Clark County fares well in Senate capital budget

A new regional crisis center for Clark County didn’t make the cut, but several other big projects got earmarked for funds in the $3.8 billion 2017-2019 capital budget released Tuesday by the chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

The budget directs $48.8 million in new appropriations for projects in Vancouver and around the county that include a new center to treat adolescents experiencing substance abuse or mental health issues, as well as improvements to streets, schools and buildings for schools and local nonprofits.

Mark Brown, lobbyist for both the cities of Vancouver and Ridgefield, said that the county’s legislative delegation was particularly successful in landing new appropriations in a budget cycle where appropriations were dominated by construction projects for schools.

“This is a year where it’s impossible to get everything,” said Brown. “You should be grateful for anything, but the fact is we did much better than anything.”

The capital budget has a different function than the state’s operating and transportation budgets and allocates money for the acquisition and maintenance of land, buildings and equipment. Nearly half of the proposed capital budget goes toward supporting facilities for both K-12 and higher education. Twenty-nine percent goes toward natural resources-oriented projects, nearly 9 percent toward facilities for human services and 14 percent for general government projects.

Among the projects included in the budget that Brown highlighted included $750,000 for a regional athletic complex in Ridgefield, $14.8 million for two public works projects in Vancouver, $500,000 toward the construction of the Bridgeview Education and Employment Resources Center, as well as $1.7 million for a recovery center for Daybreak Youth Services, a nonprofit that provides treatment services for teens with mental health and chemical-dependency issues.

The budget also includes $500,000 for a proposed life sciences building at Washington State University Vancouver, which was supported by the Port of Vancouver, according to Abbi Russell, the port’s communications manager.

In a statement, state Sen. Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver, also highlighted the Bridgeview Education and Employment Resource Center, as well as $328,000 for space to expand programs at the Clinton and Gloria John Clubhouse of the Boys & Girls Club of Southwest Washington, $50,000 to fund the pre-design of an independent living skills center at the Washington State School for the Blind in Vancouver, as well as $300,000 for upgrades to the Clark County Historical Museum.

“The museum is the caretaker of more than 20,000 artifacts, 15,000 photographs, hundreds of maps and archival material that tell the story of Vancouver and Clark County,” Cleveland said in a statement.

However, the county’s big ask — $18.7 million for a regional crisis center — was not included in the most recent capital budget. The rationale behind the center is that local jurisdictions and PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center could save money by serving individuals facing substance abuse or mental health issues rather than taking them to jail or the emergency room. Mike Burgess, the lobbyist hired by Clark County, did not return a call for comment.