Community Project Funding
COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING FY25
Below are Congressman Scott DesJarlais' Community Project Funding requests for FY 2025.
Recipient: University of Tennessee Southern
Address: 433 West Madison Street, Pulaski, Tennessee 38478
Amount: $540,000.00
Project Description: UT Southern is requesting $540,000 for campus security improvements to purchase and install emergency call stations on campus and to purchase and outfit 2 branded security vehicles for Campus Safety and Security to use for proactive patrol and response to emergencies.
Recipient: Rutherford County Sheriff's Office
Address: 940 New Salem Highway, Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37129
Amount: $680,000.00
Project Description: The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office would like to purchase a Rapid DNA instrument to help bolster law enforcement efficiency and improve community outcomes. We see this technology as a critical tool to reform our department, save time, and keep our community safe. The instrument will allow our deputies, and those from agencies in our region, to process DNA samples themselves and quickly generate investigative leads in 90 minutes.
Recipient: City of Murfreesboro
Address: Butler Dr. at corner of Joe B. Jackson Pkwy. Murfreesboro, TN 37127
Amount: $4,000,000.00
Project Description: The City of Murfreesboro would like to leverage Community Project funding to support the construction of a Qualified Biogas Processing (QBP) Facility. The facility will contain a state-of-the-art Materials Management Transfer Station coupled with an advanced technology waste processing component with an Anaerobic reactor for generating biomass fuel. The QBP Facility provides Murfreesboro with an innovative public/private partnership opportunity for an improved waste management system that will divert 90% of MSW from a landfill, including metal recyclables, and maintain a negative carbon footprint by eliminating significant landfill greenhouse gases.
Recipient: CHI Memorial Health
Address: 7693 Rhea County Hwy Ste. 3, Dayton, TN 37321
Amount: $560,000
Project Description: CHI Memorial seeks to address critical shortfalls in the availability of primary care in Rhea County, Tennessee by developing approximately 7,000 square feet of additional clinical space in Dayton, TN. Funding awarded through the Community Project Funding process will be used for design and engineering costs associated with this space, as well as the procurement of equipment, including digital X-ray and lab processing machinery. This investment is essential to expanding CHI Memorial’s capacity to serve rural families and improve health outcomes in the surrounding community.
Recipient: Erlanger Bledsoe Hospital
Address: 71 Wheelertown Ave, Pikeville, TN 37367
Amount: $1,500,000
Project Description: Located in Pikeville, Erlanger Bledsoe Hospital offers 24/7 emergency services, family primary care, the only area cardiac rehabilitation program, and a 25-bed inpatient unit. These funds would provide facility upgrades for renovating the emergency department to include a decontamination area and to allow better access and safety for patients and staff.
Recipient: Decherd Waterworks
Address: 1301 West Main Street, Decherd TN, 37324
Amount: $4,800,000.00
Project Description: The City of Decherd Tennessee needs an additional water tank for growth purposes. This growth entails residential, commercial, and industrial growth. We have three operational tanks for the city and now need a fourth.
Recipient: Project K9 Hero
Address: 309 Bear Pen Rd, Whitwell, TN 37397
Amount: $3,682,979.00
Project Description: Project K-9 Hero is a national nonprofit that aims to honor the unwavering dedication of retired Police K-9s and Military Working Dogs by creating a global environment that celebrates their heroic service. We strive to reshape perceptions, ensuring these valiant animals are revered and respected for their loyalty. Through our efforts, we strive to provide these remarkable companions with the dignified post-service life they rightfully deserve, offering access to comprehensive healthcare and advocating for a quality way of life in recognition of their selfless contributions. Our nonprofit compliments The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) mission in regards to promoting animal welfare innovation by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance the length of service of our nation’s working dogs and improve their overall quality of life retirement.
Recipient: Middle Tennessee State University
Address: 1301 East Main Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37132
Amount: $5,900,000.00
Project Description: Funds will be utilized to improve the traffic flow and safety for the northern permitter of the Middle Tennessee State University campus. Continued residential and commercial growth, adjacent to an expanding institution, necessitates improvements in lighting and signaling, as well as pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Upgrading and enhancing University connectors to formal highways and municipal streets will further enhance safety.
Recipient: Middle Tennessee State University
Address: 1301 East Main Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Amount: $1,680,000.00
Project Description: Murphy Center is the largest public use facility in Rutherford County, one of the nation's fastest growing communities. Funds will be utilized to improve accessibly and address ADA issues in a 50+ year old facility.
