Infrastructure Opportunity Update - June 2024

Written By Info at CBNO

Here’s our latest update on Infrastructure projects in the GNO Region. Thanks to GNO Inc. for compiling these updates and sharing them.

____________ 

May 2024 marked 2.5 years since the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in 2021.  Over this period, GNO, Inc. has tallied 50 discretionary federal grant awards to applicants within our region or that directly benefit GNO residents.  We commend all awardees and appreciate the regional teamwork.

 

Now, we’re kicking off the “Summer of Super Bowl,” with Michael Hecht at the helm, which will result in sustained infrastructure improvements lasting beyond the big game.  Please see a sampling of our regional wins below, and take advantage of opportunities to continue our winning streak:

 

  • In advance of the Super Bowl LIX, Governor Landry and leaders across our region have come together to announce the “Summer of Super Bowl,” an unprecedented partnership to revitalize infrastructure in GNO.  This partnership is multifaceted, with DOTD, DOA, and LED directed by the Governor to work with DPW, SWBNO, LSED, ASM, DDD, FQMD, alongside Jefferson Parish, private utilities, other partners.  The Governor has appointed Michael Hecht as the State’s coordinator of economic development and infrastructure efforts for the Super Bowl, occurring on February 9, 2025.  A few critical projects (of hundreds) include, but are not limited to, 5G cell site installation across Downtown New Orleans, completion of the Crescent City Connection decorative lighting system, repair of the Senator Ted Hickey (Seabrook) Bridge, power-washing US 90 and I-10 interstate barrier, and power-washing City Hall itself. 

    • Michael Hecht comments, “ Critical infrastructure improvements and compelling economic development programs will show a New Orleans and Louisiana that are world-class, one-of-a kind, and powerfully attractive to both visitors and businesses. Moreover, the Super Bowl gives us the chance for beautification, repair, and building that will benefit residents for years to come.”

    • With your ideas for catalytic infrastructure projects, or with your personal infrastructure concerns, please email our inbox, superbowl@gnoinc.org.

 

  • The City of New Orleans is improving Poydras St. and Julia St., two first tastes of “Summer of Super Bowl” projects.  Poydras St. began on May 20 is expected to be completed in August 2024.  Julia St. began on June 10 and is expected to be completed in September 2024.  Work on these streets involves asphalt repair or concrete panel replacement, as well as curb and sidewalk repairs. 

    • We appreciate your patience with lane closures, and intermit inconvenience across the City while work is underway.  We encourage registration with MyDOTD and Roadwork to receive alerts and updates on projects.

 

  • The 2024 Regular Legislative Session adjourned on June 3, with enacted legislation advancing infrastructure improvements and coordination:

    • Act 384 (Hilferty) aids SWBNO’s hiring by waiving the residency requirement for hard-to-fill positions in certain conditions.  

    • Act 393 (Hilferty) and Act 703 (Willard) will require SWBNO to offer averaged billing and only actual reads, beginning in 2025.  

    • Act 527 (Duplessis) sets the stage for local governments to replace lead service lines on private properties.

    • Act 632 (Deshotel) creates future 3.0 and 4.0 phases of the Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities (GUMBO) grant program, specifically for executing nondeployment funding and digital equity grants, supplementing ongoing broadband deployment work.

    • Act 761 (Womack) allows Super Bowl-associated contracts under $150,000 to be exempt from reduction to writing, accelerating necessary infrastructure improvements.

    • Act 763 (Harris) will cause drainage in Orleans Parish to be consolidated under SWBNO’s authority, and DPW will transfer funding and equipment.  Meanwhile, DOTD, CPRA, GOHSEP, and regional parishes will support SWBNO in developing an annual urban flood prevention plan. CPRA will also support the City’s Gentilly Resilience District implementation via CEAs. 

    • HCR25 (Bourriaque), CPRA’s FY25 Annual Plan, was approved unanimously, investing a record-breaking $1.71B across 136 projects.

