[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6241504,"mediaKeyId","3255692-5bd61ae30402c974ca513f5320f23966","parentId",3255692,"title","Spokane officials flag federal grant terminations and proposed cuts that could raise local borrowing costs and stall infrastructure projects","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",6000000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3255692-5bd61ae30402c974ca513f5320f23966&start=6000&end=6000","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3255692-5bd61ae30402c974ca513f5320f23966/thumbnail_6000000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6241504/Spokane/Spokane-County/Washington/Spokane-officials-flag-federal-grant-terminations-and-proposed-cuts-that-could-raise-local-borrowing-costs-and-stall-infrastructure-projects","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241504-fbb1dcc9e6dbc3cb52ec815b3f082cd7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770994272&Signature=j~iD-cPFlJunNco9KQStW6z8ssNyYtgP0-TxpdtFOW-FvZunrCA4DzlJ6adDGFVSBG3rY0z76jFmt8x3nRas~OeVesfiVXx0lyp166~R3BaDNSm4gM3vPdAU~WgB9dg6jsD4zkp7KLaV7gf-gHm2gApb1wygwUmW1vrbnR~L8H4Xu4uitrG3yLwgmm0qzAvKEWYRRxNGlM45E18p3Y1xH6arPKBrBEY6sKUbsQ03~DSUz7lfH--wLqBlyw-f1oXqTplSlT6iXmU5--Ba5BbmrEL0x9IS6ju~5gusQZhlFox5XgFFWdO5LjapoD6Uk6YCcKepxkLD1MvZBN-bLlx9fA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Spokane City, WA","date","2025-05-09T16:25:45Z","article","The Climate Resilience and Sustainability Board heard from the city’s federal lobbyists and staff about growing federal‑level risks to Spokane’s funding pipeline, including recent pauses and terminations of federal grants, proposed reductions in federal support for water and wastewater state revolving funds, and a threatened change to the tax status of municipal bonds that could sharply increase borrowing costs.

Brian Christiansen of Desimone Consulting Group, the city’s federal lobbyist, briefed the board on the ongoing congressional budget and reconciliation processes and warned that a range of federal proposals could affect Spokane. \"There's a lot of threats out there,\" Christiansen said, urging vigilance and coalition building with other cities and national organizations.

Board members and staff highlighted three federal risks discussed in the meeting:

- Grant terminations and reimbursements: The board was told that several federal grants, including the Community Change Grant discussed earlier in the meeting, had been paused or terminated in recent weeks; some previously paused grants (such as an urban‑forestry grant and a Safe Streets for All grant) later began to provide reimbursements, producing cautious optimism. City staff said officials are engaging with delegations and the administration to seek reimbursements where possible.

- Proposed limits on tax‑exempt municipal bonds: Presenters warned that proposals to curtail or remove federal tax‑exempt status for municipal bonds would increase local borrowing costs substantially; staff cited analyses showing increases in borrowing costs by 30%–40% in hypothetical scenarios and noted King County/Seattle estimates where loss of tax‑exemption could raise costs by billions on long‑range programs.

- Cuts to the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds: The presentation noted a proposal in the federal budget narrative to reduce annual capitalization for state revolving funds (which provide low‑interest loans for water and wastewater projects) from approximately $2.7 billion to levels as low as $300 million — a reduction that, if enacted, would materially constrain funding for local utility upgrades.

Lobbyists described the timing and mechanics of federal budget work: reconciliation and tax discussions were expected to be active the following week, while fiscal‑year 2026 appropriations work is beginning and could stretch late into the year. The city said it has submitted appropriations requests for specific projects — notably design funding for Latah (Latah/Spokane) Street Bridge and a Smart Teams/transportation request — and that Spokane officials are meeting with delegation staff in Washington, D.C., to press those priorities.

