Lewis County Courthouse
Local leaders are celebrating the passage of the state’s construction budget this weekend, a measure that funded nearly a dozen local projects that had been hanging in the balance between the House and Senate versions of the bill.
“I saved them all, except for one (project) that wasn’t ready,” said state Rep. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis. “It went reasonably well. I think I did a good job for our community. … It doesn’t hurt to be in the room.”
DeBolt was one of four negotiators who helped craft the final capital budget, a Republican and Democrat each from both the House and Senate. He serves as ranking member on the House Capital Budget Committee.
Nearly all of the local projects had been included in the House draft, but many were nowhere to be found when the Senate released its proposal. In all, the capital budget allocates more than $104 million to the 20th District, according to a document handed out Monday by county commissioner Edna Fund.
“It looks like we have something for many, many groups in our county,” Fund said. “I really appreciate our legislators working hard for us.”
Fund serves as the commissioners’ legislative point person, and she’s also a board member for the Office of the Chehalis Basin, the state group that works on flooding and habitat projects in the region. OCB leaders had asked for $73 million for the next biennium, but drafted budgets from the Senate and Gov. Jay Inslee kept the group at its current level of $50 million.
Ultimately, though, the final bill funded the office at $73 million, which Fund said will enable it to maintain its positive momentum.
“It is so wonderful that our progress can continue,” she said. “When you work so hard, since we’re all pulling in the same direction, to see that that’s rewarded, that they can see we’re doing good work, it’s really rewarding that can continue.”
DeBolt said full funding for the Chehalis River projects came about through a bit of horse-trading. Senate negotiators hailed from the Columbia and Yakima River basins, so by providing funding for projects in those systems, House leaders were able to secure money for the Chehalis.
“We traded out — we’ll fund yours if you fund ours,” he said.
Another inclusion is $637,000 in funding for a study to challenge Packwood’s federal floodplain designation. If experts are able to determine that Packwood is not within the Cowlitz River floodplain — to match historic anecdotal evidence that the town never floods — it could make it much easier for future development, housing and business growth in the area.
“We would not have been able to move forward with anything without (the state funding),” said county commissioner Gary Stamper, whose East County district includes Packwood. “It gives us an opportunity to look at all options we can use up there. … It’s a big boost. It’s a big deal, and we’re very, very thankful.”
A pair of county government requests, $120,000 for restoration work on the historic courthouse and $103,000 for long-term planning for the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds, were both included in the final budget.
“That just feels so good to get those funded,” Fund said.
Another big-ticket item is nearly $5 million for a bridge on the Willapa Hills State Park Trail where it intersects with state Route 6, a dangerous crossing for hikers and bikers. Another $920,00 will fund sewage treatment systems at Ike Kinswa State Park.
Nearly $2.2 million will go toward work at Centralia College, covering projects that include facility repairs, preservation, roof repairs and site repairs. Meanwhile, $1.3 million is set aside for security and surveillance upgrades and a recreation building replacement at Green Hill School, the state-run juvenile detention facility in Chehalis. The CHS Pediatric Clinic in Centralia is in line for $84,000.
Another $2 million is allocated for the Centralia-Chehalis Early Learning Conversion Project, which DeBolt said is an attempt to turn an existing facility into an early childhood education center — but one that will require participation from the Twin Cities school districts.
“They all have empty space right now, they’re building new schools,” he said. “Here’s an opportunity to take one of those empty spaces and utilize it instead of writing it off your books or holding it as a liability, to turn it into an asset that we work with. I’m looking for the school districts to step up and be partners on this. … We need the school districts to say they want to participate in this, or the money goes away.”
Another $2 million will be poured into the Centralia Readiness Center, which is under the Washington Military Department. DeBolt said that is for continued work to make sure regional centers are “up to speed” on Cascadia subduction issues — preparation for an earthquake that forecasters have warned could devastate the region.
Several other six-figure outlays will fund fish barrier removals, ongoing work to replace the thousands of culverts throughout the state that impede the progress of migrating fish. Following a court decision that requires the state to replace all of its fish passage barriers, DeBolt said the Legislature is taking a “watershed-by-watershed” approach to make sure local projects line up with the work the state is doing.
In other areas of Lewis County, $213,000 is allocated for improvements at Carlisle Lake Park in Onalaska, $469,000 for Toledo water and sewer work. The 20th District is also included in statewide funding for electric vehicle charging stations.
Editor’s note: Rep. Richard DeBolt is an employee of Lafromboise Communications, Inc., the parent company of The Chronicle.
