State’s capital budget includes about 2 dozen major projects in Thurston County
State legislators on Sunday approved the two-year $4.9 billion capital budget that focuses on projects in behavioral health, affordable housing, education and the environment.
“The bipartisan support of this budget highlights the investments it makes on behalf of all Washingtonians,” said Sen. David Frockt, the Seattle Democrat who is vice chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee and the Senate’s lead capital budget writer.
The capital budget, commonly referred to as the bricks-and-mortar budget, includes $120 million in community-based behavioral health projects to help patients transition to care in their own communities. It also sets aside $33.2 million for predesign, planning and design of a new, 150-bed behavioral health teaching facility at the University of Washington Medical Center.
“This construction budget puts people first by putting a record amount of funding to build public schools, colleges and universities,” said Rep. Steve Tharinger, the Port Townsend Democrat who is chairman of the House Capital Budget Committee.
The budget includes $175 million in affordable housing loans and grants through the Housing Trust Fund.
Allocations include:
▪ $35 million for supportive housing and case management services for people living with behavioral health disorders.
▪ $10 million for high-quality modular housing to transition people out of homelessness quickly.
▪ $10 million for competitively awarded grants for state matches to private contributions to fund affordable housing.
The capital budget calls for spending about $148.4 million on toxics cleanup, prevention and stormwater assistance to local governments.
Other spending on environmental projects would prevent wildfires and help the orca population. Forest hazard reduction would receive $14.2 million.
The budget includes about $1.1 billion on K-12 education, with about $1.04 billion dedicated to the School Construction Assistance Program.
The budget also includes $927 million to construct facilities at public colleges and universities, which is also a record.
“We’re creating jobs in every corner of Washington state because we listened to, and worked with, lawmakers from every part of the state,” Tharinger said.
The following are some of the major projects in Thurston County:
Department of Commerce
▪ $3 million for the Interfaith Works Shelter.
▪ $2 million for renovation of the Lacey Veterans Services Hub.
▪ $600,000 to the Family Support Center in Olympia for an early learning facility.
▪ $515,000 for the renovation of Tenino City Hall.
▪ $500,000 for Family Education and Support Services in Tumwater.
▪ $475,000 to the Community Action Council of Lewis, Mason and Thurston counties.
▪ $324,000 to the North Thurston School District for an early learning facility.
▪ $303,000 for the Yelm Water Tower.
▪ $250,000 to the Abigail Stuart House in Olympia.
▪ $196,000 for the renovation of Swede Hall in Rochester.
▪ $98,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Thurston County in Lacey.
▪ $56,000 to the Big Brothers Big Sisters Learning Lab in Olympia.
▪ $31,000 for upgrades to the Boys and Girls Club of Thurston County in Rochester.
Department of Ecology
▪ $3.1 million to replace the roof of the Department of Ecology’s Lacey Headquarters.
▪ $250,000 to modify the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system in the Department of Ecology’s Lacey Headquarters basement to provide a heat source lost as a result of moving data server equipment.
▪ $150,000 for monitoring of the Black Lake Grocery, a gas station and convenience store in Olympia. Soil and groundwater contamination resulted from multiple underground storage tanks, which have been removed. Contamination was found to remain adjacent to the site and a reactive barrier was built to prevent further contamination migration to Black Lake. Monitoring is needed to determine if further action is necessary.
▪ $125,000 for Budd Inlet source control and clean-up. In 2008, Ecology launched an investigation of Budd Inlet through the Puget Sound Initiative. Historic wood treating and timber-related industries along Budd Inlet caused sediment contamination. Primary contaminants of concern include dioxins and carcinogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons (cPAHs). Before active sediment cleanup can begin, the project must identify and control any active contamination sources to Budd Inlet. This prevents recontamination of the sediments after cleanup. Additionally, this project will determine a regional background level of contamination for Budd Inlet and examine cleanup options.
Historical Society
▪ $979,000 to renovate a Lacey warehouse for a new museum
▪ $513,000 for phase two of the rehabilitation of the Old Brewhouse Tower in Tumwater. The work will install seismic support.
Department of Labor and Industries
▪ $52.2 million to design and construct a modern lab and training center. The facility will be comprised of five labs, two of which will be occupied by the Department of Labor and Industries. The remaining three labs may be leased to the Department of Agriculture.
Secretary of State
▪ Funding authority to enter into an alternative financing contract is to construct a new state Library-Archives building in Tumwater. The financing plan for the $108 million calls for adding a $2 fee on top of the fees that county auditors charge the public for filing real estate transactions, marriages and births. Additionally, $5 million in design funding is re-appropriated in the capital budget.
The Evergreen State College
▪ $5.4 million to construct a combined Health Clinic and Counseling Center to consolidate health and counseling services now located in the Seminar 1 building. The project will enclose and convert an existing open-air structure to relocate those services and free up space in Seminar 1 building for teaching and learning.
▪ $4 million for seismic and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning renovations to Lab One.
▪ $880,000 to conduct routine and preventive maintenance activities required to decrease and mitigate deferred maintenance and to maximize the life of facilities and building systems.
This story was originally published April 30, 2019 at 2:53 PM with the headline "State’s capital budget includes about 2 dozen major projects in Thurston County."