Washington County advances working draft of access-and-opportunity resolution as federal grant terms put $135 million at risk

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ore. — Washington County commissioners and county staff reviewed a working draft of an "access and opportunity" resolution on July 8 and agreed to continue rapid outreach and legal review after consultants warned that about $135,000,000 in federal funding is effectively on hold while the county determines a path forward.

The working draft, prepared with consultant Espousal Strategies, is intended to reaffirm the county's commitment to nondiscrimination while aligning county policies and contracts with current federal guidance and executive orders. Jonelle Bell and Lucy Hamer of Espousal Strategies presented the timeline and community engagement plan; County Administrator Tanya (last name not specified in transcript) and assistant county administrator Marnie Kyle explained how the pause on some attestations is affecting contracts and community partners.

"That $135,000,000 of funding annually is essentially on hold while we determine this path forward," Lucy Hamer said during the presentation, describing the urgency behind the outreach and drafting work.

Why it matters

County staff told commissioners the draft resolution is intended to let Washington County accept federal grants and contracts while meeting federal attestation requirements and complying with civil-rights and nondiscrimination laws. Several large programs — including Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) submissions and Continuum of Care (CoC) grants — are in active renewal or review cycles this month and next, and staff warned that missing federal deadlines could interrupt funding to community-based organizations and county services.

What the board reviewed and discussed

The working draft presented definitions of "access" and "opportunity," cited federal…