Next steps: city lobbyists asked the board and partners to support coalition advocacy and track appropriations and reconciliation activity as proposals move through committees; the city will continue to press for targeted project funding and monitor any federal rule or budget changes that affect grants and municipal finance.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","May 8th, 2025 Climate Resilience & Sustainability Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Federal and federal‑policy risks — including paused grants, potential reductions in state revolving funds and proposals to curtail tax‑exempt municipal bonds — were discussed with the city's federal lobbyists; board members were urged to track appropriations and support federal advocacy.","taxTitle","Spokane, Spokane County, Washington","taxId",2644,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6241509,"Washington legislative session reshapes Spokane priorities: recycling overhaul, cuts to outdoor education and local trail funding",2375,1255000,3630000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3255692-5bd61ae30402c974ca513f5320f23966&start=1255&end=3630","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3255692-5bd61ae30402c974ca513f5320f23966/thumbnail_1255000.jpg","/articles/6241509/Spokane/Spokane-County/Washington/Washington-legislative-session-reshapes-Spokane-priorities-recycling-overhaul-cuts-to-outdoor-education-and-local-trail-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241509-5b4fd44570b8c2c67c067ef95bcc5d13/orig.mp4?Expires=1770994272&Signature=N0nf-pK7J4ip45NRnA~z8I6wJjpw0asWzFkLxQqsY1kBLkasQndJP396r-BTy39~vAfimTT3AqQVtEZXEggLU6YZitPZQUICwSOS-CZibtSoXf5vTEwOrP48y9r8p-tDqCzVsfjPB20NB1a~S0bW5zgii~o0i-breRXrICBEQI3By5SRToEP8kTcOAkoAgx9ciIFTAzQw5ubPt9nrkYmkLoCBNRy97bsNrDw0TvRK1MsGt6hNy5Wx1sWaj9MlNE7Y6Syfpbb5Lj3~tO38fmPDMmXTVYL~KXCA5kNJJS16e8itTkmTz-1LxeeJs4SdbnmrlJVDBlASuIqFxaj4yvaew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff and board members reviewed highlights from the 2025 Washington legislative session and how enacted and proposed changes could affect Spokane projects and programs.

Presenters noted the state passed a major extended‑producer‑responsibility recycling law (commonly described in the meeting as the \"REWRAP Act\") that will require producers to register and pay into a statewide system; rulemaking will begin in 2026 with expected adoption in mid‑2028. Marlene (city staff, presenter) said the new law aims to standardize what counts as recycling across the state, expand curbside service access, and reimburse local collection utilities. \"In 2024, it cost the city $1,500,000 to process recyclables after receiving the benefit of the commodities that were sold,\" Marlene said, explaining the city’s fiscal pressures on curbside recycling programs.

Budget changes at the state level include increased funding for clean transportation projects (the presenter cited a $226,000,000 allocation across biennia for medium‑ and heavy‑duty vehicle conversions) and funding for local trail projects such as Centennial River Trail renovation Phase 2 and a Fish Lake Trail connection. However, some local priorities lost momentum: the Children of the Sun Trail completion funding was moved into a future biennium, leaving its completion date uncertain; board members said that change raises environmental‑justice concerns for neighborhoods directly affected by freeway impacts.

The board heard that the state eliminated the Clime Time program (an OSPI proviso that had provided roughly $3,000,000 statewide for climate education in K‑12) and cut a $10,000,000 outdoor‑education appropriation. Presenters said those reductions could undermine recent gains in classroom climate and earth‑science education in Eastern Washington.

Other passed bills noted by staff included a strengthened clean‑fuel standard, a solar‑panel recycling law and reforms around transit‑oriented development and parking policy. Some measures failed, including proposals on road‑usage charging, embodied‑carbon in buildings, and certain environmental‑justice permitting reforms, but sponsors can revisit them in the next session.

The Climate Commitment Act (the state cap‑and‑invest program) was discussed as a complex multi‑budget source for projects across operating, capital and transportation budgets; presenters said its size is driven by allowance sales in carbon markets and that allocations and future renewals remain subject to policy choices. Several board members requested more technical briefings on the CCA and state budget mechanics.

