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San Juan County seeks legislative help to secure $1.5 million historic courthouse grant; council asks staff to include amount, match details
Summary
After hearing that an earlier round of historic courthouse grants funded projects ranked 1–9, with San Juan County at No. 10, council asked staff to add the $1.5 million grant amount and clarify the required county match before sending letters to LD 40 legislators.
San Juan County staff asked the council Jan. 21 to send a letter asking Legislative District 40 members for help securing funding for the county’s historic courthouse preservation request.
Background: County facilities staff said the county’s application for the Historic Courthouse Preservation Trust requested $1,500,000. In Governor Inslee’s proposed budget, projects ranked 1–9 were funded; San Juan County’s request ranked No. 10. Facilities director Greg Sawyer and County Manager Jessica Hudson briefed the council and asked for direction to share a letter of support with LD 40 legislators.
Council questions and direction: Council members asked staff to revise the draft letter to explicitly state the amount being requested and to indicate that the county would provide a matching contribution. Facilities staff confirmed the grant program requires matching funds and that they had identified possible county match sources during the application process. The council voted to have staff finalize the amended letter — including the specific $1.5 million figure and matching financing language — and to circulate it to council members prior to signing.
Why it matters: The county’s application would pay for courthouse preservation work; adding the amount and the county’s ability to match the grant makes the request clearer to legislators and may improve its chances of being added to appropriations. Council members asked staff to coordinate with LD 40 to “warm up” legislators to the request and to consider attaching the county’s original grant application or cover letter when they meet with legislators in Olympia.
Ending: Staff will revise the letter to include the requested amount ($1,500,000), note the county’s matching commitment, and circulate the final version to council members and LD 40 representatives for advocacy during the legislative session.
