Area mayors are hoping to cash in on a federal stimulus plan crafted by President-elect Barack Obama's transition team.

Mayors are putting together their "wish lists" for ideas that will create jobs and improve infrastructure, environment and economy.

Recently, President-Elect Barack Obama announced he would look into a two-year initiative to rebuild the nation's infrastructure. According to reports, Obama's proposed initiative would aim to create 2.5 million jobs in America by 2011.

In response, the U.S. Conference of Mayors published their second report describing ‘ready to go' projects in cities across the nation.

According to the report, the projects listed "...can be started quickly after funding is received and generate the significant numbers of jobs that are needed to strengthen the economies of our metro areas and our nation as a whole."

The report lists 11,391 infrastructure projects from 427 cities, and outlines $73 Billion in infrastructure projects. The report says the projects "...would be capable of producing an estimated 847,641 jobs in 2009 and 2010."

At a press conference Tuesday, Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker said the city's list includes 44 projects that have been designed, permitted and are ready to implement in six to 12 months.

Some of the traditional infrastructure projects include new roads, parks, improvements to water and sewer and also the construction of the new police and fire headquarters downtown. But Mayor Meeker focused on the $4 million in sustainability projects that they hope to initiate.

From solar lighting to solar heating, the City of Raleigh is looking to "go green" with help of Federal funds.

"These are project that are innovative and ones Raleigh can be a lead in," Meeker said.

Solar LED lighting project was at the top of Meeker's list. Steve Kalland, director of the Solar Center at NC State, said there is a benefit to the state to see this technology take off.

"A lot of this technology for LED lighting actually comes from North Carolina," Kalland said.

The City also wants to provide solar water heating to some complexes while also supplying solar electricity in a more traditional setting like office buildings. Kalland said this is not just a cost savings.

"It is designed to save energy but it also has an economic benefit because a lot of companies are springing up that manufacture, install and service these kinds of technology," Kalland said.

Kalland said the overall benefit of acquiring the newer technologies like LEC lighting is that it will fulfill the goal of the new presidential administration.

"Because it's new, it's more costly but it's exactly the type of thing the Obama administration is investing in, to get the volume up and expenses up so we can drive those cost s down over time," Kalland said.

Obama's team has not announced the amount of the new stimulus package, but Meeker said Raleigh's portion must be "significant" for it to make a difference.

"Raleigh has one-tenth of one percent of the nation's population," he said. "Given that, our portion of the stimulus package should be significant."

Hear More From Meeker By Clicking on the Video Above

Obama transition team said the items need to put people to work immediately, enhance sustainability and include long-term benefits to the nation.

Meeker said the projects on Raleigh's wish list qualify.

• The list includes four sustainability projects, plus the $226 million Clarence E. Lightner Public Safety Center project that is being designed for LEED gold certification. The energy savings designed into the 16-story, 305,000-square-foot facility come to 15 percent or $600,000 annually. The facility will be designed in the fall of 2009.
  
• The four sustainability projects total $4,725,179. A solar LED lighting project would upgrade the illumination in seven City facilities, including the Avery Upchurch Government Complex Parking Deck and perimeter, the Performing Arts Center Deck and perimeter, Cedar Hills Park, Lions Park, Walnut Creek Softball Complex, Millbrook Exchange Park and Marsh Creek lower lot. The project can be implemented in the next six to 12 months at a total cost $1,258,300.
  
• Another of the sustainability initiatives would put solar thermal water heating into 11 City facilities at a cost of $466,879. The project could be started in the first quarter of 2009 and completed within four to six months.
  
• The third sustainable offering is the Photo Voltaic Solar Array Project at the Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant that would generate renewable energy at a cost of $2.5 million. The City is evaluating three separate proposals from private developers that have been submitted to Progress Energy and the City for renewable energy. The project would produce from one to three megawatts of renewable energy. It would be located on City-owned land at the wastewater treatment plant and would be in support of Progress Energy's efforts to meet its Renewable Energy and Efficiency Portfolio requirements through a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement.
  
• The fourth sustainable project was a green house gases inventory and emissions reduction strategy for a cost of up to $500,000.

The 39 other projects listed are more traditional such as the construction of facilities, greenway extensions, and park, transportation, sewer, stormwater and technology improvements.

View Entire List [pdf]

Other Area Community Wish Lists

FAYETTEVILLE - Read Full List

In Fayetteville, they hope to get funding to make HVAC upgrades at the Fayetteville Airport, upgrade some of the trash trucks and fire trucks to hybrid type vehicles, make storm drain improvements, add concrete sidewalks to part of the community, construct 2 new fire stations, resurface a handful of streets, purchase more segways for fayetteville pd, upgrade more than 18,000 traffic lights in the city with new LED energy efficient lights and some hybrid buses.

ROCKY MOUNT - Read Full List

Proposed projects include upgrades to the rocky mount airport terminal, upgrade city park playground equipment and increase fencing for better security around the parks, plans to redevelop the old Planters Oil Mill, complete the rocky mount sports complex, upgrade tennis courts, basketball courts, stabilize historic parts of the community, Purchase tax-foreclosed downtown buildings or offer grants/loans to owners in order to bring buildings up to current codes, retrofit 25-year-old City Hall with energy-efficient fixtures and replacement of windows, accelerate some street repaving and resurfacing projects, and upgrade the city's water treatment plant.

DURHAM - Read Full List

The report shows Durham, NC has listed about $100 Million in projects, which would reportedly create 1,010 jobs.  On the list, phase "e" of the American Tobacco Trail, The pedestrian bridge over NC 147, plans for durham's first skateboarding park, several park upgrades, a minor league baseball museum and a handful of road improvements and/or resurfacing projects. Durham says that the combined total cost of all the roughly 30 projects on the list come with a price tag around $99 million dollars and would create over 1K new jobs.

CARY - Cary did not include its plan with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, but you can see the town's legislative agenda here.

CLAYTON - Read Full List

Clayton could apply for millions of federal dollars to help neighborhoods with high foreclosure rates.  The town is considering applying for a grant from the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. The federal government made $52 million of bailout money available to North Carolina to help struggling neighborhoods through that program.

Related Links

1. See Lists From All Participating U.S. Cities