Issa announces 2009 appropriations requests

WASHINGTON, DC — On April 3 Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) released a list of his Fiscal Year 2009 project funding requests.

“These requests for funding address critical infrastructure and safety needs within our community,” said Rep. Issa. “I have chosen to make public all of my project requests so that my constituents can see for themselves the local projects I have forwarded for funding consideration.”

His appropriations requests for 2009 include:

• San Diego Regional Interoperable Computer Aided Dispatch Project (San Diego County) – an emergency response GIS system that would improve communications between (15) fire agencies, emergency medical services and law enforcement agencies throughout the region served by the North Zone Fire Agencies. Amount requested: $6 million

• San Diego Regional Communications System Upgrade (San Diego County) – Would move the County of San Diego and its cities forward in terms of daily, routine communications and during disaster emergencies. Amount requested: $3.5 million

• West Vista Way (Vista) – Would provide for the widening of West Vista Way to relieve traffic congestion in the City of Vista. Project area: Melrose Drive on the east to Thunder Drive on the west, on the boundary with the City of Oceanside. Amount requested: $2 million

• French Valley Airport (Temecula) – Funds would provide for a feasibility study for the French Valley Airport to determine the necessary improvements and viability of expansion of the airport. Amount requested: $1 million

• Fallbrook Boys & Girls Club renovation and expansion (Fallbrook) – Would provide funds toward the renovation and expansion of the Fallbrook Boys & Girls Club (Ingold) location. Amount requested: $500,000

• Gang Prevention Program (Oceanside) – Program would create case managers and mentors to work with youth identified as gang associates (kids on the brink of becoming full-fledged gang member) in order to provide intense intervention to divert them away from gang membership. Amount requested: $500,000

• Lake Elsinore Emergency Operations Center (Lake Elsinore) – Funds would be used to equip new center in Lake Elsinore police headquarters. Amount requested: $250,000

• Murrieta Creek Flood Control Project (Temecula): The project would provide 100-year flood control for Murrieta and Temecula. Amount requested: $13 million

• San Luis Rey Flood Control Project (Oceanside) – Funding for Phase 1 of the Operations and Maintenance Plan for the San Luis Rey Flood Control Project, which includes clearing the main flood channel of overgrown vegetation, mitigation of environmental impacts, and operating the project to provide 150-year flood protection for the City of Oceanside. Amount requested: $7.2 million

• Perris II Desalter (Perris) – Project would produce potable water from an otherwise unusable groundwater resource through the construction of a three million-gallon per day reverse osmosis desalter, feed-water pipelines, and brackish water wells in the Perris south sub-basin. Part of Eastern Municipal Water District’s desalination program. Amount requested: $2 million

• Non-Potable Distribution Facilities and Demineralization/Desalination Recycled Water Treatment and Reclamation Facility Project (Riverside County) – Funds would be used to construct the project which, when completed, would free up enough treated water demands to serve 70,000 households in Southern California. Rancho California Water District. Amount requested: $2 million

• Santa Margarita Conjunctive Use Project (Fallbrook) – Funds would be used for the final design of the project in order to provide a safe, drought-and earthquake-proof water supply of 15,000 acre-feet annually – enough for 35,000 families. Fallbrook Public Utility District. Amount requested: $1 million

• San Jacinto & Upper Santa Margarita Watersheds Project (Riverside County) – Funds would help develop a plan to coordinate federal, state, and local efforts for future development while restoring and protecting aquatic resources – an integral part of the area’s new General Plan and Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan.

• SD County Fire Safety and Fuels Reduction Program (San Diego County) – Funds would help remove dead, dying and diseased trees to mitigate catastrophic wildfire dangers especially in the evacuation corridor areas and Palomar Mountain, Greater Julian, and Lost Valley.

• Corpsmen/Medics Civilian Nursing Training Program (Oceanside) – Project would create military-specific assessment and instructional tools that will acknowledge service members’ military training while preparing them to meet state licensing requirements to enter the civilian nursing field. Amount requested: $1.6 million

• Vista Community Clinic (Vista) – Funds for the construction and purchase of equipment for a new 12,000-square-foot community health center facility for low income, uninsured residents of North San Diego County. Amount requested: $1 million

• North County Health Project Oceanside Clinic Expansion (Oceanside) – Funds would help replace an existing, aging clinic site that serves low-income patients. Amount requested: $1 million

• Railroad Canyon I-15 interchange project (Lake Elsinore) – Would provide for re-working of Railroad Canyon connector with Interstate 15 and 215. Traffic condition of current configuration is classified as “unsafe.” Amount requested: $8 million

• State Route 76 (Oceanside, Vista, Bonsall, Fallbrook) – Funds would be used toward improving safety conditions, widening and realignment of State Route 76 between Melrose Drive in the City of Oceanside and Interstate 15 in the County of San Diego. Current accident rates on this roadway exceed the statewide average. Project has been identified as high priority by SANDAG and is part of the TransNet Early Action Program. Amount requested: $5 million

• San Luis Rey Transit Center (Oceanside) – Would provide for a 12-bay transit center to anchor a proposed mixed-use residential and retail development in Oceanside. Amount requested: $3.1 million