 

  • The FY25 Capital Outlay bill – HB2 (Emerson) – provides financing for local projects in every parish across our region.  See a cross-section of these projects below:

    • Jefferson: Airline Dr. at 17th Bridge Replacement – $21.4M ($7.2M in P1)

    • Orleans: Old VA Building Renovation – $9.9M ($1.9M in P1)

    • Plaquemines: Highway 11 Patch and Overlay Restoration – $23M (all in P5)

    • St. Bernard: St. Bernard Jail Renovations – $7.9M ($2.9 in P1)

    • St. Charles: Des Allemands Bulkhead – $2.8M ($150,00 in P1)

    • St. John: New Courthouse in Edgard – $11M (all in P5)

    • St. James: West Shore Connector Levee – $18.9M ($3.6M in P1)

    • St. Tammany: Regional Sewer Consolidation – $30M (all in P5)

    • Tangipahoa: South Airport Road, North Hoover Road – $2.4M ($2.4M in P1)

    • Washington: Pearl River Navigational Canal – $500,000 ($500,000 in P1)

    • DOTD: Peters Road Bridge – $26M ($17.5M in P1)

    • Port of South Louisiana: Globalplex Dock – $10.8M (all in P1)

    • Port NOLA: St. Bernard Transportation Corridor – $50M ($2M in P1)

    • Port NOLA: Louisiana International Terminal Drainage, Site Prep, Rail, etc. – $150M ($10M from Gen. Fund)

 

  • The White House held its annual “Infrastructure Week,” summarizing IIJA implementation progress to date.  The Administration has announced nearly $454 billion in IIJA (or “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law”) funding across 56,000 specific projects in 4,500 communities across the country.  This includes over 165,000 miles of roads, 9,400 bridge repairs, 5,000 clean school buses, 3,000 clean transit buses, and 450 port facilities.  The White House specifically highlighted the Port NOLA’s Louisiana International Terminal project, given its role in strengthening supply chain reliability, the movement of goods, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.  The project, which has received over $300M in federal grants, “will be a new alternative for larger vessels compared to inland terminals that have height restrictions, increasing throughput of goods.”

    • Via Invest.gov, the Administration simultaneously released an updated map of projects and state fact sheets.  The Louisiana State Fact Sheet features $16.9B in private sector commitments in clean energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing.  You can access a spreadsheet including every IIJA and Inflation Reduction Act grant awarded nationally here.

 

  • The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) $5.49M from the All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP), one of eight awards granted in FY24.  This grant will allow for the historic St. Charles Streetcar route, the country’s oldest continuously operated urban railway and RTA’s most used service line, to become fully wheelchair-accessible at 46 of 53 stops.  This project – benefitting 11,000 daily boardings – will require adjusting curbs, so it includes traffic analysis and community engagement that respects the railway’s sensitive historic context.  Project completion is estimated in 2027. 

 

  • Jefferson Parish Transit cut the ribbon on its new $8.9M Eastbank Bus Facility.  The facility, overlooking the bus yard, is used by approximately 100 transit operators and including offices for dispatchers.  The maintenance building was also upgraded with a new generator, a bus battery charging room, and two new fuel pumping stations.   In FY22, Jefferson Parish Transit received $6.88M from FTA’s Bus and Low- and No-Emission Grant Program to purchase hybrid vehicles and fund this facility.

 

  • Jefferson Parish’s “Moving Metairie Tracking Forward” app won an American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)’s Honor Award during the Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA), the “world’s greatest celebration of engineering excellence.”  Moving Metairie, providing notice of trains approaching Metairie Road and estimate timeframes until crossings are clear, is available for all Jefferson Parish residents and commuters free of charge.  The app applies an innovative approach, using detectors outside of the train’s right-of-way, which triangulates the path of a train and continually transmits its presence and speed to alert motorists ahead of the train’s approach.

 

  • St. Tammany Parish is undertaking the East St. Tammany Water Consolidation project, the largest water infrastructure enhancement in parish history.  The Parish broke ground on two new 400,000-gallon elevated water tanks in Slidell, which will benefit the Cross Gates System.  The $6.8M towers are part of a $23M phase of the consolidation project, which also includes six miles of water mains, a new well, two generators, and remote monitoring technology.  The $23M comes from a combination of Parish ARPA funds and State ARPA funds via the Water Sector Fund.

 

 

 

  • The Committee for a Better New Orleans, RIDE New Orleans, and RTA  are developing their Building Better Bus Stops project, made possible through the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Next 100 Years Challenge.  The project aims to put forward a rider-centered, climate-resilient shelter design that addresses urban heat and flooding, and an improved process for prioritization, permitting, and installation of shelters, while preparing for future federal funding opportunities.  They held community meetings this month to gain stakeholder input.