Next steps: staff recommended the board track rulemaking for the REWRAP Act, watch for design and capital timelines on trail projects, and follow opportunities from clean‑transportation and parks funding streams as the state finalizes budget vetoes and supplemental actions through May.","City staff briefed the board on state budget and legislative changes that affect Spokane, including passage of a state recycling 'REWRAP' law, cuts to climate education and outdoor education funding, shifts in trail project timelines and investments in clean transportation infrastructure.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6241513,"Gonzaga Climate Institute outlines draft Spokane heat and smoke plans and a three‑tier resilience‑hub model",1410,5220000,6630000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3255692-5bd61ae30402c974ca513f5320f23966&start=5220&end=6630","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3255692-5bd61ae30402c974ca513f5320f23966/thumbnail_5220000.jpg","/articles/6241513/Spokane/Spokane-County/Washington/Gonzaga-Climate-Institute-outlines-draft-Spokane-heat-and-smoke-plans-and-a-threetier-resiliencehub-model","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241513-d17d09d58b44d94e1344f47cd418c177/orig.mp4?Expires=1770994272&Signature=ikU5roDmY8tPb2uYt0vwP03cmqTGvcn25WKIaD0dVTqlVSVo2kZdBho80jI6DWFaAyj~lLhmfgUlRzFdrZxqpik1IbjNUD4h~qTNxggkeRclkjlqXN-R6vlQcI4IInzgEfTFamWAivJPjEsZ1mkLF5eBWDzaWkJX5MqN4Z3NtzAeDrEE0yABV3YrDf76tOGuqZ4qSPUPOvJA-e7W908r-aoH0-HdeLuMACIajP29dWQ3alnDOgN2vYABswPKL2OH-P~06RMyh4Qd1PwGUEeJRgEC9lPaGuON5HHiPb9f8UXQhrvex3tuPm7EpGkFRKIJPehZXV0zhnBrj9vcBW3riQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Gonzaga University’s Climate Institute presented draft Spokane citywide plans to address extreme heat and wildfire smoke and proposed a three‑tier network of community resilience hubs to provide clean‑air, cooling and charging services during heat and smoke events.

Climate Institute staff Dante Jester (Climate Resilience Program Manager) and Mary Condon (Climate Resilience Program Coordinator) told the board the plans were developed through community engagement — including a 2022 survey with about 1,800 responses and neighborhood‑level outreach — and are being advanced by the Spokane Community Resilience Collaborative (SCRC), a 15‑member group of community organizations, utilities and city departments.

\"These plans are really built on community‑engaged research,\" Dante Jester said, summarizing months of symposiums and neighborhood conversations that identified nature‑based solutions, information gaps about heat and smoke risks, and demand for long‑term resilience investments. The Climate Institute plans to launch the heat plan in June (coinciding with a national Heat Action Day) and the smoke plan the following week during Smoke Ready Week.

The draft plans set out before‑during‑after structures for both heat and smoke preparedness: consistent activation thresholds; coordinated public messaging; outreach and training for vulnerable residents; increased access to portable air cleaners and N95 masks; and prioritizing tree canopy and neighborhood cooling projects where heat maps show inequitable exposure.

A central feature is a three‑tier resilience‑hub proposal. Level‑1 engagement hubs would be community businesses or organizations that host information, make N95s available and provide occasional public trainings. Level‑2 day‑use hubs would be retrofitted libraries and community centers with upgraded HVAC filtration and solar plus battery backups to serve as daytime clean‑air and cooling centers. Level‑3 emergency hubs would add overnight capacity and higher power resilience for short‑term sheltering when needed; the group said level‑3 sites will require separate funding and planning.

Mary Condon described five potential Level‑2 pilot sites that had been identified earlier in the project: the Carl Maxey Center, Liberty Park Library, the Central Library, West Central Community Center and Northeast Community Center. Those pilot selections built on Community Change Grant plans; board members noted that the EPA grant termination places the funding for some retrofits at risk.

Sarah Nuss, the city’s emergency manager, said the city would review activation thresholds and facility readiness and that there is room to discuss lowering AQI trigger levels used for activation. \"I did see your chat and do think there is an opportunity to talk about lowering that,\" Nuss said during the discussion.

The Climate Institute said the drafts will be published as proposals, followed by summer‑long outreach with community organizations and a fall review by the SCRC; the intent is to convert recommendations into clarified responsibilities in the following year.

