Washington Priority ProjectsFiscal Year 2010 Department of Homeland Security
Our state has been particularly hard hit by the economic downturn - unemployment levels have skyrocketed and I've heard from many local communities struggling to cover basic services like education, public safety, transportation and health care.
As a United States Senator, part of my job is to help critical priorities in our state receive attention from the federal government so that we can help reinvigorate our economy, create new, high-paying jobs, and help our working families stay ahead in these tough economic times.
Part of that process at the federal level includes making sure that our state gets our fair share of funding from the federal government. Washington consistently pays more in federal tax dollars than we receive back in federal investment and services. During the annual budget process, I submit requests to the Senate Appropriations Committee for congressionally directed spending for Washington state (sometimes referred to as "earmarks") that benefits our state.
Some of these include: flood control levees; airport, rail, highway and mass transit improvements; drinking water and wastewater infrastructure; gang crime prevention and intervention programs; workforce training; and, agricultural research. I am working to continue to make this process even more transparent and to ensure that we're spending taxpayer dollars wisely.
Every year, I receive hundreds of requests for assistance from cities, counties, water and utility districts, transportation agencies, and others. I carefully review and evaluate these requests — and choose to submit a selection of these projects to the Committee.
The final outcome for any request will not be known until the bill has been approved by the House and Senate, and signed into law by the President. I will be posting each request I make to my Web site as they are submitted to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Below you will find detailed information about requests I made for the FY 2010 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill. Relocate Port Townsend Police Out of a Seismic, Tsunami, and Flood Hazard Zone - City of Port Townsend (Port Townsend, WA). Project Description - The Port Townsend Police Department is currently housed in a 100-year old building that is located within a combined seismic, tsunami, and flood hazard zone.
Although, the building and location were deemed unsuitable in the mid 1990s the City has not had the resources to retrofit and relocate the building. In 2008, the City received a Hazard Mitigation Grant that will subsidize the seismic retrofitting of the historic building, provided that the critical police function is relocated outside of the hazard zone. The grant pays for the retrofit, but not the relocation. The requested funds will allow the Police Department to be moved to a temporary location, finish their renovations, and move the renovated building to a safer location.
Amount Requested - $870,243
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