Cathedral City Pursues Stimulus Plan Funding
Cathedral City officials say there are 21 city projects eligible for funds from the federal stimulus plan. Those projects could potentially create about 2,200 jobs and bring in more than $8 million for the city.
“Our city manager has been attending weekly meetings with other cities in the valley to develop a cohesive and collaborative approach to identify projects that can involve regional participation and the direction of staff is to continue to stay on this moving target,” says Mitch Neiman, Cathedral City project manager.
Some of them include an Eagle Canyon flood control project, construction of a new fire station, a four-star hotel and road widening and resurfacing on Date Palm Drive and Ramon Road. Mike Bwaneh it’s somethinghe can’t wait for. He the owner of the 111 Smoke Shop, one of the many businesses damaged in last years flood.
“We had flood, a lot of damage…my understanding is some of the area is… the aqueduct was not appropriate to handle all that water, all that flooding,” says Bwaneh.
The city says the projects have cleared all the necessary regulation checkpoints, now it’s just a waiting game.
“We’re still looking to our agencies for deadlines on these, and timelines. Most of the timelines haven’t been released. However, depending on when the applications get made the agencies who are administering the applications, they’ll decide when things can go to contract,” says Neiman.
Cathedral City mayor Kathy DeRosa and other city officials will go to Washington D.C. at the end of the month. They will meet with Inland Empire lawmakers and key federal agencies as part of their push to fund the projects.
