Lobbying for funds : City to consider renewing agreement with Van Scoyoc
Posted on Saturday, February 2, 2008
The city of Fayetteville has seen a return of about $ 51 in federal funding for city projects for each dollar spent for lobbying services since fiscal year 2005.
According to Mayor Dan Coody, the city has made payments of $ 318, 078 to Van Scoyoc Associates and received $ 16, 216, 500 in federal funding for economic development, transportation, housing and public safety projects.
“ They would not have happened without this, ” said Coody.
The City Council will consider Tuesday renewing its agreement with Van Scoyoc Associates for $ 84, 000 for 2008. The item had been on the consent agenda but was pulled at the request of Ward 4 Alderman Lioneld Jordan. The council meets at 6 p. m. Tuesday in Room 219 of the City Administration Building, 113 W. Mountain St.
Jordan said Friday he had received calls wondering about the city’s representation by Van Scoyoc and wanted to have a presenta- tion at the council meeting. The city has developed a list of seven projects for which it will request $ 23. 1 million in fiscal year 2009.
Funded projects Since fiscal 2005, Fayetteville has received nine grants from five federal agencies: Environmental Protection Agency, Small Business Administration, Department of Transportation, Department of Justice, and Housing and Urban Development. Coody said the last major earmark the city received before then was an appropriation to rebuild the wastewater system on the east side of town in the early 1980 s.
More than $ 14 million worth of the grants were appropriated in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 for sewer rehabilitation, work on Cato Springs Road, a variety of activities to help the Arkansas Research and Technology Park grow new jobs in the area and the Fayetteville Economic Expressway Corridor.
No projects were earmarked or appropriated in 2007.
When President George Bush signed the omnibus spending bill in late December, it included almost $ 2 million appropriated for four Fayetteville projects in 2008.
“ It’s money returned to the Fayetteville taxpayers from their income tax and highway monies. ” said Coody.
The 2008 appropriations are for a police radio system, Arkansas Research and Technology Park, wastewater system improvements and for developing an affordable housing strategy for workforce housing in the metropolitan Fayetteville area.
Each of the four appropriations were less than requested.
The 2008 appropriations ranged from $ 300, 000 to $ 670, 000 while requests ranged from $ 1 million to $ 4 million. The city requested $ 9. 5 million for the four projects.
Susan Thomas, public information officer and policy advisor, said partial appropriations mean the city administration and departments will have to decide what makes sense as a first step. “ For most of these (2008 appropriations ), we have to decide how we’re going to use these partial earmarks, because, you can’t build a $ 2. 5 million radio system with less than half a million, ” she said.
Expressway The biggest project currently under way is work on the Fayetteville Expressway Economic Development Corridor. The corridor, for which the city received a $ 9 million appropriation in 2006, carries about 166, 000 vehicles a day on several streets and highways in the Northwest Arkansas Mall area. Among those are College Avenue, Joyce Street, the Fulbright Expressway, Van Asche Boulevard, Gregg Avenue, Arkansas Highways 71, 112 and 180 and Interstate 540. The city and Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department have accepted conceptual plans for a “ flyover” that would take drivers from northbound Arkansas Highway 71 B to access westbound Fulbright Expressway and for improvements to the on- and off-ramps at North Hills Boulevard.
Van Scoyoc Van Scoyoc’s representation of the city to public officials, federal agencies and the staffs of congressional appropriation committees offers the city a two-pronged approach to getting federal dollars, Coody said. “ The city needs to be looking for as much opportunity, as much money and as much programmatic activity they can tap from as many sources as possible. It’s a competitive environment and they, obviously, want to hold down local spending, Helping get money from Washington to supplement what is provided locally is one of the things that happens, ” Kevin Kelley, vice-president of Van Scoyoc Associates, said of the agency’s work in Washington on behalf of the city.
“ Do we do direct lobbying of the Congress on behalf of the city ? You bet, ” he said.
Kelley described his work for the city as providing thought leadership in helping define critical needs, scripting the narratives that support city requests, and helping make the requests.
“ We help them come up with an agenda and a contact plan, ” said Kelley.
The company also identifies grant opportunities for which the city could apply.
As legislation or grant programs move forward, Van Scoyoc makes sure the city’s interests are represented, Kelley said.
The formal agreement calls that work, “ Educating Members of Congress and their staffs about Fayetteville concerns or opportunities with respect to legislation or regulations. ”
Van Scoyoc Associates also is helping city staff meet the people that run the grant programs to build relationships with the federal agencies, Kelley said.
“ The whole premise is one Fayetteville and working together to promote jobs, a better standard of living, higher quality of life, ” Kelley said.
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