Using Multiple Funding Sources One Communitys Perspective Joe

Using Multiple Funding Sources: One Community’s Perspective Joe Zebrowski El Creston MDWCA San Miguel County, NM

El Creston MDWCA Who we are: Six unincorporated communities and subdivisions SW of Las Vegas Approx 11 sq mi Approx 300 homes, 400 parcels, 200 domestic wells

El Creston MDWCA What happened: 2009, domestic wells began running dry ◦ Drought ◦ Large concentration of homes/wells ◦ Intensive pumping of nearby municipal well Response: ◦ ◦ ◦ Get organized Help our community Plan Get funds Execute projects

The Puzzle

Where to begin? You are a puzzle, too! Part of an array of local political subdivisions, municipalities, and other fundable entities Present your organization in a way that is understandable to funders ◦ Governance ◦ Compliance ◦ Readiness

Governance Articles of Incorporation By-laws Meetings and Elections Open Meetings Act

Compliance Board Training Quarterly and annual budgets Safe Drinking Water Act and other regulatory areas Water rights Asset Management Audits …

Readiness Compliance Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan Proper budgeting ◦ Capital reserves

Project Preliminary Engineering Report Clearly defined, complete project Debt Coverage Ratio

El Creston’s funding path Circumstance Strategy: ◦ Start-up system with no connections and limited revenue ◦ Use grants or high grant: loan ratio to cover projects that do not directly generate revenue �Planning documents �Major infrastructure items (Well, Storage Tank) �Lengthy distribution with few hook-ups (connector lines) ◦ Use loans where there will be many connections to cover debt ◦ Maintain reserves. Needed for match or when external funding is not available or sufficient. ◦ Have an assessment to meet operational funding shortfalls.

El Creston’s funders New Mexico Finance Authority Governor’s Board of Finance Community Development Block Grant Water Trust Board Legislative Capital Outlay U. S. Department of Agriculture Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Membership and Customers

El Creston’s funders Our membership ◦ Assessments to cover operating expenses �$60/year per membership, voted on annually Our water delivery customers ◦ $120/delivery �Cost covers all expenses related to delivery service �Underwrites limited amount of general operating expenses

Challenges for a volunteer board Time and expertise Complexity of multiple funding sources/applications Inconsistent policies

Some general lessons Listen to your advisors ◦ RCAC, NMRWA, funding agency ◦ Engineering Firm Give the funders what they want Communicate Spend your money Have a realistic estimate of revenue Maintain compliance Be flexible Be patient When you succeed, your funders succeed!

Some ideas Collaborative funding ◦ Example: Rural Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Collaborative http: //www. rwic. net/ ◦ “Our mission is to serve as a “One-Stop Shop” for rural communities with a population of less than 10, 000. We seek to create a sustainable organization of funders and technical assistance providers who partner to meet the needs of small drinking water and wastewater systems throughout Arizona. ” Compliance/Readiness items database Checklists

Using Multiple Funding Sources: One Community’s Perspective Joe Zebrowski El Creston MDWCA San Miguel County, NM 505 -426 -2146 jpzebrowski@nmhu. edu