    • UNO Transportation Institute students and volunteers have supported the project team with a Community Stop Facilities Dataset.   They have assessed and mapped all 1,930 RTA bus and streetcar stops citywide.  1,593 (83%) of stops lack shelters.  Of stops with over 15 daily boards, 185 of 352 (53%) lack shelters.

    • In the meanwhile, RTA has installed 11 new shelters in 2024 and has committed $500,000 each year to shelter installations.

 

  • RTA is advancing to the design phase of the $9.6M Algiers Ferry Terminal renovation project, supported by a $5.2M FY22 Passenger Ferry Grant Program award.  Ultimately, the project will improve the boarding ramp, reimagine the pedestrian bridge, renovate the interior, and reopen the 45-year-old terminal as a community amenity that benefits riders and all users.  After listening sessions in February, RTA is now conducting the next round of community outreach, with in-person and virtual meetings that demonstrate how feedback to date has been incorporated into initial design.  Design should be finalized by Fall 2024, and the renovation should be complete by the end of 2025. 

    • The next public meeting is scheduled for today, June 24, at 5:30pm; find Zoom information on RTA’s event webpage.

 

  • RTA also celebrated the official reopening of the Rampart Streetcar, which began service in 2016 but has been closed since October 2019.  RTA has answered FAQs  about the service on their website.  The now-running streetcar connects the Marigny with the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District by travelling a 1.6-mile route along St. Claude Avenue from Elysian Fields to the Union Passenger Terminal (UPT) by Howard Avenue.

    • A task force to “study the costs of expenses and the utilization of the New Orleans ferries, connecting Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Bernard parishes” has been created during the 2024 Regular Session through SR109 (Carter).  The task force, including RTA, parish partners, and economic development partners like the Algiers Economic Development Foundation and the Westbank Business and Industry Association, shall meet by September 1 and submit a report on findings to the legislature by March 1, 2025.

 

  • EPA has awarded the City of Bogalusa a $500,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant to conduct 15 Phase I and eight Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds will also be used to prepare six cleanup plans and one revitalization plan, conduct two site reuse assessments, conduct three visioning sessions, and support other community engagement activities.  The Priority sites include seven downtown storefront properties in a state of disrepair, including a former restaurant and bar.

 

  • EPA’s Brownfields Job Training Grants are now open until August 15 to help residents take advantage of jobs across brownfield-related activities.   Evaluations are based on securing hiring communities from local contractors in communities where EPA-funded projects are located.  Last cycle, Honeybee Strategies won $500,000 to train 120 students and place 84 in environmental jobs, with regional partners like the Regional Planning Commission and St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation.

 

  • The New Orleans Career Center (NOCC) hosted its first annual Hiring Day, followed by its first annual Signing Day.  Trainees of NOCC’s Building Trades program were hired for construction positions at employer partners Boh Bros and RNGD.  NOCC provides industry-based credentials for high schoolers and adults to bridge work readiness gaps and labor market challenges.  Meanwhile, employers partners can support NOCC, while addressing their hiring needs, by offering work-based learning visits, providing guest instructors, or lending professional mentors to trainees.  To learn more about the being a partner of the Building Trades program, contact Janelle DeJan, Building Trades Industry and Partnerships Manager, at  janelle@nolacc.org.

 

  • unCommon Construction, celebrating its 10-year anniversary, has started work on a new headquarters and 5,000 square foot campus for coordinated workforce training.  Recently featured on NBC News, unCommon offers afterschool construction trade apprenticeships to high school students, focused on homebuilding.  The new headquarters, on Earhart Blvd. and Freret, at an OPA Signs & Graphics building, will be renovated with updated systems, office spaces, new staircases, kitchens, and green infrastructure.  The targeted completion date is February 2025.

 

  • Louisiana Economic Development (LED) is launching the Positioning Louisiana to Win plan to better support existing Louisiana businesses and business attraction.  This is part of LED’s effort to modernize economic development in Louisiana.  Now under the leadership of Secretary Susan Bourgeois, Chair Emeritus of GNO, Inc., LED is seeking input from the private sector – including all firms involved in infrastructure development – to guide LED’s strategy.  Complete the survey online.

