News

In This Issue:

• Reminder: Monthly coalition call 4/28 @ 4pm E
• UPDATE: DOT Fiscal Report will now be released 6/1/11
• Notes from the 2011 SGA Coalition Meeting are now available
• SGA member Transportation Choices Coalition is hiring!
• New report available from RUPRI: Rethinking Federal Investments in Rural Transportation: Rural Considerations Regarding  Reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Act
• Siting Renewable Energy on Potentially Contaminated Land and Mine Sites – Request for Applications
• Heart & Soul Community Planning Grants available

Reminder: Monthly coalition call 4/28 @ 4pm E

The monthly coalition call will be held Thursday, April 28 @ 4pm Eastern on this conference line: 712-432-0111, 668783#. The main agenda topic will be the release of the DOT fiscal national report as well as an update on LOCUS, SGA’s developer coalition.

UPDATE: DOT Fiscal Report will now be released 6/1/11

In order to better time upcoming SGA and T4 reports, we will now plan to release the DOT Fiscal report on Wednesday, June 1. All other release plans will remain the same (see the email Elisa sent out on Tuesday 4/19). To learn more about the release, please join the monthly coalition call (info above).

Notes from the 2011 SGA Coalition Meeting are now available

The notes as well as the PowerPoint presentation on communications, polling and messaging results can be accessed on the members-only website.

Transportation Choices Coalition is hiring!

TCC is hiring for a new position with the responsibility to increase TCC’s individual donations. To increase our individual membership retention rate and recruit new members we would like a candidate to develop a suite of membership benefits and incentives that would be attractive to current and prospective members. This position would be responsible for identifying and securing the support of businesses, non-profits, and other partners to participate in a TCC member benefit package to be rolled out at the end of 2011. For more info, check out the full job description (doc).

New Report from RUPRI: Rethinking Federal Investments in Rural Transportation: Rural Considerations Regarding  Reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Act

America’s rural areas, small towns, and small cities require more flexibility in choosing among transportation investment options to maintain strong economies and quality of life, according to a new study released by the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI). The report shows that a variety of transportation investments — including transit, vanpools, walking and biking paths and roads and highways — are critical to the economic development and well-being of our nation’s smaller communities and rural areas. For more information and to download the report, visit RUPRI’s website.

Siting Renewable Energy on Potentially Contaminated Land and Mine Sites – Request for Applications

Through its RE-Powering America’s Land: Siting Renewable Energy on Potentially Contaminated Land and Mine Sites initiative, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency  (EPA) is soliciting applications from states, tribes, regional governments, and communities that want to evaluate the potential development of renewable energy on potentially or formerly contaminated properties. This evaluation will be in the form of a feasibility study conducted by the Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) that will determine the best renewable energy technology for the site, the optimal location for placement of the renewable energy technology, potential energy generating capacity, the return on the investment, and the economic feasibility of the renewable energy projects. For more information, see EPA’s website .

Heart & Soul Community Planning Grants available

The Orton Family Foundation invites proposals from small cities and towns committed to planning for a future that preserves and enhances their “heart and soul”—those places, people and customs that make them unique. The Foundation helps communities navigate change while upholding what they value most. We offer an innovative approach to community planning that unlocks potential by identifying local values, building a vision from them, and prioritizing actions. We seek towns where community partners are ready to harness the inherent ability of citizens to imagine and achieve a better future.

The Foundation will select four communities, two in New England and two in the northern Rocky Mountain West. Each selected community will receive training, technical assistance and up to $100,000 in supporting funds over two years. During this two-year period, communities are expected to provide a 1:1 match through a combination of in-kind resources and a minimum $25,000 cash match. For more information, please visit the Foundation’s website.