IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

Darren Olson, the engineer leading the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE), 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure is vice president and assistant department head of the Water Resources Department at Christopher B. Burke Engineering in Chicago, said the ASCE estimates there is a $3.7-trillion infrastructure investment gap over the next 10 years.

He believes the federal government still has a significant role to play in funding infrastructure, especially sustainability.

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

Darren Olson, the engineer leading the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE), 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure is vice president and assistant department head of the Water Resources Department at Christopher B. Burke Engineering in Chicago, said looking at life-cycle-cost savings is part of resiliency.

“When we are looking at a highway and budget for a transit lane, that is more expensive now, but it pays off over time,” he said.

“When we repair a road or make it more resilient, we also need to add more space for pedestrians and biking.

We need to make sure we’re not leaving anybody behind, that we are improving society when everybody is more mobile and more active.”

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

Investing in infrastructure keeps the United States competitive in the global economy

The ASCE urges that the momentum must continue, especially with resiliency.

“Thirty years ago, very few realized that much of our infrastructure is over 100 years old. Back then, few contemplated that the climate was going to change,” 

said Darren Olson, the engineer leading the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE), 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure is vice president and assistant department head of the Water Resources Department at Christopher B. Burke Engineering in Chicago.

 

 

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

Darren Olson, the engineer leading the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE), 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure is vice president and assistant department head of the Water Resources Department at Christopher B. Burke Engineering in Chicago.

He said the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act plus the Inflation Reduction Act provided more than a trillion dollars for much-needed infrastructure, while also supporting myriad jobs.

Investing in infrastructure keeps the United States competitive in the global economy, Olson said. 

He noted that safe inland waterways and great ports allow things like grain and soybeans to be shipped overseas, keeping this nation competitive against other producers such as Brazil.

 

SIDEWALKS SHOULD NEVER BE CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION

CLOSERS FOOLISHLY FORCE MULTIPLE CROSSINGS 

OF DANGEROUS TRAFFIC TO COMPLETE A JOURNEY

Bravo for the scaffolding & wide, gently graded ramps to maintain pedestrian mobility for all during construction around the Freedom Tower on the west side of Biscayne Boulevard.

Tragically, dozens of downtown Miami sidewalks are closed for construction — putting people on peril.

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

Darren Olson, the engineer leading the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE), 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure is vice president and assistant department head of the Water Resources Department at Christopher B. Burke Engineering in Chicago.

This year’s grade was C: the highest overall grade ever awarded. ASCE credited increased investment at the federal and state levels for elevating the nation’s infrastructure grade above 2021’s C-minus.

“Infrastructure — it’s not a red thing or a blue thing — it improves life if we have clean water, safe sanitation and the commute to work is easier,” Olson said.

“Transit and broadband affect everything we do.

The digital transformation/AI is a huge topic.

Without infrastructure, there is no AI, no massive data centers.”

 

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

Earlier this year, California passed a wildfire aid package that dedicated up to $1 billion to disaster response and emergency operations while also making allocations for rebuilding homes and schools.

“In the near term, it’s possible that states with smaller budgets will see far greater challenges in responding to disasters without the access to federal dollars that they’ve had in the past,” said Drew Myers, policy representative, State and Local Issues, Advocacy Group, National Association of REALTORS®.

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

“Following the tragic Camp Mystic floods in Texas, the Texas legislature passed bills that allocate funding to early warning systems and support emergency training and first-responder communication improvements,” 

said Drew Myers, policy representative, State and Local Issues, Advocacy Group, National Association of REALTORS®, noting the legislation also addresses emergency manager licensing and equipment upkeep.

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

Drew Myers, policy representative, State and Local Issues, Advocacy Group, National Association of REALTORS®, said state governments are taking action on the budget impact of weather-related events.

“As the administration reviews and considers overhauling FEMA disaster aid and other programs, some states are considering boosting or creating new disaster recovery funds while others will invest in their ‘rainy-day’ funds to bolster their ability to provide aid to their constituents in the future,” Myers said.

States are also thinking about longer-term strategies, debating policy solutions to address disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

 

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

In early 2025, National Association of REALTORS asked government affairs directors from state and local REALTOR® associations across the country if weather-related events were placing a strain on their state or local government’s budget.

More than half (54%) reported financial stress in government budgets from extreme weather events, requiring advocacy for improved infrastructure and resiliency funding.

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

The Duwamish River restoration project is a perfect example of a “capital stack” combination of funding, including: state grants, local grants, public utilities grants, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant, King County Flood Control District funding, conservation fund dollars and funding from FEMA BRIC, a federal program now suspended by the administration.

Other grant applications for the evolving public-private partnership are pending.

The project team is hoping to enter a partnership with a pro sports team foundation that supports climate resilience in disadvantaged areas.