 

  • DOTD provided an update on the LA 47 (Paris Road) “Green Bridge” rehabilitation project.  Supported by $52.7M in IIJA formula funding from FHWA’s National Highway Performance Program, restoration work began in April 2023 and will wrap in Spring 2025.  The first set of lane closures are complete, and more closures are expected in August.  The project involves refurbishing its concrete and structural steel components, repainting, and thorough cleaning, which will restore the green paint to match the color at the bridge’s 1967 opening.

 

  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provided a public update on the 5-year, $25M Lower Mississippi River (LMR) Comprehensive Management Study.  This mega study is currently evaluating alternatives for ensuring effective long-term management of the Mississippi River from Missouri to the Gulf of Mexico, by constructing new projects or modifying existing infrastructure – affecting floodplain connectivity, navigation, saltwater intrusion, and more.  View USACE’s public update here. 

    • A scoping period concluded in April 2024, and USACE is now moving to the “alternative formulation and analysis” phase.  A chief’s report is expected in 2027.

    • During the scoping period, about 200 public comments were received.  33% of comments pertained to flooding and coastal storms; 31% to  ecosystem restoration; 26% to recreation; 7% to water supply and quality; and 2% to recreation.  See a summary of comments for each topic in the update.  34% of all comments were from Louisiana-based entities.

    • GNO, Inc. has submitted public comments to encourage USACE’s focused investments in GNO infrastructure and prioritization of GNO priorities, from sufficient sediment supply to saltwater intrusion solutions, given our fundamental value to the whole-river economy.  We encourage you and your jurisdiction to submit additional questions and comments, identifying GNO problems or suggesting GNO solutions, via LMRComp@usace.army.mil.

 

  • The Bureau of Reclamation released a Desalination and Water Purification Research Program: Pitch to Pilot, seeking water treatment pilot projects that address saltwater intrusion threats.  These projects should reduce cost, energy consumption, and environmental impacts of treating saltwater-impaired and otherwise unusable water.  Applicants – which may be local governments, higher education institutions, for profits, and more – are invited to submit research proposals by July 24.  These proposals will be reviewed and the highest scoring proposals will be invited to pitch their idea to a panel of experts.  Up to $300,000 per applicant is available, and $1.5M is available in total.

    • Regarding water quality, EPA is hosting Drinking Water Trainings throughout 2024 for public officials and water system operators.  These recorded sessions address Lead Service Line Inventories, Safe Drinking Water Act requirements, Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproduct Rules (DBPRs).

 

  • Finance New Orleans (FNO) and Elemental Excelerator presents the Resilient New Orleans Innovation Challenge on Tuesday, June 25.  The event, at the New Orleans Jazz Market, will unveil solutions for climate and housing challenges and feature technologies that support resilient building practices and housing affordability.  Winning companies will pilot their technologies in homebuilding and projects financed by FNO, from Central City to Gentilly.  RSVP for the event here.

    • Over 34 climate technology companies were identified worldwide with solutions to improve energy efficiency, wind performance, water performance, solar and battery storage and more.  10 featured companies include Gro Enterprises, Geopolymer International, Shibusa Systems, Walker Digital Fabrication, Gradient Comfort, RainStick Shower, RainGrid, and Frontline Gig, providing solutions from water efficiency to durable composite materials.

 

  • Opportunity Hub (OHUB)’s New Energy Technology Incubator (NETI), established through GNO, Inc.’s H2theFuture project, held their Batch 2.0 Demo Day at Dillard University.  After completing a 10-week accelerator program, this second cohort of five startups presented ClimateTech solutions and other products relevant to infrastructure.   

    • Taro AI, providing real-time infrastructure monitoring and predictive analytics for tree canopy health, won the competition and received a $50,000 equity investment.   Founder Cynthia Wu can be contacted at cynthia@taroai.com

    • QMS2GO, uses AI-powered tools to streamline the quality management systems, received an additional $25,000.  Founder Onega Ulanova can be reached at onega@qms2go.com.

 

  • Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) will make applications for their 2024-25 Trash Receptacle Grant Program available from August 15 to October 15 .  This grant program, with funding from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, provides up-to ten receptacles per awardee.  KLB data has demonstrated that receptacles reduce litter by 78% in the immediate area.

