[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-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",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":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,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6207930,"mediaKeyId","3750382-cefdd92f405b37432d1eae74dbf776a7","parentId",3750382,"title","Spokane County signals 0–50% cuts to WSU Extension support as part of budget guidance","audioSeconds",1873,"startMs",4751000,"endMs",6624000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3750382-cefdd92f405b37432d1eae74dbf776a7&start=4751&end=6624","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3750382-cefdd92f405b37432d1eae74dbf776a7/thumbnail_4751000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6207930/Spokane-County/Washington/Spokane-County-signals-050-cuts-to-WSU-Extension-support-as-part-of-budget-guidance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6207930-d1f1056d210c65f4f3435c9d1fecc042/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167623&Signature=lXSKyVVMb2tnou4iA9LziUbabpYFu~hPXpjIdXyX7vDRaL3JKzXBKfP73JaTt87~Gw7VF4uzI3BmKhzRwAvTOf53bV4tdANEPJ2v17HdvXxhasoIL9lC4t1n3oXLrrG6HqwiLwbcuFJwHtMpR4hnYJbVyv-VaMsj~2WGFhCMR6W~-WvF9jWVWKStsCr3tTsN1J9kEFRJmWjcMFyB9dc8UYBR29Sbbsjft0vH8ZLinXfsHSV0wjcFi1OfYnddPdLYgfUc8MbTXbi7YMov03GMf0CSHFjSGVS6pCCHXjJkBQeNHXXsGuX-miKgZDKug2yPkTS0XOPJaL4tL~LBEKmiyA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Spokane County, WA","date","2025-06-10T15:55:36Z","article","Spokane County commissioners told staff on June 10 to notify Washington State University (WSU) Extension that the county is considering a reduction in outside-agency funding and to seek program-level detail; staff proposed a guidance range of 0 to 50 percent reduction while the county gathers additional information.

County staff described the current WSU Extension arrangement as two-line funding: a contract for program expenses and an additional county-funded staffing line. Staff said the county provides building space and in-kind utilities valued at roughly $140,000 annually and that WSU Extension also receives other funding sources. Commissioners asked staff to obtain consolidated information about what services WSU Extension provides, how county funds are used (staffing versus program operations), and how similar programs are funded in other counties.

Several commissioners said they could consider deeper reductions and sought clarifications about which activities would be affected. One commissioner proposed a preliminary range of up to a 50 percent reduction as a starting point for letters to outside agencies. County staff said the contract is annual and requires notice by Oct. 1 to change participation for the following year; commissioners requested WSU Extension provide a breakdown of county vs. WSU and other funding and explain which services would be at risk if county support were reduced.

County staff also discussed broader outside-agency guidance to other partners: provide written justification and program details if agencies expect to seek continued funding. Commissioners emphasized that the county is not statutorily required to fund WSU Extension and that past boards had discretion to continue contributions; they asked staff to coordinate follow-up discussions with WSU regional leadership and other county stakeholders.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board Briefing Meeting 2025.10.06","oneSentenceSummary","Commissioners requested staff to notify Washington State University Extension that Spokane County is considering a range of reductions to its financial support—between zero and 50 percent—and asked for program-level details to inform final decisions.","taxTitle","Spokane County, Washington","taxId",2643,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6207935,"County to apply $750,000 state clean-buildings grant to courthouse energy upgrades; commissioners raise replacement-cost question",456,2552000,3008000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3750382-cefdd92f405b37432d1eae74dbf776a7&start=2552&end=3008","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3750382-cefdd92f405b37432d1eae74dbf776a7/thumbnail_2552000.jpg","/articles/6207935/Spokane-County/Washington/County-to-apply-750000-state-clean-buildings-grant-to-courthouse-energy-upgrades-commissioners-raise-replacement-cost-question","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6207935-7aedd97276b07ee9b59ad58be6f11b5f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167623&Signature=JWWMxIp~q3xpl9AIlKtfxPvIRnJ27yY0~5J5HWhOShbUkFYwtNj95G1YrVREyY7mNmRueobAS9bijqFdfgbmot1EjfPsBZ7Zs3gbIntzjOwPuhGJ6BSXCAFQui45ETyJq242i~lBN6R3Nd0~tkPnPPoHj9UWd45EDarUi0urFJYNSETG2N8ar6OGsKyX~26F68DwO47Xa-HY5LEHfLD0UuIJOc3Iq-v8afNWx6a0F4ENqNu7~mJ41kmbByeXNVx5qBDIyLCSlorF2HIaiBDyBuVa2YV~bnG7wGeQkvT4aU0w7ZLxitxv5rGM4fwAv4y15sDaAOApx1JlUF6LJJhaaw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Spokane County staff told commissioners on June 10 that the county has been awarded roughly $750,000 under a state program supporting Clean Buildings Act compliance and that the funds will be used for predesign work, engineering and planning for a multiyear courthouse energy-efficiency project.

