Community Project Funding Selections
Community Project Funding Requests FY '26
Congressman Neguse has submitted funding requests for important community projects in CO-02 to the House Appropriations Committee.
Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 15 projects in their community for fiscal year 2025 – although only a handful may actually be funded. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding. Additional information on the reforms governing Community Project Funding is available here.
In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Congressman Neguse has certified that he, his spouse, and his immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects he has requested.
Projects will continue to be posted as they are finalized.
City of Fort Collins Taft Hill Road Improvement, CO
Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Department of Transportation Highway Infrastructure Projects
Amount: $1,300,000
This project is a joint effort between the City of Fort Collins and Larimer County. The current roadway cross section was built as an interim improvement in 2006 in a joint project partnership between the City and County. The road lacks capacity, curb and gutter, sidewalks, bicycle lanes, medians, and storm sewer. Safety is also a concern as this section of roadway experiences a significant number of crashes often associated with congestion. Taft Hill Road is identified as Regionally Significant Corridor #18 by the North Front Range MPO, connecting Larimer County, Fort Collins, and Loveland, as a key corridor supporting the long-range vision of the 2045 Regional Transportation Plan. The project will upgrade this busy corridor and connect the surrounding neighborhoods to nearby schools, parks and the City’s expansive bike and trail network. The project will increase mobility and safety by widening to a 4-lane section with a center turn lane consistent with Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards.
Letter HERE
Larimer County Sheriff's Office Emergency Operations Center, CO
Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Department of Housing and Urban Development - Economic Development Initiative
Amount: $5,000,000
In the last 20 years, Colorado has had more federally designated natural disasters than any other state in the United States, and Larimer County has led the entire state. Larimer County has an Emergency Services section within the Sheriff’s Office whose primary focus is saving lives during natural disasters. In order to accomplish any mission they are tasked with, they need to house and store a substantial amount of technical equipment that is unique to each given mission. From dive rescue and swift water rescue, to search and rescue and avalanche recovery, each of these tasks require different items for success. The Emergency Services section is in a structure that was originally built in 1957. This building is no longer capable of adequately performing the mission it was built for 67 years ago. In fact, in 1992, the former elected county commissioners agreed that this facility needed replacement. This project will finally replace this old facility with a new building that will last well into the future.
Letter HERE
Town of Silverthorne’s “Steven’s Way” Improvement, CO
Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Department of Transportation Highway Infrastructure Projects
Amount: $2,000,000
This funding would widen Stephens Way from two lanes to four to prevent traffic congestion, improve safety, and create an evacuation route. Stephens Way is one of the two routes that go under I-70, making it a critical emergency passageway for first responders. Silverthorne is prone to hazardous traffic gridlock and natural hazards, and improving Stephens Way is imperative to addressing public safety risks. The Stephens Way Road Improvement project is a high priority as outlined in the Town’s Master Transportation Plan. The project will prevent hazardous gridlock situations that impede emergency response and impact resident travel; add much-needed capacity during closures at Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel that impact local travel; improve steady traffic flows along the I-70 corridor; improve connectivity between Silverthorne, Dillon, and Summit County.
Letter HERE
McCaslin Mult-Use Trail Project, CO
Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Department of Transportation Highway Infrastructure Projects
Amount: $2,000,000
These funds would be used to fund a transit project to improve safety along McCaslin Boulevard by creating a dedicated bike and pedestrian facility to connect Town of Superior Trails and residents to the trail system in both Boulder and Jefferson Counties. The project will construct an 8-foot-wide, separated concrete trail along the west side of McCaslin Boulevard, extending 1.2 miles from Rock Creek Parkway to Coalton Road.
Letter HERE
East Boulder Community Center (EBCC) Improvements Project, CO
Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Department of Housing and Urban Development - Economic Development Initiative
Amount: $2,000,000
The East Boulder Community Center (EBCC) Improvements Project will enhance planned improvements to the existing EBCC facility through upgrades to the building’s infrastructure and interior to better serve the community during a disaster and through recovery. This funding will be used to further modify building systems and infrastructure to support its use as a community shelter – in cold/hot weather extremes, in disaster (flood or fire) or for other public safety concerns. The center is a designated FEMA community shelter and following the 2013 floods received FEMA funding to install a quick connect so a FEMA portable generator could supply emergency power to the building during a disaster.
Letter HERE
Pine Cove Ranger Station, CO
Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Department of Housing and Urban Development - Economic Development Initiative
Amount: $1,120,000
The Pine Cove Ranger Station project will fund the construction of a permanent ranger station building on Dillion Reservoir, to replace an old temporary structure. This project also includes furnishings as well as associated safety and recovery equipment. Rangers will primarily use the station as their base for water and land operations. The primary benefits of this project include enhanced safety and emergency response capabilities, as well as improved preparation for recreational users through access to safety gear, trail maps, and visitor guides.
Letter HERE
Colorado Mountain College Trades Center, CO
Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Department of Housing and Urban Development - Economic Development Initiative
Amount: $3,000,000
This project will fund the construction of a workforce training center for skilled trades, including construction, welding, and automotive technology, fields that are essential to the region’s economic health. Designed with flexible, modern infrastructure, the center will support both high school and adult learners through industry-recognized credentials (e.g., OSHA, NCCER, ASE) and postsecondary pathways. This will be a collaborative economic development initiative between Summit School District and Colorado Mountain College. It aims to address the regional shortage of skilled trades professionals by building a 9,000 sq. ft. hands-on training facility adjacent to Summit High School in Frisco, Colorado.
Letter HERE
Eagle County Interagency Fire Center, CO
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Agriculture, Rural Development, Community Facilities Grants
Amount: $5,000,000
This request is for the construction of a new, interagency fire center that would host structure firefighters and apparatus employed by Eagle River Fire Protection District; wildland firefighters and apparatus employed by Eagle Valley Wildland (an intergovernmental partnership created to provide wildland fire prevention, mitigation, and suppression for Eagle County); and wildland firefighters and apparatus employed by the USDA White River National Forest. The building would consist of apparatus bays, office space, a training center, public meeting space, cache space (to maintain continuity of operations), space to accommodate the needs of an incident command post, and seasonal firefighter quarters. The building will contain the essential equipment for structure firefighting and wildland firefighting, as well as river rescue equipment.
Letter HERE
Estes Park Public Safety Campus, CO
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Agriculture, Rural Development, Community Facilities Grants
Amount: $4,350,000
This project will deliver a new police department facility in Estes Park, designed to function as a shared, multi-jurisdictional operations center during disaster events in the Estes Valley. This will enhance public safety, improve infrastructure, and enhance the efficiency of communication and emergency response. Specifically, the funding will support the design and construction of a modern facility with upgraded technology to enable all the regional emergency responders to better serve and protect the community of Estes Park. The new building will also serve as a central hub for community outreach, citizen engagement initiatives, and collaborative training and educational efforts between law enforcement, emergency service providers, and residents. This initiative aims to benefit both the community and visitors of Estes Park, which annually welcomes millions of tourists despite having only 6,000 full-time residents.
