County Making Big Investment in Yakima Community

Saying the funding represents a big investment in the community the The Yakima County Board of Commissioners have indicated how they plan to allocate the remaining $18 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to support local community projects.

50 DIFFERENT PROPOSALS WILL RECEIVE FUNDING FROM THE COUNTY

Yakima County was awarded a total of $48 million in ARPA funding and received over 150 community proposals. The proposals were received last year and have been in review by the Board of Commissioners. A press release from the commissioners says the remaining $18 million in ARPA funding will support over 50 community investment proposals across the Yakima Valley. Some of the projects include technology upgrades in Yakima County Courts, a new pool at Martin Luther King Jr. Park. The commission also allocated $1 million for a new YWCA shelter and funding for fire departments and districts in the valley. $1 million for YWCA’s domestic shelter expansion and $1 million for numerous equipment upgrades to fire departments and fire districts across the county.

USING THE ARPA FUNDING IN YAKIMA IS A BIG INVESTMENT IN YAKIMA

“This funding represents a significant investment back into our community focusing on areas of key concerns such as public safety, fire prevention, community infrastructure, water and recreation,” says Commissioner Kyle Curtis. "I’m excited to see this Board allocate the remaining funding to address areas and residents who have been the most underserved in our community.”
The commissioners say "Unfortunately, due to the limited number of funds available some of the applications had to be denied."

MANY PROJECTS WERE REVIEWED SOME WERE DENIED

“The number of applications received shows a great need in our community and we have worked diligently to try and maximize the ARPA funds to meet as many requests as possible, said Commissioner Curtis. “It was important for me that the County deploy the funds as quickly as possible in order to get shovel ready projects into production. The reality is that these ARPA funds are the final pieces to help fill the gap for large impactful projects in our communities.”

COMMISSIONERS WANTED ALL THE MONEY TO STAY IN YAKIMA COUNTY

“It was important to get funds allocated so that the County can ensure 100% of ARPA funding is spent here in Yakima. There is an accountability process in place. Through tracking with a program offered by CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA), we will make sure that the proposals that are receiving funding actually serve the communities they are telling us they will,” said Commissioner Curtis “The tracking will be used to determine if a program should continue receiving funding or be redeployed to meet all guidelines.”

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