[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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],{"_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",6163343,"mediaKeyId","5435742-3110427f10558db89c7579f73b250ad2","parentId",5435742,"title","Spokane County outlines 10-year corridor plan, eyes federal and state grants to pay match","audioSeconds",2385,"startMs",5465000,"endMs",7850000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5435742-3110427f10558db89c7579f73b250ad2&start=5465&end=7850","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5435742-3110427f10558db89c7579f73b250ad2/thumbnail_5465000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6163343/Spokane-County/Washington/Spokane-County-outlines-10-year-corridor-plan-eyes-federal-and-state-grants-to-pay-match","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6163343-18a3d5e4b83308957514251b97e87a66/orig.mp4?Expires=1770940056&Signature=XPhP8m9hrfx6bNT9x1tPWfNW4HpAxgP2dPum0YMuPfmDB4BU6FnhP725TM1-urrKz5QJxwtT418GZFoXswbUN-cfbJhOQKOHoZDVU9LyGq05DrH3HLn586YUDmHDoLnwCC4cdUrwfLTviEFDXC0uBGuCEgorD4DOthY-Vb8qSvBQMiauSUuIWr~qsKooxBuyyZBVi0O~F-sAYWTganKi4ncRtmX5zmnnEZxG6-yNdIw6AfMGie0xC9o6cbuuAYoNEkU0GEp4Y-XVe5I7STGVHnnfMoB41xGQ3gLAiO5i1x1xGcSQoaNagKlgH9-4Xbfq0Vam4a~syibnSRPBeQNTwg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Spokane County, WA","date","2025-07-21T21:14:05.187Z","article","Spokane County public-works staff on July 21 presented commissioners with a long-range corridors and grant strategy that envisions roughly $56 million of annual roadway investment when county funds are combined with state and federal grants and local match.

Why it matters: County staff said the plan is a multi-year build-out that relies on aggressively pursuing grant programs, pairing county match with state and federal funds, and staging large corridor projects in bite-sized pieces to make scales of work feasible and to minimize the county fund burden.

Funding and scale: Staff said county funds available for capital average about $6 million per year and that, with matched grants, the county typically leverages that into approximately $32 million for capital plus maintenance and preservation spending. Public Works reported about $5 million per year goes to preservation (seal coat, crack sealing) and about $20 million to routine maintenance (snow, potholes, guardrail) on average.

Corridor priorities and costs: The presentation highlighted several major corridors and estimated current-day costs (planning-stage estimates):
- Argonne Avenue: roughly $21.5 million for core rebuilds, with an additional potential $15 million tied to Centennial Trail gap work and the Argonne/Hwy-291 intersection (the county called the intersection one of its busiest and most dangerous). The county has secured nearly $4 million in competitive “VIN SIB” funding for initial engineering on part of Argonne.
- Wall Street: about $11.6 million including road reconstruction and stormwater work and a redundant force main tied to Marion Cay lift station needs.
- Market Street and northern trunk sewer work supporting UGA growth: roughly $13.3 million, including sewer conveyance work timed to development build-out.
- Glenrose and 30th Avenue corridors: multi-phase rebuilds with long-range costs in the tens of millions depending on phasing.
- Railroad crossing elimination candidate in the Spokane Valley (staff cited McKinzie/McKenzie crossing): staff said that a crossing elimination project can score highly in grant programs but also requires land acquisition and a two-for-one elimination (closing another crossing with corresponding community trade-offs); county staff estimated a match need in the low millions for a competitive project.

Grants and strategy: Public Works identified federal, state and local grant programs the county watches (examples discussed: BUILD, NHS safety programs, CRAB/County Road Administration Board programs, Department of Ecology water-quality grants, and competitive railroad-grade-separation programs). County staff emphasized that some grant programs are targeted to safety or multimodal improvements and that Ecology stormwater grants can act as match for larger capital projects.

Process and timing: Staff recommended staging large projects into smaller phases to match grant cycles and match eligibility and said many projects will require long runways (often multiple years of study, right-of-way acquisition and phased construction). The county’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is updated annually and amended as project funding is secured. Staff noted administrative burdens for large federal grants can persist for years after construction.