Letter HERE
Central City Fire Station, CO
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Agriculture, Rural Development, Community Facilities Grants
Amount: $750,000
The City has an urgent need for a proper fire station —a safe and secure facility that is structurally sound and has sufficient space for related apparatus and equipment. This project will allow the City to adequately meet the needs of a tourism-based community and provide support to surrounding jurisdictions.
Letter HERE
Hot Sulphur Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant, CO
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Agriculture, Rural Development, Community Facilities Grants
Amount: $3,000,000
This project will replace a lagoon liner in the Town's wastewater treatment plant and will help fund an alternative water source for when the intake gallery is not functioning properly due to water run-off and turbidity.
Letter HERE
CSU Equipment for Materials Science Discovery, CO
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Scientific and Technical Research
Amount: $1,800,000
This project will help fund research equipment for CSU to continue its work in energy and energy storage. Advancements in these areas require high-tech equipment such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) necessary for critical experiments in materials science. New XRD capabilities and instrumentation will accelerate the delivery of new materials crucial for building next-generation batteries and photovoltaics. Applying XRD to materials characterization for batteries, for example, will drive advancements in energy storage technologies, leading to more durable and efficient batteries. The resulting longer life cycles and improved energy storage capacities will improve our energy resiliency.
Letter HERE
CU Hearth Wildfire Research, CO
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Scientific and Technical Research
Amount: $1,766,488
CU Boulder requests funding to support the purchase and installation of scientific equipment to launch CU-Hearth, a wildfire-focused facility that will bring collaboration and expertise in education, training, and research of wildfires. We have a unique opportunity to transition from seeing and dealing with wildfires as life-threatening disasters to managed interventions. In order to do this, we need to focus on the intersection between wildland and urban environments. A significant challenge in understanding and managing wildfires is the scale and heterogeneity of the impacted environment. Research, training, and community education initiatives on urban wildfire resiliency remain underdeveloped, both in Colorado and across the nation. CU-Hearth will provide a facility of shared materials, instruments, and methods to enable cross-collaboration between disciplines. It will focus on a multi-media (air, water, and soil) understanding and management of urban wildfires.
Letter HERE
Town of Granby Water Infrastructure Project, CO
Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Environmental Protection Agency State and Tribal Assistance Grants
Amount: $5,000,000
This project will help fund a water treatment facility. Residents of the North Service Area (NSA) water have seen large rate increases over the past 2 years. This project will help construct a new facility that will improve the quality of water and will help alleviate some of the rate increases.
Letter HERE
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Equipment Upgrades, CO
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) – Technology and Equipment
Amount: $913,000
This project will upgrade our small Sheriff's office equipment and technology, including software upgrades, radio communication upgrades. These upgrades will help keep our officers in the field safe and will help us better serve and protect the community.
Letter HERE
Community Project Funding Requests FY '25
Congressman Neguse has submitted funding requests for important community projects in CO-02 to the House Appropriations Committee.
Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 15 projects in their community for fiscal year 2025 – although only a handful may actually be funded. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding. Additional information on the reforms governing Community Project Funding is available here.
In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Congressman Neguse has certified that he, his spouse, and his immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects he has requested.
Avon Childcare Center, CO
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Agriculture, Rural Development, Community Facilities Grants
Amount: $1,250,000
The Avon Childcare Center will bring approximately 150-175 urgently needed childcare openings to serve families in Avon, Edwards, Minturn, Redcliff, and Vail. The center will provide childcare for infants through 5 years of age. There are approximately 3,000 children ages 0-5 today needing childcare in the Valley. Today, approximately 1,400 children receive childcare through licensed centers, another 850 manage informally through unlicensed friends, family, and neighbors, and roughly 900 children have no viable childcare solution.
Letter HERE
Eagle County Interagency Fire Center, CO
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Agriculture, Rural Development, Community Facilities Grants
Amount: $5,000,000
This project will construct a new interagency fire center that would host structure firefighters and apparatus employed by Eagle River Fire Protections District; wildland firefighters and apparatus employed by Eagle Valley Wildland (an intergovernmental partnership created to provide wildland fire prevention, mitigation, and suppression for Eagle County); and wildland firefighters and apparatus employed by the USDA White River National Forest. It will be constructed in a manner to generate and maintain interagency cooperation, information and resource sharing, training, and synergistic cohesion on complex incidents within its immediate response area and on mutual aid incidents.
Letter HERE
Estes Park Public Safety Campus, CO
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Agriculture, Rural Development, Community Facilities Grants
Amount: $4,350,000
The project will deliver a new police department facility in Estes Park which will be designed to function as a shared multijurisdictional operations center during disaster events in the Estes Valley. This will optimize public safety, improve infrastructure, and elevate communication and emergency response efficiency. Specifically, the funding will support the design and construction of a modern, energy-efficient facility equipped with state-of-the-art technology and amenities to enable all the regional emergency responders to better serve and protect the community of Estes Park. The new building will also serve as a central hub for community outreach, citizen engagement initiatives and collaborative training and educational efforts between law enforcement, emergency service providers and residents.
Letter HERE
Central City Fire Station, CO
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Agriculture, Rural Development, Community Facilities Grants
Amount: $500,000
The City has an urgent need for a proper fire station. The Project will allow the City to adequately meet the needs of the community and provide support to surrounding jurisdictions. The requested funding will support planning and building design, and necessary site improvements. The City’s Fire Department, established in 1869, has served the community for over 150 years and the facility lacks modern functionality and cannot accommodate full-sized apparatus. The City Council has identified the Project as the highest priority for City facilities and public safety infrastructure.
Letter HERE
CSU Equipment for Materials Science Discovery, CO
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Scientific and Technical Research
Amount: $1,800,000
This project will help fund research equipment for CSU to continue its work in energy and energy storage. Advancements in these areas require high-tech equipment such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) necessary for critical experiments in materials science. New XRD capabilities and instrumentation will accelerate the delivery of new materials crucial for building next-generation batteries and photovoltaics. Applying XRD to materials characterization for batteries, for example, will drive advancements in energy storage technologies, leading to more durable and efficient batteries. The resulting longer life cycles and improved energy storage capacities will improve our energy resiliency.
