Hill leads roundtable talk on federal stimulus money

Two Bloomington departments will receive more than $2.4 million from the federal stimulus package, and Rep. Baron Hill, D-9th, wants to know what they are doing with their cut.

Hill led a roundtable discussion Tuesday at City Hall with Mayor Mark Kruzan and other city officials to discuss how the housing authority and Bloomington Public Transport Corporation will invest the federal money.

The housing authority will receive $709,887 as part of the capital fund program to renovate and improve energy efficiency of existing housing units.

The housing authority previously made a five-year plan for improvements, but Kruzan said the projects will be completed sooner and be made a priority as a result of the additional funding. 

The funding will create jobs in the construction industry in Bloomington, said Jennifer Osterholt, director of the Bloomington Housing Authority.

Kruzan stressed that the aid is a one-time opportunity and is not meant to create dependence on government money. 

“It may not just be new job creation from every project, but it will also sustain existing jobs,” Kruzan said.

Kruzan said he hopes citizens view the stimulus package as an investment rather than government spending.

Lew May, general manager of Bloomington Public Transport Corporation, said the money has come at a crucial time. The corporation received $1.7 million in funding for a new, more energy-efficient downtown passenger facility. The project would not have been possible without the extra funding, May said. 

Annual ridership is projected to reach more than 3 million this year, which has tripled since 1999, May said. He said he hopes the corporation will continue to increase ridership. Stimulus funding cannot be used to expand routes but must be used for one-time capital investments, such as infrastructure projects.

“We have to improve our facilities, improve services and infrastructure,” May said.

Hill said funding for energy efficiency and sustainability should be a priority use for the stimulus money. It would directly “stimulate the economy, save on energy costs and prevent global warming and encourage energy independence,” Hill said.

Hill, who is a member of the fiscally conservative Democratic “Blue Dog” Coalition, said he had not foreseen having to vote for such a large stimulus package, but was glad to see quick results. He said he would, however, be skeptical to vote for additional stimulus packages.

“These are unusual times,” Hill said. “I don’t think you can just lock yourself into some rigid philosophy. You have to be practical about this.”