Staff said the award is formulaic under legislation passed in 2024 and will be used to offset planning and design costs that were already underway; staff indicated the Department of Commerce also expects to enroll the county as an \"early adopter\" for utility-related savings and rebates, with Avista identified as the utility partner expected to reflect energy-savings benefits.

Commissioners asked about the project's scale and whether replacement of the courthouse would be cheaper than retrofits over the long term. Staff responded that multiple buildings on the sky-bridge-connected campus are treated as one building for EUI (energy-use-intensity) targets and that, because of historic-preservation constraints and integration with the Public Safety Building and jail, the project scope is large. Staff provided a rough square-foot replacement-cost comparison in the briefing as context and said the $750,000 award is an additional funding source that reduces the county's net project cost.

County staff noted the grant technically expires June 30 and that staff will sign the contract and pursue reimbursement and an extension if needed. No final design, construction contract, or funding appropriation for the broader retrofit project was presented at the briefing; staff said work already underway used earlier internal funding for predesign and that the Commerce award will reimburse those expenses.

Commissioners indicated interest in comparing lifecycle and replacement costs with retrofit alternatives and asked staff to explore replacement-cost estimates as part of the project's continued planning.","Spokane County reported a $750,000 award under a legislative clean-buildings program to assist predesign and engineering for courthouse energy upgrades; commissioners asked whether replacement rather than retrofit had been priced.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6207939,"Spokane County moves to submit $44 million disaster-recovery action plan after community outreach in Elk and Medical Lake",1431,3016000,4447000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3750382-cefdd92f405b37432d1eae74dbf776a7&start=3016&end=4447","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3750382-cefdd92f405b37432d1eae74dbf776a7/thumbnail_3016000.jpg","/articles/6207939/Spokane-County/Washington/Spokane-County-moves-to-submit-44-million-disaster-recovery-action-plan-after-community-outreach-in-Elk-and-Medical-Lake","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6207939-745e1b02688b3e646d72c79b05aabd51/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167623&Signature=kcZAADD8MV7vIoYCgVEc2w5v5HOOvnaxxIuPPygzJewP6gW~35HEjtPZj33YCwG80~10CwXLt5iqHbaYd9Eyx0hoTWZM~P96Enr-b~hw2-dNqxNjoyQCAi0TVQh59MZxD5-Aq-OqNKQraWO-OB3f7yJxMTFeFjjg4rvRriQKMPsOByzHlCKd9vraIkO-i9JDVKFSrNjElAtgx00QTcSc5bNh7-BybBVzUbkqSh~MSdyXFwziJfPiEXskhgaV3K0FjvGa7aO5dGw07hMZcCkdnyhYmrLPzmRB0~aPNqaMWHtXjv4rXaXJdrtQWFbAyVq9COxOcj8QuAyL~IraOKXNiA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Spokane County officials said on June 10 they will submit an initial action plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to activate an estimated $44 million in disaster recovery funds tied to wildfires affecting Elk and Medical Lake, following community outreach that identified housing, infrastructure and mitigation as top priorities.

County staff reported community meetings held the prior week—one in Elk (about 43–45 attendees) and one in Medical Lake (about 83 attendees)—and a public survey that produced 168 responses, with roughly 64% from Medical Lake, 24% from Elk and the remainder from other parts of the county. In the survey and public feedback, respondents ranked priorities as (1) housing, (2) infrastructure, and (3) mitigation, including removal and replanting of trees and addressing slash piles.