Letter HERE
City of Fort Collins Taft Hill Road Improvement, CO
Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Department of Transportation Highway Infrastructure Projects
Amount: $1,300,000
This project is a joint effort between the City of Fort Collins and Larimer County. The current roadway cross section was built as an interim improvement in 2006 in a joint project partnership between the City and County. The road lacks capacity, curb and gutter, sidewalks, bicycle lanes, medians, and storm sewer. Safety is also a concern as this section of roadway experiences a significant number of crashes often associated with congestion. Taft Hill Road is identified as Regionally Significant Corridor #18 by the North Front Range MPO, connecting Larimer County, Fort Collins, and Loveland, as a key corridor supporting the long-range vision of the 2045 Regional Transportation Plan. The project will upgrade this busy corridor and connect the surrounding neighborhoods to nearby schools, parks and the City’s expansive bike and trail network. The project will increase mobility and safety by widening to a 4-lane section with a center turn lane consistent with Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards.
Letter HERE
Larimer County Sheriff's Office Emergency Operations Center, CO
Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Department of Housing and Urban Development - Economic Development Initiative
Amount: $5,000,000
In the last 20 years, Colorado has had more federally designated natural disasters than any other state in the United States, and Larimer County has led the entire state. Larimer County has an Emergency Services section within the Sheriff’s Office whose primary focus is saving lives during natural disasters. In order to accomplish any mission they are tasked with, they need to house and store a substantial amount of technical equipment that is unique to each given mission. From dive rescue and swift water rescue, to search and rescue and avalanche recovery, each of these tasks require different items for success. The Emergency Services section is in a structure that was originally built in 1957. This building is no longer capable of adequately performing the mission it was built for 67 years ago. In fact, in 1992, the former elected county commissioners agreed that this facility needed replacement. This project will finally replace this old facility with a new building that will last well into the future.
Letter HERE
Town of Superior Emergency Operations Center, CO
Subcommittee on Homeland Security
Department of Homeland Security Emergency Operations Center
Amount: $1,500,000
Project includes construction of a 10,000 square foot Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for the Town of Superior. During the Marshall Fire (2021), 2013 Floods (2013), and other natural disasters, the Town has needed an EOC to facilitate emergency response and operations. The new facility will allow Town staff to serve the public during emergency events and maintain public infrastructure, parks, and recreation needs of the rapidly growing Town of 14,000 residents.
Letter HERE
CU Hearth Wildfire Research, CO
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Scientific and Technical Research
Amount: $1,766,488
CU Boulder requests funding to support the purchase and installation of scientific equipment to launch CU-Hearth, a wildfire-focused facility that will bring collaboration and expertise in education, training, and research of wildfires. We have a unique opportunity to transition from seeing and dealing with wildfires as life-threatening disasters to managed interventions. In order to do this, we need to focus on the intersection between wildland and urban environments. A significant challenge in understanding and managing wildfires is the scale and heterogeneity of the impacted environment. Research, training, and community education initiatives on urban wildfire resiliency remain underdeveloped, both in Colorado and across the nation. CU-Hearth will provide a facility of shared materials, instruments, and methods to enable cross-collaboration between disciplines. It will focus on a multi-media (air, water, and soil) understanding and management of urban wildfires.
Letter HERE
Town of Granby Water Infrastructure Project, CO
Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Environmental Protection Agency State and Tribal Assistance Grants
Amount: $5,000,000
This project will help fund a water treatment facility. Residents of the North Service Area (NSA) water have seen large rate increases over the past 2 years. This project will help construct a new facility that will improve the quality of water and will help alleviate some of the rate increases.
Letter HERE
Town of Silverthorne’s “Steven’s Way” Improvement, CO
Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Department of Transportation Highway Infrastructure Projects
Amount: $2,000,000
This funding would widen Stephens Way from two lanes to four to prevent traffic congestion, improve safety, and create an evacuation route. Stephens Way is one of the two routes that go under I-70, making it a critical emergency passageway for first responders. Silverthorne is prone to hazardous traffic gridlock and natural hazards, and improving Stephens Way is imperative to addressing public safety risks. The Stephens Way Road Improvement project is a high priority as outlined in the Town’s Master Transportation Plan. The project will prevent hazardous gridlock situations that impede emergency response and impact resident travel; add much-needed capacity during closures at Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel that impact local travel; improve steady traffic flows along the I-70 corridor; improve connectivity between Silverthorne, Dillon, and Summit County.
Hot Sulphur Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant, CO
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Waste Disposal Grants
Amount: $3,000,000
This project will help fund improvements to the Town’s wastewater treatment facility. The town needs to replace a lagoon liner and fund an alternative water source for when the intake gallery is not functioning properly. This project will improve the overall health and safety of the Town’s water infrastructure.
Letter HERE
City of Boulder Main Sanitary Sewer Line Improvement, CO
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies
Army Corps of Engineers Construction
Amount: $5,000,000
This project will fund improvements to the City of Boulder’s Main Sanitary Sewer Line Improvement. Due to its geographic location and features, the City of Boulder has the highest risk of flash flooding in the state of Colorado. In addition to the capacity concern, the existing line’s proximity to Boulder Creek exposes the system to this flash flood risk. This project will rehabilitate the remainder of an existing line that has not yet been replaced and will rehabilitate about 1.5 miles of pipeline, making improvements to the degraded portions of the line.
Letter HERE
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Equipment Upgrades, CO
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) – Technology and Equipment
Amount: $507,000
This project will upgrade our small Sheriff's office equipment and technology. The funds will be used for software for the mobile computers in our patrol vehicles, the State of Colorado data link access, a snowcat and trailer, and a UTV with light and winch. These upgrades will help keep our officers in the field safe and will help us better serve and protect the community.
Letter HERE
Colorado Mountain College Trades Center, CO
Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Department of Housing and Urban Development - Economic Development Initiatives
Amount: $2,000,000
This project will fund the expansion of CMC’s Perry-Mansfield CTE Trades Center. This project is a partnership between Colorado Mountain College (CMC), Perry-Mansfield, and Steamboat Springs School District, and will include expanding the current construction trades building structure and constructing an additional building to provide college-level, industry-aligned instruction through the National Center for Construction, Education, and Research (NCCER) curriculum, focused on workforce development. Expanded facilities will allow for instruction in carpentry, advanced carpentry, welding, and basic mechanical and electrical skills training, all resulting in industry-recognized credentials for enrolled students.
Letter HERE
Community Project Funding Requests FY '24
Congressman Neguse has submitted funding requests for important community projects in CO-02 to the House Appropriations Committee.
Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 15 projects in their community for fiscal year 2024 – although only a handful may actually be funded. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding. Additional information on the reforms governing Community Project Funding is available here.
In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Congressman Neguse has certified that he, his spouse, and his immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects he has requested.
1) Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Project Name: Timberline Fire Protection District Fire Station
Department of Agriculture Community Facilities Grant
Amount: $908,279
This funding is to construct a three fire apparatus bay addition attached to our existing building. This project includes an underground 30,000-gallon firefighting water cistern to quickly refill fire trucks during an incident, backup generator power, all necessary utilities, and fire sprinklers throughout to increase firefighter safety.
