County and Port Angeles city staff told the Board of Palm County Commissioners during a work session that the joint public-safety facility remains on track within a $22,000,000 project budget and is approaching final design, and that elected officials will be asked at a joint meeting next week to commit to funding and an updated memorandum of understanding for the construction phase. "We are now somewhere between 90–100% design on the documents," a county project director said, and officials said budget numbers have not changed from earlier estimates.

The project director said the county received notice that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is willing to change the scope of a reimbursement grant and to move that FEMA funding to the front end of the project; FEMA also indicated it may permit an extension longer than the 6 months generally shown in guidance. "We did receive notification that they were willing to change the scope of the FEMA grant," the project director said. The staff update said the change would let the team request a longer extension and allow state commerce funding to move to the tail end of the project so reimbursements align with construction scheduling.

Why it matters: the facility is a multiagency investment with construction-phase responsibilities and grant timing that affect cash flow and risk allocation between the county and the city. Commissioners will be asked next week to "commit to the price" and accept the same allocation of financial risk and responsibilities discussed in April, staff said.

Staff described the next steps: (1) ask elected officials to authorize proceeding with construction procurement if the numbers hold, (2) adopt an MOU defining roles and authority for the construction phase, and (3) authorize issuance of bid documents and procurement of an owner's representative or construction manager. The project director said OAC (the design firm) will prepare the Division 00 and Division 01 construction documents and the RFP cover sheet; OAC agreed to absorb some of that work within its current contract because the design-phase contract was underspent.

Staff also described the project's core decision-making group for the construction phase as the county project director, Scott Curtin (Public Works director and project manager), the sheriff, the police chief and the city manager. The draft MOU would grant authority to that core team to proceed if construction bids come in within budget. "In that MOU, it grants authority to the core team. And if it comes back within the budget, then we have the authority to proceed and execute all the necessary documents," the project director said.

Commissioners asked about grant timing and construction-season risks. One commissioner noted recent local construction problems related to soil conditions and asked whether grant deadlines would force rushed work; staff replied that moving FEMA funding to the front end and an expected extension (verbally described as longer than six months by the state contact) should give adequate time for preconstruction and design work. The project director reiterated that one remaining uncertainty is the broader federal–state funding dynamic and whether some federal funding could be frozen or clawed back; staff said the next week's discussion will include whether parties commit to backfilling any shortfall if a clawback occurs.

No formal vote was taken at the work session; staff said the items (MOU, procurement authorizations and grant agreements) will be brought for formal consideration at the county's next regular meeting.