Spokane County seeks remaining PFAS recovery funds, behavioral-health support and broadband coordination

Spokane County elected officials used their Dec. 10 meeting with legislators to seek additional PFAS remediation and wildfire recovery funds, to renew a federal ask for a sobering/stabilization center expansion, and to request state coordination on broadband funding.

Commissioner Al French said the county requested about $18.5 million last year for PFAS and wildfire recovery work, received $7.5 million and is seeking another roughly $10 million to complete filtration systems, additional testing and mitigations. "We are at a point where we should start installing those systems probably in January," French said, noting county task-force work and co-chairing with the health officer.

Jeff McMorris described the sobering center expansion and the recent federal funding history: "3,000,000 last year. The project total $1,415,000,000 all in," he said, adding that the county hopes to get an earmark or other federal support to close remaining capital gaps.

On broadband, a county official said Spokane County Broadlink may be eligible for approximately $90,000,000 in BEED funding and recommended a state advisory council to coordinate county and municipal public-benefit broadband efforts.

County leaders said they will seek phased funding and continue coordination with legislators to secure the outstanding amounts for PFAS work and behavioral-health capital needs.