Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Facility Fema topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Clallam County asks FEMA to move $2.9M grant into design and preconstruction phases for joint public safety facility
Summary
County officials will request a change-of-scope from FEMA to use an existing FEMA grant earlier in the project timeline for design and preconstruction work on the joint public safety facility; commissioners said they will sign the request and submit supporting documents soon.
Clallam County staff told commissioners they will submit a formal request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to move the county's approximately $2.9 million FEMA grant from the construction phase to earlier project phases — specifically predesign, design and preconstruction — to increase the chance of completing required milestones before federal deadlines.
The grant, which is reimbursable, was originally slated to cover later construction costs for the Joint Public Safety Facility. County staff said moving the grant funds earlier in the schedule would permit design and preconstruction work to be carried out when the county can best meet FEMA timelines and would preserve the county's ability to use the funds effectively.
Why it matters: County staff said the FEMA grant is one piece of a multi-source funding package for a major public-safety capital project; shifting the grant to earlier phases will change how the county sequences work and billing to ensure reimbursement. The county's current FEMA grant expiration date is in April 2026, and staff told commissioners they will pursue the change now and, if needed, request a six-month one-time extension at a later step rather than combining requests.
What county staff said: Staff described a package of documents they plan to submit with the request — a letter explaining the scope change, a budget spreadsheet and a revised investment justification — and said those materials are near completion. Staff asked the county signers (the commissioners) to execute the letter so it can be filed. Commissioners suggested small language edits and asked for the team to finalize the package prior to submission. Staff said the county will coordinate a joint elected-official update tied to the 60–65 percent design milestone in mid-spring to give the public and the city an updated cost estimate and schedule.
Next steps: County staff asked commissioners to sign the scope-change letter; commissioners indicated they would sign at an upcoming board meeting. If FEMA approves the change, the county will apply the grant to design and preconstruction costs and continue design work toward the 60–65 percent threshold and subsequent public updates.
Ending: Commissioners and project staff said they would proceed with the scope-change request and continue design and public engagement work, aiming for a mid-spring design update to elected officials and the public.
