This is how Whatcom County plans to spend its $44.5 million in pandemic relief funds
More than $100 million is pouring into Whatcom County governments, educational institutions and transit agencies from the American Rescue Plan Act, the nearly $2 trillion pandemic-relief measure that President Biden signed in March.
Whatcom County, which gets the largest local chunk of that economic stimulus money at $44.5 million, is considering how it plans to spend its windfall in cooperation with Bellingham and the other six cities, which are receiving about $34 million together.
“We want to primarily invest these funds in long-term investments,” County Executive Satpal Sidhu said at a County Council meeting Aug. 10 where he outlined his spending proposal.
“We want to target these investments where the highest community needs are,” he said.
He said the county would offer transparency in its decision-making, ensure measurable outcomes and provide accountability.
The funds are earmarked for efforts to address the health, social and economic effects of the pandemic, and Sidhu’s administration is proposing that the council fund projects in five categories — including housing security, child care, public health, infrastructure and administrative efforts to leverage federal grant money.
“Working cooperatively, we can build and implement a plan that maximizes the impact and value of our investments,” Sidhu said during his council presentation.
Spending ‘buckets’
Under Sidhu’s proposal, American Rescue Plan Act funds will be distributed in five “buckets” or spending categories:
▪ 20% or $9 million for housing security.
▪ 20% or $9 million for child care.
▪ 6% or $2.8 million for public health.
▪ 38% or $17.7 million for infrastructure.
▪ 16% $7.6 million for government operations.
Councilwoman Carol Frazey, a member of the council’s Child and Family Well-Being Task Force, told The Bellingham Herald that the panel will be presenting its recommendations to the County Council next month.
“High-quality, accessible child care, that’s what we need,” Frazey said. “(Child care) has been expensive for a while and now that we’re getting people back to work, it’s really important. It’s a real obstacle.”
Frazey said she would like spending to focus on a project or projects with long-term impact that also show immediate results.
“Can we do both? I think we can,” she said.
Some projects can overlap or complement each other, Sidhu said, such as the child-care programs that are part of the new Samish Commons housing project on Samish Way, and the YMCA child-care programs that are including in a housing project that just broke ground in the Barkley neighborhood.
“This is the starting point,” Sidhu said, directing his remarks to Whatcom County businesses, non-profit and community organizations.
“Please look it up, share with others, come up with ideas, reach out to the Council, reach out to the county executive. We are all listening,” he said.
Countywide funding
In addition to Whatcom County’s $44.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, Bellingham is receiving $21 million, according to the National League of Cities.
Blaine will get $1.6 million, Ferndale $4.2 million, Everson $793,000, Lynden $4.2 million, Nooksack $455,000 and Sumas $428,000, according to the state Office of Financial Management.
Elsewhere in Whatcom County, Bellingham Public Schools is receiving $15.5 million, said Dana K. Smith school district spokeswoman.
Western Washington University is receiving $18.2 million, according to a federal listing for awards to public and nonprofit institutions. Whatcom Community College was allotted $4.8 million and Bellingham Technical College was given $3.6 million.
Maureen McCarthy, spokeswoman for the Whatcom Transportation Authority, said the countywide bus agency received $21.2 million, for a total of $39.3 million from the three federal pandemic-relief measures in 2020 and 2021.
“These one-time federal relief funds must be spent on activities which sustain operations, such as payroll,” McCarthy told The Herald. “However, our ability to pay employees using relief funds frees up other dollars originally budgeted for that purpose. As for possible uses for that money, WTA is currently in the process of a 20-year look-ahead. Part of the purpose of this plan is to determine what strategic investments will yield the greatest transportation benefits for Whatcom County residents.”