    • St. Charles Parish celebrated installation of ten KLB-provided receptacles at West Bank Bridge Park and Mississippi River Overlook in Luling.  Dillard University has also installed ten receptacles at the Gentilly Blvd. campus.   Across the state, 71 organizations were awarded 2023-24 Trash Receptacle Grants.  Recipients across our region include the Town of Jean Lafitte, Friends of Bayou St. John, Keep Algiers Beautiful, Lakefront Management Authority, Sankofa CDC, UNO, Xavier University, Town of Lutcher, Keep Abita Beautiful, St. Tammany Parish, Town of Madisonville, Town of Amite, Ponchatoula Area Recreation District, City of Bogalusa, and Washington Parish Tourism.

 

  • Friends of Lafitte Greenway is starting a public art project, designed as a traffic-calming intervention, with the Young Artist Movement (YAM) of Arts New Orleans.  New street murals will be painted along Lafitte Avenue between N. Galvez and N. Rocheblave Street.  This project is supported by a $25,000 grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Asphalt Art Initiative. 

 

  • DOTD announced bid results of 15 new projects across the state in May.  Two of these projects are within GNO.  In St. Bernard Parish, a $1.6M project will relocate and improve the intersection of LA 46 and Weinberger Road.  In St. Tammany Parish, a $1.2M project will install pedestrian and bicycle crosswalks at US 11 and US 190.  These projects are part of DOTD’s FY24-25 Highway Priority Program.

 

  • The Women Transportation Seminar (WTS) International Annual Conference was held in New Orleans from May 8-10, 2024.  WTS is an international organization that, since 1977, has advanced women’s careers to strengthen the transportation industry, working on legislative and regulatory matters alongside professional and workforce development.  This year’s conference theme was “The Crescent City: Connecting Cultures, Connecting Communities,” and the conference featured New Orleans assets, issues, and talent, like RTA’s Lona Hankins and Port NOLA’s Sarah Porteous.  WTS corporate partners were in attendance, including the world’s largest infrastructure firms – many which have New Orleans offices – like HNTB, WSP, AECOM, Jacobs, and HDR. 

 

  • Federal Highway Administration has opened the second round of the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discetionary Grant Program, with $1.32B available in total.  CFI has two tracks: the “Community Charging and Alternative Fueling Grants (Community Program)” to install electric vehicle charging and alternative fuel in locations on public roads, schools, parks, and in publicly accessible parking facilities.  The “Charging and Alternative Fuel Corridor Grants (Corridor Program)” will deploy electric vehicle charging and hydrogen/propane/natural gas fueling infrastructure along designated alternative fuel corridors.  States, local governments, special purpose districts, and more are eligible applicants, with a 20% local match required.  Funds may be used to contract with a private entity, and applicants must demonstrate that benefits will flow to Jusitce40 communities.  Applications are due on August 28.

    • Alternative fuel corridors (AFC) in the GNO region include US55, US59, US90, I-10, and I-12.

    • For more information, find FHWA’s webinar presentation and recording on CFI Program.  Inquiries may be sent to CFIgrants@dot.gov.

 

  • The Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), unfortunately, has expended all funding and has ended.  Over 558,780 Louisiana households, or 1 in 3 statewide, participated in the program.  As of June 1, ACP no longer offers subsidies to householders.  Previously, ACP provided a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase equipment.  While bills to revive ACP have been introduced in Congress, such as the Spectrum and National Security Act, no legislative efforts have gained traction to date.

    • Cox, AT&T, REV, and other regional internet providers are advertising their low-cost services, in absence of ACP.

 

  • The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s $1.25B Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program is coming soon, with a NOFO expected in early fall.  This program – one of three NTIA Digital Equity programs –  will follow Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program announcements within 30 days.  Capacity Grant applications were due on May 28, and States were the only eligible applicants.  However, the Competitive Grant Program, which will fund projects from digital inclusion activities to workforce development programs, will be open to all political subdivisions, as well as community institutions and other nonprofits.  The National Digital Inclusion Alliance explained “what we know and what’s to come” for this broadband funding opportunity.