Letter: here
2) Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Project Name: Yampa Valley Wastewater Infrastructure
Department of Housing and Urban Development - Economic Development Initiatives
Amount: $1,000,000
Yampa Valley Housing Authority (YVHA) requests funding to replace the aging water and sewer infrastructure serving a YVHA-owned mobile home park, currently known as Whitehaven Mobile Home Park, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, so the park can be connected to the municipal water distribution system and the City can maintain the sewer main. The sewer infrastructure replacement will bring the system to the City’s standard, allowing the City to assume ownership and maintenance obligations of the new sewer main extension into the park. After this infrastructure project is finished, YVHA will support the park’s residents in forming a cooperative to purchase the park. YVHA’s goal is to subsidize the improvements as much as possible so significant debt is not passed on to the residents and lot rents will not increase to cover the cost of the project.
Letter: here
3) Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Project Name: Town of Gypsum Wastewater Infrastructure
Environmental Protection Agency State and Tribal Assistance Grants
Amount: $5,000,000
This project will upgrade and expand the wastewater treatment plant. Completion of the Project is fundamental in ensuring the wastewater system meets DEQ requirements related to nutrient discharge and standards for surface water, ensuring the health and safety of the community, and meeting community growth and economic development needs while balancing the need for environmental stewardship in this area. The Town has implemented significant and ongoing increases in sewer user rates, but this places a financial hardship on the residents of Gypsum and hinders economic development and growth.
4) Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Project name: Grand County Emergency Medical Services Facility Upgrades
Department of Housing and Urban Development - Economic Development Initiatives
Amount: $3,000,000
The purpose of this project is to replace the headquarters of the Grand County Emergency Medical Services (GCEMS) department with a new energy-efficient, ADA-compliant, and cost-effective building to better serve the residents and visitors of the community. This is a project that is shovel-ready for FY2024. The GCEMS headquarters building is critical to Grand County EMS’s mission of supporting the community by providing exceptional service and care. The building is failing, both structurally and operationally, and has been identified by the Grand County Board of County Commissioners as their number one priority for County facilities and infrastructure. This project will provide the community with a higher level of advanced life support and specialty care transport services, as well as serve as a site for public education and events to include CPR, First Aid, AED, and Stop the Bleed, and other critical community-based classes.
Letter: here
5) Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Project name: Clear Creek Schools Foundation Childcare Center
Department of Housing and Urban Development - Economic Development Initiatives
Amount: $2,000,000
This project will fund construction for a Clear Creek Early Childhood Education Center. This center will bring 66 new childcare seats to our community and be located in a new Idaho Springs elementary school.
Letter: here
6) Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Project name: Edwards Early Learning Center
Department of Housing and Urban Development - Economic Development Initiatives
Amount: $3,000,000
This project will renovate a closed K-5 school to serve children birth to five. This project would complete the renovation of Edwards Early Learning by adding ten preschool classrooms resulting in a total of three infant, four toddler, and seventeen preschool rooms. This renovation will expand the capacity to serve an additional 129 students.
Letter: here
7) Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Project name: Food Bank for Larimer County Refrigeration Upgrades
Department of Housing and Urban Development - Economic Development Initiatives
Amount: $640,000
This package will provide necessary updates and replacements to the refrigeration and freezer systems of the Food Bank for Larimer County to ensure that food is stored safely and to increase the capacity of storing perishable food for distribution. By bolstering these systems, Food Bank for Larimer County will be able to distribute more critical perishable food to the community including dairy products, fruits and vegetables, proteins, and more.
Letter: here
8) Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Jackson County Sheriff's Office Modernization
Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) – Technology and Equipment
Amount: $254,029
This request will help modernize a small rural sheriff's office. It will fund Flock Safety License Plate reader camera at strategic locations in the county as well as ingress and egress points. This project will also fund Mobile Data Computers so Deputies can be more efficient on their citizen contacts/reports. The CAD system upgrade allows for more streamlined efficiency of the county’s dispatchers as well as safety of the Deputies. Currently multiple computers are being used to accomplish one job. This system requested would integrate the Sheriff’s office system.
Letter: here
9) Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Project name: I-70 Mountain Corridor Public Safety and Trafficking Prevention
Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) – Technology and Equipment
Amount: $472,000
This project is a partnership between Summit County 911 and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. It aims to address human and drug trafficking along the I-70 corridor through technology upgrades, ie flock cameras, microwave antenna for radio communications, and a power generator.
Letter: here
10) Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Project name: University of Colorado Boulder Watershed Monitoring
NASA Safety, Security and Mission Services
Amount: $950,000
This project will implement in-stream water quality monitors in the Yampa River and the Cache de la Poudre watersheds to measure environmental outcomes and the impact wildfires have on watersheds. The monitors will calculate environmental outcomes and monitor a temperature-reducing streamside vegetation and phosphorus-runoff.
Letter: here
11) Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Project name: Colorado State University Multiuse UAS Airfield Project
Department of Housing and Urban Development - Economic Development Initiatives
Amount: $1,900,000
This project will renovate and improve the Christman Airfield. The renewed facility provides an updated location for aerial firefighting and emergency management during forest fire operations, protecting our natural areas as well as properties in the forested areas of the state.
Letter: here
12) Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Project name: City of Longmont Micro Transit System
Department of Transportation - Transit Infrastructure Projects
Amount: $1,000,000
The project will build out a regional transit system to provide residents, workers and visitors of Longmont with a reliable, safe and direct ride anywhere in the City, within 30 minutes of their request--without needing to own a private vehicle.
Letter: here
13) Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Project name: Town of Erie CO07 Improvements
Department of Transportation - Transit Infrastructure Projects
Amount: $5,000,000
The proposed project aims to address multimodal operational deficiencies, improve multimodal safety and increase multimodal capacity at priority locations and intersections along the CO 7 corridor. It is essential to accommodate high-quality multimodal options for travel in the ultimate design of the corridor. This project is a packaged bundle of individual projects along the CO 7 corridor that have been identified by CDOT and community stakeholders as the next critical to advance to improve multimodal safety, operations, efficiency, and connectivity of CO 7 as part of the DRCOG regional transportation network.
Letter: here
14) Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Project name: Eagle County Regional Airport Federal Inspection Station
Amount: $5,000,000
Just minutes from Vail, Beaver Creek and other world-class destinations, the Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE) gets you directly to the heart of the Colorado Rockies. EGE has direct flights from fourteen major domestic cities, however it is limited in expanding to the international market because it does not have a Federal Inspection Station (FIS). Studies have shown that EGE could support flights from both Canada and Mexico if there was an FIS. The funding request is to add an international terminal and customs facility at EGE. The addition of this FIS would bring significant economic activity to the state of Colorado, Eagle County, and surrounding areas.
