Eastern Shore Times

WASHINGTON, DC: On March 12, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) announced she has secured $13,755,000 for 11 local projects across Southeast Virginia in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, which was signed into law on March 9, 2024. The funding for these local projects in this legislation is allocated within their respective agency program accounts and does not raise the overall spending level of the bill.
“I take seriously my responsibility here in Congress to not only scrutinize federal spending but also to direct it where it’s most needed back home,” said Congresswoman Kiggans. “It’s only right for our hard-earned taxpayer dollars to get returned to our community. I was proud to fight for these important funding requests on behalf of Southeast Virginia and am glad they have now been signed into law. I have no doubt these projects will have a positive impact here in the Hampton Roads community!”

The projects submitted by Kiggans, along with the amount of federal funding she secured for them, are listed here and below. Local government officials and non-profit organizations that are interested in requesting Community Project Funding for FY24 are encouraged to reach out to the Congresswoman’s Washington, DC office for guidance and information.

District Wide

Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughter (CHKD): $375,000

•    As the Vice Chair of the Congressional Nursing Caucus, expanding access to affordable healthcare is one of Congresswoman Kiggans’ top priorities. She secured this funding for CHKD to ensure the hospital can continue to serve as a leader in child abuse and neglect care and remain at the forefront of the latest evidence-based practices and treatments.

Eastern Shore

Rural Utilities Service ReConnect Pilot Program, Eastern Shore of Virginia Broadband Authority (ESVBA) Broadband Expansion Project: $286,000

•    Congresswoman Kiggans believes that increased access to broadband not only helps communities meet new work, health, and education needs created by the pandemic, but also boosts economic productivity, creates good jobs, and helps our local economies generate savings. That’s why she secured this funding to help complete the Custis Neck portion of the Eastern Shore’s broadband expansion project.

o    In total, ESVBA must build approximately 10.1 miles of fiber across several challenging areas to serve the residents of Custis Neck, Folly Creek Club, Henrys Point and Locustville. This funding will providing all of those rural communities on the Shore with much-needed wireless and connectivity services and upgrades.

Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD): $1,250,000

•    Congresswoman Kiggans secured this funding to support HRSD’s publicly owned sewer and wastewater infrastructure in rural and disadvantaged communities on the Eastern Shore. Communities across the Shore will benefit from this construction and modification of municipal sewage treatment plants, which will help maintain the health of residents and tourists alike, as well as keep the environment clean by preserving water quality.

City of Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach Police Department Creeds Training Facility Rehabilitation and Expansion: $693,000

•    Congresswoman Kiggans secured this funding to repair and/or construct buildings in the Virginia Beach Police Department’s Creeds Training Facility. This funding will support a separate, new “simmunition” training structure, complete with a classroom and defensive tactics training mat room, allowing for the expansion of advanced training evolutions and preventing the overuse and deterioration of existing structures. Ensuring our law enforcement officers are properly trained with the latest technology will lead to a safer, more prosperous community.

An Achievable Dream Virginia Beach, Inc.: $1,961,000

•    As a mom of four, Congresswoman Kiggans is committed to supporting education programs that work best for students and firmly believes that every child, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, deserves a high-quality education. She secured this funding to support An Achievable Dream’s efforts to provide high quality, child centered, cost effective, community-based services to high-risk youth and their families.

o    This funding will help provide enhanced mental health support through greater use of trauma-informed specialists, extended day programming with proper staff support, enrichment activities serve to broaden students’ horizons, classes to teach social and emotional skills to prepare students for success, career planning, promoting a positive group identity, and parent involvement.

The Commonwealth of Virginia’s Laskin Road Phase I–B Project: $3,000,000

•    Congresswoman Kiggans secured funding for this project to provide increased capacity and safety improvements along Laskin Road from Red Robin Road to Oriole Drive, a distance of approximately 0.6 miles. This project adds an additional lane in each direction, widening this section of Laskin Road to a six-lane divided highway.

City of Suffolk

King’s Highway Bridge Replacement Design: $3,040,000

•    As a resident of Hampton Roads, Congresswoman Kiggans always has local infrastructure improvements top of mind. She secured funding for this project to support the construction of a new 4,200 foot, two-lane bridge span across the Nansemond River, connecting Kings Highway (Route 125) to Godwin Boulevard (Route 10), near Five Mile Road. The bridge will include a 10-foot, multi-use path and a five-foot sidewalk for pedestrians and cyclists.

Potable Water Treatment Plant Upgrades: $1,000,000

•    Congresswoman Kiggans secured funding for this project in order to upgrade the City of Suffolk’s G. Robert House Jr. Water Treatment Plant, which will lead to safer, cleaner drinking water for the people of the Western Tidewater region. The treatment plant uses Electrodialysis Reversal (EDR) Membranes to remove the naturally occurring high levels of fluoride found in the groundwater supply in the Eastern Region of Virginia. This removal process is required in order for the drinking water to meet the Virginia Department of Health’s (VDH) drinking water regulatory requirements.

City of Chesapeake

Chesapeake Police Department Patrol Vessel Replacement: $500,000

•    As increasing community safety is a top priority for Congresswoman Kiggans, she secured this funding to help the Chesapeake Police Department purchase a new law enforcement vessel with a cabin and dual motors for adverse weather conditions and maritime escorts through the Port of Hampton Roads. The vessel will be equipped with all law enforcement related electronics for navigating and detecting hazards within the City of Chesapeake and the Port of Hampton Roads.

City of Franklin

City of Franklin Radio System: $400,000

•    Countless critical services in the Western Tidewater region, as well as its abundant agricultural industry, depends on reliable radio. Congresswoman Kiggans secured funding for this project to provide increased, reliable communication between the City of Franklin and the County of Southampton. This will lead to greater interoperability within the Hampton Roads region as well as the Counties of Sussex and Surry for law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS personnel.

Isle of Wight County

Isle of Wight County Elevated Storage Tank: $1,250,000

•    As a primary care provider, Congresswoman Kiggans knows how important it is to meet the healthcare needs of growing communities. Due to Isle of Wight’s rapidly expanding population, a new hospital is needed to properly serve its residents. Congresswoman Kiggans secured this funding to support the construction of the new hospital first by building an elevated storage tank. The tank will increase the County’s resilience for both domestic and fire flows, provide required VDH storage to meet current demands, provide a higher-pressure zone in the area where the tank is needed, and positively impact the County’s ability to provide safe drinking water in the future.

Original source can be found here.