The Salt Lake City Council approved a prioritized project list earlier this month for its $2.1 million federal allocation. Among the projects on the list: establishing a revolving loan fund to help businesses with the costs of efficiency upgrades, re-timing traffic signals to reduce delays, building a bicycle transit center at the intermodal hub, creating bicycle paths, replacing traffic light bulbs with more energy-efficient lights and rewriting zoning and planning codes to promote energy-efficient development and alternative transportation.

Sandy is using a newly created "green team" to prioritize projects for its allocation of $893,500.

"From what we can tell, it's a great incentive to look for savings," Duerkson said. "It offers a good environment for the workplace and it's also a great benefit for the taxpayer."

Duerkson said that Sandy will have to carefully note things such as jobs created and fuel saved with the energy money. There will be "complete accountability," but the federal government has been very vague about reporting requirements, she said.

Money for the CDBG and energy efficiency portions of the federal stimulus could be received early next year, city officials said.

Overall, the opportunity for federal funds hasn't changed city priorities but has simply moved unfunded projects up the lists.

West Valley City assistant manager Paul Isaac said his city will not accept money that does not fit into long-term plans.

"We have to really be careful," he said. "It's not like we're going to accept every cent we can get."

For more information on the federal stimulus program, visit recovery.gov or recovery.utah.gov.

E-MAIL: rpalmer@desnews.com