Published in the Ang Tri-Valley Herald.
Article last updated:
Thursday, April 12, 2001 2:43 AM MST
Valley officials visit D.C. for funds
Transit projects top group's priority list
By Mark Abramson
SAN JOAQUIN BUREAU
STOCKTON -- San Joaquin Council of Government officials are counting
on last week's trip to the nation's capital paying off for the county.
About 40 representatives from county cities, transportation and
business organizations trekked to Washington, D.C., last week to
schmooze with members of Congress, hoping to advance their interests.
"It's a full agenda that we had back there," Lathrop City Manager Pam
Carder said about the experience.
"The trip is good for a number of reasons," she said. "It helps us
find out what we need to do to get federal funding for projects. It
also helps cement relationships with various people back there."
The 2000 trip has improved communication between Lathrop and the
office of Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, she said.
A similar trip last year helped obtain $9.4 million in federal money
for area projects ranging from an additional Altamont Commuter Express
train to extending the runway at the Stockton Metropolitan Airport and
a tutoring and mentoring program for children. Almost two thirds of
the money went toward ACE.
"The reason for the trip was to bring back to Washington a regional
priority list of projects for San Joaquin County," Susan Filios, a
senior planner for the Council of Governments, said.
The people who made the trip represented different cities, interest
and goals, but came together to agree on what everyone wanted to
promote, she said.
Transportation was big on the agenda. This year, the group sought to
garner $32 million in federal funds for an ACE maintenance facility.
Another objective was to get $8 million to help pay for the railroad
overpass that will be built near Lathrop Road and McKinley Avenue in
Lathrop.
Lobbying for $2.5 million for the Highway 120 interchange at McKinley
and Yosemite avenues in Manteca was also on the group's to-do list.
Other items Council of Government officials say they want Washington
to help pay for include an Interstate 205 interchange near Tracy and
an air cargo center at the Stockton airport.
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