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What is under the skin anxiously gnawing at every City Manager, Mayor and City Council right now? FUNDING! It seems that everyone I have been talking to lately tells me the same worrisome news that tax revenues are down, way down. Their infrastructure projects for design are only the ones with committed funds from external sources. Otherwise, everyone is just standing still with baited breath hoping the next report on revenue starts ticking back up. So how can a City grow, continue to improve the lifestyle and well-being of its citizenry, when the budget keeps shrinking?

To start, there are numerous innovative sources of funding for infrastructure projects for municipal governments. What is tricky is being ahead of the curve and prepared to grasp these funds when they become available. Everyone learned a valuable lesson when the ARRA funds hit the pavement last year with a “shovel ready” qualifier. A lot of City officials we talked with had plenty of projects, but very few, if any, were designed or “shovel ready.” Many lost a golden opportunity to keep their communities moving during the recession.

Lesson? Sometimes, it is valuable to have a few projects designed and on the shelf ready for bids when the money becomes available.

TSE Engineers are flexible and accommodating to work with multiple funding sources to get a project moving from conceptual design to construction completion. There are numerous approaches to a construction project which can contain innovative funding. Alternative delivery methods provide for alternative funding sources and quicker project implementation. Design-build, integrated project delivery (IPD), engineer/procure/construct (EPC), owner’s engineer (OE) or public-private partnerships (P3) are just a few ways to deliver a project to accommodate innovative funding.

Following is a brief list of funding mechanisms used for municipal infrastructure projects;

1. Federal Line Item Appropriations
2. TIGER Grants
3. Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds from State DOT’s
4. EECBG Grants
5. Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
6. Economic Development Agreement with private developers
7. Transportation Enhancement Programs
8. Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)
9. County sales tax
10. Foundations
11. USDA Rural Development Loan/Grant
12. Bonding for Capital Improvements

The bottom line is this; TSE will explore all options for funding and work with multiple agencies and programs to see a project through to completion. We will assist the City within our areas of expertise and experience to accomplish a reasonable plan for funding infrastructure capital improvement projects!