 

JOE SANCHEZ IS RUNNING FOR MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 5

I STAND WITH THE LONGTIME SERVANT – WHO GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK AS A SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR WHEN WAS A MIAMI CITY COMMISSIONER

I stand with Joe Sanchez — the People’s Commissioner — for Miami Dade County District 5.

I have been a proud resident of this district for a quarter century.

I also had the rare privilege of working the better part of a decade as Joe’s policy advisor with the City Of Miami.

I was proud when Joe Sanchez listed a few of the people-centered initiatives that we completed when he was a Miami Commissioner.

He could have listed dozens.

All embraced our diverse population and were done for people—not partisan politics.

Far more than 100 people stood shoulder-to-shoulder to support Joe Sanchez for Miami-Dade County Commissioner.

The lifelong public servant spoke from the heart about fighting corruption, reducing taxes, increasing, homeownership affordability

A packed house of diverse community members attended Joe Sanchez for Miami-Dade County Commissioner District 5 campaign kickoff this month.

The county commissioners robbed us of the democratic process when they appointed a person to the position.

We get to vote on who represent us in August 2026.

https://votejoesanchez.com/

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

In Seattle, Tahne Corcutt is leading Jacobs’ work on the Duwamish River, a heavily polluted waterway surrounded by Seattle’s industrial area.

The river also floods, further negatively impacting the city’s largest Hispanic community as well as lower-income, disadvantaged areas.

Jacobs is working with the U.S. EPA and other entities to restore habitat and remove contamination as part of the environmental justice project.

 

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

Tahne Corcutt, of the Jacobs engineering firm, said some cities may partner with private property owners who will benefit from flood protection or other resilient infrastructure.

Cities could also work with private property owners to raise building foundations out of the floodplain or to encourage less paved surface and more plants that are good at absorbing rainwater.

The Water Infrastructure and Innovation Act (WIFIA) is an EPA program that funds water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

Minimum project size for large cities is $20 million and $5 million for small communities.

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

“The old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is so true with water and green infrastructure. It costs a lot less to avoid a problem than to pay to rebuild after the catastrophe,” said Tahne Corcutt, of the Jacobs engineering firm.

"[Resilient infrastructure] can create inclusive places where people want to come." 

Corcutt said as local and regional governments seek voter approval for levies, bond issues and loans, they must sell stakeholders on the value of green infrastructure.

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

Tahne Corcutt is an expert in state revolving fund programs and public-private partnership funding at Jacobs, the top project management firm in the nation as ranked by Engineering News and Record.

She is creating a comprehensive multi-year funding strategy for Seattle Public Utilities’ Duwamish River Valley Resilience Program.

It will be funded by a combination of federal, state and local grants and loans to design and build $16 million in nature-based solutions and water resiliency.

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

The Resilience Authority of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County can work regionally to try to avoid gray, unattractive, single-use seawalls and bulkheads.

With the big picture in mind, it can create nature-based systems that provide habitat while enhancing a living shoreline and supporting natural ecosystems such as oyster beds that filter the bay’s water.

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

“People often talk about resilience in fatalistic terms.

But it can build on the strength of a community,” said Matthew Fleming, director of the Resilience Authority of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. “[Resilient infrastructure] can create inclusive places where people want to come.”

“One of our first completed projects was an ecological restoration of a stream that was getting blown out with every storm.

We restored the floodplain, putting in habitat that allows water to soak in instead of flooding.

We are getting better water quality and flood protection plus a wetland complex with a walking trail in a natural area that abuts a state park,” Fleming said.

CREATE A CHIEF MOBILITY OFFICER

THE CITY OF MIAMI NEEDS A NEW OFFICIAL FOR PEDESTRIAN, TRANSIT, MOBILITY

My opinion piece was originally published in the Miami Today Newspaper. I have created a groundbreaking Universal Design college course and lectured on mobility around the world.

The city of Miami has new leadership.

In less than a year, three of its six elected positions have been filled with leaders focused on delivering a high quality of life for Miami’s diverse population.

Mayor Eileen Higgins and Commissioners Rolando Escalona and Ralph Rosado campaigned on a promise of making the city more consumer friendly and responsive to the needs of the everyday people.

With a new city manager and department heads under a new mayor, it’s an ideal time to create the essential mobility officer position.

The city of Miami has sidewalks, crosswalks, parks, paths and bike lanes – plus a portion of the wonderful Underline. It is served by Miami-Dade County buses, circulators, Metrorail and Metromover. Tri-Rail and the Brightline also figure into the transit mix.

It sounds like a wealth of services – but as anyone who has tried to get around in Miami, there are horrendous gaps in the mobility network. Add in haphazard construction (the city routinely allows developers to shut down essential sidewalks for years of construction – even in its most dense urban neighborhoods) and the system is not working for the well more than half a million people who live and work in the Magic City.

