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Committee hears timeline and steps to obligate RAISE funds and STIP approvals; consultant agreements stalled awaiting WSDOT review
Summary
Staff outlined the process to obligate RAISE grant funds through the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), explained the reimbursement workflow with WSDOT and Federal Highways, and said consultant contracts remain paused until WSDOT approves agreements.
Clallam County staff told the Trails Committee the county has submitted several projects to the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) so work paid with the RAISE grant can move forward, but multiple administrative steps remain before federal funds can be obligated.
Steve Gray, Clallam County Public Works, explained that once projects are on the STIP, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) must review and approve local agency agreements, then Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)/Federal Highways must obligate the federal funds before the county can bill for reimbursement. Gray said the STIP amendment process includes a minimum 30-day comment period and predicted the county would likely know by May whether projects appear on the approved STIP.
Committee members asked about timing. Gray said a “quick” obligation timeframe would still typically be one to two months after agreements are submitted to WSDOT; he urged getting draft agreements in early to shorten review time. He also said consultant work is currently paused until WSDOT approves the county’s consultant agreement for some projects; once WSDOT signs the county’s consultant agreement, consultants will be able to begin substantive work.
On reimbursement mechanics, Gray said the federal grants operate on a reimbursement basis: the county performs or pays for work, submits receipts to WSDOT, and WSDOT requests federal reimbursement which is then passed to the county. He added that staff will likely submit multiple projects and local agreements to WSDOT to improve the county’s ability to begin work as funds are obligated.
Ending: Gray told the committee staff would provide updates as the STIP amendment and WSDOT review progress; the committee asked to be kept apprised of consultant agreement timing because consultant capacity determines how quickly design and engineering tasks can move forward.
