FY 2022 Community Project Funding Requests
Rep. Al Lawson has submitted funding requests for important community projects in Florida’s 5th Congressional District to the House Appropriations Committee.
Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 10 projects in their community for fiscal year 2022 – although only a handful may actually be funded. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding. Additional information on the reforms governing Community Project Funding is available here.
In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Rep. Lawson has certified that he, his spouse, and his immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects he has requested.
Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee
Gadsden County W.S. Stevens High School Disaster Shelter - (FUNDED)
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
Project Sponsor: Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners – 9 B East Jefferson St. Quincy, Florida 32351
This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because there are no standalone disaster shelters in Gadsden County. Currently, Gadsden County schools serve as the disaster shelters, offering residences a tight window of time to stay prior to a disaster occurring and after the threat is over because the schools must re-open to resume classes and make necessary repairs. With these funds Gadsden County will construct a pet-friendly ADA disaster shelter housing up to 150-200 individuals. The project site can also be used as staging area to distribute FEMA disaster information, food, water, and other necessities, it will also provide wi-fi and a charging stations for residence to charge their mobile devices.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee
UF/IFAS 4-H Prepares Floridians for the Workforce - (FUNDED)
Amount Requested: $1,500,000
Project Sponsor: University of Florida – Sarah Mathias – 226 Tigert Hall P.O. Box 113150 Gainesville, FL 326911
This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because in Florida’ Fifth Congressional District five of our eight counties have unemployment rates higher than the state average of 4.8%. The training through this project will include collaborations with Florida’ Farm Bureau’s Agriculture Education Services and Technology Inc. (AEST) certification program. Each certificate reflects the skills and competencies necessary for success in a particular agriculture field. This one-time investment for the facilities at Camp Cherry Lake 4-H Center will create the necessary infrastructure for greenhouses, an aquaculture lab, and a citrus grove to allow for hands-on learning and practical experience. Many of these facilities and resources are not available to students in North Florida and are a critical to assure equitable workforce preparation and opportunity.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee
TCC Commercial Vehicle Driving (CDL) Program Expansion
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Project Sponsor: Tallahassee Community College – Jim Murdaugh – 444 Appleyard Dr. Tallahassee, FL 32304
This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because currently the nation is suffering from a shortage of truck drivers. In my district alone, there are currently 512 truck drivers needed. Currently, TCC’s commercial vehicle driving program is at max capacity with a year-long waiting list. The nearest similar program is either 55 miles to the east or 84 miles to the west. This funding investment would allow TCC to expand their program by renovating their existing facility to accommodate more classroom space, add the Class B (e.g. dump truck) endorsement training, and purchase two additional trucks.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
White Harvest Farms and Market Project - (FUNDED)
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Project Sponsor: Clara White Missions, Inc. – Meg Fisher – 613 West Ashley St. Jacksonville, FL 32202
This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because this funding will allow the farm to expand by building a state of the art processing and packaging center which will enable the farm to utilize fresh produce coupled with food provided by community partners to develop healthy meals for seniors at least five days per week. The center will also be open for the public use for healthy nutrition courses, food demonstrations, food packaging employment training, and use as a rental space for the culinary kitchen and local business. The project will also create opportunities to educate and empower the community with 8-10 raised flatbed community garden plots so residents can become urban farmers. More than 59% of the residence residing within the cities designated health zone 1, suffer from low access to fresh and healthy food due to poverty, low income, and lack of transportation to mainstream grocery stores. Many residents seek assistance from grassroot programs, like White Harvest Farms, to make ends meet, while acquiring about a healthier lifestyle.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
The Expansion of Eugene Lamb, Jr. Recreation Center - (FUNDED)
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Project Sponsor: City of Midway Florida – Linda Dilworth – 50 Martin Luther King Boulevard Midway, FL 32343