 

  • The National Endowment for the Humanities has launched their Climate Smart Humanities Organization program, which helps humanities organizations – museums, libraries, archives, historic sites, and colleges and universities – address climate-related impacts.  With grants, organizations can undertake energy audits, risk assessments, and meetings with consultants that result in climate smart plan.  Assessments may address buildings’ ability to withstand events, water management improvements, operational modifications, staff and visitor trainings, sustainability offer onboarding, community partnership development, and more activities.  Of $2.5M available, up to $300,000 will be granted per awardee.  Applications are due on September 18.

 

  • FEMA’s Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP) is intended to build state and local capacity to manage catastrophic incidents by improving and expanding regional collaboration among emergency managers and other preparedness stakeholders.  $10.8M is available in FY24, with up to $3M per awardee.  Focus areas for this year’s RCPGP are the “core capabilities” of Housing, Community Resilience, and Long-Term Vulnerability Reduction.   Examples of activities include development of regional mitigation plans, conducting comprehensive regional vulnerability, development of a regional housing plan, and relevant outreach and training.  Applications are due on July 25; local governments within the 100 largest regions, including GNO, and states are eligible applicants.

 

  • Amtrak’s New Orleans-Mobile Passenger Rail project continues to chug along, with help from the Southern Rail Commission (SRC).  At SRC’s quarterly meeting in Mobile on June 7, Amtrak and the City of Mobile shared that they expect for a lease agreement to be signed by the end of the month, allowing for construction of the Mobile station platform and layover track.  This is the final infrastructure need before service can start, which may occur in time for the Super Bowl.

    • Amtrak went before the Mobile City Council in May regarding’s Alabama’s obligation of $3.048M to begin twice-daily service.  As the Mobile City Council hesitated in signing off on funding, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson has asked the State of Alabama and the Alabama State Port Authority to share costs evenly.   Parties have agreed to a “good faith effort” to look at available budget.

 

  • DOT is accepting applications for the third year of its Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program.  Grants are in two stages, with Stage 1 for planning and prototyping.  Local governments and other political subdivisions, like ports and airports, can pursue grants to implement technology areas including coordinated automation, connected vehicles, sensor-based infrastructure, systems integration, commerce delivery and logistics, innovative aviation, smart grids, and automated traffic signals.  $50M is available for up to $2M per applicant; applicants are due on July 12.

    • While no GNO entities have won SMART grants, Shreveport Transit Management (SporTran) won a grant in 2023 to prepare for piloting autonomous, first-and-last-mile microtransit shuttle service.

 

  • FTA is soliciting project proposals for the $10.3M Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning Grant.  Grants will support comprehensive or site-specific planning associated with new, or recently-opened, fixed guideway and core capacity improvement projects.   Fixed guideways may include rail, bus rapid transit, or passenger ferry service.  Planning must examine economic development and ridership, multimodal connectivity and accessibility, transit access for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, private sector engagement, infrastructure needs, and mixed-use development near transit stations. 

 

  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)’s St. Tammany Parish Feasibility Study has been signed by Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, Chief of Engineers, for transmission to Congress.  The feasibility study was authorized in 2016, and now, the St. Tammany Parish project itself can be authorized by Congress in the forthcoming Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024, with appropriations to follow in order to begin construction.  The $5.9B final report puts forward a 18.5-mile levee around Slidell and dry floodproofing of 6,410 structures throughout the Parish. 

 

  • NOAA awarded a $6.9M Climate-Ready Workforce Grant to the Mandeville-based Flood Mitigation Industry Association for the "The Climate Resilient Skills Training Program.”  The Flood Mitigation Industry Association, with partners including the State of Louisiana, will develop the program to grow climate-resilient skilled worker in coastal Louisiana.  Training will focus on dry floodproofing, structural elevation, and application of nature-based solutions through competitively-paying jobs.  The project will concentrate on implementation of the USACE and CPRA Southwest Coastal project, which will elevate approximately 600-700 structures around Lake Charles.

 

  • The City of New Orleans was selected as one of 100 global cities to participate in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ new Youth Climate Action Fund.  This fund will be distributed to young people ages 15-24 for the design, planning, and implementation of youth-led climate initiatives, such as recycling programs, public education campaigns, or tree-planting events.  $50,000 will be distributed to youth-serving organizations by the Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF) in microgrants between $1,000 and $5,000.  Applications are due on July 1.