County staff said the HUD award is made as an \"intent to work\" letter estimating $44,000,000 in entitlement funds but that access requires HUD review of a consolidated action plan. The county plans to issue an initial draft action plan for advisory-committee review and a 30-day public comment period in July, then submit the plan to HUD. Staff emphasized the action plan will be a living document subject to multiple amendments as more detailed data and project-specific proposals are developed.

County staff described the action-plan process as including an \"unmet needs\" assessment (the difference between total reported damage and amounts already assisted by FEMA, SBA, insurance or local recovery), a mitigation needs assessment, and allocation buckets for broad categories of projects. Staff said FEMA data alone showed a large delta between reported damage and payments, and that the county will consult multiple data sources to quantify unmet needs.

Officials said they will use a subrecipient model for contracting and that some projects—particularly large public-infrastructure projects—could consume a substantial portion of the available funds. Staff noted constraints such as income eligibility limits for certain HUD funds and the need for transparency with affected communities that not all requests will be fundable. The county tentatively aims to issue requests for proposals and begin entering into contracts by early 2026, subject to HUD review and amendments.","County officials said they will submit an initial HUD disaster-recovery action plan after surveys and public meetings in Elk and Medical Lake, identifying housing, infrastructure and mitigation as the top community priorities for federal disaster recovery funds.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6207941,"Spokane County says WASPIC behavioral health grant cut will reduce law-enforcement-funded co-responder roles",1133,997000,2130000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3750382-cefdd92f405b37432d1eae74dbf776a7&start=997&end=2130","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3750382-cefdd92f405b37432d1eae74dbf776a7/thumbnail_997000.jpg","/articles/6207941/Spokane-County/Washington/Spokane-County-says-WASPIC-behavioral-health-grant-cut-will-reduce-law-enforcement-funded-co-responder-roles","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6207941-64d9f2741550b1a75a432d0f11db6434/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167623&Signature=eppUaqWNt4aBk0Wa~OvNHDtdini7-y3mlPMWbT7kHIVWG0LsaeDWoUMdfpo7EUT97LznZ0~G4zz~m2eR9jgqVFqVaHx4V~Um-WyKCYgIple86E~ceAtyn2EeA8PzDZPMXEh6PDVF38H2RVkTuSbX0J5xmmNhPQDSaWaJZ1tLDm-5rgkZoRy6i1Bw72ns4CELSc5mCqumqebn-HOsS8RhvMKD7J1iVQy0vmEZIzWSVJthD9PWMHa~xyDsILL3Zk0tYHmV0zDxhP5GK9niLhoMp4eUy4r2Pbmt1vYbOp0kzhl4yRs3M0UbDl6BbGPtQUaav00STWF0L3eQTCoIleUhCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Spokane County officials told commissioners on June 10 that state funding for behavioral health co-responder teams administered through WASPIC (Washington State program described in briefing) has been substantially reduced and restructured to emphasize clinician funding rather than law enforcement. The county said the new award would fund a smaller number of co-responder clinician positions and that the sheriff's office plans to reduce one patrol FTE to preserve a deputy position dedicated to co-response in unincorporated Spokane County.

Sheriff's office staff said WASPIC awarded approximately $320,000 for the first year and $300,000 for a second year to the county's region, but that the total regional pool of eligible applicants increased and overall funding was cut by the legislature and governor. Under the new award, the county expects funding to cover two co-responder clinician positions and a reduced fringe benefits allocation; the county said partners will continue to fund at least one position contributed by Spokane Valley and the county hopes to maintain a shared position among jurisdictions.

County staff said WASPIC explicitly favored funding clinician positions over law enforcement roles; the program scoring reduced awards where proposals were law-enforcement-heavy. Because of the reduction, the sheriff's office intends to remove one FTE from patrol and reassign an existing deputy into a co-responder role so the county continues to field a deputy with specialized training for co-response.

Speakers outlined several mitigation options discussed with partners: (1) pursue other grant sources such as the new criminal-justice training commission (CJTC) grant if eligibility is met; (2) use opioid settlement or mental-health sales-tax funds where legally permissible to supplement clinician funding; and (3) negotiate staffing with Frontier Behavioral Health, which county staff said has historically supplied clinicians to co-responder teams and indicated willingness to staff available positions. County staff warned that some grant contract provisions, such as data-sharing agreements for use-of-force repositories, raise legal concerns and could complicate eligibility for future state funds.

