$1 Million in Grants Available for Water Quality Projects

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is seeking applications for approximately $1 million in funding for nonpoint source pollution reduction projects available under the Federal Clean Water Act. The DEQ says nonpoint source pollution is the single largest cause of water quality impairment in Montana’s lakes and streams, and typically comes from various sources … Read more

MN Clean Water Partnership Loans Available

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) announced the Clean Water Partnership (CWP) Program is currently offering zero percent interest loans to eligible applicants. The loans are available for implementing nonpoint source best management practices (BMPs) and other activities that target the restoration and protection of a water resource such as a lake, stream, or groundwater … Read more

Upcoming Community Development Block Grant Deadlines

Deadlines are approaching throughout the Midwest for the U.S. Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). According to HUD, the primary goal of the CDBG program is “the development of viable communities, by providing decent housing and suitable living environment and expanding economic opportunities, principally for persons of low and moderate income.” … Read more

FEMA Funding Doubled for BRIC Grant Program

President Joe Biden announced the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program will double its funding from $500 million to $1 billion for the 2022 application window. This provides a major opportunity for flood control and water-related infrastructure projects to access grant funding. The BRIC program provides 75% cost-share … Read more

Considerations for Utilizing Special Assessments for Improvements

Special assessments are a commonly used tool to finance the construction of improvements in parts of the country. The basic idea is that the cost of improvements is assigned to the individual properties that benefit and in relation to how much benefit is received. In other words, when a new water pipeline is installed along … Read more

Equity and Public Infrastructure Costs

The year 2020 brought many words and phrases to the forefront of the public’s collective consciousness. The idea of equity is being considered more carefully in many communities across the country. For instance, the City of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota included Equity as one of six goals to accomplish within the next five years in the … Read more