Next steps: launch draft plans in June, gather community feedback through summer workshops, revise in the fall, and then begin converting recommendations into specific actions and responsible actors in subsequent cycles.","Gonzaga Climate Institute presenters described draft citywide heat and wildfire‑smoke resilience plans built from community engagement and proposed a three‑tier resilience‑hub network (engagement, day‑use, emergency) that would pair program support with retrofits such as HVAC filtration and solar backup.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_46":104,"_48":105,"_50":106,"_52":107,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":108,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":109,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6241518,"Spokane board urges mayor to coordinate with Gonzaga on legal response after EPA ends $20 million community change grant",7808,522000,8330000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3255692-5bd61ae30402c974ca513f5320f23966&start=522&end=8330","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3255692-5bd61ae30402c974ca513f5320f23966/thumbnail_522000.jpg","/articles/6241518/Spokane/Spokane-County/Washington/Spokane-board-urges-mayor-to-coordinate-with-Gonzaga-on-legal-response-after-EPA-ends-20-million-community-change-grant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241518-a6472908409dd442c971ab1c501726be/orig.mp4?Expires=1770994272&Signature=mLnvsMAD4N65-FLfBgc9vew9~eompKeFj4AOqdW-1St0uA6cVeD6DzqvlzVg3f5v8dXEa24HefMqtuens8o12IEOmlFFlZHxSRZUwKtdbXWlH2pqj2KHLOl4J4JCDdY7wPozspsCkeEPOkGeZH4bUxZy4z63gIDt6eL0iL6eSX3zW~xgJT98Uvjh8MYMzoUSUxFPp3PNQMInR046xW5qS-b3Q-JBqUIgnQzI0rkudNGdUzIOUoauVVd1mHhRw8XfN2WkjAgKzGO24xK0mKzm0Y3NyzS0qR00eatJDE2WsJo5iK8Ocvrp1aT90PlFrSlT5gonqmPjVzqtpu~xGS3dhw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Spokane Climate Resilience and Sustainability Board voted unanimously to ask the mayor to coordinate with Gonzaga University and other partners to determine “appropriate legal and/or other action” after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency terminated a $20,000,000 Community Change Grant that would have funded resilience infrastructure and community grants in Spokane.

The motion, moved by member Terry (surname not specified) and seconded by Catherine (surname not specified), directs the mayor’s office to consult with Gonzaga and report back at a special virtual board meeting scheduled for May 22. The board recorded the motion as passed unanimously.

Board members and staff said the grant’s termination threatens a package of local investments: about $8,000,000 intended for city public-facility upgrades (including solar arrays and battery-backed microgrids for two libraries and two community centers), roughly $8,000,000 in heat-pump installations for about 300 low- and moderate-income homes through Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners (SNAP), more than $800,000 for upgrades at the Karl Maxey Center in East Central, and $2,600,000 to fund a Community Climate Action Fund to be administered by the Gonzaga Climate Institute.

\"The termination notice itself, cited change in agency priorities as the justification,\" said Chair (name not specified), noting that board members and grant partners believe that justification does not match the grant’s published terms and conditions. \"That's not actually consistent with what the terms and conditions of the award allow,\" the chair said during the meeting.

John Snyder, Director of Transportation and Sustainability for the City of Spokane, told the board the grant carried a statutory three-year administration window and must be spent by the end of 2027. \"It's a 3‑year window, and so it has to be done by the end of 2027,\" Snyder said. Board members flagged that ongoing litigation over similar grant terminations is already taking place elsewhere and that a subaward partner can, in some cases, be a named plaintiff even if the lead grantee does not pursue suit.

Board discussion cited economic and resilience implications for neighborhoods identified as heat or environmental-justice priorities. Members said the loss of the grant would reduce planned investments in community resilience infrastructure and in programs that would have created local jobs and direct benefits for vulnerable residents.

Under the board’s motion, the city is to coordinate with Gonzaga on possible legal and nonlegal remedies and to report on progress at the May 22 special board meeting. Board members said Gonzaga is doing an internal review of options and that the city attorney’s office could advise on the feasibility and timing of any city action before the board’s next meeting.

Next steps: the board will review any city‑Gonzaga coordination and recommended actions at its May 22 virtual meeting and decide whether to escalate formal recommendations to the mayor or city council. The board also signaled it may follow other litigation already filed by outside organizations concerning grant terminations.","The Climate Resilience and Sustainability Board voted to ask the mayor to coordinate with Gonzaga University to explore legal or other actions after the EPA terminated a $20 million Community Change Grant that would have funded resilience projects in Spokane.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Spokane officials flag federal grant terminations and proposed cuts that could raise local borrowing costs and stall infrastructure projects

Washington legislative session reshapes Spokane priorities: recycling overhaul, cuts to outdoor education and local trail funding

Gonzaga Climate Institute outlines draft Spokane heat and smoke plans and a three‑tier resilience‑hub model

Spokane board urges mayor to coordinate with Gonzaga on legal response after EPA ends $20 million community change grant