KITCHENER - During its meeting March 23, 2009, city council gave staff the go-ahead to submit a prioritized list of 13 municipal infrastructure projects to the federal government, in hopes of garnering federal and provincial infrastructure funding for up to $71.8 million worth of new municipal construction projects, which would result in more than 500 new jobs.

''If these projects get into the pipe, they would clearly have a significant effect on the workforce,'' said Mayor Carl Zehr.

If granted, the funding would come from the federal government's economic stimulus plan -- announced in January -- which designated $6.4 billion over two years for provincial, territorial and municipal infrastructure projects.

The main purpose of this funding allocation is to stimulate the economy and at the same time create a more modern and greener infrastructure that is the foundation of sustainable long-term growth.

The city's list of infrastructure projects in need of the federal funding support is:

* Infrastructure remediation ($26.6 million; 300 jobs created)
* Centre in the Square improvements ($1.2 million)
* Consolidated maintenance facility ($14.0 million; 200 jobs created)
* Strasburg Road industrial project ($5.5 million)
* Accessibility improvements ($1.0 million)
* Kitchener public library central library renovation and expansion ($5.6 million)
* Solar retrofits ($1.2 million)
* CMF solar roof (4.1 million)
* City hall lighting ($1.0 million)
* Energy management systems ($1.5 million)
* McLennan Park development ($3.0 million)
* Bridgeport Community Centre ($2.1 million)
* Aquatic facility upgrades ($5.0 million)

Councillors also directed staff to submit the central library project for funding consideration under the federal Building Canada Fund.

These capital projects will stimulate the local economy through the creation of new jobs while considerably improving the condition of the city's infrastructure resulting in long-term benefits for the community; while also helping to address the local portion of the rapidly growing $123 billion national infrastructure deficit.

The two main criteria for projects to qualify for funding are:

* Projects must be ''shovel ready'' and completed by March 31, 2011;
* Projects should be incremental to the city's existing 2009 capital forecast.

The city will likely be eligible for funding through the following three components of the federal infrastructure program:

* Infrastructure Stimulus Fund- $4 billion is available over the next two years in this category for infrastructure improvements such as roads, bridges and sewers;
* Green Infrastructure Fund- $1 billion is available over the next five years in this category to support the creation of sustainable energy;
* Recreational Infrastructure Canada Fund- $0.5 billion is available over the next two years in this category for arenas, tennis and basketball courts and sports fields, etc.

The infrastructure funds will be allocated based on project merit and readiness as construction must begin in the 2009 and 2010 construction seasons.

The funds will cover up to 50 per cent of the eligible projects costs with the balance to be provided by provincial and municipal governments.

''There is a lot of frustration around the lack of clarity on how these federal funds will work and how the dollars will be accessed,'' said Ward 2 Coun. Berry Vrbanovic. ''This is not unique to our area; these questions are being raised to Members of Parliament across the country. But in our case, I am pleased that our staff was as proactive as they were in putting this list of priorities together. It ensures we're not behind the eight ball in terms of ensuring our citizens and our community projects get the support they deserve when it comes to getting our share of the funding.''