Another $32 million in I-JOBS bonds earmarked for disaster recovery

DES MOINES – More than $32 million of the remaining $105 million in state I-JOBS bonding authority would go toward disaster recovery efforts under an initial proposal unveiled to lawmakers on Monday.

The revenue bonds also would be used for a one-time infusion of $17 million in community attraction and tourism and river enhancements in vertical infrastructure, $15 million in improve rail ports for transporting wind-energy equipment and $22 million for upgrades at regent universities and community colleges.

Members of the Legislature's Transportation, Infrastructure and Capitals budget subcommittee also received recommendations totaling $152.7 million in projects covered by the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund (RIIF), which included a scaled-back $38 million to the Grow Iowa Values Fund and a reduced $33 million to the environment first fund. Another $24.7 million would go for local road projects on a 50-50 split, $24.3 million in tuition replacement for state universities, $10 million for a technology reinvestment fund, and $2 million each for community college workforce training, floodplain management and rail assistance.

“This is just the first stab,” said Sen. Matt McCoy, D-Des Moines, subcommittee co-chairman. “I think there'll be tweaking, but I would say it's 85 (percent) if not 90 percent solid.”

The proposed disaster-related bonding money would direct $8.8 million to a new Linn County administration building; $2.7 million for business incubator and accelerator centers to help flood-affected businesses in Cedar Rapids and Mason City; $9.5 million for flood projects in Des Moines and Polk County; $1.5 million for the Davenport Fire Station; $5 million for a public works building in Waterloo; $2 million for a wastewater treatment plant in Iowa City; nearly $1.2 million for a green pilot project in West Union; $475,000 for the Jesup City Hall; and $900,000 for projects in Belmond and Norwalk.

The initial bonding plan also would direct $10 million to the second phase of a small animal teaching hospital at Iowa State University's veterinary laboratory, $5 million to the University of Iowa's institute for biomedical discovery and $7.5 million for vertical infrastructure projects at community colleges.

Comments: (515) 243-7220;

rod.boshart@gazcomm.com