Here’s how much Whatcom gets in coronavirus relief money, and how it will be spent
Whatcom County and its seven incorporated cities have received $16.3 million as part of a congressional relief package to help Americans struggling with economic hardship in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition, Western Washington University and the Whatcom Transportation Authority have received grants for a total $14.6 million.
Funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act are being dispersed by the state Department of Commerce.
County Executive Satpal Sidhu said that he met with the mayors of those seven cities and they agreed to combine their CARES Act funding to use it in ways that would best help the entire county.
“We felt that this was best used throughout our whole community, if the individual cities don’t have enough COVID expenses to use their money,” Sidhu said at a County Council meeting Tuesday, May 19.
Whatcom County received the largest chunk of the funds, at $12.4 million, followed by the city of Bellingham at $2.7 million, according to the Commerce Department.
Money was allocated by population, with Lynden receiving $443,100; Ferndale $429,000; Blaine $162,750; Everson $84,000; Nooksack $48,150 and Sumas $48,120.
WTA, which provides bus service and transit for disabled and elderly people, received $8.8. million for reduced ridership and other expenses related to the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Transportation said Friday.
WWU received $5.8 million in April to spend as grants for WWU students who have expenses related to campus disruption caused by the pandemic.
CARES Act funds must be spent by Oct. 31, 2020, and submitted for reimbursement or sacrificed, said Tyler Schroeder, deputy county executive.
Schroeder told the council that Commerce would soon announce guidelines and provide further direction for how the money can be spent.
“Really, the focus is to get dollars on the street and be able to utilize them appropriately,” Schroeder said.
Since qualified projects must move forward quickly, Schroeder said his office has identified five areas of potential spending:
▪ Public health and emergency response.
▪ Economic and business recovery though the Regional Economic Partnership, which includes the county, the city of Bellingham and the Port of Bellingham.
▪ Food, housing, homeless and human services.
▪ Essential government services.
▪ Establishing a reserve for future pandemic response needs.
Schroeder said the county would coordinate with its cities and local service organizations and that the County Council would get budget details in two weeks.
Bellingham’s Economic Development Manager Tara Sudin briefed the City Council on how its $2.7 million share of the money might be spent.
“Investing in businesses that are going to succeed is paramount,” Sundin told the council Monday, May 18.
“We need to make sure that we invest in businesses that are likely to come out of this crisis,” she said.
