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Anvil Partners, LLC -- The Wireless Forge

Will folks be ready for the Stimulus when it hits?

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by
AnvilPartners
, 05 Feb 2009 at 11:28 PM (5426 Views)
Depending on which version you examine (House or Senate), there's going to be some $1Billion in cash, and a similar amount in tax credits made avialable to the carriers and tower industry to provide wireless facilities to unserved and underserved Rural areas.

Many smaller localities have stripped 20% or more from their budgets. Some have eliminated the planning position in their organization. Others are trying to find yet even more ways to cut costs and survive.

What is going to happen when those project dollars materialize into project applications at small towns that don't have the resources to properly process a zoning permit?

I think industry is going to have the upper hand, and I think that we're going to see more ugly and ill placed infrastructure.

What do you think -- please comment!
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  1. Seana's avatar
    Fascinating perspective. Before I comment, do you have more information to add, now that the Economic Stimulus Plan has been signed?
  2. AnvilPartners's avatar
    I browse through the nc planning listserve and the NC city and county manager's listserve daily. It looks to me like the league of munis is trying to help localities get a handle on how to acces funds and apply them to real projects.

    That being said, we have headlines every week on places reducing headcount, slashingbudgets and rolling back programs.

    I know several localities in SC have actually run out of cash and are asking the counties for advances on the property tax revenues...

    The stimulus money will put folks to work, but the local administrations are going to be hard pressed...

    I think the broadband money is going to create projects in places where folks are already busy focusing on other problems...