Yukon council hears Washington consultants outline federal grant strategy and pending DOT award

Consultants from Merchant McIntyre & Associates briefed the Yukon City Council during an Oct. 7 work session on the city’s federal grant strategy, pending Department of Transportation awards and prior congressional funding requests.

The presentation, given by Brent Merchant and Jane Reffel of Merchant McIntyre & Associates, covered several grant efforts: a pending U.S. Department of Transportation Safe Streets and Roads for All application, a BUILD planning grant submitted earlier this year for $1,500,000, and prior congressionally directed spending requests for local infrastructure including the Cornwell Intersection project.

Why it matters: federal competitive grants and congressional earmarks are the primary near-term funding options the consultants said could support Yukon infrastructure, public safety and economic development projects without relying on local taxes. Brent Merchant described the firm’s role as the city’s “boots on the ground in DC,” and said timing and close coordination with city staff and the congressional delegation are critical to competitiveness.

The consultants said the DOT Safe Streets and Roads for All application was prepared with substantial city staff support and backing from the congressional delegation and that award announcements, delayed by federal appropriations uncertainty, are now expected in November or early December. “The current lapse in appropriations affects timing more than the actual opportunities coming out,” Merchant said. He added that the firm anticipates more grant submissions in 2025 than in previous years.

Merchant also noted the city submitted a BUILD planning grant application earlier this year seeking $1,500,000 for infrastructure planning and that the team has been reconfiguring priorities to make future submissions more competitive. He described faster agency timelines in some programs—sometimes turnaround as short as six days—and said that requires preparing applications well in advance of public announcements.

On congressionally directed spending (earmarks), the consultants reviewed the Cornwell Intersection project history: the project was submitted in a prior cycle, was selected and listed at $3,000,000 in a House appropriations bill but was not funded because Congress did not pass final appropriations. The presentation said the Cornwell project was resubmitted to Senator Mullen and Congresswoman Stephanie Bice in a later cycle and was not selected in that round. Merchant and Reffel said Congresswoman Bice did select two city projects in a recent House interior appropriations bill in an amount presented during the meeting as $1,616,400; that allocation is currently awaiting Congress’s passage of a budget.

The consultants outlined additional target programs for Yukon, including infrastructure, public safety and economic development grants administered by agencies such as the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Economic Development Administration. They recommended a strategic, prioritized approach rather than applying for every available program and noted some smaller public-safety grants (in the roughly $100,000–$250,000 range) can be impactful.

Council members asked questions about congressional timing and the effects of a continuing resolution. Merchant said Congress would likely pass either a short-term continuing resolution or a full-year appropriations package and that earmarks appear more resilient this cycle than in some prior years. The presenters credited sustained, multi-year engagement between the city’s leadership and their Washington team as a competitive advantage in both competitive grant reviews and the earmarking process.

The presentation closed with the consultants thanking city leadership and staff for their involvement in developing applications and for sustained engagement with the delegation. No formal council actions or votes were recorded during the work session on this item.

Sources: Yukon City Council work session presentation by Merchant McIntyre & Associates (Brent Merchant; Jane Reffel), Oct. 7 (work session).