Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe met with U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin on Tuesday to discuss several projects the city will likely require some federal funding to complete.
Mwilambwe said that includes the city's downtown streetscape project and storm water improvements near downtown.
“We just wanted to give him awareness of those and then down the line, when we get ready for specifics asks, then we will do that,” Mwilambwe told reporters at the McLean County Government Center.
Mwilambwe said they also discussed the Locust-Colton sewer separation project. The city already has requested federal funding for the next leg of that project. U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Moline, included it among his list of requests for Community Project Funding.
Durbin highlighted funding the federal government already has approved for several Bloomington-Normal projects, including $8 million for the planned Connect Transit transfer center downtown and $15.8 million to electrify its bus fleet.
“It’s a good time to have a project,” said the Democratic senator, noting passage of the federal infrastructure bill.
Durbin said members of the Illinois congressional delegation meet weekly to discuss funding requests throughout the state.Workforce board
Mwilambwe said he thinks his appointment to a state board will help the community find the workers it needs.
Gov. JB Pritzker has tabbed Mwilambwe to serve on the state's Workforce Innovation Board, made up of leaders from state, business, industry, labor, education, and community-based organizations.
Mwilambwe said he hopes his experience as mayor and as an Illinois State University administrator can help build stronger connections to foster more job training at ISU and other universities across the state.
“What I’m really looking forward to is working with the best and brightest in the state to come up with some innovative strategies,” said Mwilambwe, noting the community has a worker shortage in many sectors, including civil engineering.
“If we’re struggling with that, then that means a lot of municipalities throughout the United States are struggling with that. That’s just one area,” he said.
Mwilambwe, who serves as ISU's interim director of equal opportunity ethics and access, said Bloomington also lacks adequate housing to meet the demands of a growing workforce.
