President Signs Pettersen Projects into Law, Delivering Nearly $14 Million to Increase Clean Water, Affordable Housing, and Improve Quality of Life in Colorado’s 7th
WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden signed the second of two bipartisan government funding packages into law, including the last of Representative Brittany Pettersen’s (CO-07) 15 community projects which will bring $13,985,515 in federal funding to the area and impact communities across Colorado’s 7th Congressional District. Pettersen’s projects include efforts to protect communities from flooding, expand access to affordable housing, improve town centers and health care facilities, increase clean and safe drinking water, and more.
“Investments in our community spaces, affordable housing, clean drinking water, and public safety are critical for the continued growth and prosperity of our community. We put politics aside to pass these bills and invest in the American people,” said Pettersen. “From Golden to Silver Cliff and everywhere in between, these projects address critical needs in my district and represent transformational investments in families, students, seniors, and more. I look forward to seeing how these projects will create tangible progress in Colorado’s 7th District.”
The Community Project Funding process allows members of Congress to submit projects based in their districts for critical initiatives in their communities. The project signed into law in this most recent funding package:
City of Golden:$1,383,069 to bolster flood prevention efforts by creating a flood attenuation facility with a park and recreation facility along Lena Gulch. This would give Golden the ability to better disperse flood water, reducing the risks and impacts of flooding on residents and to protect low and moderate-income homes.
The other 14 projects championed by the Office of Representative Pettersen are as follows, in no particular order:
Chaffee County: $300,000 to install a solar array on top of Jane's Place, a 17-unit multi-family affordable housing and community program project being constructed in Salida to help meet the needs of the local workforce and families experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. These funds will support the development of renewable energy for the complex and will ensure that after installation, Jane’s place will run off of affordable, clean energy.
City of Westminster: $959,752 to replace a deteriorating drinking water treatment facility. The current infrastructure is nearing the end of its useful life and ongoing threats such as wildfire in the watershed strains Westminster's ability to provide safe, clean, and affordable water to its residents and businesses.
City of Wheat Ridge: $2,000,000 for improvements to aging rental units in exchange for maintaining affordable rents. The project is a part of the Developing a Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) program, and is one of four opportunities identified in the City’s recently adopted Affordable Housing Strategy and Action Plan.
Colorado State University: $300,000 to provide rural job and skills training in Custer and Fremont counties through Colorado State University’s GROW Institute to help support job growth and economic development. These funds will help leverage distance learning to address workforce shortages in the food and agriculture sectors.
Idledale Water and Sanitation: $959,752 to improve drinking water and increase the quantity available to residents. The funding would be used for to help Idledale Water and Sanitation District provide safe drinking water to its residents by decreasing radionuclide levels and increasing the quantity and quality of water available to resident drinking water, as well as bringing the water system into compliance with existing state and federal regulations.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office: $963,000 for radio technology to improve communication between jurisdictions. The funding would be used for upgrades to all radios within Patrol, Investigations, and Command staff to more effectively provide public safety while also keeping officer safety a core tenant of technology advancements.
Leadville Housing Authority:$850,000 for building affordable housing on three parcels in Leadville. These three parcels are walkable to downtown, stores, schools and the library. These funds are critical as accessible and affordable housing is increasingly sparse in Colorado and too often, residents either cannot access or cannot burden the cost of living in our communities.
Lookout Mountain Water District: $959,752 to replace tar-lined pipes and improve drinking water. The funding will help replace miles of tar-lined pipe, including new gate valves, fire hydrants, and air release valves and vaults. Aging infrastructure in the area has resulted in unsafe chemical (Total Trihalomethanes) levels in the drinking water.
Park County:$850,000 to improve unsafe county roadways that lead to Colorado state parks. It will provide for a new chip seal surface for County Roads 90 and 92. These two roads were last chip-sealed over 20 years ago and are beyond their designed life. Due to extreme safety concerns, 20.23 miles of paved roads must be completely redone. Good road infrastructure is crucial, especially on popular routes people are utilizing to access parks, and these funds are essential to keep Coloradans safe.
St. Vincent Hospital: $579,159 for new outpatient specialists and service lines at St. Vincent Health including Urology and Spinal Care. This funding is critical to increase access to specialty care that patients would otherwise need to travel long distances for.
Teller County Water & Sanitation:$959,752 to be used for equipment in a new water treatment facility which will reduce the level of combined radium in drinking water. There is nothing more important than keeping our water sources safe and clean and these funds are essential to protect our communities.
Town of Buena Vista:$1,286,279 to create 60 housing units and 5,000 square feet of childcare space. The Town of Buena Vista will use the funds to pay for manufacturing costs associated with housing units as well as the capital costs of the childcare building. These funds are critical as accessible child care and affordable housing are increasingly sparse in Colorado and too often, residents either cannot access or cannot burden the cost of living in our communities.
Town of Silver Cliff: $1,380,000 for the acquisition and development of land in an undeveloped area to be used as a town plaza. This will help the town designate a location for more economic growth as well as residential growth. This project will help the Town of Silver Cliff invest in and build their community, as well as begin developing new open spaces, recreation, and community development.
Upper Arkansas Area: $255,000 for the purchase of six lots for the construction of new affordable family homes. The homes would be built through program participants in USDA's Mutual Self-Help housing program, with technical assistance in construction provided by the Upper Arkansas Council of Governments. These funds are critical in expanding access to affordable housing in Fremont County.
Find more information about Pettersen’s projects by clicking here.
