In New York, Stimulus Project Planning Under Way

They came from the city and the suburbs, from colleges and companies, from the political left and the right.

Hundreds of New Yorkers packed into a small auditorium at Suffolk Community College on Long Island on Saturday with the same agenda: to learn how to get their hands on money from the federal stimulus package to help their cities, their schools, their businesses.

In a special town hall forum, more then a dozen politicians and state agencies explained how they expected the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act would be allocated and what steps needed to be taken to apply for funding.

It was the second such standing-room-only forum in New York in a week, and the conversation that occurred is likely being replicated nationwide as local officials begin the process of trying to win the grants.

While most of the town hall focused on education and transportation issues, the government's technology spending plan was not forgotten. Sharon Cates-Williams, Deputy CIO for New York State, noted that there is $7.2 billion earmarked for broadband technology projects, much of which could be available to small businesses, education and local government.

"As we renew our schools and highways, we're also renewing our information superhighway," said Williams, who began by reiterating the campaign words of now-President Barack Obama that it's unimaginable that the U.S.ranks 15th in world in broadband adoption "here in the country that invented the Internet," she said.

The $7.2 billion earmarked for broadband technology is divided into two programs, Cates-Williams said. The first, for $2.5 billion, is administered for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide broadband to rural areas. The second, $4.7 billion, is controlled by the U.S. Department of Commerce to add Internet access in poorer, underserved areas, but also to upgrade IT infrastructure for schools, libraries, health care providers, support agencies and public safety agencies and more.

Those areas, often served by solution providers, should be in the process of preparing their proposals, Cates-Williams said.

"These are all the things that you are eligible for. We want to see some proposals come in. If you have a project, you need to give us a call. I guarantee you you have a project, you just don't know you have one," Williams said.

As an example, Cates-Williams noted that it had been her passion to bring wireless access to all of Long Island when she had been the CIO of Suffolk County.

"Long Island, get moving. Get on board. The [New York State] Senate majority leader [Malcom A. Smith] mentioned he was twittering. You want to twitter with him," she said.

The first round grant availability will be in the second quarter, according to the New York State Office For Technology. Second-round grants are available in the fourth quarter of 2009 and a third-round will be available in the second quarter of 2010. All grant awards must be made by the end of fiscal year 2010 and projects must be substantially completed within two years of receiving awards, according to the office.

A series of public meetings will take place in Washington, D.C., on May 16, 19, 23 and 24, with field hearings occurring on March 17-18. Further information is available at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Web site.

Officials said preferential treatment would be given to grant applicants who were "shovel ready," or ready to proceed. With timing a big part of the approval process, it might be prudent for solution providers to help potential grant-winners prepare applications.

Because much of the grants will be utilized at the local level, it seems that's where solution providers should focus their concentration.

"Our hope is you will do the work, take the financial resources and spend some for it," said Smith, one of those participating in the event. "The idea of this stimulus package was for Washington to create the resources, hand it off to the state and we get it down to the local level."

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