Axne talks federal infrastructure funds with Perry leaders

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U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne spent 45 minutes Tuesday afternoon in a virtual meeting with some leaders of Perry's economy for a discussion of the federal infrastructure funds that are on their way to Perry.

U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne spent about 45 minutes Tuesday afternoon in a virtual meeting with some leaders of Perry’s economy for a discussion of the federal infrastructure funds that are on their way to Perry.

Joining the Congresswoman were Mayor John Andorf, Perry City Administrator Sven Peterson, Perry Economic Development Inc. members Deb Lucht of Minburn Communications and Matt McDevitt of the Raccoon Valley Bank and Greater Dallas County Development Alliance Director Alex Lynch.

“I want to make sure we’re helping you every step of the way so that you can use whatever funds you’re receiving in the best ways for our communities,” Axne told the Zoom room.

Noting that we will “get over $5 billion of investment just in our state alone for the various pieces of this bill, from bridges and roads to waterway infrastructure,” the Congresswoman listed many of the key provisions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which the U.S. House of Representatives passed Friday and President Joe Biden is expected to sign Monday.

Peterson told Axne about two Perry infrastructure projects that might qualify for IIJA funding, beginning with the upgrades to the Perry wastewater treatment plant and the pandemic-caused rise in materials prices that increased the project’s cost nearly 50%, from $20 million to $28 million.

Peterson also noted that Perry recently qualified for about $4.5 million in Federal Aviation Administration funding, which will permit the city to extend the new runway at the Perry Municipal Airport from 4,000 feet to 5,500 feet.

“I’m just really excited about this,” Axne said. “I think there’s huge opportunity.” She said much of the infrastructure funding is aimed not only at fixing what is in disrepair but in building “climate resiliency” into public works.

Lucht said she was pleased with the recent announcement of an additional $200 million in federal funding for Iowa to extend high-speed internet access and the additional $100 million provided in the IIJA. She said address-level mapping of internet service, which is finer grained than census-block mapping, is needed to ensure high-speed access is universal.

McDevitt also thanked Axne for taking the time to meet. He spoke briefly about Perry’s need for workforce development and housing. Axne noted the IIJA alone is projected to create someĀ 800,000 jobs nationwide by 2025 and some 2.4 million jobs when coupled with the Build Back Better legislation, which Congress is expected to take up again this month.

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