Warnick works to restore fund
EPHRATA — A state representative wants to bring funding back to the state’s Public Works Trust Fund.
Rep. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, told the Ephrata City Council one of her goals was to restore money to the program, which funds projects throughout the state.
The city is hoping to receive $3.2 million to finish repaving roads and replacing water pipes in the southwest section as part of the final phase of its street and water pipe replacement project.
The city planned to ask for the money from the state fund earlier, but the state took money from the fund during the previous biennium to balance the budget. The project is now part of a $396 million package heading to the Legislature during this biennium for approval.
Warnick, the ranking Republican on the capital budget committee, said communities like Ephrata and other smaller communities rely on the funding for larger public works projects.
“To have swept it the way the Legislature did was just unconscionable,” she said. “We have swept close to $500 million, if not more, in the last biennium from that fund, and this was supposed to be dedicated funds.”
She said the fund operated well, providing grants and low interest loans to communities needing help. One of the low-interest loans is the $6.6 million Ephrata received for the first three phases of the project.
“We were asked today, in fact, to give a list of priorities for each committee and that’s the first one that I put on my list,” Warnick said.
She said she wants the council to help prioritize the projects once the trust fund is re-established.
“We need to do that as small cities across the state, and even the larger cities, because the public works trust fund will only have a certain amount of money,” Warnick said. “The universities do this now. Some community colleges are doing this. (They’re) giving us a list.”
Councilmember Bruce Reim asked what amount of money the representative wanted to see in the fund.
“I would like to see it get back to ($500 million) and this was over a two-year time frame,” Warnick answered. “The Public Works Trust Fund is basically a revolving fund, so we are going to build that back up. I just don’t want to see the people operating the budget come in and take money.”
The money for the trust fund comes back through cities paying back loans taken out from the fund, Warnick said, answering a question from Councilmember Kathleen Allstot.
She also told the council, she would like to restructure the capital budget so they get at least 72 hours to look at it before it’s passed. During a previous 30-day session during 2010, she saw the final capital budget about two hours before voting on it.
“There’s no way I can adequately look at that or even staff can look at it in the two-hour time period,” she said. “Yes, I did have some input, but there were enough changes that I couldn’t see it all. So I ended up voting against the budget.”
The capital budget could be the “pork” budget, but any time communities need help with projects aimed at improving health and safety, the state should do it, Warnick said.
Warnick is also a member of the judiciary committee, and plans to work on gang issues across the state, she said, adding she had a meeting with Seattle representatives.
“We had another young man killed in Grant County just a few days ago. People don’t realize that gangs are not just not Seattle or Tacoma,” she said. “They are starting to wake up.”
She plans to look at landlord intimidation by gangs, Warnick said.