FY 2023 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 15 projects in their community for fiscal year 2023 – 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.
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.
Defense
Heated Garment Testing Equipment for Warfighters
Amount Requested: $180,890
Project Sponsor: Florida State University – 600 W College Ave, Tallahassee, FL 32306
The project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because it would allow FSU to purchase a sweating guarded hot plate and its necessary supplies. The hot plate would be used to determine the efficacy of a novel heat garment and its ability to maintain human thermoregulation and improve warfighter performance under arctic conditions. The ability of a heated garment to effectively maintain warfighter insulation and thermal comfort, including core and skin temperature, would strengthen military operations in extremely cold environments. This technology can also be used to benefit civilian firefighters as it will assist in the development and testing of new heat-resistant materials for firefighter safety. Currently, Florida State University does not have a sweating guarded hot plate which provides researchers with the ability to determine the most appropriate combination of fabrics for multi-layer composites used commonly in protecting first responders and military personnel.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
City of Jacksonville - Septic Tank Phase Out
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
Project Sponsor: City of Jacksonville - 117 W. Duval Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202
The project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because it would be used to help offset the cost of phasing out failing septic tanks and connecting residential homes to the city sewer system throughout the city particularly in economically challenged areas, such as those in close proximity to waterways. Many of these homes in older neighborhoods have septic tanks prone to failure. The project will be citywide and include the Biltmore neighborhood (32254), Durkeeville (32209), Springfield (32206), Ribault Scenic (32208) and others. Specifically, this funding would help to accelerate the phase-out process. Completion of this work would be a game-changer for the neighborhoods and for nearby businesses that will no longer have to rely on septic tanks and water from shallow rock wells. Currently, the leaking septic tanks spill out into the streets, and environment, and flow into the rivers and streams, particularly during storms.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
Labor, Health, Human Services, and Related Agencies
South City Foundation Early Learning Center
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Project Sponsor: South City Foundation - 1126-A Lee Ave, Tallahassee, FL 32303
The project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because studies show that investments in high-quality early learning programs deliver a 13.7% per child, per year return. Long-term outcomes when young children are enrolled in these quality programs include reduced crime, reduced special education costs, and reduced medical needs. The South City Foundation therefore would use these funds for a full-time, year-round school readiness program by highly trained and accredited staff; provide comprehensive family support services such as mental health, parenting skills, and nutrition and wellness. The Centre will serve children ages 6 weeks to 5 years and their families. The Center's immediate goals will be to prepare neighborhood children to enter school with the tools they need to be successful and to engage in workforce development by training early childhood professionals.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
Advancing Educational Program for Girls to Achieve Socio-Economic Independence
Amount Requested: $500,000
Project Sponsor: Pace Center for Girls, Inc. - 6745 Philips Industrial Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32256
The project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because it will ensure more than 100 at-risk girls in Tallahassee graduate from high school, gain employment, and break multigenerational cycles of poverty and violence. When at-risk girls graduate from high school, enter post-secondary education, and find permanent employment, they are more likely to become productive citizens and their children more likely to become economically independent.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
Ready4Work - Mental Health Services Enhancements
Amount Requested: $100,000
Project Sponsor: Operation New Hope - 1830 North Main Street Jacksonville, Florida 32206
The project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because it will be used to hire another full-time Licensed Mental Health Counselor. This will allow Operation New Hope’s counseling team more time with each client to better identify, address, and treat the client’s needs. Additionally, this will allow for more frequent and diverse group counseling sessions, including mental health workshops, AA meetings, client/buddy support for new clients, yoga, and art therapy. Funds from this grant will also support specialized training certifications for their mental health team so that we may offer more treatment options.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
Neighborhood Medical Center Maternal & Pediatric Health Clinic
Amount Requested: $1,650,000
Project Sponsor: Neighborhood Medical Center, Incorporated - 872 W Orange Ave, Tallahassee, FL 32310
The project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because the funding will be used to acquire property and construct a state-of-the-art facility to house the Neighborhood Medical Center Maternal and Pediatric Health Clinic in Havana, Florida. The requested funds will help increase the number of uninsured and medically underserved maternal and pediatric patients that can be served in Gadsden County. This facility and the maternal and pediatric services provided will help improve health outcomes and reduce service gaps occurring for expectant mothers and their infants in this area. The Neighborhood Medical Center Maternal and Pediatric Clinic will serve over 1,000 individuals annually.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
Old Northside High School Campus Modernization and Adaptive Reuse Plan
Amount Requested: $1,967,328
Project Sponsor: Havana Community Development Corp. Inc. - 264 Carver Avenue Havana, Florida 32333
The project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because of the overwhelming and documented healthcare disparities in Florida’s only predominantly black county, as compared to the state’s population overall. These funds would be used to modernize an approximately 10,000 sq. ft of space in its 50,000 sq. ft. facility to establish a branch health clinic through Gadsden County’s Health Department as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) look-alike for rural Northeast Gadsden County, Florida.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
SHBB Impact Center and Capacity Project
Amount Requested: $3,000,000
Project Sponsor: America Second Harvest of the Big Bend - 4446 Entrepot Blvd, Tallahassee FL, 32310
The project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because it would be used to construct a new 20,000 square foot Second Harvest of the Big Bend Impact Center and additional warehouse space. Second Harvest’s current facility was originally designed to house and distribute 10 million pounds of food each year. Yet last year, the Food Bank distributed more than 13 million pounds. With the level of food insecurity expected to increase over the next decade, they need more capacity to close the meal gap in our region.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
