1 TO: Rialto City Council
Arron Brown, Acting City Manager
City of Rialto
FROM: Jamie Jones
[email protected]
202-543-3744
DATE: July 17, 2023
RE: David Turch and Associates Federal Advocacy Report
In the past two years, we have shared and promoted the City’s legislative agenda and funding priorities with federal agencies and your congressional delegation – Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Alex Padilla, Representative Pete Aguilar and, in the 117 th Congress, Representative Norma Torres. We have provided legislative updates on a host of federal initiatives including on COVID-19 relief and economic stimulus programs, appropriations measures, law enforcement and firefighter related grant programs, environmental and water related funding opportunities, housing programs, broadband, transportation and energy related funding just to name a few.
Congressional Funding
In the last two years, we coordinated with the City in developing a list of funding priorit ies for congressional consideration for Community Project Funding (earmarks) in the Appropriations process. We engaged and worked closely with the offices of Representatives Aguilar and Torres and Senators Feinstein and Padilla in advancing the City’s project requests. Rialto’s Community Project Funding successes include the following:
FY 2022
• $700,000 – Representative Pete Aguilar secured $700,000 for the City’s Body Worn Camera Upgrades in the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) division of the FY22 Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 2471 – P.L. 117-103) enacted into law on March 15, 2022.
• $862,500 -- Representative Norma Torres secured $862,500 for the City’s Emergency Operations Center in the Homeland Security division of the FY22 Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 2471 – P.L. 117-103) enacted into law on March 15, 2022.
2 FY 2023
• $2,000,000 – Representative Pete Aguilar secured $2,000,000 for the Lake Rialto Project in the Interior-Environment division of the FY23 Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 2617 – P.L.117-328) enacted into law on December 29, 2022.
FY 2024 (Pending)
• $850,000 – Representative Pete Aguilar secured $850,000 for the I-10 Riverside Avenue Freight Improvement Project in the House FY24 Transportation-HUD Appropriations Act.
The House has yet to consider and vote on the measure – possibly before the end of the month or in September, following the congressional August recess.
• $4,000,000 – Senator Alex Padilla is requesting $4,000,000 fo r the Rialto Wastewater Treatment Plant Microgrid & Biosolids Sustainability Handling Upgrade Project in the Senate Interior -Environment Appropriations Act. Pending Senate Appropria tions Committee markup.
• $2,000,000 – Senator Alex Padilla is requesting $2,000,000 for Rialto’s Fire Station 203 to remediate PFAS contaminated soil and modernize the fire station training facility in the Transportation-HUD Appropriations Act . Pending Senate Appropriations Committee markup.
• $3,000,000 – Senator Alex Padilla is requesting $3,000,000 for the I-10/Riverside Avenue Freight Improvement Project in the Senate Transportation -HUD A ppropriations Subcommittee. Pending Senate Appropriations Committee markup.
Federal Agency Advocacy
We have regularly provided the City of Rialto with grant notices from various agencies and departments that focus on the City’s federal priorities. These notice of funding opportunities (NOFO) are released on a weekly if not daily basis. We work with City staff in identifying special areas of federal interests. For instance, in coordination with City staff and the Bureau of Reclamation, we are looking at the upcoming WaterSMART Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration grant program as a means to secure the outstanding balance to complete the Lake Rialto Project. We have organized BOR meetings in Washington, DC and Temecula, California for Rialto officials to explore how best to proceed in securing WaterSMART grants. The City has been successful over the years in securing millions of dollars in BOR grants.
We also have worked with the Rialto Police Department in its initiatives to pursue Department of Justice grants, be it with the COPS Office or the Office of Justice Programs. In this vein, we have held numerous meetings with COPS Office officials, including the director of the Office, as well as with other DOJ agencies. Other areas of interests involve funding programs administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (F EMA) such as the Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) Program – in which the Rialto Fire Department has secured funding – and the Assistance to Firefighting Grants (AFG) Program.
Our executive branch work extends beyond the Department o f Justice and FEMA, covering virtually every agency of the federal government including the Department of Transportation 3 (Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Federal Railroad Administration and the Federal Aviation Administratio n), Department of Homeland Security (interoperable communications and emergency/disaster preparedness), the Army Corps of Engineers (flood control and environmental restoration), the Environmental Protection Agency (regulatory and water issues), the Department of Energy (green technology), Department of Labor (vocational training/workforce investment issues), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (affordable housing programs and Community Development Block Grants funding) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (library and museum funding). We monitor all federal grant announcements and share them with City staff.