Letter: here
15) Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Project name: Steamboat Springs Workforce Housing Pedestrian and Bicycle Connection Project
Amount: $ 1,000,000
This project will construct a sidewalk and trail connection linking existing outlying neighborhoods and a 534-acre site dedicated for affordable housing units, to Steamboat Springs. This project will create a safe way for people to walk or ride bicycles and access the free transit services in order to reach employment, medical appointments, shopping and recreation. The sidewalk will separate users from the adjacent U.S. Highway 40 which experiences heavy vehicular activity (13,000 AADT) and has sub-standard shoulder width causing safety issues for users.
Letter: here
Community Project Funding Requests FY '23
Congressman Neguse has submitted funding requests for important community projects in CO-02 to the House Appropriations Committee.
Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 15 projects in their community for fiscal year 2023 – although only a handful may actually be funded. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding. Additional information on the reforms governing Community Project Funding is available here.
In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Congressman Neguse has certified that he, his spouse, and his immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects he has requested.
1) Subcommittee: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Project name: Lyons Emergency & Assistance Fund
Amount: $575,000
Recipient: Lyons Emergency & Assistance Fund, 432 5th Avenue, PO Box 324, Lyons, CO 80540
Explanation: LEAF, Lyons Emergency & Assistance Fund, is the human services nonprofit that provides a Food Pantry, Meals on Wheels, no-cost Mental Wellness & Addiction Recovery services, direct financial assistance/case management in the Greater Lyons area and surrounding mountain communities. They also led the charge for COVID vaccinations in our community, and are preparing to support wildfire mitigation efforts in the high-risk areas that encompass our community. LEAF needs a dedicated space from which to continue providing these vital human services in the Greater Lyons area and surrounding mountain communities where we work. LEAF has the opportunity to renovate an existing Town-owned warehouse from where it can provide all of our services. Additionally, LEAF will be able to add space for a community medical clinic, a civic staging area for use during emergencies such as a flood or wildfire, the ability to partner with local law enforcement to provide co-responder services, and the potential for short-term transitional housing. LEAF is the only human services agency working exclusively in the Greater Lyons area. It directly served over 20% of the population in 2021. Human services needs will grow as affordable housing is introduced in the community in 2023. Funding this modest proposal will ensure that human services remain available and accessible in our underserved community.
Letter: here
2) Subcommittee: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Project name: Town of Empire Water Infrastructure
Amount: $4,000,000
Recipient: Town of Empire, P.O. Box 100, 30 E. Park Avenue, Empire, CO 80438
Explanation: In mid-March of this year, the Town of Empire, Colorado experienced a water emergency in which residents and businesses had a critically low supply of clean, reliable water. Many had no water and were left to rely on bottled water and a centralized water tanker provided by the Town. Those who did have water were under a boil order put in place by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). This dire situation was the result of several factors, including the freezing of Mad Creek, from which the Town collects most of its water, and several substantial leaks throughout the water distribution system. Most of the water infrastructure in the Town, including mains, fire hydrants, and valves, is nearly 80 years old, and it has now reached the point where replacement of this system is critical to the provision of safe, reliable water to everyone in the Town of Empire. The Town has made important progress towards ensuring the Town never has to experience an emergency that compares to what happened in March by securing an SRF loan to develop a new alluvium well and make upgrades to Mad Creek. However, the Town’s water supply will not be truly secure until the aging water distribution system is replaced. If funded, the Town of Empire will be able to construct improved infrastructure, in addition to the planned source water upgrades this year, which will provide the Town with a stable system for years to come.
Letter: here
3) Subcommittee: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Project name: Veterans Community Project Transitional Housing
Amount: $650,000
Recipient: Veterans Community Project, 1228 Main Street, Longmont, CO 80501
Explanation: Veterans Community Project seeks to build a tiny home transitional housing village and Village Community Center. When completed at the end of 2022, the VCP Village – Longmont will have 26 tiny homes and a 3,000 square foot Community Center to provide transitional housing, and intensive, individualized case management to Veterans and their families who are experiencing homelessness in Longmont and the surrounding Northern Colorado region. At the already operational VCP Village – Kansas City, after which the Longmont village is modeled, VCP has had an 85% success rate in permanently housing the Veteran residents after they complete the program, a success rate that is over double the rate of that of the national average for similar housing programs. The high permanent housing success rate of the VCP tiny village transition housing program is a credit to the proprietary, in-depth and specialized case management that VCP offers and is most effective for Veterans. The tiny homes are designed to provide the Veteran with privacy, a sense of security, and the ability to reintegrate at a comfortable pace. Each tiny home is 260 square feet (320 square feet for the four family homes) and features a bed, small kitchen, and a bathroom and is provided with the necessary everyday items needed for resident use. Each home is designed with Veterans' specific needs in mind.
Letter: here
4) Subcommittee: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Project name: Summit County Child Care Center
Amount: $4,000,000
Recipient: Summit County, Smith Ranch Road, Silverthorne, CO 80498
Explanation: A new childcare center will address the growing demand for childcare in Summit County, as current capacity does not meet the substantial unmet need. Currently, there is a waitlist of 559 children for childcare. The new center in Silverthorne is crucial to retain working families. Affordable childcare is key for families to be able to work and raise their children in Summit County. A recent study commissioned by Summit County states that the cost of center-based infant care is more than 40% higher in Colorado than nationally, while the cost of home-based infant care is nearly 30% higher than the national average. This price burden is exacerbated for Summit County residents, where the cost of living is among the highest in the state and the cost of childcare is often prohibitive on top of other living expenses, especially hugely expensive housing costs. This issue is causing many young families to leave Summit County. Providing affordable childcare for working families has been a major challenge worsened by growing demand, lack of capacity, and rising construction costs. Addressing this issue with a new child care center will have a major impact for working families in our rural resort community.
Letter: here
5) Subcommittee: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Project name: Eagle County Government Eagle Valley Trail
Amount: $2,000,000
Recipient: Eagle County, 28500 US Highway 6, Wolcott, CO 81632
Explanation: In 2018, Governor Hickenlooper visited Eagle County and shared his dream of a day when visitors can “arrive at Denver International Airport, and ride their bicycle all the way to Eagle, without ever going on the shoulder of a road.” This project will complete the last 12 miles of the Eagle Valley Trail. Once complete, the 63 mile paved trail will extend from the top of Vail Pass to Glenwood Canyon. The last 12 miles are in beautiful, but difficult mountain terrain. Construction activities will include a 200 foot long pedestrian bridge over the Eagle River, a tunnel crossing under US Highway 6, long retaining walls, and shifting US Highway 6 to squeeze past a new CDOT maintenance facility. This is a good use of funds because this trail will increase bicycle usage, positively impacting climate change and national carbon output, and increase recreation by residents and visitors of Eagle County. Also, in Eagle County’s rural community, multimodal transportation is an important part of getting the workforce to their place of employment and children to and from school. In the resort areas, parking is often unavailable and expensive, so allowing for bicycle commuting is a key component to the overall transportation plan.
