Port of Mattawa discusses plans for using grant money in 2024

MATTAWA — Port of Mattawa commissioners met for the regular meeting Monday, providing an update on several ongoing projects and grants the port is looking to implement in the near future.

Business Development and Public Affairs Consultant for the port Patrick Boss said in response to a question from the Columbia Basin Herald that former port Executive Director Lars Leland had left the port for another position. 

During the meeting, Boss discussed the state of the port’s funding.

“We got the funding, obviously, for the event center that we're going through. We got funding for the soccer field, the athletic field, we're going through right now. We got that funding last year or the year before,” Boss said. “(We are) trying to get some things going to not only get prepared to do the planning, the designing, the construction, etc.”

“Going ahead in 2024, the plan is to start spending some of this money, the event center money, the soccer field money, to get those going. So we are working on that with engineers. We're actually working with the Department of Commerce, who has some of those grant funds that we got from the legislature.”

Boss explained his recommendation for the port moving forward.

“At this point, we're not planning to ask for any capital budget money in 2024. Now, you guys can tell me otherwise if you want us to,” Boss said during the discussion with commissioners. “But I think we're trying just to kind of make sure that we get through the projects that we've got … We're getting some pressure by (the Department of Commerce) right now to start putting some plans forward to spend those monies. Normally I will tell you to go after more money, but I'm going to tell you this time, we just need to catch up on what we’ve got and just go with that.”

The port’s Business Manager Gil Alvarado said the port’s Event Center upgrades are moving along. 

“Continuing with the event center, we did land that safety and accessibility grant that we applied for. We picked up $350,000,” Alvarado said. “I met with one of the contractors that we talked to. What we're trying to do is coordinate the parking lot work with the soccer field.”

Alvarado then elaborated on the soccer field project. 

“(Field) lighting to me is key to have this thing done, because we do not have a soccer field lit in this community and I think it will get great use,” he said.

Boss added his input on the subject. 

“That's why we want to try to talk to the school district and the city too about how maybe we can work with them on this because I think it'd be a benefit to everybody if we can figure all that out,” he said.

The potential is there for hosting athletic tournaments or training camps on the field, working in conjunction with the Wahluke School District, Alvarado said. 

Another project the port received funding for was $600,000 for improvements to its wastewater system. The $600,000 was appropriated for the project several years ago in the house capital budget.

“The Department of Commerce reached out,” Alvarado said. “If you recall there was that direct line item that funded the port $600,000 on that wastewater expansion. So we've had to pull back, obviously, because we only have one end user now. So, the state’s asking me, ‘What are you going to do with that $600,000? You need to use it or lose it….So the discussion that we're having now … is to take that $600,000 and improve our water systems situation over in the industrial park, our reservoir and booster pumps. We're feeling that that would fall in line with the intent of improving our system and we could use that $600,000.”

Boss also discussed legislation in the works that will help the port foster industrial development outside the city’s urban growth area, which Alvarado said is currently very difficult to do.

“There are ports in the area, several of them, four or five, that have really small cities that don't have the resources to do a larger (Urban Growth Area) to do industrial ground,” Boss said. “So, we're trying to establish a way for the port to do it itself in conjunction with the county and the city.”

Alaveredo said SJC Alliance, a regional planning agency, is including the rehabilitation of Mattawa’s Steven Street in its comprehensive plan in order to ask for funding for the project. 

“So the county has what's called the Strategic Infrastructure Program and cities and counties can apply for those funds. It's part of the real estate excise tax,” Alvarado said. “So the county has a pool of money that is funneled through the (Grant County Economic Development Council). You've got to ask for these monies.”

Alvarado specified that only projects included in capital improvement plans can get access to the funds. 

“The (start) of it is paved, asphalt and sidewalk for about 100 feet and then after that, we’d like to get that whole street improved,” Boss said. “It’s kind of stopped some commercial development there because the street was in nobody's plan. There's been a couple of retailers who want to locate over there and (didn’t) because there's no street there, technically.”

Boss spoke about all the various ongoing projects the port is implementing or planning on implementing.

“We just have a lot of stuff to do this next week as we get into 2024,” Boss said. “There is, like. $2 million in grants that we got here in the last 18 months, so our goal is to try to put those to use and help Mattawa out.”

Alvarado talked about the port’s current position. 

“I think the port’s in a good position to have the kind of funding that we have available, I think we just have to get after it,” he said. “Our intent, kind of our directive, is to be in a better position at the same time next year.”

The port also set a regularly scheduled day and time for its meetings moving forward. Meetings will be held the second Monday of every month at 5 p.m. 

Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com. Download the Columbia Basin Herald app on iOS and Android.

    The Port of Mattawa building on Road 24 Southwest, which hosted Monday’s regular meeting, during which port officials discussed the port’s various recent grant awards and their implementation in several port projects.
  

    A proposed design for the Sentinel Gap Community Park, which will house the new soccer field the Port of Mattawa discussed during its regular meeting Monday evening. Port officials discussed the possibility of partnering with the city and the Wahluke School District in use of the field.