Commissioners were not asked to increase county general-fund spending; staff said the county will sustain co-responder capability by reducing one patrol FTE and by pursuing other funding sources. Officials described the changes as an operational reallocation rather than a new request for county dollars at the June 10 briefing.","County officials said a state grant award to support behavioral health co-responder teams was reduced and restructured, prompting Spokane County to shift staffing and plan to remove one patrol FTE to maintain co-responder coverage in unincorporated areas.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6207942,"Spokane County prosecutor's office to host witness dog; indemnification resolution slated for later docket",575,421000,996000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3750382-cefdd92f405b37432d1eae74dbf776a7&start=421&end=996","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3750382-cefdd92f405b37432d1eae74dbf776a7/thumbnail_421000.jpg","/articles/6207942/Spokane-County/Washington/Spokane-County-prosecutors-office-to-host-witness-dog-indemnification-resolution-slated-for-later-docket","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6207942-875a1cbde93a0ace79fb4c94a2987f95/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167623&Signature=Cwb3ims2CqIGwBS-eJNLLzz9kyT6M4054yxJZj9ZI15rq~ZbFfPCJ61vM7Twx1O4i1brUp1sP9K0ht8Lf2nacR-XmWYulQv0SCpBFu8UcXBwTJA-32~03b3fOymiZooYJZyuazmPoBSeQkyRk5V7HgSnlvEci2irhcRpQeCiVILlch568REhUItckLUFJbBHRHyObR~CgzFi5vkqF66QVIgcUeYDXYnjP89qI3USYgxruB8jPiiR49YwTjB2L6~JYgFVWPmNBw8fKEh4m~a34wGkOYSaISk25Ap422wl0rpIMNYQQxq4nv3-Eqku8-OlmkUkESywvzfeCTKQ-ix-rA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Spokane County officials announced on June 10 that the prosecutor's office will host a trained therapy dog to support crime victims and witnesses, particularly children, and that a resolution approving indemnification terms in a letter of agreement with Assistance Dogs Northwest will appear on the afternoon docket.

County staff said the dog, nicknamed O'Malley, is a black Labrador about 3 years old and will be handled by a volunteer handler paired with the prosecutor's Special Assault Unit. The agreement with Assistance Dogs Northwest covers training and placement; county staff said the county's financial responsibilities will be limited to routine care such as food and veterinary costs and that the partner organization provided the dog and training.

Prosecutor's office staff framed the program as a trauma-informed support specifically for vulnerable witnesses and crime victims. The item was brought to the commissioners as a briefing; the county attorney's office noted a resolution to approve the indemnification provisions in the letter of agreement is on the docket at 2:00 p.m. and will be considered later in the day. The briefing did not record a final vote on that resolution.

County staff thanked Assistance Dogs Northwest and identified internal staff who helped clear administrative hurdles to allow the dog on campus. Staff also described voluntary daily training routines and said the partnership model allows the county to avoid upfront procurement and training costs.

The briefing included representations that similar programs exist in other Washington counties and that the statutory basis for using therapy or witness dogs in court contexts was cited during the presentation. Commissioners and staff described the initiative as low-cost and likely to provide emotional support to victims and staff in courthouse settings.

The agenda item at the afternoon docket will address only the indemnification provisions in the partner letter; the briefing did not record any formal contractual execution or appropriation beyond routine operating expenses identified by staff.

The county said it will monitor the program as it becomes operational and that additional operational details or requests would be returned to the board if needed.","Spokane County prosecutors introduced a therapy/witness dog to assist crime victims, and a resolution approving indemnification language in a partnership letter with Assistance Dogs Northwest was placed on the commissioners' afternoon docket.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Spokane County signals 0–50% cuts to WSU Extension support as part of budget guidance

County to apply $750,000 state clean-buildings grant to courthouse energy upgrades; commissioners raise replacement-cost question

Spokane County moves to submit $44 million disaster-recovery action plan after community outreach in Elk and Medical Lake

Spokane County says WASPIC behavioral health grant cut will reduce law-enforcement-funded co-responder roles

Spokane County prosecutor's office to host witness dog; indemnification resolution slated for later docket