Shelton hopes for project funds from state Legislature

The state legislative session that begins in January is not the ideal time for the City of Shelton to ask for money for big-ticket projects, said Troy Nichols, the city’s lobbyist.

The short 60-session that begins Jan. 10 is generally reserved for minor tweaks in policy and the state budget, Nichols told the Shelton City Council Nov. 9 at a study session.

The state “left very little as far as bonding capacity for the entire state,” he said. “In fact, in terms of general obligation bonds, they left about $82 million to spend for the entire state, so you divide that $82 million by 49 legislative districts, and you can do the math, There’s not a lot to go around and a lot of that remains to be seen how they want to spend that.”

However, “It’s not all gloom and doom,” Nichols said. “If we have modest expectations, I think we can secure funding for one or two of the projects of priority to the city heading into the session, as long as we get the groundwork now and get those projects vetted and have good information we can provide to our delegation, I think we have a strong chance of getting something in the next session, once they gavel on January.”

Council members shared their preferences for projects with City Manager Jeff Niten, who discussed two of them at the work session. The city for years has wanted to replace repair the long-closed deck at the Shelton Timberland Library, a building the city owns.

The city received a cost estimate for the project in 2018, but that will be have to be updated because of skyrocketing construction costs, Niten said. The new estimate will be passed on to Nichols and the region’s legislators.

The city could also seek legislative funds to pay for a secured area for Shelton Police Department vehicles, and a camera that would allow employees to see what is waiting outside the station door, Niten said.

Council members have also expressed the desire to continue to pursue state money for a jail facility, Niten said.

The city’s major drive is to expand sewer capacity at its satellite treatment plant near Sanderson Air Field, Niten said.

“That, unfortunately, is a very expensive project, but we’ve broken into several phases,” he said.

The city has already completed the preliminary design report for the project, Niten said.

The project survey, design and permitting is projected to cost about $2.1 million, Niten said. Construction is projected to cost $8.4 million, he said.

The city will have to invest some of its sewer funds toward the project, and buy the property, Niten said.

“That state likes to be the last dollars in, not the first,” he said.

The lowered expectations come a year after Shelton and the 35th District scored big during the 2021 session.

“We had a successful and positive session in sheer dollar amounts and the size of the projects getting successfully funded,” Nichols said.

The city received state money for its well No. 1 and a new water tank, a little more than $2 million.

Nichols praised the efforts of the 35th District delegation: state Reps. Drew McEwen and Dan Griffey, and state Sen. Tim Sheldon.

“They do a good job representing us,” he said.

The council’s work session came just after the U.S. Senate passed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill.

Nichols said the state will receive about $6 billion, with the bulk of it going to highways, bridges and public transportation. It remains to be seen what that will mean for Mason County, he said.