Ending: Public Works asked commissioners to continue prioritizing corridors and noted the long-term nature of major projects; staff said they would return with TIP updates and grant-application details as projects mature.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025.07.21 Strategic Planning Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Public Works presented a long-range corridors map and grant strategy that would leverage about $6 million in county funds annually into roughly $56 million of road work when combined with state and federal grants; major projects highlighted included Argonne, Wall Street, Market Street and a potential railroad crossing elimination in the Valley.","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},6163348,"Sheriff’s office projects year-end budget balance despite elevated overtime; staffing gains expected",2297,3355000,5652000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5435742-3110427f10558db89c7579f73b250ad2&start=3355&end=5652","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5435742-3110427f10558db89c7579f73b250ad2/thumbnail_3355000.jpg","/articles/6163348/Spokane-County/Washington/Sheriffs-office-projects-year-end-budget-balance-despite-elevated-overtime-staffing-gains-expected","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6163348-348faf22bf63ae5f050e15c908a74767/orig.mp4?Expires=1770940056&Signature=dibbqXzsvTE~Ailauu8Ce25pu8Yefq0~1JcbzsEfrLPj5E5HGT2XS8i3eHW15Ju2iVm~T67iTTOiPHBXfngnOTAeq2CboO4A70tqxMTH1M2WPsIO6ZFpYAZWq4TTyVqHbZp7ngEtS5kDHRdY7jz51vSJJ8do3j2dqcWoz1X8Owm~D-ooi7AvlTwTtVTW0X3nu0UKewqyn11ltr5V3QGRcznbW0G7li~l0rkCaGy4RqNpSVANc15N1CGxOSB9qL0aVrjm6l0ui1qOKeHFn8hEoPzDeZ6EwHGwcYUcsdttrmI67qVgtFMHztJFSaeVnuinQwWGOyGZB3dTZ21CjqV18g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sheriff’s Office leaders updated the Spokane County commissioners on July 21 about staffing, overtime drivers and a midyear forecast that shows the department projecting it will finish the year roughly $1.1 million under its adopted budget after revenue offsets and internal transfers.

Why it matters: The sheriff’s department operates services both for the county’s unincorporated areas and as a contractor for multiple municipalities. Commissioners and department leaders discussed how vacancies, training classes and a high number of patrol staff on leave are driving overtime costs now; leaders said recent hiring and scheduled academy graduations will reduce overtime pressure later in the year.

Staffing and overtime: County staff showed a snapshot that the department currently has roughly 8 commissioned vacancies (a figure that was changing as offers were accepted) and that about 18 employees were on family/medical leave while roughly 30 were in training. Department leaders said the hiring pipeline has accelerated and that final job offers were out for remaining openings; officers were being commissioned in the coming weeks and additional academy graduations are expected in the fall.

The department told commissioners it had recorded approximately $3,000,000 in overtime year-to-date; that overtime appears in salary and wages lines and is driving a projected salary overspend if not offset. Department staff explained that extraordinary overtime events this year included deployments assisting other counties (Chelan and Kootenai were mentioned) and a larger-than-normal number of employees in training and on leave.

Revenue and cost allocation: County staff explained how the Law Enforcement Cost Allocation Plan (LECAP, referred to in the meeting as the “lead cap”) distributes law-enforcement costs among jurisdictions using metrics such as calls for service and population. The sheriff’s office shows a budgeted “lead cap” total near $34.7 million; the department explained that some jurisdictions pay monthly while others are reconciled later in settlement adjustments.

A key offset this year came from billing for City of Spokane Valley positions: the department had budgeted to carry salary costs for positions serving contract partners and to recover revenue from those jurisdictions. Staff said loading those jurisdictional revenues into the budget—most notably the Spokane Valley contract for 10 positions—improved the year-end outlook and helped move the forecast into surplus.

Capital and one-time items: Leaders briefed commissioners on capital spending already committed and on the method used to treat one-time purchases in the forecast (for example, vehicle or equipment purchases that were already made were not annualized). The department noted a number of capital items—including patrol vehicles, shoot-house work and a range of deferred purchases—have been funded within the rolling budget but do not increase the adopted budget total until formally approved.

Outlook and next steps: The sheriff’s office forecasted that overtime pressures should ease beginning in September–November as trainees commission and return to full duty. Commissioners asked for more detail on trends in benefits underspend that helped produce the projected savings; budget staff said benefits are loaded using a blended-rate assumption for vacant positions and that actual enrollment patterns can produce savings.

