Kern's share of stimulus funds tops $200 million
Last Updated Saturday, Jul 25 2009 12:00 PM
Images
Henry A. Barrios / The Californian Replacing the bridge over the Garces Circle is one of the big projects that will be funded with stimulus money in Kern County.
By the end of this summer, work will begin on a $13 million replacement of the Chester Avenue bridge over Garces Circle.
When it's done, a $33 million wastewater treatment plant expansion will allow Delano to accommodate more than 80,000 people.
And about $39 million in road building, light repairing and energy conservation projects will improve the safety and quality of life at Edwards Air Force Base.
Those are some of the ways federal stimulus funds are being spent in Kern County.
As of last Wednesday, Kern has been awarded more than $200 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, according to the state.
It's unclear how much Kern will ultimately receive from the $787 billion bill signed by President Barack Obama in February. But California is expected to nab about $85 billion by Sept. 30, 2010, when all the money must be spent.
While trying to generate support for the legislation, the Obama administration predicted the 22nd Congressional District -- which includes most of Bakersfield -- stood to see 8,400 created or retained jobs.
But we won't have firm numbers for a few months.
"I think it's important to note this is a work in progress," said Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno. "It's hard to make definitive definitions to whether it's working and the level of transparency."
GETTING OUT FAST ENOUGH?
There's been much debate in Washington, D.C., about whether the stimulus money is funding appropriate projects and going out fast enough.
Obama declared in late May the act has created or saved 150,000 jobs so far. This past week, White House recovery act spokeswoman Liz Oxhorn said about 27 percent of the stimulus money has been put to work, including more than $16 billion for California.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who voted against the stimulus bill, isn't satisfied.
McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, said the stimulus is not working fast enough nor creating the jobs promised, noting unemployment is up. Helping small business would have been a better way to go, he said.
McCarthy also argued the recovery act lacks accountability and transparency. For example, he said the Web sites tracking the spending should better define the projects.
"I still feel like it's going too slow and not going to the places that are creating jobs," McCarthy said. "There are so many more things we could have done to propel people into jobs."
He wouldn't comment on any of the Kern projects because he's not "seen enough of them being built yet." In April, though, McCarthy applauded the awarding of $31 million in federal stimulus money to the planned downtown Bakersfield federal courthouse.
Costa, who supported the stimulus bill, argued the money is going out as scheduled and it's premature to say how it's working.
It's "just beginning to have some impact," he said.
The Chester Avenue bridge contract was awarded to Griffith Company of Bakersfield. Tony Grasso, manager of business resources, said it's Griffith's first stimulus award.
He said the bridge project will retain about 80 to 100 jobs. While he's grateful for the work, he wishes the stimulus would generate more work, faster.
"It's not the great story everyone tried to make it seem, that the stimulus funding was going to be the solution to everything," Grasso said. "It's just helping us keep moving."
ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY
It's up to Inspector General Laura Chick to ensure California recovery act dollars are spent correctly. She takes the job very seriously.
"This might be more money than ever before, but it's being watched more closely than ever before," Chick said.
Agencies receiving stimulus money must report to the federal government by Oct. 10 how it's been spent and how many jobs were created or retained.
But Chick wanted some of that information sooner.
So she sent a letter to the directors of 31 California departments giving them until July 20 to send her an outline of their objectives and goals for spending.
She wants to ensure every project is "invigorating the local economy and leaving some lasting public benefit that can be seen and felt."
"The reason I sent the letter out was partly out of frustration -- there's too much confusion, too much mush," Chick said. "And I don't care if we are waiting for more guidelines from the feds, we just need to get on top of this."
