City Of Chattanooga

• Established the City’s mission of developing the new approach to federal funding, leveraging new funding opportunities with Task Force agency commitments to economic development and sustainability;
• Identified key outcomes sought by Chattanooga’s plans and strategies that will contribute to the outcomes sought by the Obama administration’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan;
• Conducted an initial scan of measures by which performance in achieving those outcomes can be measured;
• Assessed Task Force agency strengths that can be used to leverage federal funding toward those outcomes;
• Reviewed federal program research and funding availability announcements; and
• Made organizational commitments to lead the development of priority funding opportunities.

Through the Task Force the City began building interagency capacities to meet new planning requirements for federal opportunities in three general areas: Regional Development, Urban Redevelopment, Sustainability (Environmental, Economic and Community). In addition to referring federal program to other agencies, the Task Force completed commitments as outlined below.

Regional Development

• Development of a successful $111 million Department of Energy (DOE) Smart Grid Implementation Grant proposal - Electric Power Board, City of Chattanooga, and Brightbridge, Inc.
• Development of a $39,994,000 Department of Transportation (DOT) Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant proposal for the Enterprise South Transportation Efficiency Project (ESTEP) recommended by DOT in planning for 2010 Transportation Investment programs - Hamilton County, City of Chattanooga, CARTA and Hamilton County Rail Road Authority
• Development of a Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Brownfields Assessment proposal awarded a $250,000 grant - Regional Planning Agency (RPA) and Southeast Tennessee Development District (SETDD)
• Development of a pending EPA/HUD/DOT Smart Growth Implementation Assistance Program proposal for technical assistance valued at $70,000 - RPA
• Information gathering on DOE clean energy technology research and development funding available to the private sector, including a $4 million pilot technical assistance project for local LED manufacturing - Enterprise Center and Brightbridge, Inc.
• Regional planning and capacity building in preparation for 2010 HUD/DOT/EPA Sustainable Communities Initiative proposals of up to $5 million - RPA, MPO, RPO, SETDD, City of Chattanooga, and Hamilton County

Urban Redevelopment

• Development of two new successful EPA Brownfields Assessment and Cleanup Grant proposals receiving grants together totaling $400,000 - Brightbridge, Inc.
• Planning for the utilization of $9,619,000 in City and County Recovery Zone Economic Development Bond allocations with a direct federal payment subsidy equal to 45% of the interest, plus an additional request for $6,825,000 in unallocated bonds - City of Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Enterprise Center Renewal Community Office, and  Brightbridge, Inc.
• Planning for the utilization of $14,428,000 in City and County allocations of Recovery Zone Facilities Bonds for private use with a direct federal payment subsidy equal to 45% of the interest - Enterprise Center Renewal Community Office and Brightbridge, Inc.
• Assessment of Economic Development Administration (EDA) Economic Adjustment Assistance proposal options - Enterprise Center Renewal Community Office and Brightbridge, Inc.
• Development of a $5 million Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Neighborhood Stabilization Program II grant proposal, the first major competitive proposal attempted by the City’s Community Development Office in more than a decade - Neighborhood Services and Community Development Department
• Evaluation of key redevelopment sites for potential inclusion in a new EPA community-wide brownfields assessment - RPA and Brightbridge, Inc.
• Exploration of potential 2010 HUD HOPE VI Revitalization and Choice Neighborhoods Grant program proposals - Chattanooga Housing Authority, Hamilton County, and City of Chattanooga

Sustainability (Environmental, Economic, and Community)

• Development of a strategic plan for energy efficiency and conservation meeting the requirements of a $1,864,3000 DOE Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) – RPA
• Development of a $500,000 EPA Climate Showcase Communities Grant proposal for a “green asphalt” demonstration in planning - RPA
• Development of a $4.4 Department of Labor (DOL) Energy Training Partnership Grant proposal in planning - SETDD
• Development of a $500,000 DOL STAR Energy Sector Partnership (SESP) and Training Grant proposal in planning - SETDD
• Development of a $2.04 million DOL Pathways Out of Poverty grant proposal in planning - Center for Non Profits, SETDD, and City of Chattanooga
• Development of a HUD Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) Service Coordinator Program grant proposal - Chattanooga Housing Authority
• Assessment of capacities to meet federal sustainable communities planning requirements such as the Health and Human Services (HHS) Strengthening Communities Fund, DOL Mentoring, Educational and Employment Strategies to Improve Academic, Social and Career Pathway Outcomes, DOL Green Capacity Building, and other grant program proposals in planning - United Way Center for Nonprofits, SETDD, and City of Chattanooga