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Yakima Valley COG highlights crime lab startup, housing repairs and regional transportation in 2024 report to Sunnyside council
Summary
Raquel Ferrell Crowley, deputy director of the Yakima Valley Conference of Governments, reviewed YVCOG's 2024 activities for Sunnyside, emphasizing the first full year of operations at the Yakima Valley crime lab, housing repair and homeownership grants, and transportation planning and federal funding allocations.
Raquel Ferrell Crowley, deputy director of the Yakima Valley Conference of Governments, told the Sunnyside City Council on April 7 that YVCOG's 2024 work focused on public safety, housing repairs and regional transportation planning.
The presentation outlined the crime lab's first full year of operation, where staff reported faster ballistics turnarounds using the NIBIN system and expanded DNA and cell-phone extraction support for regional law enforcement. "The turnaround time that we have now with our NIBIN was within 3 and a half days," Crowley said, and law enforcement can get results "within 3 to 5 hours" in some cases. Crowley said the crime lab is operating in a 520-square-foot facility and YVCOG is pursuing a larger site in the Lower Valley and expects to complete a three-year start-up process in 2025.
Crowley also summarized YVCOG's housing programs, including emergency home repairs and a new $2 million homeownership gap-assistance grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce. She described common repairs funded under the emergency program (wheelchair ramps, mold/asbestos remediation, plumbing, roofing and electrical work) and said work follows HUD income-eligibility limits and guidelines. Crowley said contractors for those repairs are local.
On transportation, Crowley said YVCOG obligated $2,000,000 in federal funds across six projects in 2024 and awarded $7,750,000 for valley projects, supporting sidewalks, pedestrian safety and planning. She said the COG remains engaged in passenger-rail planning and has participated in a multi-state evaluation of restoring passenger rail through the valley. Councilor Hancock questioned ridership assumptions; Crowley said feasibility studies exist and federal funding would be required to move the concept forward.
Crowley also described YVCOG's community engagement programs (CLEP), graffiti cleanups, National Night Out coordination and a new multimedia effort (a "COGcast") to publicize regional activities. She invited Sunnyside to participate in the COGcast and linked program contact names during the presentation.
Council members asked how residents apply for housing assistance; Crowley said applications and contact information are posted on the YVCOG website and identified Angelica as the point of contact for homeownership assistance. Deputy Mayor Galvan asked about timelines; Crowley said some repair funding windows close in June but programs may roll over.
The council did not take action on the presentation. Crowley closed by thanking Sunnyside for its support and saying YVCOG will continue workforce development, climate-element land-use work and transportation planning in 2025.
