Community Project Funding Requests

Each Member of Congress may request funding for projects in their community for Fiscal Year 2025. These projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding. Additional information on guidance for Community Project Funding is available here.

My office is no longer accepting FY 2025 Appropriations requests for Community Project Funding.

Please review the following Community Project Funding requests I submitted on behalf of Florida’s 18th Congressional District. 

Project Name: Polk County-Reclaimed Water Alternative Water Supply

Request Amount: $6,000,000

Summary of Request: With these funds, Polk County would construct a reclaimed water main to transfer excess reclaimed water from the Northwest to the NorthEast Regional Service Area. This project will help meet our maintain Clean WaterAct/Dafe Drinking Water Act standards. 

Federal Nexus Letter

Project Name: Lake Placid, Florida-Septic to Sewer Conversion

Request Amount: $7,000,000

Summary of Request: These funds would be allocated to support an advanced wastewater treatment plant (1mgd) and multiple wastewater collection lines.  This is in effort to abandon septic tanks and expand their reuse system to reduce potential pollution of area lakes.  As all area lakes flow into Lake Okeechobee, this plan is consistent with the Okeechobbee Basin Management Action Plan. 

Federal Nexus Letter

Project Name: Aburndale, Florida-Regional Wastewater Treatement Plant

Request Amount: $6,085,000

Summary of Request: Recent growth has presented challenges for the city's sewer system.   Allocation of funding will allow the city to ensure it can meet and maintain Clean Water Act standards. Also, these funds will be allocated to allow Arbundale to continue developing while meeting local needs and improving economic growth, physical health, education, environment, and wastewater management. 

Federal Nexus Letter

Project Name: Lake Hamilton, Florida-Wastewater Plant

Request Amount: $4,528,000

Summary of Request: Requested funds will be allocated to help the city make vital improvements to their recently contructed 0.25 MGD wastwater treatment facility. Nutrient removal improvements are necessary to help comply with Kissimmee River FMAP discharge requirements and other FDEP regulations. Other improvements also include an influent surge tank, elevated headworks and blower, second treatment train, and an operations building.  These improvements will also increase treatment capacity to 0.5 MGD.

Federal Nexus Letter

Project Name: Winter Haven, Florida-Sapphire Necklace Water Program

Request Amount: $6,000,000

Summary of Request: Allocation of funding addresses multiple regional issues centered around water resources such as natural systems, storm water infrastructure and drinking water supply. The Sapphire Necklace Water Program provides critical storage to offset historical storage losses resulting from local and regional impacts, including loss of hydrolic function and increased runoff. The traditional water supply source for this region is the Floridan aquifer which is showing signs of stress and natural systems are becoming more impaired. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will help ensure access to a safe, clean and affordable drinking water supply.

Federal Nexus Letter

Project Name: DeSoto County, Florida-Wastewater Treatment Expansion 

Request Amount: $3,000,000

Summary of Request: Requested funds would be used to expaniding the capacity of a central 0.75 MGD wastewater treatment facility to acommodate demand due to growth.  The project will allow for connection to the system for new development around the county instead of private wastewater package plants throughout the county.  This project qualifies for funds expressly under Title VI of the Clean Water Act.

Federal Nexus Letter

Project Name: Okeechobee County, Florida-Okeechonee Utility Authority's Advanced Metering Infrastructure System.

Request Amount: $1,355,000

Summary of Request: Requested funding would be used to plan and install an Advance Metering Infrastructure (AMI) System on all OUA potable water meters. The AMI system will include approximately 10,000 water meters within the OUA service area. The AMI project will include transmitters, two-way communication and potentially remotely controlled valves. Water conservation is one of the main the main benefits of an AMI system and will allow the customers of a small rural publicly owned utility provider be competitive with their larger urbanized neighbors. 

Federal Nexus Letter

Project Name: Canal Point, Florida-USDA Sugarcane Field Station

Request Amount: $1,500,000

Summary of Request: Allocated funds will provide updates to the facility's study and design completed in 2011 for ARS facilities at Canal Point, FL. These funds would be provided to USDA to update the site plans and designs which were completed in 2011. Congress resumed funding ARS buildings in 2015 and resumed designation of Congressional priorities in 2021

Federal Nexus Letter

Project Name: Fort Meade Florida-Fort Meade Firehouse

Request Amount: $700,000

Summary of Request: Requested funds would be used to construct and harden a building that will be standardized with sleeping quarters, equipped training room, public lobby area and adequate space for fire trucks to enter. Additionally, the project will ensure the firehouse is equipped for the staging of natural disasters and meet National Fire Protection Association standards. 

Federal Nexus Letter

Project Name: Hardee County, Florida -10th Judicial Circuit Courthouse

Request Amount: $304,000

Summary of Request: Requested funds will aid the county in replacing the deteriorating roof, to maintain the access and functionality of this essential facility and ensure a safer environment for staff and the public they serve.

Federal Nexus Letter

Project Name: Glades County, Florida - Brighton Microwave Project

Request Amount: $850,000

Summary of Request: Requested funds will be used to purchase microwave dishes, microwave radios, and associated equipment for the Glades County Sheriff's Office at the Brighton, Florida communications site. This project will provide higher capacity and resiliency between the Brighton tower site and the Okeechobee Correctional Institute tower site, which is connected to the microwave backbone of the Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System.

Federal Nexus Letter

Project Name: Florida Polytechnic University - Phosphogypsum Radioactivity Reduction Project

Request Amount: $3,000,000

Summary of Request: The funding would be used to acquire a radioactivity analyzing system, an advanced mineralogical analyzer (QEMSCAN), salaries for researchers and technicians, and supplies. The project aims to develop technologies to reduce phosphogypsum radioactivity, making it suitable for various applications such as road construction, agriculture, and construction materials. 

Federal Nexus Letter

Project Name: Florida State University - Rare Earth Elements and Critical Minerals Project

Request Amount: $3,500,000

Summary of Request: Requested funding will be used to purchase a high-powered electron microscope to assist in identifying critical minerals and radioactive grains of phosphogypsum, which is a waste product of phosphate. This project will advance research to separate rare earth elements from phosphogypsum stacks and to increase the domestic rare earth element supply.

Federal Nexus Letter

Project Name: Highlands County- Communication Technology Improvement Project 

Request Amount: $1,700,000

Summary of Request: Allocated funding will assist the Highlands County Sheriff's office in making necessary upgrades to end-of-life quipment utilizing replacement and repair parts that are no longer in circulation. Requested funds are for purposes authorized by by section 1701(b)(8) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.

Federal Nexus Letter

Project Name: Okeechobee County - Berman Road Improvement Project.

Request Amount: $2,500,000

Summary of Request: Requested funding would be used to restore, resurface, rehabilitate and reconstruct approximately 21.67 miles of critical roadway in Okeechobee County, Florida. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because this road project is a critical component of Okeechobee's Strategic Plan and is located in two census tracts identified by the USDOT as Transportation Persistent Poverty and/or Disadvantaged Census tracts.

Federal Nexus Letter