U.S. Rep Demings touts infrastructure bill in Apopka

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U.S. Rep. Val Demings, (D-Orlando) was in Apopka Tuesday, November 23, to promote the recently passed federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act at a news briefing that was held at the city of Apopka water storage construction site on Golden Gem Road. Demings called the recently signed bill a “bipartisan victory in Central Florida.”

The news conference was held adjacent to the city’s 300-million gallon pond that holds reclaimed water, as well as a 50-million gallon pond that is under construction. Funding for the large pond and the one under construction is already in place, having been funded through other city and federal monies.

Mayor Bryan Nelson said the site was chosen because the ponds represent the type of project that could be used with money from the new infrastructure bill, and the city of Apopka hopes to receive a portion of the federal $1.2-trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for other infrastructure needs.

The two ponds give the city of Apopka almost 30 days of storage if Orange County Utilities and the city of Altamonte Springs send the community the maximum amount of water under their contracts, Nelson said.

Also speaking at the press conference were President/CEO of Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce Cate Manley, and Dave Brier of the Laborers’ International Union of North America.

President Biden signed the $1.2-trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law on November 15. The bill was approved by the House of Representatives on November 5 and in the Senate in August, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

During the news briefing’s question-and-answer session, Demings said she hopes to know by the end of this year how much money Apopka will get and the restrictions for using those dollars. When that information is known, the Apopka mayor and commissioners will be informed, she said.

Later in the morning, Rep. Demings held a press conference announcing the passing of the infrastructure bill at the Lynx Central Station in Orlando. Among the speakers there were her husband, Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings, and Lynx CEO Jim Harrison.

The full story can be found starting on page 1A of the Friday, November 26 issue of The Apopka Chief. Subscribe today!

The Apopka Chief and The Planter are weekly community newspapers, independently owned and family operated, that have served the greater Apopka area in Central Florida since 1923 and 1965 respectively. 

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