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Congresswoman warns Santa Fe Springs projects face cuts; reimbursements and Wi‑Fi funding uncertain
Summary
City Manager Renee Boveda reported a meeting with Congresswoman Linda Sanchez’s office that secured prior awards but signaled several recent federal projects and reimbursements may not be funded under current congressional plans.
City Manager Renee Boveda told the Santa Fe Springs City Council the city has received multiple federal grants and community-project funds in recent years, but that a meeting with Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez’s office indicated several projects are now at risk.
Boveda said the city previously received $850,000 for a Slauson project, $2.2 million for Water Well No. 12, $2.5 million for a citywide Wi‑Fi program and about $2.64 million for a Norwalk Boulevard/Los Nietos grade separation project. “She informed us that the Norwalk project definitely will not be funded. The citywide Wi‑Fi will definitely not be funded,” Boveda said.
Why it matters: Those federal allocations supported infrastructure and connectivity projects that city staff had been planning to implement. Boveda said the congresswoman advised the city to submit any outstanding reimbursement claims for prior-year expenditures because certain appropriation decisions may be reversed or withheld.
Boveda described additional federal-level risks: community-project allocations lacked clear instructions from the new majority, wildfire and other program funding may be excluded from the short-term continuing resolution, and there is “impoundment” risk — a term he said the congresswoman used to describe potential revocation or withholding of allocated funds.
Boveda warned that impacts could spill into related programs such as CalFire reimbursements for interagency wildfire assistance and federal transportation funding that flows to Caltrans and regional partners. He told council members that the federal situation was fluid and that staff are tracking reimbursement deadlines and planning contingencies.
Council and staff response: Councilmembers asked about CDBG and other grant lines; Boveda said the congresswoman’s office was trying to preserve some programs but that outcomes were uncertain. He emphasized the city’s success in obtaining prior awards and urged staff to pursue reimbursements and monitor federal developments.
Ending: Boveda said the office reiterated the congresswoman is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and that her staff are aware of the city’s needs, but final federal action on the projects discussed remained uncertain.