Recipient: Middle Tennessee State University
Address: 1301 East Main Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Amount: $1,800,000.00
Project Description: Funding will be utilized to enhance lighting in pedestrian walkways, providing greater safety for both pedestrians and motorists. Dramatic growth in residential properties has created a significant increase in pedestrian traffic on our major thoroughfares. Funds would be utilized to extend the lighting plan created with the previously funded Middle Tennessee Boulevard project, especially on the northern perimeter of campus.
COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING FY24
Below are Congressman Scott DesJarlais' Community Project Funding requests for FY 2024.
Recipient: Middle Tennessee State University
Address: 1301 East Main Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37132
Amount: 9,400,000
Project Description: Funds will be utilized to improve the traffic flow and safety for the northern perimeter of campus. Due to the dramatic growth in both the community and the university population, improvements are needed in lighting, signaling and pedestrian safety. Upgrading university connectors to primary highways and throughways will further enhance safety.
Taxpayer Justification: As the need for continued improvement to the region’s transportation systems become increasingly critical to Murfreesboro and MTSU’s growth, support for the to the city and region’s highway and transit systems affecting students, faculty, staff and citizens of Murfreesboro is equally vital. The on-going community roadway improvements coupled with construction of a state funded transportation HUB, will address City and Federal transportation concerns, utilizing best practices in integrating and coordinating land use with intermodal transportation solutions.
Recipient: Shelbyville Municipal Airport
Address: Bomar Field, 2828 Highway 231 N, Shelbyville, TN 37160
Amount: $8.9 million
Project Description: To accommodate the growth in the Middle Tennessee State University Aerospace Department's flight training programs, the State of Tennessee has approved the relocation of the program to the Shelbyville Municipal Airport. The $8,9 million requested is to assist in providing the infrastructure associated with the move, while assuring the continued support and operations of the airports existing clientele.
Taxpayer Justification: Both the Federal Aviation authority and major United State carriers have identified a critical need for professional pilots to meet the needs of our American transportation systems. It is anticipated that there will be a shortfall of over 18,000 pilots annually over the next decade, with the potential to severely disrupt our nation’s passenger and freight movements. While former military plots have historically provided a significant portion of our commercial pilot needs, decades long decline in our military forces have exacerbated the availability of trained professionals migrating to the private sector. Critical to meeting the needs of our aviation sector will be an expansion of professional flight training programs, to avoid interruptions in service to our commercial airline system.
Recipient: City of Murfreesboro
Address: Intersection of U.S. Hwy 70 (Broad St.) and W. Lytle St. (35.848174, -86.397925)
Amount: $2,500,000
Project Description: The purpose of the project is to create an ADA compliant multimodal access pathway as a safe transportation connector to an existing underpass to provide a much-needed safer pedestrian access between US 70 (Broad St) and Lytle Street. Heavy traffic and multi-lane crossing on U.S. 70 (Broad Street) impedes traffic timing and safe crossing for pedestrian connections to the Historic Downtown Square, Middle Tennessee State University, government services and surrounding destinations.
Taxpayer Justification: This project aligns with the USDOT’s focus to increase convenience that helps to reduce commute times, improve walkability, and bike ability and boost quality of life. Additionally, the project is a good steward of DOT funds as it feeds into DOT’s Roadway Safety and Active Transportation, as emphasized in the BIL, by strengthen protections for those who walk, bike, or use a wheelchair to get around and supports pedestrian and bike infrastructure, recreational trails and more. These funds will provide 50% of the projected project costs and will be leveraged by other local funds that are included in a larger scale project that will provide a greater return on this investment through public enhancements, improvements and economic development opportunities for Murfreesboro and its residents.
Recipient: Motlow State Community College
Address: 6015 Ledford Mill Rd Tullahoma, TN 37388
Amount: $1,000,000
Project Description: Motlow State Community College, in partnership with Tennessee State University (TSU), will purchase equipment to invest in a distance learning network that will provide shared courses between our five campuses and for the high schools in 11 counties that receive dual credit courses from Motlow State. The project will also allow students at Motlow State to take courses from TSU.
The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because many colleges and high school student who take on-campus courses at Motlow are more than 50 miles away from the nearest campus and synchronous interactive video conferencing solves this problem, providing all students access. Each campus provides a specific set of courses, and all programs and courses are not available at all campuses. Due to the fact many of the students who attend Motlow State are financially challenged and first-generation students, they are more likely to attend the college campus nearest to their home. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 75% of today's students are juggling some combination of families, jobs, and school while commuting to class. This imposes hardships on students who are often also parents or hold a job locally in their community, and many do not have a car. A total 23% of students at Motlow are over 25 years old. This project will help Motlow provide access to educational opportunities to non-traditional students through the creation of our distance learning network. This will allow them to take courses that are not available at the campus closest to their home.