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County staff propose up to $200,000 from recording fees to bridge HUD disaster‑recovery timing gap for Long Term Recovery Group

Spokane County Board of Commissioners · December 17, 2025

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Summary

Staff told commissioners HUD letters have arrived but the disaster recovery line of credit has not been disbursed; to prevent a pause in home‑rebuilding volunteer work, staff proposed up to $200,000 from documentary recording fees to match a $200,000 private commitment and asked the board to consider adding a by‑leave resolution at a special meeting.

County staff updated the Board of Commissioners on disaster recovery grants following recent HUD letters and outlined a short‑term funding gap affecting the Long Term Recovery Group, which has been coordinating volunteer rebuilding after the Oregon and Railroad fires.

Staff said HUD has approved certifications but the county has not yet received the full line of credit that would make multi‑million‑dollar recovery funds available. The Long Term Recovery Group requested $350,000 in support; staff said the county does not have capacity for that full amount but can offer to match a private commitment up to $200,000 using documentary recording fees. Staff described those documentary recording fees as a flexible local fund and said the county could deploy up to $200,000 to bridge immediate needs while the HUD line of credit is finalized.

Staff cautioned that disaster‑recovery grant funds are reimbursement‑only and that some grant streams cannot be used for certain immediate expenses until formal contracting is complete. To avoid delaying volunteer construction and ensure partners know the county will commit funds, staff recommended the board consider a by‑leave resolution at an upcoming special meeting to formally commit the match. Commissioners discussed procurement and competitive‑process norms, confirmed the proposed funding would come from documentary recording fees (not the disaster‑recovery allocation itself) and generally supported moving quickly to show partners the county will back completion of projects.

Board members asked staff to prepare a resolution and add the item to a special meeting so partners can proceed with volunteer schedules and contract planning.