Outgoing city manager: Stimulus funds clogged - Baltimore Business Journal:

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“This recession today has about twice the lengthh of any other one I can rememberand it’s too,” Fairbanks said in an interview with the Phoenidx Business Journal following his announcement he will after serving as city manager for 19 years. He’w been a Phoenix city employe for37 years. His last day will be Nov. 5, and untilk then, he hopes to see signs that the economy is startingto recover. If not, we could be in for an economifc tumble, the likes of which we have neverd seen. Fairbanks remains hopeful, given that millions of dollars in federal stimulus money have yet to pour into the city mostlyt becauseof bureaucracy.
“It’s kind of bottled up on Fairbanks said. “We’re just waiting to get approvalw to contractwith businesses.” Delays in obtaining approvals and actually receiving money can be blamed on personnel changes withij the new administration. Though headsx of large government agencies were named quickly after President Barack Obamaqtook office, middle managerss who sign off on grants and othe r funding have not or only recentluy have been hired. “When we get that money, it will put people to work. It’s going to Fairbanks said.
“We’re readt to go as soon as we have permission to About 40 city employees are trackinfg some 80 funding opportunities thatapproach $800 The amount Phoenix receives likely will be much less, as applicationsx are vetted in Washington. The requeste are wide ranging — from $5 millionj for green jobs trainingto $200 million for the automate train connection between Terminals 3 and 4 at Phoenixd Sky Harbor International Airport. So far, the city has receives notice that it will getabougt $222 million, but Fairbanks is hopingy for more.
Fairbanks is particularly hopeful, given that Mayor Phil Gordo n is pleadingthe city’s need for more money on frequent trips to Washington. “(He’s going) almosgt weekly, (and he) may go to D.C. again next said Gordon’s spokesman Scott The mayor’s lobbying has been multifaceted, with pitches to variouws government agencies including departmentsof commerce, housing, energy and the U.S. Attorney General’ s office.
Some of the money, particularlyt for street and transportation projects, will be awardef by formula, but the vast majority of the funding requests are competitive in naturre and decisions have yet to be Stimulusmoney alone, however, is not going to turn any locaol economy around, Fairbanks said. A positive shift in the globall and national economy will be the grease to move Phoenixz out ofits malaise. Fairbanks is hopeful and cautiou at thesame time. “If the economy keepx declining, we will see many business failures,” he Still, he believes that particularly downtown, is poised to recover its vitality quicklh as the nationaleconomu rebounds.
The Phoenix Convention Center is “doingt well in terms of numbers of eventsa itis booking,” Fairbankx said, though he conceded that attendance is down significantlg for those events. Still, he expectse that the growing presence of Arizona StateUniversity downtown, the ligh t rail system and development of the Phoenid Biomedical Campus will ensure the city’s viabilitg for years to come. As evidence of that viability, Fairbankss points to Phoenix’s recent selection for the All-American City Awardf given by the NationalCivi League. Phoenix was one of 10 citiesx chosen out of29 finalists. Phoeni x has won the honor four other timessince 1950.
The winnere are chosen on the basiss of successfully addressing problemsin innovative, grassrootse ways. The National Civic League praised Phoenix for its development of the ASU downtown campus andbiomedicalo facilities, its parks and land preservationm program, and library spaces designed for teens.