Cars perpetually illegally parked on sidewalks -- destroying pedestrian and wheelchair user access at an historic City of Miami Park. Safe pathways to transit are frequently destroyed by illegal parking.

Like many major cities, the people want mobility options – but we design, build and maintain a system that treats everyone who cannot drive a car as a second class citizen.

But research has shown that upwards of one third of people cannot afford to drive or cannot drive because of age (too young or too old) or disability.

Even for those who can drive, the AAA estimates the total (purchase, maintenance, fuel, insurance) cost of owning a car at $1,025 per month.

That is a staggering figure in a city where one in five people live below the poverty line.

It is a brutal number when one considers that Miami is one of the most rent challenged cities in America and studies have shown that more than half of its households live virtually paycheck to paycheck.

Think about the money that could go toward housing and other household needs– if a family could swap more than $1,000 per month per vehicle – for a tiny fraction of that spent on a transit pass and e-bike or scooter.

Of all marginalized groups, people with disabilities are by far the most under- and unemployed – but not because of their underlying disability.

The CDC says one in for people will experience a disability that impacts their daily living. Inclusive mobility is not an outlier for a special interest.

Sidewalks on both sides of the street closed for years of construction -- a violation of the ADA, a nightmare for wheelchair users and a living hell for all in the heart of Downtown Miam.

Every time: a sidewalk is blocked for six weeks when work could last a weekend, a curbramp is flooded, an elevator to elevated transit is out of order for ages, a safe pathway is blocked by a discarded e-scooter, a bus shelter is inaccessible – a pathway to work is destroyed.

Sadly, Miami often ranks as having some of the worst pedestrian death and series injury statistics in the U.S.

Things will only get worse. America is rapidly gaining. Soon, for the first time in our nation’s history, there will be more people older than age 60 than younger than 18. This means people with reduced mobility and reduced means will be dependent on a seamless network of multimodal mobility.

There are areas in Miami’s densely populated Central Business District where both sides of the sidewalk are closed for years of construction. Simple scaffolding would support both construction and safe sidewalks.

Miami’s mobility is impacted by nearly a dozen divergent city, county and state authorities, as well as redevelopment agencies, and private sector spanning from for profit rail to taxies, rideshare and jitneys.

If we are ever going to have humane, efficient, inclusive and equitable transportation networks with world class walkability – we must have a chief mobility officer.

Steve Wright is an award-winning author, planner, educator, keynote speaker and disability mobility advocate. He worked in public policy for the city of Miami from 2002-2009.

https://www.miamitodayepaper.com/Miami-Today-02052026-e-Edition/6/

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

To date, The Resilience Authority of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County has $50 million in capital assembled in a portfolio built around federal, state and local grants plus charitable donations.

The authority is governed by a local board of directors.

Authority Director Matthew Fleming said it also is looking at ways to manage community assets to provide green benefits.

This could include a solar energy field on government-owned land.

A municipal-owned parking garage could enter a public-private partnership to bond out the asset under a new operating agreement or possibly redevelop it for revenue to fund sustainability capital projects.

 

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

The Resilience Authority of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County’s financial tools include:

• The capability to receive state and federal grant funds.

• Receiving funds from a local government that transfers a portion of its revenue to fund a project.

• Bonding authority to establish revenue for major projects. This way, a regional project can be done without a local government having to market, sell and repay the bonds, which can impact bond ratings for those municipalities.

• Functioning as a nonprofit (but not as a traditional 501(c)(3) to receive charitable donations from local and national foundations and philanthropic organizations.

• The authority to enter into a public-private partnership to fund resiliency.

 

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

The Resilience Authority of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County was created as the first multi-jurisdictional organization of its kind in the country.

Matthew Fleming, the authority’s director and a 25-year veteran of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, said it very much aims to be a national model.

“We may not have the big high-impact storms like hurricanes, but the constant erosion, the sunny day flooding, the infrastructure being inundated — we’re 520 miles of shoreline, peninsulas and creeks and these communities were getting cut off by flooding,” Fleming said.

“Approaching things from a regional context makes sense.”

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A              TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

In Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay and waterways that connect to it are a pulsing heart of economic development, seafood harvesting, recreation, transportation and nature.

Maryland has been working for years on ways to deal with coastal erosion, flooding, environmental changes and high-impact weather events.

Future-proofing roads, stormwater, sewers and other infrastructure demands billions of dollars.

In 2020, the Maryland General Assembly passed a bill allowing every jurisdiction in the state to establish a resilience authority.

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

 MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A             TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

“Damage from extreme weather will cost the South Florida region — Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties — more than $5.67 billion annually, per a new Urban Institute analysis using FEMA data,” reported news site Axios this August.

