Towns seeking information about Reinvestment Act funds
By Curtis Riggs | April 29, 2009
MAG meeting on Tuesday
DESERT FOOTHILLS – Town officials in Carefree and Cave Creek hope to learn more about over $500,000, which could be coming to both communities through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Carefree could receive $588,000 of the new economic stimulus money, Carefree Planning Director Gary Neiss said. The project town officials have identified for the money is resurfacing Cave Creek Road from Scopa Trail to Carefree’s eastern border.
Cave Creek would like to use the $614,000 in federal money it could get from the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Maricopa Association of Government, to redo the intersection of Cave Creek Road and Carefree Highway. Town Manager Usama Abujbarah said if MAG signs off on this project double turn lanes could be put in for westbound Carefree Highway and southbound Cave Creek Road.
There is concern about Cave Creek’s planned project, however.
Since the intersection is a major one, overseen by ADOT, there is concern the project may not begin within the required 120 days.
Receipt of the recovery money requires the projects to start within four months and use local labor.
“We hope to overcome the issue of qualification by ADOT,” Abujbarah said. Having Cave Creek Town Councilman Dick Esser being part of the MAG management committee could help overcome the administration issues.
Both Abujbarah and Neiss hope to get questions answered about the reinvestment act answered at the Tuesday MAG meeting, which took place too late to be included in this week’s newspaper.