Mattawa City Council conditionally approves COPS grant

MATTAWA — The Mattawa City Council on Thursday approved accepting the COPS grant from the Department of Justice on the condition the Wahluke School Board accept a sub-award, passing the funds and the liability for the matching funds portion of the grant to the school district.

The $372,750 grant, with an additional $124,250 matching grant, was applied for and received by the Mattawa Police Department. The grant will provide the Wahluke School District with money for electronic keyfob entry points and upgraded security cameras at all schools in the district. It will also give the district a school safety specialist and pay for training and a laptop computer for this position. Mattawa Police Department, which supplies the school district’s SROs (school resource officers), will receive two additional radios and training for the SROs.

The approved sub-award “creates a contractual agreement between the city and the school district as the subrecipient,” according to City of Mattawa Attorney Katherine Kennison. The city, which is receiving the money, is giving it to the school district. The sub-award removes the city’s portion of financial risk associated with the grant and passes it onto the school district.

Council member Wendy Lopez expressed concern about the possibility of the grant causing a problem for the city if the school district doesn’t fulfill the matching portion of the grant. Kennison said while the city doesn’t have direct control over how the funds are distributed, it will be up to the city’s financial officer to ensure all of the grant specifications are adhered to. Wahluke School District Interim Superintendent Andy Harlow said as far as he was aware, the school district never had any issues with any grants.