City officials and community leaders in Washougal are excited and grateful to Senator Patty Murray and Senator Maria Cantwell for over $3 million in requests they made to the Senate Appropriations Committee in support of three critical community projects in Washougal. If selected, these projects will receive funding through Fiscal Year 2022 federal appropriations legislation.
The United States Congress is in the process of preparing FY2022 federal appropriations, or spending, legislation. As part of this process, the Senate Appropriation Committee began taking requests from Senators for direct funding to specific, home-state projects which meet identified eligibility tests and are deemed worthy of federal support. These “Member-designated” or “congressionally-directed” requests, if enacted in final legislation, would comprise up to 1% of total discretionary spending and can only be requested by units of local government and non-profit organizations.
This year, 64 of 100 senators have made requests to the Senate Appropriations Committee for these congressionally-directed grant projects, including Senator Murray and Senator Cantwell. See www.appropriations.senate.gov/fy-2022-appropriations-requests-and-congressionally-directed-spending. In early July, Senator Murray and Senator Cantwell publicly announced the projects that they selected for potential congressional funding on their websites, https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/cds-disclosure and https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/issues/appropriations.
The City of Washougal is excited and grateful to our Washington Senators for prioritizing three critical Washougal projects for Senate Appropriations consideration. While this funding is not guaranteed and there are still several stages left before the final projects are selected, Washougal is deeply appreciative Senator Murray’s and Cantwell’s efforts bring resources to our community.
The three projects in which Senator Murray and Senator Cantwell are supporting include:
- 32nd Street Underpass: Senator Murray and Senator Cantwell have both requested that $1,600,000 in federal “Transportation Planning, Research and Development” funding be granted to the City of Washougal to support the “32nd Street Underpass project” for a new underpass at 32nd Street along the BNSF railroad crossing, as well as improved intersections and enhanced streetscapes.
- Wastewater Pump Station #1: Senator Cantwell has requested $649,000 in Environmental Protection Agency “State and Tribal Assistance Grant” funding to upgrade the existing Washougal Wastewater Pump Station #1. Upgrades will include increasing the pump station capacity and relocating the station to accommodate a larger wet-well.
- Anoxic Selector: Senator Cantwell has requested $1,000,000 in Environmental Protection Agency “State and Tribal Assistance Grant” funding to install a new Anoxic Selector at the Washougal Wastewater Treatment Plant to improve operation and achieve the highest efficiency in the release of treated effluent.
Mayor Molly Coston says, “Washougal is grateful for the support from our federal delegation in Washington and know that Senator Murray and Senator Cantwell see the value in investing in the success of our community. Both Senators have continued to be key partners in Washougal’s community revitalization efforts. If selected, these funds would serve as catalytic investments to jumpstart Washougal’s economic growth, help protect the health and safety of residents, and improve quality of life.”
The Washougal community is hopeful that, by the end of 2021, these projects can be finalized in federal law and on their way to support progress in Washougal.
