Information

Type: Deliberation

Department: BOCC - Board of County Commissioners

Directors' Update: Sept. 9, 2026

Business Meeting: Sept. 15, 2026

Summary:

Award $250,000 .09 Distressed Counties grant to City of Chehalis for its NW West Street Stormwater and Railroad Stabilization project

Publications:

Cover Letter To: Todd Chaput, Economic Alliance: todd@lewiscountyalliance.org Sheena Woods: swoods@ci.chehalis.wa.us Lance Bunker: lbunker@ci.chehalis.wa.us Stacy Denham: sdenham@ci.chehalis.wa.us

Additional Copies To:

Resolution

WHEREAS, the Lewis County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) wishes to approve funding in the amount of $250,000 to the City of Chehalis for its "NW West Street Stormwater and Railroad Stabilization" project, a project that serves future demand and meets the definition of a “public facility” under RCW 82.14.370; and

WHEREAS, the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is a list of projects maintained by the Lewis County Economic Alliance as per RCW 82.14.370; and

WHEREAS, via prior resolutions and this resolution, the BOCC adopts the CEDS as Lewis County's officially adopted county overall economic development plan for the purposes of RCW 82.14.370; and

WHEREAS, Chehalis’s application for funding of the “NW West Street Stormwater and Railroad Stabilization” project has been recommended for approval and listing in the CEDS by the Distressed Counties/Rural Economic Development Public Facilities Advisory Committee, the committee created to recommend projects for listing in the CEDS; and

WHEREAS, during their Sept. 4, 2026, presentation to the Distressed Counties/Rural Economic Development Public Facilities Advisory Committee, representatives from the City of Chehalis requested the committee consider increasing potential grant funding to $450,000, which would have exceeded the typical grant limit and would have required the long-form application; and

WHEREAS, the committee and the BOCC considered the request, and the BOCC determined it would be in the best interest of the citizens of Lewis County to provide the City of Chehalis .09 grant funding totaling up to $250,000 to allow the city to complete its “NW West Street Stormwater and Railroad Stabilization” project, a project that supports economic development and sustainability in Lewis County; and

WHEREAS, Chehalis’s application is supported by the attached grant agreement prepared by Economic Alliance pursuant to the CEDS, and the agreement is incorporated herein by reference.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the BOCC (1) approves the “NW West Street Stormwater and Railroad Stabilization” project as a public facility for purposes of RCW 82.14.370 and amends the CEDS list to include that project in the county’s overall economic development plan; and (2) authorizes Lewis County to enter into the attached Grant Agreement with the City of Chehalis for the “NW West Street Stormwater and Railroad Stabilization” project in the amount of $250,000 using monies from the “Distressed Counties Fund,” all in accordance with RCW 82.14.370 and applicable law.

DONE IN OPEN SESSION this 15th day of September, 2026.