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Facilities seeks Department of Commerce grants for Hall of Justice upgrades, advances annex office plans
Summary
Facilities staff said they applied for a Department of Commerce grant to fund LED lighting upgrades at the Hall of Justice (estimate about $300,000) and are pursuing a Clean Buildings energy-audit grant tied to a 2027 mandate; staff also brought an architect proposal (Aera) for annex office designs (~$62,000) to prepare for bidding and move-ins.
Savannah Clement, director of public services (facilities), told the board the county submitted a short‑turnaround grant application to the Washington State Department of Commerce seeking full funding for LED lighting upgrades at the Hall of Justice. Clement said the county’s application estimates roughly $300,000 in eligible work and that the award notice is expected near the end of the month. “We should know in about a month or near the end of this month on whether or not…we received that grant,” she said.
Clement also described a separate Commerce opportunity tied to the state’s clean buildings requirements (compliance deadlines in 2027 for tiered buildings). The county has completed an investment-grade energy audit process with Milig and applied for early‑incentive funding, which Clement said pays on a square‑foot basis (the early incentive she cited is $1.20 per square foot). Clement said that, if awarded, the funds would help cover part of the investment‑grade audit and related compliance steps.
On facilities projects, Clement presented a proposal from Aera, the county’s on‑call architect, to prepare construction and conceptual plans to build 12 offices in the Second Floor annex for OPD. She said she eliminated some items (project management, permit submittals) from the proposal that the county will handle in‑house; the proposal cost for plans and engineering was described as “approximately $62,000.” Clement said the work will prepare documents to solicit bids for construction and that staff plan to move personnel into annex spaces as remediation and reconstruction are finished.
Other items discussed under facilities: a draft Capital Improvement Program (CIP) policy was circulated electronically for board review; departments and committee stakeholders have been involved in drafting the policy; and the noxious weeds program has mostly completed relocation and requires minor remaining work (e.g., disposal of old chairs and some storage solutions).
Ending — Staff will return with grant award notifications, square‑foot funding details for the clean buildings application, the Aera plans ready for bid solicitation, and a project budget update to the board.
