A funding freeze aimed at pausing the disbursement of federal loans, grants, and other financial assistance is among a flurry of executive orders President Donald Trump issued shortly after returning to office. Abby Ritz, AE2S Nexus Senior Funding Programs Specialist, is focused on finding answers for clients who are wondering how project funding could be … Read more
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was designed to provide financial relief to communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a significant portion of the allocated funds across the country remain unspent. The underutilization of ARPA funds presents challenges as communities strive to meet legislative requirements and deadlines while effectively promoting equitable development and recovery. … Read more
Data for the 2016 Annual Utility Rate Survey was solicited from utilities in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Solid waste, which includes curbside garbage collection and related services, is an important component of city services. Curbside trash collection charges were reported by 112 of the 222 respondents. A summary of the breakdown … Read more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center recently published a compendium of utility customer assistance programs (CAPs). The publication includes information about a multitude of programs created to aid those who have difficulty paying their water and sewer bills. The USEPA says the programs range from discount programs for low … Read more
As utilities begin annual review and/or engage in ongoing refinement of their Capital Improvements Plan (CIP), it is helpful to understand how capital costs have fluctuated to get a sense of how they may change in the future. For this purpose, references such as the construction cost index (CCI) compiled by various national and regional … Read more
Every five years, facilities such as water and wastewater treatment plants, propane storage facilities, chemical distributors, and others are required to maintain and follow a Risk Management Program documented in a Risk Management Plan (RMP). The rule applies to facilities that store specific amounts of the chemicals listed in Title 40 of the Code of … Read more