Letter: here
6) Subcommittee: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Project name: City of Fort Collins Intersection Improvement
Amount: $1,870,000
Recipient: City of Fort Collins, College Avenue (U.S. 287) and Trilby Road in Fort Collins, CO 80525
Explanation: This is a safety and mobility improvement at a congested intersection located on US Highway 287 at the south end of Fort Collins. Traffic is increasing on this roadway due to residential growth and new manufacturing in the area. Additional turning lanes, new sidewalks, enhanced bus stops, ADA compliant ramps, and raised medians will improve safety for all users of the road. This shovel-ready project has Colorado Department of Transportation oversight, and previous federal grant awards through the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization. The need and support for this project are high, and the requested grant funding would complete the needed construction funding for project completion in 2024.
Letter: here
7) Subcommittee: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Project name: Boulder County Sheriff Long Range Acoustical Device
Amount: $1,080,000
Recipient: Boulder County Sheriff, 5600 Flatiron Parkway, Boulder CO 80301
Explanation: Long Range Acoustical Device Hazards. The current emergency siren system within Boulder County is reaching or passed the service life of the equipment and needs replacement. In addition, the devices are extremely old technology and replacing them with the LRAD system increases the ability to alert and communicate with the community during times of extreme danger driving evacuations in a wildfire or acting in severe weather events.
Letter: here
8) Subcommittee: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
Project name: Town of Granby Highway 40 Trail Connection
Amount: $1,325,000
Recipient: Town of Granby, 63331 US-40, Granby, CO 80446
Explanation: The purpose of the Highway 40 Trail Connection project is to complete a shared use pedestrian trail that would connect a number of neighborhoods, parks, other trails, retail shopping, and the only grocery store in the community. To complete the pedestrian trail there is approximately .75 miles of asphalt trail remaining. The current path does not make the final connections within the community and this request for funding would allow the Town of Granby to finish this much needed project. The trail will provide safe walking routes along Highway 40 for pedestrians and bikers, increase retail sales, and provide food security opportunities for those residents without vehicle transportation.
Letter: here
9) Subcommittee: Interior and Environment
Project name: Town of Wellington Water Infrastructure
Amount: $760,000
Recipient: Town of Wellington, 8225 Third Street, P.O. Box 127, Wellington, Colorado 80549
Explanation: The Town of Wellington must upgrade Viewpointe Lift Station, which serves as a vital component of the wastewater treatment process. Currently, this plant is broken down, requires constant maintenance, and poses safety hazards to its staff. The Viewpointe Lift Station will increase system efficiency, reduce wastewater odor to the surrounding neighborhoods, and eliminate any need for future pump stations in the surrounding area with the upgraded gravity-based control system. The Viewpointe Lift Station is a piece of the puzzle that enables the community to align with the State’s Water Plan. The Town of Wellington is developing a robust water efficiency and conservation plan this summer to engage its growing population. While water conservation creates resilient communities, it also has an unintended consequence of decreasing the flows in local sewer systems, which makes it difficult to move solids. The Viewpointe Lift Station will help the community move wastewater, while also allowing them to move forward with an aggressive water conservation plan which is good for Colorado.
Letter: here
Subcommittee: Commerce Justice Science
10) Project name: University of Colorado Boulder JILA
Amount: $2,000,000
Recipient: University of Colorado Boulder, 440 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309
Explanation: This request will fund the preliminary work necessary to replace JILA’s antiquated HVAC system. JILA scientists are conducting world leading research in laboratories that are still using pneumatic controls and dual-duct HVAC systems, which are obsolete for the purposes of cutting-edge research laboratories. Additionally, these aged systems are not energy-efficient and cannot support the precisely controlled stable temperature environment necessary for quantum research. The estimated cost of the work to design this complex system and to develop detailed specifications is $2 million.
Letter: here
11) Subcommittee: Homeland Security
Project name: Town of Estes Park Wildfire Mitigation
Amount: $1,060,000
Recipient: Town of Estes Park, 170 MacGregor Avenue, Estes Park, Colorado 80517
Explanation: This project provides replacement of bare copper wire/8 solid size from the Estes Park power system along US Highway 36 and into Allenspark to reduce risk of fire ignition from power line breakage. The project will provide new insulated and more rigid powerline and associated poles for mainline and services in Allen’s Park and along the main emergency egress corridor (US Highway 36 and US Highway 7) for Estes Park.
Letter: here
12) Subcommittee: Agriculture
Project name: AgNext at Colorado State University
Amount: $1,350,000
Recipient: Colorado State University, 350 W Pitkin St, 140A Animal Sciences 1171 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521
Explanation: AgNext at Colorado State University (CSU) is well-positioned to lead a strong public-private partnership to meet the greatest challenges facing animal agriculture and society in modern times: meeting GHG emission reduction goals, enhancing food system resiliency, and providing adequate nutrition and food security to feed a growing population. Through this project AgNext will benefit our community by focusing on: 1.) Benchmarking GHG emissions from ruminant animals, 2.) Validating scalable solutions for mitigation of GHG emissions, 3.) Identifying opportunities for carbon sequestration and maintenance across the landscape, 5.) Quantifying improvements over time, and 6.) Calculating economic impacts of mitigation strategies. By 2050 our planet’s population will increase by 2.2 billion requiring food production to increase by 70% and animal agriculture production to increase by 100% to ensure adequate nutrition to this rapidly growing population. While animal agriculture is an important food system, it is often criticized for its environmental impact, especially its impact on climate change. AgNext will help address the critical nature and timeliness of ensuring food system resiliency and doubling food production while also meeting greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions is no small task.
Letter: here
13) Subcommittee: Financial Services and General Government
Project name: Latino Chamber of Commerce Mobile Office
Amount: $250,000
Recipient: Latino Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1013, Lafayette, CO 80026
Explanation: The Latino Chamber of Commerce will acquire a sustainable mobile office, along with 12 workstations and related shared equipment and appliances, to be housed within the mobile office. This project will enable the chamber to maintain and increase the services we provide to the Boulder County Community while building a fiscally responsible, sustainable organization. The sustainability and innovation demonstrated by the Net Zero Trailer will also inspire other organizations and firms within the Boulder County Community to undertake similar, small-footprint initiatives to enhance economic growth with minimal environmental impact.
