House budget bill over $80 million to Grays Harbor/Pacific counties

*UPDATES* Some projects previously listed were not on the 2019-2020 budget and were instead part of 2018 appropriations. Other projects were added that were previously missed. This list was updated to reflect.

In the preliminary Capital Budget Bill released on Monday, nearly $44 million dollars has been found allocated to Grays Harbor according to initial data mined by KXRO.

Pacific County is set to receive nearly $40 million according to initial findings.

Notable items on the funding include;

• $25 million for the North Shore Levee Project to protect portions of Aberdeen and Hoquiam, and eventually adjust FEMA flood map designations and lower costs to homeowners.
• Over $3.5 million to Coastal Community Action Program.
• $1.75 million for the Gateway Center Project in Aberdeen. According to Rep. Steve Tharinger, chair of the House Capital Budget Committee, this would be a start to the project.
• Over $4 million to Grays Harbor College for a new Student Services building to replace the Hillier Union Building.
• Approximately $600,000 for the Port of Grays Harbor to work on an offshore ocean wave renewable energy project.
• Over $36 million to renovate the Naselle Hatchery.

Numerous other statewide or regional projects would impact our area but are not allocated specifically to local projects.

This bill is preliminary and is waiting approval from the legislature. Items may be added or removed prior to passage.

Full proposals at: http://leap.leg.wa.gov/leap/archives/index_budgetsp.asp