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Salem officials highlight $75 million Water Resources Development Act placeholder and local earmark bids
Summary
City staff told the committee July 10 that the Water Resources Development Act contains a $75 million placeholder that could make Salem eligible for federal water projects; staff also reported active appropriation requests for a Willamette Valley EOC and for River Road hillside stabilization.
City staff and councilors told Salem's legislative committee on July 10 that federal legislation being considered in Washington could create a new avenue to pay for large local water and infrastructure projects.
"There is a $75,000,000 placeholder in that bill for Salem," said S1, describing a provision in the Water Resources Development Act (WERDA) that staff say would make the city eligible to seek project funding if the authorization and subsequent appropriations move forward. S7 clarified the distinction between authorization and direct funding, saying, "It's this is an, an authorization rather than an appropriation."
Staff also flagged two active appropriation requests: S1 said the city had sought about $1.8 million for the Willamette Valley emergency operations center and roughly $2.18 million to design a River Road hillside stabilization project. S1 said a separate $581,000 earmark appears in a Department of Homeland Security/FEMA appropriation bill.
Committee members asked how the WERDA placeholder might be used locally. S3 and others focused on whether federal draws could be applied to extend drinking-water infrastructure into undeveloped areas of South Salem to unlock buildable land. S1 and S7 responded that the city can pursue those projects, but emphasized that competitive applications and coordination with congressional delegations would be required.
S7, who reported from Washington, said the House's recent early adjournment and narrow legislative calendar increase the likelihood that Congress will rely on continuing resolutions to keep programs funded into the fall, and that staff should be prepared for a multi-step process. "I don't believe right now that we're gonna be in danger of any kind of government shutdown," S7 said, but added that timing pressures could push decisions past the election.
What happens next: staff said they will prepare written guidance describing the steps the city would need to take to compete for WERDA and related appropriations and will circulate that memo to the committee.