Teen Multipurpose Center
Amount Requested: $1,200,000
Project Sponsor: One Gadsden Foundation, Inc. - 26 Cascade Falls Way Havana, Florida 32333
The project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because it would be used to acquire and rehabilitate a building for a Teen Multipurpose Center in Havana Florida.This center will be a social, educational, and recreational center intended primarily for use by Gadsden County children ages 11 to 18 years. In some cases, the center will be open to children ages 4-10, when special programs are in place to accommodate them. The Center will support opportunities for youth to develop their physical, social, emotional, and cognitive abilities to experience achievement, leadership, enjoyment, friendship, and recognition. Through the creation of education and career programs, teens will have the opportunity to gain experience in workplace readiness, college preparedness, scholarship assistance, career exploration, and more.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
TCC Commercial Vehicle Driving (CDL) Program Expansion
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Project Sponsor: Tallahassee Community College (TCC) - 444 Appleyard Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32304
The project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because it would be used to expand TCC’s CDL 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. Currently, the nation is suffering from a shortage of truck drivers. According to the Bureau of Labor Market Statistics, the February 2022 job total for the trucking industry equaled 1,549,100. In Florida’s 5th District, positioned along the I-10 corridor, there are currently 875 trucking jobs available and a projected growth of 1,129 (9.7%) over the next few years. It is anticipated that this number will grow exponentially with Amazon’s recent decision to locate a fulfillment center in the region. Currently, TCC’s commercial vehicle driving program is at max capacity with a year-long waiting list and the nearest similar program is either 55 miles to the east or 84 miles to the west.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
8th Street Complete Streets Improvements
Amount Requested: $3,000,000
Project Sponsor: Jacksonville Transportation Authority - 100 LaVilla Center Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32204
The project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because it would be used to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists along the 8th street corridor from Myrtle Avenue to Main Street. As part of the JTAMobilityWorks Complete Streets Program developed in 2016, an analysis of 8th Street was completed which identified high vehicle speeds, long stretches of roadway in between signalized pedestrian crossing opportunities, a lack of bicycle facilities, lack of pedestrian buffers, and inadequate accommodations for persons with disabilities. Ultimately, the recommendations consisted of pedestrian safety enhancements along the corridor, including realignment of existing crosswalks, new crosswalks, installation of rectangular rapid flashing beacons, and additional signage and marking for bike lanes. This is a good use of taxpayer funds because developing a multimodal transportation system in Jacksonville along key transit routes will enable safe use and support mobility for all users in Jacksonville, regardless of whether they are traveling as drivers, pedestrians, or bicyclists, or public transportation riders.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
Veterans Memorial Drive (CR 59), Leon County, FL
Amount Requested: $1,600,000
Project Sponsor: Leon County Government - 301 S. Monroe Street Tallahassee, Florida 32301
The project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because it would be used to replace a double 14-foot wide by 8-foot tall pipe-arch bridge on Veterans Memorial Drive (CR 59) in Leon County. The bridge was built in 1901, last reconstructed in 1955, and has reached the point that it is suited for replacement. Although this bridge is located along a federal aid roadway, it has historically ranked low on FDOT’s ranking list for bridge replacement funding. This project is a good use of taxpayers funds because it will ensure that Veterans Memorial Drive (CR 59) can continue to be used for interstate commerce and hurricane evacuation. Failure of the roadway would hinder movement out of storm surge areas in Jefferson County as well as Leon County as loss of the roadway would result in an 18-mile detour.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
Midway Septic to Sewer Project
Amount Requested: $3,943,971
Project Sponsor City of Midway located at 50 Martin Luther King Blvd, Midway, Florida 32343.
The project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because it would be used to convert a large section of residential development from Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems (OSTDS), conventionally known as septic systems, to a centralized sewer collection and treatment system. The total number of septic systems connecting to the central sewer system will be approximately 128 homes. The project is located within the Upper Wakulla River and Wakulla Spring Basin Management Action Plan area. Wakulla Springs is one of Florida’s most noteworthy and iconic Floridan Aquifer springs. Among the largest and deepest freshwater springs in the world. This project will continue to reduce nutrients leaching into the groundwater in the Wakulla Springs Contribution Area.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
Gretna Sewer Expansion
Amount Requested: $4,003,981
Project Sponsor City of Gretna - 14615 Main Street Gretna, Florida 32332
The project would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it would be used to construct a new sewer transmission system to serve the northeast and northwest quadrants of the interchange along the State Road 12 corridor in Gretna, Florida. The project consisted of the construction of two new lift stations and 10,250 linear feet of 10-inch force main. The project would extend sewer service to the southeast and southwest quadrant of the interchange where more than 1000 acres of commercially zone property exists. This project will expand the sewer treatment capacity of the City’s existing 400,000 gallons per day sewer treatment plant to handle current and future wastewater treatment. This federal funding request will fund the expansion of infrastructure, allowing the City to facilitate the development of over 1000 acres of commercial zone property, resulting in job creation in manufacturing, hospitality, and technology.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here
Emergency Repair to a Segment of Wastewater Equipment in the City of Madison
Amount Requested: $110,000
Project Sponsor City of Madison - 321 SW Rutledge Street Madison, FL 32340
The project would be a valuable use of taxpayer’s funds because it would be used to repair approximately 1,000 linear feet of the wastewater utility (force main and manholes) that are fast approaching 80 years old and are submerged underneath Range Avenue. The Department of Transportation alerted the City of Madison that it would re-paving Highway 14, from Interstate 10, entering the city limits of Madison, Florida, and terminating at Duval Avenue, also known as Highway 53.
Signed Financial Disclosure Letter: Click Here