Board approves $4.3M in flood-resilience grants for six projects after December 2025 floods

Board staff presented the December 2025 Flood Resilience Grants program—funded with Climate Commitment Act dollars—and recommended awarding $4.3 million to six projects that met eligibility criteria. The staff presentation listed projects including Cedar River Water and Sewer District, City of Everson (preconstruction only), North Bend (partial award), Ross Lane (stormwater), West Richland (culvert repair), and King County (levee risk). Program staff noted the awards were conditional and that if awardees declined funding, staff could reallocate funds to partially funded projects until April 2027.

Member Clary moved and Member Rowe seconded the recommendation to award $4.3 million; the motion passed with one opposed. The board also voted to decline three projects that did not meet eligibility criteria and authorized staff to offer deobligated or declined funding to the next qualifying projects in order, which the board set to continue through April 2, 2027.