Source: United States Senator for Colorado Michael Bennet
Denver – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet visited Minturn, Hayden, and Craig this week to learn more about how federal funding he helped secure through the Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) process will support important projects in these communities.
“The Congressionally Directed Spending process was an opportunity for Coloradans — a lot of them from communities that have felt completely invisible to Washington in recent years — to tell Congress directly about the challenges they face,” said Bennet. “After decades of Washington cutting taxes for the wealthy and hoping it will trickle down to families in Colorado, Washington is investing directly in our communities again. The projects I saw — from increasing child care options in Hayden to improving access to clean water in Minturn to rebuilding the courthouse in Craig – will help spur economic growth in these communities.”
In Minturn, the town will use $1 million in federal funding to help construct a new water tank for the community, which will help lower water costs, increase water quality, and secure the area’s water supply. In addition, it will help combat wildfires and support the development of affordable housing. In Hayden, the town will use over $2.8 million to expand a child care facility and create cultural arts and technology spaces at the old high school, now called The Hayden Center. Bennet ended his day in Craig to see how Moffat County will use over $4.6 million to renovate an old K-Mart building into a new courthouse and county building after years of safety and security concerns about the aging Moffat County courthouse.
“We are in the process of upgrading our entire water system in Minturn. The federal grant funding that Senator Bennet secured allows us to begin the first phase of this process, which is the construction of a new 600,000 gallon water tank. Having this new water system will help keep the cost of water down for current residents and allow us to direct funds to other projects, such as building more affordable housing like the Eagle County School District workforce housing project at Maloit Park for teachers and staff,” said Mayor Earle Bidez.
“As the Mayor of Hayden, I would like to personally thank Senator Bennet for his dedication to Northwest Colorado, specifically for fighting to get Hayden this CDS request, which will complete the Hayden Center three years ahead of schedule. This CDS allocation allows us to leverage multiple other grants for the project, expand childcare, start a new arts and culture scene, have indoor recreational opportunities, and open up tourism to Hayden. Without this funding we would still be piecing this project together. The Town of Hayden thanks Senator Bennet for representing all of Colorado and fighting for this investment in Hayden, which will improve the quality of life in Hayden,” said Mayor Zach Wuestewald.
“We are sincerely thankful for Senator Bennet’s tremendous effort to secure $4.65 million dollars in federal grant funding to help Moffat County renovate an old Kmart building in Craig into a new courthouse and county building. The new facility combines the departments from 6 buildings into one, providing services to the public that are functional, efficient, safe, and secure. The future economic growth of Moffat County depends on being able to provide adequate public services,” said Melody Villard, Moffat County Commissioner.
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Bennet, along with Sen. John Hickenlooper, secured $1 million for the construction of the water tank via 2022 Senate appropriations; the tank is one of 56 Colorado projects that Bennet requested receive funds via various appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2022.
In total, $158 million in funding for Colorado projects were included in the Fiscal Year 2022 Senate appropriations bills.
“Every single of one those was a worthy project, and frankly the next 50 were worthy projects too,” Bennet said.
Bidez said in addition to improving pressure to the Maloit Park area and fire hydrants throughout town, the new tank will give Minturn better capability “for economic growth, as needed,” he said.
Steamboat Pilot & Today: Sens. Bennet, Hickenlooper tout community projects during Routt County visit
Colorado’s senators were in Routt County on Wednesday, April 20, to learn about two of the Yampa Valley’s most important community projects — one that has gotten significant federal funding and another that would benefit from it.
Sen. Michael Bennet paid a visit to the Hayden Center to see the space, which $2.9 million in congressionally directed spending will help finish in the next year and a half, while Sen. John Hickenlooper toured the Yampa Valley Housing Authority’s Brown Ranch property, on which there are hopes to build 2,300 housing units by 2040.
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Bennet said seeing the federal funding at work was rewarding, but he emphasized that it started with a local project and local government.
“There are a lot of times when people think about government and — often for good reason — are really frustrated with what a bad job it does with certain things,” Bennet said. “This is a good illustration of all different levels of government and a community coming together to build something that is going to last for generations.”
Projects in rural areas like Hayden and Craig — which also received spending from congress this year — help show people that government is there to work for them, Bennet said.
Steamboat Radio: KRAI NEWS FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 21
U.S. Senator Michael Bennet was in Northwest Colorado Wednesday. He first got a tour of the Hayden Center to see how the town is using over $2.8 million dollars to expand a child care facility and create cultural arts and technology spaces at the old high school.
Town leaders were on the tour, along with Routt County Commissioner Tim Redmond and Hayden Town Manager Matthew Mendisco. Commissioner Redmond says transforming The Hayden Center has been a unifying experience in the community as the community is stronger when working together.
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After their visit to Hayden, the Bennet team headed to Craig to tour the new Moffat County Courthouse and county offices, which are going in the old Kmart building. It’s a $4.65 million dollar renovation paid for with grants and federal money requested by Colorado Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper.