Rep. Neguse Secures $2.3 Million in Federal Funding for Eagle County
Lafayette, CO — Congressman Joe Neguse announced a total of $2,309,752 in Community Project Funding for Eagle County. Rep. Neguse successfully championed and secured the investments as part of the first set of government funding bills signed into law by President Biden on Saturday, March 9. The funding includes $959,752 to help upgrade and expand the Town of Gypsum’s wastewater treatment plant, $850,000 to support the renovation of the Edwards Early Learning Center, and $500,000 for the Eagle County Regional Airport.
“I am proud to have fought to secure funding that will help make Eagle County healthier, safer, and stronger—investing in community-based projects that expand access to clean drinking water, support the development of local infants and toddlers through high-quality preschool, and help ease travel for residents and visitors of Eagle County,” said Congressman Neguse. “All of these projects meet community growth and economic development needs for our mountain towns, and I am excited to see them make a difference for folks in Gypsum, Edwards, Vail, and beyond.”
“Eagle County families are grateful to Congressman Neguse for championing our cause. Expanding the Edwards Early Learning Center will help address the significant need for more affordable preschool in our community,” said Philip Qualman, Superintendent of Eagle County School District.
“We’re thankful for the support of our congressional delegation, including Congressman Joe Neguse and Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet,” said Jeremy Rietmann, Gypsum Town Manager. “Federal funding support like this is vital for maintaining reliable wastewater infrastructure and reducing some of the costs that would otherwise fall on local ratepayers. This infrastructure is critical in safeguarding the health of our residents as well as our local rivers and streams.”
Additional information about the Eagle County-based projects:
Town of Gypsum for Wastewater Infrastructure Project – Eagle County, CO – $959,752
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To help upgrade and expand the Town of Gypsum’s wastewater treatment plant, ensuring the health and safety of the community and meeting community growth and economic development needs. The overall project will support the installation of an influent lift station with overflow storage, upgrade of a headworks building to house new mechanical screens and provide grit removal, the addition of secondary process basins and clarifiers for treating wastewater to meet effluent requirements of Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Regulation 85, a new secondary process building and related equipment, and upgrading of filtration and disinfection equipment.
Edwards Early Learning Center – Eagle County, CO – $850,000
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Families in Colorado’s rural and mountain communities are struggling with major shortages of affordable child care services. This funding will support the renovation of the Edwards Early Learning Center in Eagle County. As needs in the community grow, this federal funding for Edwards Early Learning will help the center serve an additional 129 students. In the spring of 2020, Eagle County School District had to consolidate three under-enrolled schools, which resulted in the closing of June Creek Elementary School. June Creek was then repurposed into the Edwards Early Learning Center, which opened in fall 2020. Edwards Early Learning currently includes two infant, two toddler and 10 preschool classrooms. This investment will support the completion of the center by adding preschool classrooms and expanding its capacity to serve a greater number of local infants and toddlers.
Eagle County Regional Airport Federal Inspection Station – Eagle County, CO – $500,000
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To support the Eagle County Regional Airport’s (EGE) expansion into international markets through the construction of a Federal Inspection Station (FIS). The project would accommodate the growing demand for international travel by residents and visitors of Eagle County, as well as relieving international traffic and processing for understaffed customs operations at Denver International Airport and reducing Interstate 70 vehicular traffic from Denver.
Rep. Neguse secured additional investments for other communities in Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District, announcing a total of more than $11 million for 14 projects to directly benefit cities and towns in the district.
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