Ending: The department said it will continue to monitor overtime and vacancy trends and work with the budget office on any BCRs (budget change requests) needed later in the year.","Sheriff’s staff told commissioners the department expects to be about $1.1 million under budget by year-end after accounting for position revenue offsets, even while overtime remains high because of training and leave; hiring and academy graduations should lower overtime in the fall.",{"_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},6163353,"Spokane County emergency management warns of major shortfall after federal grants frozen",1769,773000,2542000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5435742-3110427f10558db89c7579f73b250ad2&start=773&end=2542","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5435742-3110427f10558db89c7579f73b250ad2/thumbnail_773000.jpg","/articles/6163353/Spokane-County/Washington/Spokane-County-emergency-management-warns-of-major-shortfall-after-federal-grants-frozen","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6163353-538a967c5560fc3cdaa491c53ad220a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770940056&Signature=P5NK1MbeXkTJdXfOmFb3GmG4Ekp9RxkEGADkDT5Ii0WeGJ6wtypd1EK5gfF02cT6tuIoFfkwCBOPYQARIWftSuPEkot0qunoj2sQyAXc41CPoobrqFFRoiKlGkIYzKkYDJEocZ0yyYtFSGsJS9Ta3~ueF2bfy4S0uYyHSi8yB6zaC46GACi2uYErAtJhrJqG2iEe3B2-0k-YdWoJ3wCOKN5HcnP9gGQlfiXTbz4QJf1LO2ifA6SlUWkWgrHX3YGQufrAWuO9oiG40s4Bu567AVDfzvyZhXOlBAOh3h5GcKAweBMosBcY~FNOIYoEmAvm9GF3Ms3NrW4udm5kkb95~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chandra, an emergency management staff member for Spokane County, told the Board of County Commissioners on July 21 that the county faces an immediate budget shortfall after the Department of Homeland Security did not disperse 2025 Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) and State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) funds.

The county’s emergency program provides preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation services under Washington law; staff warned that losing federal grant revenue and a municipal contract creates gaps the county will struggle to cover without cuts or new local funding.

Why it matters: The county’s emergency management program is responsible for statutorily required functions under Washington law and for coordinating countywide response and recovery. Emergency managers said their programs are heavily dependent on federal grant funds and on the city’s previous contract contribution; with the city no longer paying and federal grant payments frozen, staff said key positions and operations are at risk.

Chandra said the county’s existing annual EMPG award has averaged about $278,367 over the last 10 years and supports two full-time positions plus public education, translation, communications, training and equipment. She said the county currently is operating under a 2024 EMPG performance period that runs through Nov. 30, 2025; the 2025 contract was not issued and those funds are effectively gone.

Chandra emphasized that county emergency functions are required by RCW 38.52 and must cover mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. She said the county historically built a tiered system — local municipalities first, county second, state third, then federal — and that the current freeze and internal changes at FEMA are shifting more responsibility to state and local governments.

County officials told commissioners they maintain seven staff positions in emergency management, including two positions funded by federal grants. Chandra said one of the federally funded positions is an operations coordinator (intended to be the emergency operations center manager) and the other is a program specialist who manages training, exercises, the animal response program and public education outreach.

Commissioners and staff discussed timelines and legal context. Chandra said the federal freeze of funds began in late winter when the Administration impounded some Department of Homeland Security grants; she described uncertainty about national litigation and contracting changes tied to new DHS contract terms (including ICE and DEI language) but said she could not predict when or whether those funds would be reinstated.

Budget impact and near-term choices: County staff said the immediate effect is a roughly $270,000–$280,000 shortfall as the county heads into the 2026 budget year if federal EMPG funds are not restored. Chandra and county budget staff noted the City of Spokane previously contributed roughly $192,000 toward the county’s emergency services; the city’s withdrawal of the interlocal agreement means the city must provide its own services and no longer pays the county for those functions.

Chandra and the sheriff’s office told the commissioners that emergency response demands have already strained staff during recent fires and that the program has “very little fat” to cut without reducing core capabilities. She said emergency management maintains a 24/7 duty-officer rotation and that fewer staff would increase the frequency and stress of on-call duties.

Next steps and direction: Chandra said she will return to the commission with an update on Aug. 12 on the county’s hazard mitigation plan and risk ranking. Commissioners directed staff to include emergency-management funding and service-level trade-offs in upcoming budget discussions and to consider advocacy to federal and state delegations to restore or stabilize grant funding.

Ending: County emergency management staff concluded their presentation asking the commission to weigh how much program reduction the community is willing to accept, stressing that statutory responsibilities do not change even if funding does.

Speakers quoted in this article are limited to the listed speaker roster below.","County emergency management leaders told commissioners they face immediate staffing and program risks after the federal government froze 2025 EMPG and SHSP funds and the City of Spokane ended its contract for shared services.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Spokane County outlines 10-year corridor plan, eyes federal and state grants to pay match

Sheriff’s office projects year-end budget balance despite elevated overtime; staffing gains expected

Spokane County emergency management warns of major shortfall after federal grants frozen