Administration. Harrison will lead the state’s implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
“I am extremely pleased to have someone of Charles Harrison’s experience and qualifications to lead our implementation of this important Act,” said Bredesen. “The financial and project management expertise he brings to our efforts will help ensure the funds that come to Tennessee are used to their full potential and that we are complying with the rigorous requirements of the Act for accountability and transparency in its implementation.”
Harrison, who is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Tennessee and is a Certified Government Financial Manager, has served as the assistant to the state’s Comptroller of the Treasury since 1985. In that position he was directly involved with the financial management of state project and contracts, provided accounting, budgeting, information systems and human resources support to the Office of the Comptroller, and advised state departments regarding procurement and contracting issues.
“Charles is uniquely qualified for this role,” said Deputy to the Governor John Morgan, who served as Comptroller of the Treasury from 1999 to January of this year. “His management skills and familiarity with Tennessee state government will allow him to move with the expedience that Governor Bredesen and the federal government expect in implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.”
Harrison will lead a state ARRA task force that includes representatives of Finance and Administration’s budget and information resources divisions, the Office of State Policy and Planning, and designated representatives from state agencies involved in implementation of the Act.
I have discussed with the Deputy Governor the need for local government associations and agencies to be involved and work cooperatively with this new state office to help disseminate information to county and city governments. In the coming weeks, as more information becomes available, I will be working with CTAS to find the best ways to get this important information to you.
On Monday of this week, Governor Phil Bredesen named Charles L. Harrison, CPA, CGFM, as Special Assistant to the Governor for Recovery Act Administration. Harrison will lead the state’s implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
“I am extremely pleased to have someone of Charles Harrison’s experience and qualifications to lead our implementation of this important Act,” said Bredesen. “The financial and project management expertise he brings to our efforts will help ensure the funds that come to Tennessee are used to their full potential and that we are complying with the rigorous requirements of the Act for accountability and transparency in its implementation.”
Harrison, who is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Tennessee and is a Certified Government Financial Manager, has served as the assistant to the state’s Comptroller of the Treasury since 1985. In that position he was directly involved with the financial management of state project and contracts, provided accounting, budgeting, information systems and human resources support to the Office of the Comptroller, and advised state departments regarding procurement and contracting issues.
“Charles is uniquely qualified for this role,” said Deputy to the Governor John Morgan, who served as Comptroller of the Treasury from 1999 to January of this year. “His management skills and familiarity with Tennessee state government will allow him to move with the expedience that Governor Bredesen and the federal government expect in implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.”
Harrison will lead a state ARRA task force that includes representatives of Finance and Administration’s budget and information resources divisions, the Office of State Policy and Planning, and designated representatives from state agencies involved in implementation of the Act.
I have discussed with the Deputy Governor the need for local government associations and agencies to be involved and work cooperatively with this new state office to help disseminate information to county and city governments. In the coming weeks, as more information becomes available, I will be working with CTAS to find the best ways to get this important information to you.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Unemployment Continues to Worsen
Tennessee counties continue to struggle with rising unemployment. Two thirds of Tennessee Counties now have double digit unemploment rates based on January estimates. For more on this issue, see this article in the Nashville Business Journal.
For a detailed breakdown of January unemployment figures on a county by county basis, see this report hosted by the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
For a detailed breakdown of January unemployment figures on a county by county basis, see this report hosted by the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Tennessee SCORE
Last Monday (March 2), the Tennessee SCORE hosted its first statewide meeting at the First Amendment Center in Nashville. At the meeting, former Governors Michael Easley of North Carolina and Jeb Bush of Florida spoke about their experiences with education reform efforts in their states. In a very candid and informative session, they shared lessons they learned from their respecitve education reform efforts in Florida and North Carolina, both of which resulted in significant improvements in student acheivement. Read more about the meeting here, here, and here. These links tie you into the Tennessee SCORE website.
County Government Day Conference
It was a busy week last week as we had around 450 county officials in town for the annual county government day event in addition to the usual legislative hearings and committees. Included among the conference attendees were approximately 150 county commissioners from across the state. They took part in our TCCA board meeting and membership meeting and had opportunities to meet and greet with state legislators. At our Wednesday morning breakfast we were honored to have Governor Phil Bredesen, Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey and Speaker of the House Kent Williams there to address county officials. We were also joined by many other legislators at our breakfast.
More than 100 of the county officials in town also took advantage of a special session we organized on Wednesday to hear an update from state and federal departments and agencies on the Economic Recovery Act. Officials from the Governor’s Office, the State Departments of Transportation, Education, Economic and Community Development and Environment and Conservation and the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development office presented an update on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (often referred to as the federal economic stimulus legislation). The speakers outlined in general terms the funds that would be available to Tennessee and how such funds are planned to be distributed. A recurring message from the speakers was that the details of this legislation are still being sorted out as various federal departments and agencies continue to develop rules and regulations for the administration of the funds. If you would like more information about the Recovery and Reinvestment Act, contact our office via e-mail at tcca.connor@tncounties.org or by phone at (615) 532-3767 to request copies of a handout we distributed.
More than 100 of the county officials in town also took advantage of a special session we organized on Wednesday to hear an update from state and federal departments and agencies on the Economic Recovery Act. Officials from the Governor’s Office, the State Departments of Transportation, Education, Economic and Community Development and Environment and Conservation and the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development office presented an update on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (often referred to as the federal economic stimulus legislation). The speakers outlined in general terms the funds that would be available to Tennessee and how such funds are planned to be distributed. A recurring message from the speakers was that the details of this legislation are still being sorted out as various federal departments and agencies continue to develop rules and regulations for the administration of the funds. If you would like more information about the Recovery and Reinvestment Act, contact our office via e-mail at tcca.connor@tncounties.org or by phone at (615) 532-3767 to request copies of a handout we distributed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
