Every year, 12 appropriation bills are written and passed by the United States Congress. These bills fund programs and activities ranging from government operations, education, national defense, and more.
Members of Congress can also request funding for specific projects in their districts — which must meet federal regulations, as well as House and Committee eligibility requirements. Each Member of Congress can submit up to 15 Community Project Funding (CPF) requests for 2025. There is no guarantee that any requested project will receive funding.
Congresswoman Sara Jacobs has submitted 15 projects on behalf of California’s 51st District. Four proposed projects are focused on local areas.
The Boulevard Drive Storm Drain Improvement Project requests $1.5 million, according to Congresswoman Jacobs’ 2025 CPF website, to fund a 200 foot-long storm drain box culvert, which helps divert water by collecting it via pipes and draining into a larger drainage system. The site also indicates that construction of a parklet will also be included.
“Completing the Boulevard Drive Storm Drain Improvement Project would help prevent flooding of Chollas Creek, which regularly experiences significant flooding when it collects runoff during rainstorms,” Congresswoman Jacobs said. “The January 2024 storms cost our community millions of dollars in damage – not to mention the stress, anxiety, and heartache for those who lost their homes and businesses. This project would help blunt the impact of future flooding and the consequences for our community.”
Trying to prevent future damage due to flooding
“Boulevard Drive and 69th Street have long been susceptible to flooding, affecting both the local community and infrastructure,” said City of La Mesa Mayor Mark Arapostathis. “If funding is secured, the project will directly benefit the public by preventing future damages to roads, businesses, and private property during flood storms. Additionally, the funding will improve public access in the area, establish a green space and urban forest, and contribute to the revitalization of the area.”
AI models for social good
Moreover, Jacobs’ submitted CPF for San Diego State University focuses on AI-enabled robotics for social good. According to her CPF website, the $1 million funding “would be used to create an inclusive [AI] programming training center to democratize the use of AI models for social good.”
The site goes on to explain that the project will focus on developing trustworthy AI and integrate fundamental societal values in AI-enabled robotics. For Jacobs, she explained more specifically that this would entail increasing accessibility, usability, and transparency so more individuals can expand opportunities and improve lives.
“We also need to remember that artificial intelligence is just a compilation of algorithms, which are created by humans and replicate our own biases,” she said. “That can be especially dangerous when algorithms and AI are used in areas like housing, health care, and criminal justice that have been marked by discrimination for decades, if not centuries.”
El Cerrito and Rolando Park in the mix
Lastly, El Cerrito and Rolando Park was also on Jacobs’ CPF request list, with a storm drain and green infrastructure project.
$5.5 million would be used to replace deteriorating Corrugated Metal Pipe storm drains at the intersection of College Avenue and University Avenue, and an adjacent residential area with Reinforced Concrete Pipe, according to Jacobs’ website.
“So many of our communities are still recovering from the horrific storms in January. Building more storm-resistant infrastructure will help prevent future flooding and damage to the local streets, homes, and businesses in the community,” Jacobs added.
A spokesperson for El Cerrito Community Council did not reply to a request for comment on the project before publication.
Because Members of Congress submitted these CPF requests in May, says the House Committee on Appropriations website, it will likely be some time before funding is decided on Congresswoman Jacobs’ proposed projects.
Photo courtesy of https://sarajacobs.house.gov/.
