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County advisory board endorses pilot veterans grants; commissioners discuss expanded community grant strategy
Summary
Thurston County presented results of a $250,000 pilot RFP for Veterans Assistance Fund grants — the advisory board recommended awards including $80,000 to the Lacey Veterans Hub for a wheelchair‑lift van and $50,000 to Rebuilding Together Thurston County to support repairs for multiple veterans; staff proposed a biannual $1 million community grant program and outlined fund balances.
Thurston County staff on March 4 presented the results of a pilot request‑for‑proposal (RFP) for Veterans Assistance Fund money and proposed a longer‑term spending strategy for the fund.
Mark Moffett, who led the presentation, said the county set aside $250,000 for one‑time pilot awards and received six applications. The Veterans Advisory Board reviewed and ranked proposals and recommended funding three top applicants. "We allotted $250,000 for this program," Moffett said. The advisory board recommended $80,000 for the Lacey Veterans Hub to fund a wheelchair‑lift for a van used to transport veterans and recommended increasing a small Rebuilding Together Thurston County request from $9,400 to $50,000 so the nonprofit could help up to 10 veterans with critical home repairs.
Other applicants included the Thurston County Food Bank (which sought funds for food and an outreach FTE), the Association for Integrated Healing (requesting support for office rent and utilities), and Operation Military Family (a clubhouse proposal not recommended because the facility is not yet established in the county). Moffett said certain applicants were not able to meet program eligibility or documentation requirements and the advisory board prioritized projects with immediate, local impact.
Staff reviewed fund balance and projections: the Veterans Assistance Fund balance was presented at about $2.1 million; expected revenue for the year was reported at roughly $781,000, and staff outlined scenarios for a biannual community grant program (staff proposed $1 million over two years) and continued operational support such as $30,000 annually to the Lacey Veterans Hub. Commissioners raised questions about eligibility thresholds (the county uses 200% of the federal poverty guideline) and about whether the fund should be separated from the general fund; staff noted previous audit recommendations and an existing waiver process for eligibility exceptions.
Next steps: staff will bring a formal adoption/acceptance of awarded grants to the board on a future consent agenda and present proposed community grant programming and spend‑down strategies for board consideration.