PROJECT MONEY AWARDED TO KERN*
Arvin
Arvin, Arvin Apartments $6,121,000
Bakersfield
Kern County Office of Education $2,160,572
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program $3,040,700
Homeless Prevention Fund Formula: Bakersfield $1,372,351
Bakersfield U.S. Courthouse $31,056
DOD: Bakersfield, Scope Mod to Repair Foundation (Training Center) $67,000
Bakersfield, Sante Fe Apartments $6,060,000
Bakersfield, Nine Place Apartments $9,255,000
Meadows Field: Improve Terminal Building Phase III $1,320,433
Grapevine Median Barrier Upgrade $2,392,000
Sunflower Valley Ultra Thin Bonded Wearing Course Seal Coat $3,489,100
Golden Empire Transit District: Fareboxes and preventive maintenance $8,129,407
Chester Avenue Bridge Replacement $16,089,960
California City
California City Municipal: Install Miscellaneous NAVAIDS install lighted segmented circle, Install $75,000
China Lake
Naval Surface Warfare Center China Lake: Photovoltaic System $1,646,000
Naval Air Warfare Center China Lake: Photovoltaic System $2,473,000
Naval Air Warfare Center China Lake: Photovoltaic System $2,616,000
Delano
Sunny View II Apartments $8,405,000
WWTP Expansion and Water Reclamation $33,418,792
Edwards Air Force Base
Construct Concrete Pad for Civil engineer Transmission Hi-Line $20,000
Maintain Roof, Research Equipment Storage B4444 $21,000
Construct Equipment Pad Base Theater B2660 $27,000
Repair Metering & Energy Management Control System, Test Pilot School B1220 $27,000
Repair Sidewalks Main Base $27,000
Replace Carpet Tiles Admin B1431 $27,000
Repair Roof Vehicle Maintenance B 3511 $32,000
Repair HVAC Wastewater Treatment Plant $43,000
Repair Roof Research Lab B8412 $43,000
Repair Fence and Stairs at Vehicle Maintenance Shop B 3510 $64,000
Repair Roof - Research Lab Base Engineer Maintenance Shop B 8406 $64,000
Repair HVAC & Controls Research Lab B 1398 $75,000
Repair Ceiling Beams/Safety Fuel System Maintenance Fac B 1622 $81,000
Repair Roof Fuel facility B 2110 $81,000
Repair Energy Cool Roof Acquisition Center B 3920 $86,000
Repair Fire Suppression, Guided Munitions Shop B 720 $91,000
Construct Curb, Gutters and Gate at Launch Facility $96,000
Maintain Roof Guard House B 1019 $97,000
Paint/Wallpaper Interior Child Development Center B 6457 $102,000
Repair Electrical Service Hangar B 182 $107,000
Repair Evap Coolers Hangar B 1210 $107,000
Repair Retrofit Lighting Audio Visual B 1405 $107,000
Repair Retrofit Lighting Maintenance Dock B 1622 $113,000
Repair Roof Equip Research Lab B 8354 $113,000
Construct Parking Trans B 3510 $118,000
Repair Energy Cool Roof Fire Department B 2860 $118,000
Repair Roof Base Support Fac B 1610 $124,000
Repair Boiler Research Lab B 8620 $129,000
Repair Energy Cool Roof 31 Test & Eval Squad Operations B 1633 $129,000
Repair HVAC Various Research Lab Facilities $129,000
Repair Roof Information Tech B 3950 $140,000
Repair Energy Cool Roof Research Lab Sci & Eng Admin B 8350 $145,000
Repair Lighting Administrative B 2412 $150,000
Repair Left Turn Lane Fitzgerald Ave. $161,000
Repair Lighting Test Operations B 1199 $161,000
Upgrade Electrical System, Camp Corum $161,000
Repair Retrofit Lighting Flight Training Center Bldg 1 $193,000
Repair Roof Life Support B 1250 $204,000
Construct Sewer Line, Contractors Row $226,000
Repair Parking Lot, Military Distribution B 3502 $231,000
Repair Lighting, Air Base Wing, B 3950 $242,000
Repair Lighting Hanger B 1623 $258,000
Repair Energy Cool Roof Research Lab Det 7 Command Section B 8353 $263,000