 

  • The American Climate Corps’ first members were sworn in this month, after applications opened in April.  The Biden Administration expects to place 9,000 young people into green energy and conservation jobs by the end of the month, with a target of 20,000 placements in the first year.  American Climate Corps jobs include positions with SBP in New Orleans.  To become an American Climate Corps employer partner, email acc@americorps.gov.

 

  • The Sewerage and Water Board hosted a job fair on Friday, June 21 at the Convention Center.  SWBNO is hiring positions across the utility, including customer service, billing, engineering, drainage operations, water purification, networks, legal, and more.  Many private employers and City departments, from Safety & Permits to Posigen, also attended and accepted applications.

    • You can view over 100 open positions online at SWBNO’s career page.  With flexibility from Act 384, SWBNO may now hiring GNO residents outside of Orleans Parish for positions that have been advertised for more than 90 days.

 

  • Delta Regional Authority (DRA)’s signature programs remain open for 2024 cycles.  The States’ Economic Development Assistance Program (SEDAP), accepting applications until June 25, provides $16.9M in awards of $50,000-$500,000 per project, for basic public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, business development, and workforce development projects.  The Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF), accepting applications on a rolling basis, provides $29.5M in awards of $500,000-$2M per project for flood control, basic public infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure improvements.  Applicants are encouraged to contact their Local Development District (LDD) for additional information or for assistance in developing their applications:

    • Regional Planning Commission (RPC) is the LDD for Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard.  Contact Adam Tatar, Economic Development Coordinator & Transportation Planner, at atatar@norpc.org.

    • South Central Planning and Development Commission (SCPDC) is the LDD for St. Charles, St. James, and St. John the Baptist.  Contact Lesley Long, Planner III, at lesley@scpdc.org.

    • Capital Region Planning Commission is the LDD for Tangipahoa and Washington.  Contact Vinny Braud, Economic Development Manager, at vbraud@crpcla.org.

 

  • EPA’s Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program (PRP)’s Executive Committee has made recommendations for awards, pending EPA’s approval, with FY21 & FY22 base appropriations.  Recommended awardees include St. Tammany Parish for long-term water quality monitoring, St. Bernard Parish for the De La Ronde Sewer Lift Station Rehabilitation, Jefferson Parish for a Stormwater Management Mapping Program, Tangipahoa Parish for a Stormwater Inlet Protection Program, and eight other partners.   Administered by the University of New Orleans Research and Technology Foundation (UNORTF), PRP will receive about $10.2M annually from IIJA, in addition to base appropriations.  Applications were due in May for FY22 IIJA funds, and recommendations for awards are forthcoming.  Please direct inquiries on PRP – which supports restoration, scientific research, or public projects across the basin – to bbourgeois@thebeachuno.org.

 

  • The Water Institute, a non-profit, independent applied research and technical services institution with offices at UNO’s The Beach, shared their “Evaluating Future Stormwater Flood Risk in New Orleans” project with the New Orleans City Council.  This project conducted modeling to provide estimates of future stormwater risk, understand drivers of risk, and assist decision makers in planning for mitigation.  The Water Institute modeled flood depth dependent on three drivers – rainfall events,  pump operationality, and pipe conveyance – and determined neighborhood-level differences in flood depth based on each driver.  Watch CEO Beaux Jones’s presentation here.

 

  • The National Science Foundation (NSF)’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) has opened their Research Infrastructure Improvement-Focused EPSCoR Collaborations Program (RII-FEC).  NSF intends to establish partnerships with government, higher education, and industry that affect sustainable improvements in a jurisdiction’s research capacity.  Previous awardees include the Louisiana Materials Design Alliance, and research in water security, energy infrastructure, and climate resilience.  Up to 12 awards for total funding of $18M are available to organizations within EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions or higher ed institutions.  Letters of intent are due on December 17, 2024.

 

Please share this information with colleagues, consultants, and grant writers working with your respective jurisdictions.  If GNO, Inc. can support your applications, through a letter or other means, please let us know.


Questions? Have updates to share? Contact:

Peter Waggonner

Public Policy Director

Greater New Orleans, Inc.

1100 Poydras Street, Suite 3475

New Orleans, LA 70163

pwaggonner@gnoinc.org

Info at CBNO
Previous

Budget Update: How much money will New Orleans have next year?
Next

We’re hiring a Program Manager!