Letter: here
14) Subcommittee: Labor HHS Education
Project name: Loveland Fire Rescue Authority
Amount: $500,000
Recipient: Loveland Fire Rescue Authority, 1040 Emergency Drive, Loveland, CO 80537
Explanation: The purpose of this funding is to support the renovation of a vacant facility into a state-of-the-art health & wellness center for firefighters in Northern Colorado. The services provided would be designed to strengthen the safety, preparedness, and resiliency of career and volunteer firefighters un the region by implementing wellness and fitness activities that will enable specialized health care providers to offer firefighter specific services, including physical examinations and lab testing, cancer screening, behavioral health assessments, cardiopulmonary assessments, and job-related immunizations. This project would serve nearly 400 firefighters protecting five communities within Northern Colorado.
Letter: here
15) Subcommittee: Interior and Environment
Project name: Town of Minturn Water Infrastructure
Amount: $2,000,000
Recipient: Town of Minturn, 1933 HWY 24, Minturn, CO 81645
Explanation: Minturn seeks to initiate the construction of a new water treatment plant to replace the town’s 60 year old existing plant. With STAG funding, the Town will modernize the plant by installing new membranes, CIP, and skid as well as a new pre-treatment system. In addition, the project will include the construction of a new CMU building, site grading, HVAC improvements, erosion control, electrical service, and security fencing to protect the site during and after construction. This proposal will ensure the continued viability of Minturn’s drinking water supplies by ensuring the effective removal of chemicals, particulates, organic materials, and other debris from the water to ensure clean and potable water that is safe for public consumption.
Letter: here
Community Project Funding Requests FY '22
Congressman Neguse has submitted funding requests for important community projects in CO-02 to the House Appropriations Committee.
Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 10 projects in their community for fiscal year 2022 – although only a handful may actually be funded. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding. Additional information on the reforms governing Community Project Funding is available here.
In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Congressman Neguse has certified that he, his spouse, and his immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects he has requested.
Subcommittee: Homeland Security
Project name: Gilpin County Emergency Operations Center
Amount: $138,557
Recipient: Gilpin County Office of Emergency Management, located at 2960 Dory Hill Rd, Black Hawk, CO 80422
Explanation: Gilpin County is a small rural community with limited resources. Currently they are using an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in a box concept that takes time and energy to set up and valuable coordination time is lost in doing this. Having a permanent location where Emergency Support Functions can activate immediately is critical. In an emergency, every second counts. Building a permanent EOC in Gilpin County will allow for quicker response which means safer situations not only for the first responders but also for the community. In recent events, operational coordination and resource management were major gaps identified. This EOC will be the first step in ensuring they fill these gaps and build a capability that is desperately needed. The Gilpin County Office of Emergency Management has been activated for 399 days straight for COVID-19.
An Emergency Operations Center serves as a facility for all members of the community. These facilities are not designed to be used exclusively by the response community but rather can be used by non-profit organizations. In Gilpin County the Gilpin County Animal Response Team, High Country Auxiliary would be able to utilize the facility to host meeting and trainings ensuring that their important role within the community is sustained. During an incident, the primary role of an EOC is to collect, analyze, and share information; support resource needs and requests; coordinate plans and determine current and future needs; and provide stakeholder coordination and policy direction. Each of these components have a major impact to the tax base as resources to respond to an incident do not come cheap. Within the EOC costs are tracked and documented and reimbursement packets are generated allowing for Gilpin County to be reimbursed through Federal and State funds that have been allocated through legislation such as the Emergency Fire Fund or the State Disaster Fund. Without this consolidation and support from an EOC Gilpin County would be left with using tax payer dollars to cover the costs and greatly decreasing reserve funds.
Letter: here
Subcommittee: Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Project name: University of Colorado Boulder Rural Outreach Partnership Program
Amount: $266,180
Recipient: University of Colorado Boulder, located at CASE W220, 200 UCB, Boulder, Colorado 80309
Explanation: The Rural Partnership Outreach Department of the Office of Pre-College Outreach and Engagement was created to provide more pre-college programming and outreach to low-income and first-generation students in rural communities across Colorado, including Fort Morgan and the San Luis Valley. The goal of this program is to strengthen and formalize pathways from middle school to high school, and from high school to post-secondary studies by implementing grade appropriate programming to support academic success, persistence, and retention of first generation and low-income students in Fort Morgan and the San Luis Valley. This programming includes college and career exploration from seventh through twelfth grade. Moreover, the program provides access to technology through the purchase of lender laptops, connectivity through hotspots, academic student evaluation and intervention, and the opportunity to engage with local businesses for earned income through the creation of internship/apprenticeship programs. Furthermore, student participants will be provided an opportunity to attend a 2-week academic summer residential program at the University of Colorado Boulder to help familiarize themselves with the physical environment of a college campus during the summer between their Junior and Senior years in high school. This project is a good use of taxpayer funds because it would provide essential resources for first generation and low-income students.
Letter: here
Subcommittee: Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Project name: Boulder Strong Resource Center
Amount: $271,740
Recipient: Mental Health Partners, located at 1455 Dixon Avenue, Suite 300, Lafayette, Colorado 80026
Explanation: The request supports an expansion of mental health services, while reducing future costs and saving taxpayer funds in the long-term. Exposure to trauma and adverse experiences increases a person's lifelong potential for serious and costly health problems; while effective mental health, addiction, and well-being services in the aftermath of trauma exposure can offset and even prevent other high-cost outcomes.
Letter: here
Subcommittee: Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Project name: Wildfire Risk Reduction; Implementation & Capacity Building
Amount: $358,000
Recipient: Jefferson County Open Space, located at 700 Jefferson County Parkway Suite 200, Golden, CO 80401
Explanation: Colorado's 2020 fire season was devastating and deadly. Twenty-five separate fires burned a combined 625,356 acres across the state. The Cameron Peak Fire alone burned 208,913 acres, making it the largest wildfire in Colorado history. In total, two people were killed, over 1,000 structures were destroyed, and fire suppression costs totaled at least $266 million. This project is focused on wildfire risk reduction in Jefferson County, Colorado, with a focus on Implementation and Capacity Building.
Implementation: Complete 85 acres of fuels reduction on Jefferson County Open Space (JCOS) Alderfer & Elk Meadow properties. Target treatment areas are adjacent to private subdivisions containing over 4,986 homes and other structures valued at over $3B, four long-term care facilities, two fire stations, 158 miles of named roads, two reservoirs, and four schools. These parks cover 2,793 acres, have 30 miles of developed trails, and provide substantial recreation opportunity for area residents.
Capacity Building: Create a Jeffco Wildfire Education & Mitigation Plan (JWEMP), to include: an inventory of existing community-level wildfire education & mitigation efforts; sharing best practices; reviewing existing countywide approaches (e.g., Boulder County Wildfire Partners), develop & coordinate strategic education/mitigation plans; and plan for continued funding of this work. There will be two positions to support this project; one will sit with CSFS (supporting USPP) and one with JCOS (supporting specific mitigation and education efforts).