This perfect storm of greater need with lower federal funding is pressing cities, counties and other municipalities to explore bonds, revolving loan funds, public-private partnerships, nonprofit foundations, utility fees and other ways of footing the bill for very costly green infrastructure.

 

 

IT'S NOT EASY GOING GREEN

MUNICIPALITIES MUST GET CREATIVE TO FUND RESILIENCY IN A                TIME OF BOTH GREATER NEED AND REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING

Natural disasters — destruction from wildfires, flooding, hurricanes and hail — are setting records for both frequency and severity according to the insurance, risk mitigation and emergency management industries.

But while municipalities are racing to harden systems while building and rebuilding for resiliency, post-Covid stimulus and infrastructure funds are drawing down.

On top of that, billions in federal funding are at risk and other programs are being put on hold, signaling that states and municipalities will be expected to foot more of the bill while becoming less reliant on federal grants and programs.

ABLEISTS ARE TOXIC

AND EVERY BIT AS LOATHSOMELY BIGOTED AS RACISTS

Why do ableists think it is the duty of people with disabilities, or their allies, to fix the built environment?

Every time I post a picture of neglected landscaping blocking sidewalk accessibility, I get "If it bothers you, why don't you trim it." snotty response.

Many find requests for the basic dignity/civil rights of wheelchair access so offensive, that they demonize the person requesting them.

No one would tell a burglarized person to become police and solve it.

But underscore a barrier and they scream at you to fix it yourself.

Diminishing the needs of people with disabilities is ableism.

Ableism is toxic.

MUNICIPAL FINANCE CHALLENGES

AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

Kristy Gore is a Charleston Area REALTOR® and Civic Leaders Academy alum who serves on the Berkeley County Planning and Zoning Commission.

She is running for South Carolina House District 99, gearing up for the primary.

“Most of my platform is tax reform and infrastructure.

We are in an infrastructure crisis, so we must reallocate money for roads and bridges,” she said, saying fiscally conservative policy can reduce tax burden while redirecting funds to pay for the basics.

Gore said she learned to navigate difficult decisions while reviewing controversial developments during her year and a half on the planning and zoning commission.

“A planning vote recently dealt with a medium-sized commercial parcel that backed up to residential.

I have become very familiar with wetlands in my real estate career. 

I have seen individual homeowners end up paying dearly for planning and zoning decisions done poorly.

I voted against a plan to change the zoning for that commercial plan,” Gore said, noting that the plan ultimately was approved.

A no vote can cause a developer to pay attention more to neighborhood flooding concerns.

She said a developer can revise a plan, creating less concrete lot coverage and more on-site ponds, before a council gives its final approval.

“We have to be responsible in our development. 

The leadership class was very eye opening.”

 

 

 

 

 

MUNICIPAL FINANCE CHALLENGES

AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

Greater Charleston is experiencing exponential growth. It also welcomes eight million visitors per year, a big driver of the economy. Academy participants learn how to balance both permanent resident and tourism growth.

“Healthy tourism keeps taxes low,” Dix noted. “Good schools, a fire and police presence and sustaining healthy communities are the things buyers and sellers focus on. 

We are teaching that the beauty of local government is paving roads, picking up trash, and maintaining and improving the quality of life.”

Because Charleston has one of the richest architectural histories in the nation, the academy also teaches about how to protect the skyline and how to evaluate redevelopment that is sensitive to historic districts.

Participants learn about accessory dwelling units, missing middle housing, other diverse, affordable housing types, and that higher density does not have to mean taller buildings.

Missing middle housing includes duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and bungalows as well as cluster homes and cottage courts.

The academy is very hands on about preparing people to run for election. 

Many of its graduates serve on boards and commissions as well as in elective office. 

MUNICIPAL FINANCE CHALLENGES

AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

Seasoned elected officials share their experience with The Civic Leaders Academy in South Carolina.

Experts from municipalities lecture on the flow of a zoning application from an advisory board to a board of appeals to a council for final vote.

“We try to teach you the nuts and bolts of running for office — polling data reading, putting a team together and strategy for campaigning,” Josh Dix, consulting advisor to CTAR’s CEO, said.

“We also explain how parliamentary procedure works. 

If you want to be on a board or commission, parliamentary is a key tool.”

 

 

MUNICIPAL FINANCE CHALLENGES

AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

The Civic Leaders Academy in greater Charleston features classes of about 15 to 20 professionals learning about land use and planning practices.

The first class graduated in 2021.

One course session is a trip to Columbia to meet with legislators and heads of key state departments.

Participants learn about financing, policy and how land-use decisions can sometimes wind up in the court system.

The class is educating land-use decision-makers to vote based on sound planning.

“We were having a hard time when projects came to the planning commission or council. There really wasn’t a REALTOR® voice in those projects.

Projects were approved or denied for reasons that were not justified,” said Josh Dix, consulting advisor to CTAR’s CEO.