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Guest urges Whitman County to seek disaster declaration after March 14 flood; county director says thresholds not met
Summary
A guest at the Palouse Trail Committee meeting urged Whitman County to declare a major disaster after a March 14 flood that staff said was the highest on record; county Parks Director Bill Tensfeld said the established thresholds have not been met.
Jamie Brush of Synergy Bicycle Alliance urged the Palouse Trail Committee to ask Whitman County to declare a major disaster to unlock state and federal emergency funds following extensive damage from the March 14 flood. Committee minutes record staff describing that flood as "the highest on record" and prioritizing immediate safety-risk repairs and engineering evaluations of major trail failures.
Bill Tensfeld, Whitman County parks director, responded that the county’s established thresholds for a disaster declaration had not been met. The exchange came during guest comments; the committee did not take immediate action to request a declaration but tabled some related funding decisions pending further determination of authority and urgent expenditures. The committee scheduled follow-up planning and a full trail condition assessment was recommended by the guest, who also suggested contacting WSDOT for a systemwide evaluation.