The funding would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because it will address critical needs of the current facility expansion design necessitated by population growth while also expanding public fitness and recreational development, multipurpose services and enrichment needs of Midway’s citizens from toddlers to seniors including low to moderate income households. Population growth now finds the current facility inadequate in meeting the community’s needs or accommodating the City’s opportunities of advancement and development. The facility expansion will also strengthen community development and enhance economic development and partnership opportunities for the City of Midway. This recreation center serves as the City’s only such source of facility infrastructure and support for a population of approximately 3,500 citizens and therefore this project would establish the first and only such multipurpose center in this community.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
Concord School Restoration - (FUNDED)
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
Project Sponsor: Leon County Board of County Commissioners - Andy Johnson - 301 S. Monroe St. Tallahassee, Fl 32301
This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because the existing Miccosukee Community Center has reached the end of its life cycle and is in need of significant repairs and renovations. This project would include enhancements to the School’s exterior, air conditions, plumbing, and electrical system. With these improvements this historical building located in a remote more rural area of Leon County, will provide a much needed community facility, which will serve as the meeting place for the local Boys & Girls Club, the Miccosukee Youth Foundation, the Leon County Senior Outreach Center, and more.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
Jacksonville Urban League Economic and Community Development Foundation – Community and Veteran Empowerment Center - (FUNDED)
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Project Sponsor: Jacksonville Urban League - Dr. Richard Danford - 903 W. Union St., Jacksonville, FL 32204
This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because the area this center will serve has the lowest income population in the city with the highest unemployment and lowest performance on health indicators. The facility will be designed as a service and community center with a focus on research, tele-mental health service, training, and a technological veteran’s experience as a means of supporting veterans and their families. The building will provide a varied and comprehensive range of service, such as diagnostic service, rehabilitation service including education and vocational programs, training, research and evaluation. These services will be easily transferred from one type to another and these services will be provided regardless of a client’s ability to pay.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
South City Early Learning Center
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Project Sponsor: The South City Foundation, Inc. – Courtney Atkins - 1126 Lee Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32303
This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because it would establish a high-quality Early Learning Center on property gifted by the Leon County School District for neighborhood families. The Center will expand the access to high-quality early education programs that includes a two-generational approach and offers comprehensive professional development opportunities to early childcare providers throughout Leon County and the Big Bend. The Center will expand the availability of support services to families with children 0-5 to improve health and education outcomes and will work with local programs to improve South City families’ participation in home visiting programs. The center will offer comprehensive wrap around services for families that will focus on breaking the cycle of poverty and ultimately moving families into self-sufficiency.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee
Lake Henrietta Stormwater Facility - (FUNDED)
Amount Requested: $1,600,000
Project Sponsor: Leon County Board of County Commissioners – Andy Johnson – 301 S. Monroe St. Tallahassee, FL 32301
The project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because the money would be used for major restorations to the 18-year-old Lake Henrietta stormwater facility. This project would involve hydraulic dredging to remove and dispose of sediments, as well as the installation of a debris interceptor. This project will serve as the long-term solution to reducing sediment and litter from the lake, improving water quality to Lake Muncon and Wakulla Springs, which is a first magnitude spring. This project will also protect the health, safety and welfare of my constituents and will drastically reduce flood risks.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Community Rehabilitation Center, Inc (CRC) – Project Integrated Health Services (HIS) - (FUNDED)
Amount Requested: $500,000
Project Sponsor: Community Rehabilitation Center, Inc - Reginald Gaffney - 623 Beechwood Street, Jacksonville, FL 32206
This project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because the purpose of Project IHS is to increase access to and improve quality of mental health, healthcare, and substance use disorder treatment by becoming a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). With this funding CRC will hire qualified medical and professional staff with the appropriate credentials and training to provide 24/7 crisis intervention services for individuals with serious mental illnesses or substance use disorder, including opioid use disorder, children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance, and individuals with co-occurring mental and substance disorder. Project IHS is designed to provide short and long-term sustainable treatments including physical healthcare in one location and provide continuum of quality and diverse healthcare services to those with inadequate or inability to pay.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here