Walla Walla County explores long-term funding and facility options for extreme weather response

Walla Walla County commissioners on March 25 heard a workshop from the Department of Community Health about the county’s extreme weather response and the shortfall of sustainable funding to operate warming, cooling and clean‑air respite centers.

The briefing, led by Sam Jackall, Human Services Division Manager, described activation thresholds and operational partners, and said the county lost a state response grant this year, forcing staff to scramble to fund activations. "That's a significant number of individuals that were kept outside of the cold, that were kept safe, that were kept alive," Jackall said of the roughly 20 people per night who used the warming center this winter.

Jackall said the county’s local plan sets the warming‑center activation when air temperatures are 20 degrees Fahrenheit or below (or 25 degrees with precipitation) and that First Congregational Church operationalizes warming‑center activations from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Cooling centers are triggered for two consecutive days of daytime highs of at least 105 and nighttime lows above 75; cooling operations, when used, run 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. A clean‑air activation would begin at PM2.5 levels of 151 or higher and, per the current contractor application, would operate daytime hours (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.).

Funding and operations Jackall told the board the county put out requests for applications in 2023 and 2024 and awarded First Congregational Church the contract to operate respite during extreme cold, heat and, this year, poor air quality. First Congregational Church’s per‑diem rate is $1,350 for each activation date, covering staffing, utilities, custodial, laundry and supplies. Total warming‑center operations cost $28,298.45 for 18 activation dates in 2024 and $29,813.55 for 20 activation dates so far in 2025.

Jackall said the county previously sought reimbursement for activation costs from a Washington State emergency weather response grant, but learned in January that the grant’s response portion was suspended indefinitely. County staff have since used a mix of available public health grant funding and short‑term reassignments to cover activations, but that approach is not sustainable without board direction and community partners.

Staffing and safety Jackall and Heidi Melia, the county’s extreme weather coordinator, said staff at the respite sites are not county employees but are employed by the contractor, First Congregational Church, and that the contract requires background checks and contractor‑provided training. The county moved away from relying primarily on volunteers after safety and training gaps led to problems; paid staff now cover overnight shifts.

Operational gaps and community partners Speakers identified daytime gaps — for example, library hours begin at 10 a.m., and the Christian Aid Center’s dining room has been under construction — leaving a 7–10 a.m. window with limited indoor options. Jackall said the library provided important daytime refuge during the cold snap, and the Christian Aid Center and Pioneer United Methodist Church basement helped with overflow on some nights. The warming center can also accommodate pets, which staff said reduces a barrier to uptake.

Commissioner discussion and next steps Chairman Fulmer and Commissioners Kimball and Clayton urged a multi‑partner approach. One commissioner said churches’ willingness to host warming centers has declined and recommended pursuing a dedicated facility and broader stakeholder funding rather than continuing to rely primarily on churches. County staff proposed bringing the topic to the Council on Housing and convening city and regional partners, local foundations and nonprofit and private stakeholders to explore funding models, including set‑asides from consolidated homeless grant funds, document‑recording fee set‑asides, city contributions and philanthropic support.

Emergency Management and other partners Chris from Emergency Management confirmed that the program had previously been under emergency management and that the shift away from a volunteer model reflected liability and safety concerns. Jordan Green, representing the sleep center, described the city and county funding mix for the sleep center and noted the city’s substantial in‑kind contributions (land, buildings, utilities and overnight security), fundraising and grantwriting support.

Board response Chairman Fulmer said commissioners broadly supported continuing the service and directed staff to pursue community collaboration and to bring potential models and options to the Council on Housing for consideration. No formal action or vote was taken during the workshop; commissioners asked staff to return with recommended funding and partnership options.

Ending County staff emphasized the immediate funding shortfall and said they would try to sustain operations through the spring while convening partners on a longer‑term approach. The county’s current contract funding and some reallocated public health funds will cover operations only for a limited time, they said.