Catastrophic wildfire risk in Colorado is extremely high, following decades of active fire suppression that resulted in high forest-floor fuel loads and high densities of trees and ladder fuels. In Jefferson County, fires ignite almost annually with at least 14 significant fires of more than 50 acres which burned 175,341 acres since 1996. The areas targeted for treatment in this proposal rank among the highest priority areas in Jefferson County based on the Forest Health Plan being developed for JCOS by the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute at Colorado State University. The combined populations of Evergreen and Conifer exceed 17,500 people.
A catastrophic wildfire in Jefferson County is a matter of when, not if, without immediate intervention. Jefferson County has the second highest acreage of land in the WUI in Colorado and ranks 10th highest among all western US counties. It has the highest risk to homes and residents of any county in Colorado. The number of residents exposed to high and extreme wildfire risk in Jeffco is expected to increase. The American Community Survey estimated Jeffco’s population at 582,881 in 2019. The Colorado State Demography Office predicts that Jeffco’s population will reach 654,853 by 2050. Additionally, wildfires are becoming more frequent and more severe due to climate change. The potential damages to people, property, and natural resources from wildfires in Jeffco are increasingly catastrophic.
With support from Community Project Funding, Jefferson County can launch critical implementation and planning initiatives to mitigate wildfire risk and improve forest health during the 2022 fiscal year. The target treatment areas for the proposed implementation project are located in Evergreen, the most highly populated community in western Jefferson County. This project will also help protect local - regional water supplies (Buffalo Creek, Evergreen Lake). Evergreen Lake provides significant recreational opportunities and is the primary water source for Evergreen Metro Water District.
Letter: here
Subcommittee: Homeland Security
Project name: Big Springs Emergency Egress
Amount: $600,000
Recipient: Town of Nederland, located at 45 W. 1st Street, Nederland, Colorado 80466
Explanation: The request supports an emergency egress that would increase resident safety in the Big Springs subdivision in Nederland in the event of a forest fire. There are currently limited exit routes from the neighborhood, which could potentially be deadly and pose a risk to residents within the subdivision if a wildfire blocked the existing exit routes.
Letter: here
Subcommittee: Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Project name: City of Loveland Pulliam Community Building Renovations 2021
Amount: $1,000,000
Recipient: City of Loveland, 500 E. 3rd Street, Loveland, Colorado 80537
Explanation: The funding would be used for renovating the Pulliam Community Building. The facility served as a public gathering space for seventy-two years, until the early 2000’s when it was closed by building officials for noncompliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and building fire/life safety regulations. In 2017, the City of Loveland, in partnership with the Pulliam Community Building Foundation (a private non-profit 501(c)3 organization), committed to rehabilitating the historic Pulliam Community Building to serve as both a community disaster shelter and a community building for Northern Colorado. At this time, if there is a severe weather event or wildfire, such as the recent Cameron Peak Fire, city staff must work with local organizations, such as local churches, to ask for voluntary space to house displaced individuals. Once this project is completed, the City anticipates that the Pulliam Community Building will provide a place to mobilize resources and shelter displaced citizens, thereby minimizing the loss of lives experienced by the City of Loveland and surrounding communities. Additionally, with the completed renovations to the Pulliam Community Building, this city-owned property will provide meeting and community space at an affordable cost to local clubs and residents.
Letter: here
Subcommittee: Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Project name: Clear Creek County Collaborative Care Center
Amount: $1,000,000
Recipient: Clear Creek County, located at 405 Argentine Street, Georgetown, Colorado 80444; project address: 1965 Miner Street, Idaho Springs, Colorado 80452
Explanation: The request would increase access to healthcare services for residents who have not had stable access to primary care services within Clear Creek County for many years. The Collaborative Care Center would house many healthcare services within one facility to promote efficiency and ease of access to primary care, mental and behavioral health services, Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment CORE Services and access to immunizations through the Clear Creek County Public Health Department. The new facility will support an increased capacity of patients and directly impact many residents in the community through these streamlined services.
Letter: here
Subcommittee: Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Project name: Colorado State University/Adams State University Mechanical Engineering Partnership
Amount: $1,000,000
Recipient: Colorado State University
Explanation: This project is for the creation of a joint bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, between Adams State University and CSU, delivered on the Adams State campus in Alamosa, CO. An MOU is underway between the institutions, and several CO companies have provided letters of support for this initiative. The proposal will be used to hire faculty and improve curricula. This is a good use of taxpayer funds because the program would help provide STEM opportunities for historically underserved students in rural CO. The proposed program seeks to create a supportive environment for diverse and underserved students to access a local pathway for students to earn a highly sought-after under-graduate degree in mechanical engineering.
Letter: here
Subcommittee: Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Project name: Search and Rescue Training and Vehicle Storage Facility
Amount: $1,000,000
Recipient: Summit County Government, located at 208 E Lincoln Ave, PO Box 68, Breckenridge, CO 80424
Explanation: This project funding would be used for construction of a search and rescue training and vehicle storage facility. The facility will provide necessary and appropriate training and storage space to both the Sheriff’s special operations group and the non-profit volunteer Summit County Rescue Group. The facility replaces a dilapidated structure that lacks adequate heat, space for vehicles and equipment and offers no appropriate training space. It will allow all equipment and vehicles to be stored indoors reducing response times as equipment will be ready to deploy even in harsh weather conditions that currently require equipment to be warmed up or dug out of outside storage. Training facilities will include classroom space and climbing facilities meant to simulate common rescue situations. Support from this program coupled with Summit County funding and local fundraising support this facility will be a reality.
Summit County Government, the Summit County Sheriff and Summit County Rescue Group provide essential and statutorily required search and rescue services in a community in which demand is growing significantly. Summit County is located within the White River National Forest, which is the most visited National Forest in the country. Although it is rural by definition, Summit County and the Dillon Ranger District are home to 4 world-class ski resorts and perhaps the highest visitation within the White River National Forest, where the year round resident population balloons from 31,000 to 150,000 or more during both winter and summer with visitors from around the country and the world. Most of these visitors participate in an outdoor recreation activity during their visit. The ability to respond when life-threatening situations develop is critical to the well-being of residents and visitors and to the tourism-based economy.
Letter: here
Subcommittee: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Project name: Expanding Services to Domestic Violence Victims in Adams County
Amount: $2,000,000
Recipient: Adams County Government, 4430 South Adams County Parkway, Brighton, Colorado, 80601.
Explanation: Adams County lacks important, necessary services for victims of domestic violence and the need for such services is greater than ever. This project would startup a multidisciplinary Domestic Violence High Risk Team to provide life-saving and comprehensive services to domestic violence victims. The project funds the necessary attorneys and staff to provide these services, as well as funding hotel vouchers to provide temporary shelter for victims who cannot safely return to their homes.
Letter: here