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Stimulus Guide Main Page
Welcome to the MMA’s guide to the federal stimulus package, officially known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
To view specific programs in a particular area, select from the menu to the left. The Additional Resources category includes helpful Web links, news updates, and pertinent documents, including a downloadable version of this complete guide.
• Total Funding Available: It is important to note that not all funding will be accessible to cities and towns.
• Overview of the program
• Special Factors: New or modified program requirements and provisions
• How to Access Funding: How cities and towns can receive funding. This section will most frequently be revised as information becomes available.
• Contact Information
• MMA Staff Contact: The MMA staff person who compiled the information and/or is the lead staff person for the issue.
Background on Federal Stimulus Package
On February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The stated purpose of the ARRA is:
1. To preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery.
2. To assist those most impacted by the recession.
3. To provide investments needed to increase economic efficiency by spurring technological advances in science and health.
4. To invest in transportation, environmental protection, and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits.
5. To stabilize state and local government budgets, in order to minimize and avoid reductions in essential services and counterproductive state and local tax increases.
The ARRA funds investments in many programs, including health care, energy, infrastructure, education, and public safety. The total cost of the package is $828 billion; it consists of nearly $396 billion for upgrades to transportation, infrastructure, construction, health care programs, education and housing assistance, and energy efficiency projects, $144 billion in state and local fiscal relief, and $288 billion in personal and business tax credits.
The ARRA also includes unprecedented accountability and transparency requirements. To meet these requirements, the government has set up a Web site (Recovery.gov) that will list each recipient of funds and project details.
The Massachusetts Municipal Association has compiled this guide, based on the work of the League of California Cities, and expresses appreciation to the California League for permission to reprint that work here. Regular updates will be found here on this Web site as more information becomes available.
General Provisions
• Prohibited Uses: No funds can be used for zoos, aquariums, golf courses, swimming pools, or casinos.
• “Buy American” provisions prevail, but can be waived by the heads of federal agencies.
• Compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act is required.
• Public works construction projects are subject to the Massachusetts prevailing wage law (M.G.L. Ch. 149, Sects. 26 and 27). Additionally, Section 1606 of the ARRA provides that employees “shall be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on projects of a character similar in the locality as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with subchapter IV of Chapter 31 of Title 40, United States Code.” Awarding authorities must obtain prevailing wage rate schedules from the Massachusetts Division of Occupational Safety and the U.S. Department of Labor, and must incorporate both sets of wage rates in the contract and require that the higher of the two rates be paid for each trade.
Accountability and Transparency Provisions
• Grant recipients (Mayor, Governor, Town Administrator) must certify that infrastructure investments have received the full review and vetting required by law and that the recipient accepts responsibility for the appropriate use of taxpayers dollars. Certification posted on www.recovery.gov and the local Web site.
• Quarterly reports on the infrastructure investments made, including the purpose, cost, rationale and contact for concerns, detailed information on subcontracts. This information will be posted on www.recovery.gov.
• Recipients must register with the Central Contractor Registration administered by the Office of Management and Budget. Cities and towns can register at www.grants.gov.
• Any federal agency Inspector General can review concerns raised by the public with findings posted on a Web site.
• A new federal agency has been established to coordinate and conduct oversight of covered funds to prevent fraud, waste and abuse. The agency will also advise the President on the implementation of the recovery package.
• Federal agencies can adjust administrative costs allowed to assist state and local governments with the cost of recovery record-keeping and reporting.
• State and local whistleblowers are protected.
Registration Information for Federal Government Grants:
The federal government uses a central Web site for all discretionary grant applications, known as FedConnect. While this Web site does not always have all the details on every grant, cities and towns will be required to register on this Web site in order to receive funding. Cities and towns can pre-register with FedConnect now. Potential applicants need to obtain a DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) number, which identifies an organization and helps to track the distribution of grant money. For information about submitting applications through FedConnect, click on the following link:
https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/PublicPages/FedConnect_Ready_Set_Go.pdf.
Please allow 21 days to complete the registration process.
Massachusetts Information
The Patrick administration has developed a central clearinghouse for ARRA information as it affects Massachusetts at www.mass.gov/recovery. On this site, you will find information about the stimulus plan and can learn about Gov. Deval Patrick’s plan for investing the federal stimulus funds in the Commonwealth’s roads and bridges, schools, housing, rail and other transportation needs, clean and efficient energy, information technology, broadband access and more. This central Web site will serve as the primary communication and reporting tool for the Commonwealth’s implementation of the economic recovery infrastructure program. In the future, this site will allow you to track the state’s performance in implementing projects and the success of the projects themselves. Lastly, the reports of the 10 task forces that the governor established to mobilize the state for receipt of federal stimulus funds can be downloaded. The MMA was an active participant on many of these groups.
The Patrick administration has also created a new Office of Infrastructure Investment, charged with maximizing the Commonwealth’s ability to use ARRA funds to create new jobs and lay a foundation for long-term economic growth. The governor appointed Jeffrey Simon as the Office’s first Director. Simon shall be coordinating all aspects of the recovery legislation for the administration and may be reached at (617) 727-2040, or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Stimulus Guide Main Page
MMA Federal Stimulus Guide
Welcome to the MMA’s guide to the federal stimulus package, officially known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
To view specific programs in a particular area, select from the menu to the left. The Additional Resources category includes helpful Web links, news updates, and pertinent documents, including a downloadable version of this complete guide.
