Bernalillo County asks federal lawmakers for project funding
BERNALILLO COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – The Bernalillo County commissioners have approved a list of requests for congressional funding. The request for twelve projects now goes to New Mexico’s two U.S. Senators and the two congressional representatives that represent Bernalillo County.
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The requests, as described by the county, are:
Housing Single Site Project: $2 million for a 60-unit multifamily site that will provide housing to low- and moderate-income senior citizens. The location of the housing project is on Bernalillo County-owned land at 6th Street and Coal Avenue in Downtown Albuquerque.
Keep NM Alive: $1 million to expand the Keep NM Alive campaign to create a Youth Speakers Bureau for Substance Use Prevention focused on peer-to-peer education for teens and young adults.
I-40 TradePort: $2 million for planning of Phase 1 of a 50-acre truck mobility complex as part of the I-40 TradePort Corridor, which is a transformational clean energy, logistics and infrastructure system that is being developed by a multi-state group of public and private sector partners from California, Arizona, and New Mexico. The purpose-planned I-40 TradePort Corridor will improve company and national supply chain resiliency and reliability, reduce costs, accelerate innovation, and support public policy objectives.
Youth Services Center-Intensive Outpatient Program: $750,000 to start an evidence-based treatment program for adolescents with substance use disorders. The model of choice for an adolescent population is the Seven Challenges model, recognized by SAMHSA as an Evidence-Based Practice and is currently utilized in several other adolescent substance abuse programs in New Mexico. This evidence based practice treatment model is also required for YSC to be an intensive outpatient program.
Bridge Boulevard Phase 3: $2 million to reconstruct a four-land principle arterial with buffered/protected bike lanes, ADA-compliant sidewalks, intersection improvements, adaptive signals, and enhanced transit facilities between Goff Boulevard and Young Avenue, an area identified on MRCOG’s High Fatality and Injury Network with crash rates one and a half to two times the regional average.
South Valley Street Tree and Green Stormwater Infrastructure Project: $1.5 million to install street trees and green stormwater infrastructure along residential roads impacted by flooding in the Albuquerque South Valley. The project will reduce flooding, improve stormwater quality, increase shade, and mitigate the urban heat island effect, sequester carbon and reduce air pollution, calm traffic, improve walkability, and provide wildlife habitat.
Public Safety Requests by Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office: Vehicle Acquisition ($500,000); Technology for Crime Prevention ($500,000); Violence Intervention Program ($500,000); Regional Training Academy Shooting Range Turning Targets System ($200,000); Cellular Site Simulator ($750,000); Training Facilities and Live Fire Shoothouse ($500,000).
Economic Development: Housing and Urban Development Block Grant funding, workforce investments, and research lab funding.
Environmental Funding: Infrastructure funding, climate action grants, and funds for Kirtland Air Force Base fuel spill cleanup.
Behavioral Health/Public Safety Funding: Services for individuals in county custody, substance use prevention, etc.
Technology Funding: Federal funds to support internet connection to lower-income households.
Transportation: Funding for roads, bridges, and culvert replacement.
The requests were approved on a 5-to-0 vote. Congress will consider requests in upcoming meetings.
