CERB board approves grant for Port of Wilma road work

On Thursday, Jan. 16, the Port of Whitman Community Economic Revitalization Board grant application was approved Jan. 16 with a $750,000 loan and $250,000 grant for the Port of Wilma road improvements.

Mark Storey, county public works director, told the county commissioners that he went to present the project to the CERB board with Debbie Snell, port properties and development manager, and one of the tenants at the Port of Wilma.

“We did a presentation with questions and answers in front of the board,” Storey said. “It was a successful visit.

Along with the approved loan and grant, funding for this project will come from both the port and county. CERB funds are matched by $600,297 in local resources.

The Port of Wilma road project will include fixing drainage issues, overlaying the road, repairing weak spots in the road, individual site access improvements and safety improvement areas.

At a November port and county commissioner workshop, when this project was first introduced, it was mentioned how the Port has put a couple million dollars into rail leads at the Port of Wilma. This is due to standing water on the rail ties and continual maintenance needed on the rail.

The CERB board provides funding to local governments and federally-recognized tribes for public infrastructure which supports private business growth and expansion.

Only specific projects are eligible for CERB funds. Those include domestic and industrial water, stormwater, public building, telecommunications and port facilities.

According to the Washington State Department of Commerce, Craig Mountain Excavation, LLC, a committed private partner with the port, is investing $1,290,000 into the project. This project is estimated to create and retain an estimated 18 jobs within five years of construction.

The money is expected to be officially awarded July 1. The port a two-year time frame to use it.

This project still isn’t expected to happen until 2021, but with approval of the road levy lid lift for unincorporated areas of Whitman County, funding won’t be as much of a concern.

This higher levy is expected to collect another $1.4 million a year for gravel road maintenance, additional road crew workers and newer grading equipment.

“It allows us to get started on something that is desperately needed and to project the port forward into the future another 30 to 40 years,” Storey said.

Storey said the plan is to put the design together by this fall and start work on it next year.