How To Use This Guide
This guide is organized by federal agency. Each page begins with the title of a particular program. Each page is organized as follows:• Total Funding Available: It is important to note that not all funding will be accessible to cities and towns.
• Overview of the program
• Special Factors: New or modified program requirements and provisions
• How to Access Funding: How cities and towns can receive funding. This section will most frequently be revised as information becomes available.
• Contact Information
• MMA Staff Contact: The MMA staff person who compiled the information and/or is the lead staff person for the issue.
Background on Federal Stimulus Package
On February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The stated purpose of the ARRA is:
1. To preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery.
2. To assist those most impacted by the recession.
3. To provide investments needed to increase economic efficiency by spurring technological advances in science and health.
4. To invest in transportation, environmental protection, and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits.
5. To stabilize state and local government budgets, in order to minimize and avoid reductions in essential services and counterproductive state and local tax increases.
The ARRA funds investments in many programs, including health care, energy, infrastructure, education, and public safety. The total cost of the package is $828 billion; it consists of nearly $396 billion for upgrades to transportation, infrastructure, construction, health care programs, education and housing assistance, and energy efficiency projects, $144 billion in state and local fiscal relief, and $288 billion in personal and business tax credits.
The ARRA also includes unprecedented accountability and transparency requirements. To meet these requirements, the government has set up a Web site (Recovery.gov) that will list each recipient of funds and project details.
The Massachusetts Municipal Association has compiled this guide, based on the work of the League of California Cities, and expresses appreciation to the California League for permission to reprint that work here. Regular updates will be found here on this Web site as more information becomes available.
General Provisions
• Prohibited Uses: No funds can be used for zoos, aquariums, golf courses, swimming pools, or casinos.
• “Buy American” provisions prevail, but can be waived by the heads of federal agencies.
• Compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act is required.
• Public works construction projects are subject to the Massachusetts prevailing wage law (M.G.L. Ch. 149, Sects. 26 and 27). Additionally, Section 1606 of the ARRA provides that employees “shall be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on projects of a character similar in the locality as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with subchapter IV of Chapter 31 of Title 40, United States Code.” Awarding authorities must obtain prevailing wage rate schedules from the Massachusetts Division of Occupational Safety and the U.S. Department of Labor, and must incorporate both sets of wage rates in the contract and require that the higher of the two rates be paid for each trade.
Accountability and Transparency Provisions
• Grant recipients (Mayor, Governor, Town Administrator) must certify that infrastructure investments have received the full review and vetting required by law and that the recipient accepts responsibility for the appropriate use of taxpayers dollars. Certification posted on www.recovery.gov and the local Web site.
• Quarterly reports on the infrastructure investments made, including the purpose, cost, rationale and contact for concerns, detailed information on subcontracts. This information will be posted on www.recovery.gov.
• Recipients must register with the Central Contractor Registration administered by the Office of Management and Budget. Cities and towns can register at www.grants.gov.
• Any federal agency Inspector General can review concerns raised by the public with findings posted on a Web site.
• A new federal agency has been established to coordinate and conduct oversight of covered funds to prevent fraud, waste and abuse. The agency will also advise the President on the implementation of the recovery package.
• Federal agencies can adjust administrative costs allowed to assist state and local governments with the cost of recovery record-keeping and reporting.
• State and local whistleblowers are protected.
Registration Information for Federal Government Grants:
The federal government uses a central Web site for all discretionary grant applications, known as FedConnect. While this Web site does not always have all the details on every grant, cities and towns will be required to register on this Web site in order to receive funding. Cities and towns can pre-register with FedConnect now. Potential applicants need to obtain a DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) number, which identifies an organization and helps to track the distribution of grant money. For information about submitting applications through FedConnect, click on the following link:
https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/PublicPages/FedConnect_Ready_Set_Go.pdf.
Please allow 21 days to complete the registration process.
Massachusetts Information
The Patrick administration has developed a central clearinghouse for ARRA information as it affects Massachusetts at www.mass.gov/recovery. On this site, you will find information about the stimulus plan and can learn about Gov. Deval Patrick’s plan for investing the federal stimulus funds in the Commonwealth’s roads and bridges, schools, housing, rail and other transportation needs, clean and efficient energy, information technology, broadband access and more. This central Web site will serve as the primary communication and reporting tool for the Commonwealth’s implementation of the economic recovery infrastructure program. In the future, this site will allow you to track the state’s performance in implementing projects and the success of the projects themselves. Lastly, the reports of the 10 task forces that the governor established to mobilize the state for receipt of federal stimulus funds can be downloaded. The MMA was an active participant on many of these groups.
The Patrick administration has also created a new Office of Infrastructure Investment, charged with maximizing the Commonwealth’s ability to use ARRA funds to create new jobs and lay a foundation for long-term economic growth. The governor appointed Jeffrey Simon as the Office’s first Director. Simon shall be coordinating all aspects of the recovery legislation for the administration and may be reached at (617) 727-2040, or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
