Q: When is guidance actionable?

A: Guidance is actionable almost immediately. Many of the executive orders are actually giving programmatic guidance to agencies. If you see something that is going to impact the agency you are receiving funding from then we recommend you take that into consideration and act on it. As the administration continues to issue new guidance, we recommend you keep a tracker and timeline to follow the changes until the administration decides in what direction they will go in.

Q: How should cities begin to act on guidance?

A: Just like with any funding, we suggest you adjust to meet your funder’s current priorities. This can look like shifting language so that it better aligns with your funder’s priorities. If you are not able to do so, then it is worth having a conversation around exploring alternative funds for said project.

Q: What if a grant agreement is unexecuted and we have secured a 4232 to begin on the project. Should we stop incurring costs?

A: A fully executed grant agreement is really the gold standard for moving forward so we recommend you put in as much effort as possible to get that finalized. If you’re working with a local field office and you have written confirmation from them that it is okay to move forward then do so, but really a grant agreement is the only legal document that can guarantee that.

Q: Do we think grant funding opportunities will be posted soon? Or will we not have much going forward?

A: The timing on specific grant funding opportunities is unknown, but once any notice of funding opportunities is posted, you can trust that the Local Infrastructure Hub will provide information on the changes and priorities.

Q: Where can we find info on which grants are frozen for certain? Most of us have only heard speculation so far.

A: There is no comprehensive way of being able to figure out what is frozen or unfrozen, but we recommend you lean on the associations like the United States Conference of Mayors or the National League of Cities for the latest updates.

Q: How should cities think about collecting data in the absence of tools like EJSCREEN?

A: There are a few data champions, like Federal Funds Information for States (FFIS), who have done a great job of collecting these archived sites and resources so they remain available to the public. We recommend that cities seek out these sources and look into what the administration considers more mainstream data sources.

Q: Do US Senators have any seat at the table with fed financing?

A: Absolutely. We recommend you actively work with your House and Senate members to ensure that selection criteria aligns with your program.

Q: What should cities do if they’ve won a grant but have not signed a grant agreement despite reaching out to the agency repeatedly?

A: When a federal funder or agency makes award decisions, they send press releases to the congressional offices so they are able to publicly announce their district’s win. We recommend that you reach out to your local congressperson and explain to them that you haven’t received a grant agreement yet and let them go back to the federal agency. As it stands, don’t assume that a lack of response is bad news because currently many agencies are trying to figure out who can sign off on certain things amidst all the federal layoffs.

Q: Should cities document when they have tried to communicate to an agency official and whether there was an adequate response, if any?

A: Yes, we recommend that cities keep a communication log to document all outreach attempts so you can present it to your auditors or federal monitors if necessary.

Q: We had several earmarks that were set to go through and are now off the table with the CR. You said to reach out to congressional delegation about alternative funding. Could you explain a bit more: what might that funding look like?

A: Although it is disappointing that several earmarks are now off the table, it is important to stress that there will be new opportunities in which programs come out with higher allocations or additional funding is used to create new programs. We recommend you work closely with your House and Senate members to understand how to position yourselves when selection criteria is released.