City Projects

Cincinnati Stimulus Funding

To date, over $50.3 million in ARRA funds have been announced for the City of Cincinnati and its partners. For more information on the ARRA programs that are providing this funding and the funded City projects, click on the links below.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

This is a formula grant program, allocated through the US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD). Cincinnati expects to receive $3,490,694 and Hamilton County expects to receive $912,000.

The City Administration outlined a proposed plan for the use of these funds in an FYI memo dated May 18, 2009. At its meeting on June 3, 2009, City Council passed an ordinance (Ord #0150-2009) authorizing the submission of a Substantial Amendment to the 2008 Consolidated Plan/Action Plan reflecting the proposed CDBG-R use plan.

Homelessness Prevention & Rapid Re-housing Grant Program (HPRP)

This is a formula grant program, allocated through the US Department of Housing & Urban Development, “to provide homelessness prevention assistance to households who would otherwise become homeless…and to provide assistance to rapidly re-house persons who are homeless.” Cincinnati is eligible for up to $5,339,182. Hamilton County is eligible for up to $1,396,621.

Pursuant to program guidelines, City staff worked with the Hamilton County Continuum of Care to develop a recommended plan for the use of these funds. On May 15, 2009, City Council passed Ord. # 0127-2009, authorizing the submission of a Substantial Amendment to the City’s 2008 Consolidated Plan/Action Plan reflecting the proposed Homelessness Prevention & Rapid Re-Housing Plan. The application was submitted to HUD by the deadline of May 18, 2009.

Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Formula Grant Program (JAG)

This is a formula grant program, allocated through the US Department of Justice, to fund criminal justice activities. ARRA provided $2.0 billion in funding for this program nationwide. Of that, Ohio jurisdictions are eligible for up to approximately $61.6 million, and of that, Cincinnati is eligible for up to $2,418,209.

On April 15, 2009, City Council passed Ord.# 0096-2009 authorizing the City Manager to apply for and accept this funding in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding required by the grant guidance and attached thereto. The application was submitted to the US Department of Justice by the deadline of May 18, 2009. At it’s final meeting before Summer Recess, Council passed Ordinance #200901013 finalizing approval of the Memorandum of Understanding and authorizing the City Manager to accept funds under the program.

Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP)

This is a competitive grant program that provides funding directly to law enforcement agencies having primary law enforcement authority to create and preserve jobs in order to increase their community policing capacity and crime-prevention efforts. ARRA provided up to $1.0 billion in funding for this program nationwide. CHRP grants provide 100 percent funding for approved entry-level salaries and benefits for 3 years (36 months) for newly-hired, full-time sworn officer positions (including filling existing unfunded vacancies) or for rehired officers who have been laid off, or are scheduled to be laid off on a future date, as a result of local budget cuts.

The City Manager informed City Council of the Administration’s application for funding through the CHRP program in a memo dated April 27, 2009. The Administration applied to the competitive grant program for nearly $42.4 million. On July 28, 2009, Vice President Joe Biden announced that Cincinnati would receive $13.5 million, enough to maintain 50 sworn officer positions over the next three years.

Assistance to Firefighters Fire Station Construction Grant (SCG) Program

This is a Department of Homeland Security program that will be administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate in coordination with the U.S. Fire Administration. The program will provide financial assistance directly to fire departments on a competitive basis to build new or modify existing fire stations in order for departments to enhance their response capability and protect the community they serve from fire and fire-related hazards. SCG seeks to support organizations lacking the tools and resources necessary to effectively protect the health and safety of the public and their emergency response personnel with respect to fire and all other hazards. ARRA allocated $210 million for Fire Station Construction to be distributed by FEMA.

The Cincinnati Fire Department (CFD) has applied for over $18.5 million in DHS grants being made available through FEMA-administered programs, including over $14.9 million from the SCG program. These funds would be utilized by the Department to fund the new construction or rehabilitation of several key stations in 6 different neighborhoods, as well to provide permanent back-up electrical generators to stations in order to better provide services during extended power outages. The proposed construction and rehabilitation projects will create immediate construction employment, provide modern facilities for CFD companies currently housed in out-of-date stations, and better permit CFD to provide mutual aid to neighboring jurisdictions.

Port Security Grant Program (PSGP)

This is a Department of Homeland Security program that will be administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate. The program will provide grant funding to port areas for the protection of critical port infrastructure from terrorism. PSGP funds are primarily intended to assist ports in enhancing maritime domain awareness, enhancing risk management capabilities to prevent, detect, respond to and recover from attacks involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs), weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and other non-conventional weapons, as well as training and exercises and Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) implementation. Financial assistance will be allocated on a competitive basis to ports that have been categorized into DHS-defined risk groups. ARRA allocated $150 million for Port Security Grants to be distributed by FEMA.

CFD submitted Investment Justifications under the PSGP requesting $850,000 in order to purchase security and emergency response equipment. The requested equipment will enhance the CFD Homeland Security operations capabilities in monitoring and responding to situations on area waterways, including the Ohio River, the Mill Creek, the Little Miami River, and the Duck Creek. The request includes $700,000 for two multi-mission work boats and $150,000 for a floating dock on the Ohio River.

Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG)

This is a formula grant program, allocated through the US Department of Energy, to fund projects that reduce fossil fuel emissions, total energy use, and improve energy efficiency in all sectors. Cincinnati is eligible for up to $3,520,600.

The Administration submitted a report (Doc. #200900661) to City Council dated May 4, 2009 outlining the recommended allocation plan for this funding. The plan was developed under the guidance of the Office of Environmental Quality (OEQ), who solicited input from City departments and other stakeholders. An amended plan was approved by City Council (Doc. 200900799) on June 3, 2009. The deadline for submitting the City’s application is June 25, 2009.

Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund Program (CWSRLF)

This program, administered by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides funding for water quality protection projects for wastewater treatment, nonpoint source pollution control, and watershed and estuary management. $5 million in funding has been announced for five Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSD) projects.

Ohio EPA conducted a solicitation for projects among Ohio jurisdictions and announced awards on April 23, 2009. ARRA funding is provided as a subsidy to reduce the principal on loans awarded through CWSRLF. $5.0 million in funding was announced for five Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSD) projects:

Charlemar Sewer Replacement - $266,700
Hengehold Pump Station Elimination - $720,270
Kemper Lane Sewer Repair - $556,651
Mill Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements - $1,345,000
Little Miami River Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements - $2,111,379

The Mill Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements funding was subsequently reallocated to the Little Miami River Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements fund.

The Office of Environmental Quality also submitted a grant application for $5 million to expand their Green Roof Loan Program. The OEQ's Green Roof Loan Program (GRLP) is an incentive program that promotes the use of vegetated green roofs in the Cincinnati community by facilitating low-interest loans to participating residents to help cover up-front expenses for installing green roofs on new buildings and/or retrofitting existing buildings.

Transportation Funding through ARRA

ARRA allocated approximately $936 million to the State of Ohio. While the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is responsible for distributing much of this amount across the state, local Metropolitan Planning Organizations, such as the OKI Regional Council of Governments (OKI), were also charged with distributing funds among their regional jurisdictions.

OKI received approximately $30 million for distribution among eight counties in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, including Hamilton County. Three projects in Cincinnati totaling $5,575,000, will receive ARRA funding through the OKI 2030 Regional Transportation Plan.

Waldvogel Viaduct Rail Relocation – $1,075,000
Computerized Traffic Control system Interconnect - $2,750,000
Ohio River Trail (Wilmer to Carrel) - $1,750,000

OKI also allocated $1.5 million to Hamilton County to further fund The Banks project.

In addition, ODOT has allocated another $49.6 million in ARRA transportation funding for Cincinnati/Hamilton County projects:

$23.5 million of this allocated to Hamilton County for The Banks project in Cincinnati:

Banks Transit Center - $5,000,000
Riverfront Intermodal Center Phase 2 - $10,500,000
Banks Street Grid - $8,000,000

I-75 Rehabilitation - $6,100,000
Eastern Corridor Development - $20,000,000

Other ARRA Funding Activity

Public Safety

The City of Cincinnati's Police Department is receiving $1.2 million from a FEMA/Department of Homeland Security grant to acquire an Underwater Remotely Controlled Vehicle, two outboard motor boat engines, wireless remote controlled surveillance cameras and alarm systems for bridges, office construction for Real Time Crime Center supervision, and air conditioning and ventilation for the Real Time Crime Center.

Health Department

The Health Department applied for and received 2 grants through its relationship as a sub-grantee with Neighborhood Health Centers. The funds are restricted to the operation of the Elm Street Health Center. The first grant, an Increased Demand for Services or IDS grant, provides $181,000 over a two-year period running from April 2009 through March 2011 to preserve 2 nursing positions at the Center.

The second grant was under the Capital Improvement Program. The Health Department will receive $300,000 to assist in the implementation of electronic health records.

Neighborhood Stabilization Program, Round 2 (NSP2)

This is a competitive grant program allocated by HUD, which makes available $1.93 billion nationwide for foreclosure remediation. NSP2 is also disbursing $50 million for technical assistance grants to increase capacity in local communities receiving NSP1 fund or any entity receiving NSP2 funding to carry out neighborhood stabilization activities.

The City of Cincinnati initiated work with Hamilton County, the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA), the Model Group, and the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) to form a qualifying consortium to apply for the funds. The Hamilton County Department of Community Development is the Consortium’s lead agency on a grant application that is in excess of $50 million.