Repair Energy Cool Roof Research Lab Sci & Eng Admin B 8351 $263,000
Mc HVAC Construct Shelter Dorm Quad 2512-2515 $269,000
Mc HVAC Construct Shelter Dorm Quad 2516-2519 $269,000
Repair Lighting, Research Engineering B 1643 $300,000
Repair Energy Cool Roof Research Lab Sci & Eng Admin B 8352 $301,000
Paint Various Main Base and Research Lab Facilities B 8352 $306,000
Repair Energy Insulation Bldg. Jet Engine Shop B 3800 $316,000
Repair Energy Cool Roof Vehicle Maintenance Shop B 3510 $328,000
Repair Roof Audio/Visual B 1405 $333,000
Repair Roof Research Lab Material & Supply Distro. Center B 8460 $355,000
Repair Lighting Air Base Wing Headquarters B 3000 $360,000
Construct Curbs and Gutters Coliseum Drive $387,000
Paint Floor Hanger Global Hawk B 1414 $527,000
Repair Roof Retrofit Lighting Hangar B 151 $564,000
Construct Reclaimed Water Lines at Waste Water Treatment Plant $699,000
Construct Canopies North Gate $731,000
Construct Lighting, Research Lab Gate $731,000
Construct Range Operations Warehouse $731,000
Realign Road Research Lab Gate $731,000
Repair Overruns, Main Base Runway 04/22 $860,000
Repair Cool Roof Base Civil Engineering B3500 $924,000
Repair U/G Water Lines, New Desert Villa $1,290,000
Repair HVAC & Controls Headquarters Building 1 $1,505,000
Repair Pavement Civil Engineering Compound B3500 $1,612,000
Repair HVAC Youth Center B6459 $1,612,000
Repair Taxiway Cable/Transformer $1,956,000
Repair HVAC Dorm Quad 2512-2515 $2,150,000
Repair HVAC Dorm Quad 2516-2519 $2,150,000
Repair Perimeter Fencing $2,150,000
Repair Taxi Lights Main Base Airfield $4,192,000
Repair Energy Energy Management Control System at Various Main Base and Research Lab Buildings $5,219,000
Kernville
Homeless Prevention Fund Formula: Kern County $2,076,503
Mojave
Park Palace II Apartments $10,031,000
Rehabilitate Apron $600,000
South Mojave/Inyokern Thin Overlay & Seal Coat: Maintenance Thin Asphalt Overlay with Seal Coat $4,341,250
Ridgecrest
Ridgecrest Charter School $48,079
Shafter
Shafter-Minter Field: Rehabilitate Runway $285,000
Schools
Blake Elementary $5,978
McKittrick Elementary $9,961
Gorman Elementary $13,480
Elk Hills Elementary $29,414
Caliente Union Elementary $31,621
General Shafter Elementary $51,048
Richmond Elementary $54,581
Di Giorgio Elementary $57,675
Pond Union Elementary $60,304
Semitropic Elementary $61,431
Lakeside Union Elementary $88,604
Buttonwillow Union Elementary $95,356
Maricopa Unified $109,058
Lost Hills Union Elementary $157,347
Kernville Union Elementary $229,155
Rio Bravo-Greeley Union Elementary $239,952
El Tejon Unified $357,764
Lakeside Union Elementary $379,011
Beardsley Elementary $446,144
Taft City $547,485
Muroc Joint Unified $549,645
SIA Tech $554,129
Wasco Union High $634,635
Greenfield Union Elementary $643,961
Lamont Elementary $653,818
Mojave Unified $772,292
Wasco Union Elementary $792,981
Richland Union Elementary $812,948
Arvin Union Elementary $842,739
Standard Elementary $869,970
Norris Elementary $876,699
Southern Kern Unified $913,790
McFarland Unified $962,712
Lakeside Union Elementary $1,051,198
Tehachapi Unified $1,267,780
Rosedale Union Elementary $1,320,685
Taft Union High $1,349,232
Sierra Sands Unified $1,447,135
Delano Union Elementary $1,942,491
Greenfield Union Elementary $2,141,672
Evergreen Elementary $3,349,010
Panama Buena Vista Union Elementary $4,609,402
Bakersfield City Elementary $6,776,718
Kern Union High $11,649,921
* As of last Wednesday
Source: California Recovery Task Force (www.recovery.ca.gov)