We also have coordinated our congressional legislative outreach with the US Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities, the American Public Transportation Association and other nationally based organizations representing issues that impact municipal priorities. Such initiatives have included advocacy to fund transportation, water/flood control, defense/aerospace, housing, homelessness, at-risk youth, job training, public safety and environmental programs. We also engage in and join coalitions advocating against federal regulatory and legislative preemption actions as well as proposed budgetary cuts to programs that benefit local governments.
CITY ADVOCACY IN WASHINGTON, DC
In the last two years, when Rialto officials have been in Washington, DC for City related conferences, we have planned congressional and agency meetings around conference itineraries.
We organized meetings with various federal agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Labor Department’s Employment and Training Administration, the Office of Victims of Crime, the Office on Violence Against Women, the COPS Office, the Economic Development Administration, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary and the Federal Highway Administration.
We encourage the City to continue to engage in the federal process through advocacy trips focused on key Rialto priorities. Having Rialto elected officials make your case directly to federal policymakers in Washington, DC is invaluable. We will be sure to plan and organize meetings with your congressional delegation, relevant House and Senate committee members/staff and, of course, with various federal agencies that manage grant programs of specific interest to Rialto.
COUNCIL FEDERAL WORKSHOP
As part of our effort to strengthen the City’s federal agenda, we recommend holding a federal workshop for the Council at a time of your convenience. We have found that these workshops act as a constructive way to get Council input and direction on the Ci ty’s federal priorities and interests. We will provide an overview of the federal budget process, explore different Rialto priorities and delineate federal funding opportunities. We will adjust the City’s federal agenda based on Council input and direction.
LEGISLATIVE/POLICY/REGULATORY INITIATIVES
• Worked with City officials in engaging the offices of Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Alex Padilla, Representative Pete Aguilar and Representative Norma Torres in addressing Rialto’s objections to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region 9 proposed 4 cleanup plan for the Mid-Basin Operable Unit at the Rockets, Fireworks and Flares (RFF) Superfund site. Specifically, Rialto objected to a Feasibility Study submitted to EPA on behalf of the Responsible Party to pipe contaminated water uphill through residential areas of Rialto and other jurisdictions. The City’s preferred alternative, pump and treat the perchlorate groundwater contamination at the toe of the plume, was eventually adopted by Region 9 following the recommendation submitted by an EPA Task Force comprised of Rialto, Colton and West Valley Water District.
• Understanding the importance of open space/park interests for Rialto, particularly in light of the City’s park renovation/improvement/expansion plans, we continue to monitor the Bureau of Interior’s National Park Service about funding allocations and reaut horization activities for the Land and Water Conservation Fund – the main federal funding source for open space initiatives. We review NPS programs for any direct funding opportunities.
• Worked with Representative Torres in drafting legislative language on the recreational abuse of nitrous oxide that was included in the Committee Report (117-96) to accompany the FY22 Labor, Health and Human Services , Education and Related Agencies Act The Committee believes that studying the effectiveness of state laws prohibiting the recreational use of nitrous oxide is a necessary first step in examining what role the Federal government should play to protect the public health in regard to recreational use of nitrous oxide. The Committee Report language directs HHS, in consultation with CDC, FDA, SAMHSA, EPA, and CPSC, to submit a report containing (1) the results of a study of State regulatory requirements with respect to nitrous oxide that is manufac tured sold for use in consumer applications and (2) recommendations for Federal requirements with respect to such manufacture and sale that are needed to protect human health and safety.
• CDBG and HUD Section 8 Housing Assistance Funding – David Turch and Associates has worked with key congressional and committee members to ensure adequate funding for the Community Development Block Grant and Section 8 housing programs. The struggle to ensure that these vital programs continue to receive federal support is ongoing. In our advocacy work on behalf of these programs, we have coordinated the timing of our congressional outreach with the US Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities.
• We coordinate and wo rk with the U.S. Conference on Mayors, the Nat ional League of Cities, the National Association of Counties and the Governors Association in opposing federal unfunded mandates that have the net effect of encumbering municipal authority and funds.