NASHVILLE - A just-released inventory of Tennessee's public infrastructure needs reveals $61.94 billion in demands, with over half the money required for transportation, followed by higher education, K-12 school renovations, water and wastewater projects and new public schools and additions.
Generated by the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, the report is based on information provided by the state and Tennessee's 95 counties. The newly released inventory includes projects that need to be in some stage of development during the five-year period from July 2020 through June 2025.
Tennessee's statewide estimated needs for transportation projects totaled $34.12 billion, including costs associated with phases of conceptualization, planning, design and construction. Higher education came in at No. 2, totaling $6.59 billion. Coming in at No. 3 were K-12 school renovations, with $5.28 billion in needs.
Water and wastewater infrastructure was fourth at $4.93 billion in stated needs, while new public schools and additions came in fifth at $3.2 billion.
Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations Executive Director Cliff Lippard told Senate Finance Committee members Tuesday that lawmakers in 1996 charged the advisory commission with developing and maintaining an inventory for public infrastructure needs. The purpose, Lippard said, is so state, municipal and county governments can develop goals, strategies and programs to improve its citizens' quality of life, support livable communities while enhancing and encouraging overall economic development across the state.
This year's annual report on infrastructure needs for the five-year period represents a $3.4 billion increase over its previous study.
During the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations' presentation before the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, Chairman Bo Watson, R-Hixson, noted that some of what the inventory includes "are needs, some of them are wishes, wants, so how do we take this tool and apply it to projects?"
Watson noted that the state Fiscal Stimulus Accountability Group, which is comprised of the governor, himself and other state officials, has focused in particular on water and wastewater projects. He noted those rank fourth on the list, with some $4 billion in conceptual costs.
"Are we doing any cross-referencing between the projects that locals are actually doing versus the projects that they have said they wanted to do that are recorded in the inventory?"
Tyler Carpenter, a research manager for the commission, noted that there were about $4 billion in needs for water and wastewater. The dollar figure coming from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation on grants it plans to issue is "about a quarter of that," Carpenter said, adding, "they have laid out requirements for grants, but I don't believe they've begun awarding those grants. We won't be able to compare until that process begins.
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / The Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts, on East Brainerd Road, is practically surrounded by portable classroom. A just-released inventory of Tennessee's public infrastructure needs reveals $61.94 billion in demands with over half the money required for transportation followed by higher education, K-12 school renovations, water and wastewater projects and new public schools and additions. Hamilton County has $3.44 billion in needs, according to the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations report."Anything that is done, any grants that are awarded and projects begun should be captured in the inventory in the coming years," Carpenter said.
He said Tennessee's nine development districts, which have on-staff professionals in areas including planning and economic development, worked with local governments in compiling the lists.
Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, who serves on the Finance Committee, said in looking at Hamilton County's estimates, he noted that Hamilton County and the city of Chattanooga are both under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency orders involving sewer and wastewater costs of about $400 million.
"I look at the numbers that you have, that's not a wish list, that is an absolute dictate that the federal government told them they got to do," he said. "Where's the $400 million? I don't see it on here."
Carpenter said if it's not included in the total category in the report, "it's probably planned out beyond the five-year window" of the new report. While data is collected for 20 years out, the legislature's directive in generating the report is to cover five-year spans.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow him on Twitter @AndySher1.
County breakdown
Here are estimated costs to address infrastructure needs on tap in counties in Southeast Tennessee over the next five years. The list includes each county's top five planned expenditures, ranked by cost. Some projects are already funded, others may have partial funding or no funding at all at this juncture. Funding sources can include state, federal and local revenues.BLEDSOE COUNTYTotal cost infrastructure improvements: $200.37 millionTransportation: $87.72 millionLaw enforcement: $78.97 millionPublic health facilities: $9.8 millionSchool renovations: $9.68 millionIndustrial sites and parks: $4.96 millionBRADLEY COUNTYAll needs by county: $386.89 millionTransportation: $256.3 millionPublic health facilities: $47.72 millionHigher education: $31.20 millionSchool renovations: $21.47 millionNew public schools, additions: $11.5 millionFRANKLIN COUNTYTotal cost infrastructure improvements: $114.85 millionTransportation: $50.56 millionSchool renovations: $47.34 millionWater and wastewater: $6.1 millionHigher education: $5 millionPublic buildings: $4.36 millionGRUNDY COUNTYAll needs by county: $63.35 millionRecreation: $28.76 millionTransportation: $22.31 millionWater and wastewater: $5.77 millionSchool renovations: $4.43 millionCommunity development: $1.09 millionHAMILTON COUNTYTotal cost infrastructure improvements: $3.448 billionTransportation: $2.25 billionHigher education: $554.9 millionWater and wastewater: $252.85 millionPublic health facilities: $165.32 millionSchool renovations: $59.46 millionMARION COUNTYTotal cost infrastructure improvements: $299.68 millionTransportation: $228.68 millionNew public schools, additions: : $27.78 millionSchool renovations: $27.73 millionRecreation: $4.87 millionWater and wastewater: $4.46 millionMcMINN COUNTYTotal estimated cost infrastructure improvements: $149.53 millionTransportation: $56.33 millionSchool renovations: $22.92 millionHigher education: $18.03 millionStorm water: $10 millionNew public schools, additions: $8.78 millionMEIGS COUNTYTotal estimated cost infrastructure improvements: $20.18 millionTransportation: $11.78 millionSchool renovations: $1.93 millionOther facilities: $550,000School-system wide: $150,000Recreation: $110,000POLK COUNTYTotal estimated cost infrastructure improvements: $348.59 millionTransportation: $306 millionNew public schools, additions: $20 millionWater and wastewater: $11.63 millionRecreation: $5.2 millionSchool renovations: $4.36 millionRHEA COUNTYTotal estimated infrastructure improvements: $203.84 millionTransportation: $131.17 millionLaw enforcement: $25.5 millionWater and wastewater: $23.38 millionIndustrial sites and parks: $9.76 millionPublic buildings: $4.1 millionSEQUATCHIE COUNTYTotal estimate infrastructure improvements: $60.41 millionTransportation: $47.55 millionSchool renovations: $7.5 millionRecreation: $1.63 millionWater and wastewater: $1.5 millionNew public schools, additions: $1.15 millionSource: Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations