WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: $6,316,000 FOR LOCAL WASHINGTON NINTH DISTRICT COMMUNITY PROJECTS PASSES HOUSE AND SENATE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last night, the Senate passed an appropriations package that will bring $6,316,000 in community project funds back to our community. The president will likely sign these into law within the coming days, bringing federal funding to important initiatives on environmental protection, public safety, and economic opportunity locally. 

See below for the statements of support from community leaders:

“I want to thank Representative Smith for securing these vital federal funds to expand our post-overdose response team. Seattle’s Fire Department is a national leader in this work, and this support will both help people struggling with addiction and free up police and fire resources for other emergency calls. Seattle is building a coordinated, modern, approach to public safety and public health to make our city safe for everyone of every background, and this work is essential to that vision.”
— Katie Wilson, Mayor, City of Seattle

“Protecting our environment and preserving community resources is a top priority for Renton. The Kennydale Lakeline Sanitary Sewer and Water Quality Preservation Project safeguards Lake Washington and ensures our residents continue to enjoy this beautiful resource. When we address future environmental issues, we secure a safe and thriving future for our city and the entire region. Our thanks to Congressman Adam Smith on his support in securing federal funding for this project.”
— Armondo Pavone, Mayor, City of Renton

“We know that people can and do change, and it is possible to permanently break cycles of crime and crisis. We are grateful to Congressman Smith for the opportunity to demonstrate that better support for individuals in jail and exiting jail translates to better outcomes, dollars saved, and lives saved.”
— Amy Barden, Chief, City of Seattle Community Assisted Response & Engagement

“We can’t thank Congressman Smith enough for his support of our water district as we’ve worked to ensure our ratepayers have access to reliability clean water. Modernizing our water treatment facility will not only improve water quality but also reliability, reducing health disparities and ensuring public trust of our water supply.”
 — King County Water District 54 Commission President Kris Van Gasken

“Digital funding is revolutionizing how we support community creators and empower underrepresented communities. Through our Innovation Lab and trusted partnerships, we are building an inclusive and vibrant creative economy in Washington state, one that invests in training, mentorship, education pathways, and job creation so the next generation of creatives can lead, innovate, and thrive.”
— Angela Ngiangi Diansasila, MSA, Senior Program Director / Data Manager, Congolese Integration Network

“For years, CID community leaders have been attempting to generate a community-based public safety response that addresses issues with complex origins, including income inequality, inadequate resources to care for people with profound mental illness, mass homelessness, the residual effects of pandemic closures, and the fentanyl epidemic. We appreciate Representative Smith's office for supporting a project that will enable such a response.”
—  Purpose Dignity Action
 

BackgroundCommunity Project Funding allows Members of Congress to direct federal resources to specific projects with demonstrated public benefit. These investments were requested by local governments and community organizations and are designed to deliver measurable results across Washington state.

The CPF projects included in this funding package reflect locally driven priorities, from protecting water quality and environmental resources to improving public safety outcomes and expanding economic opportunity for underserved communities.

Descriptions of the Community Project Funding requests included in the recent bill are listed below:

Water Infrastructure and Environmental Protection

• City of Renton — Kennydale Lakeline Sanitary Sewer and Water Quality Preservation Project
  Amount: $1,092,000
  The City of Renton’s Kennydale Lakeline Sewer System is more than 50 years old and faces significant challenges for replacement due to it’s location underwater, limited accessibility, and deteriorating condition. The City plans on creating a new sewer system outside of the lake to replace the aging cast iron pipes. Modern materials, construction techniques, and engineering standards will be employed to ensure the system's resilience against aging, climate-related challenges, and future growth in demand.
• King County Water District 54 — Water Treatment Modernization
  Location: Des Moines and Normandy Park
  Amount: $1,092,000
  The King County Water District No. 54 (District) serves the drinking water needs of approximately 5,200 residents of the City of Des Moines, Washington, and a southern portion of the City of Normandy Park, through 755 connections. The quality of the District’s water is excellent, with the caveat that manganese is present at or above the secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL) of 0.050 mg/L. While not a current health concern, it’s presence is a concern since it sometimes precipitates in the water causing it to turn brown. Manganese may become what’s known as an emerging contaminant, making the level present more of an issue as further risk assessments are completed. The Project will install a manganese treatment system, which will use an appropriate treatment technology, such as oxidation/filtration, determined during the predesign phase (ongoing) to remove manganese, iron, and any other associated contaminants.

 
Public Safety, Overdose Response, and Reentry for Incarcerated Individuals

• City of Seattle — Post-Overdose Opioid Response Program
  Amount: $1,031,000
  The City of Seattle is launching a specialized emergency response team to provide an integrated, wraparound, and evidence-based response for people overdosing. The team will be staffed by specially trained firefighters and EMTs as well as a case manager with training in crisis intervention. They will work in conjunction with Seattle Police and Fire to take over at the scene when first responders are called, thus freeing up resources for emergency response. The team will also provide follow-up services to ensure that patients have access to resources and services to put them on the path to long term recovery.   
• Purpose Dignity Action — CID Public Safety Team
  Amount: $1,039,000
  PDA is replicating a street team model to counter open-air criminal activity and safety concerns in the Chinatown-International District (CID). Funding will go to deploy a team to de-escalate disruptions and conflict in the neighborhood on a daily basis. They will be trained to de-escalate conflicts, connect individuals to housing and behavioral health services and coordinate with the Seattle Police Department and other emergency services as needed. The team will also be tasked with identifying individuals and networks in the neighborhood who need a targeted response from community partners like housing organizations and law enforcement.
• City of Seattle — WELD King County Jail Pilot Housing and Successful Reentry Program
  Amount: $1,031,000
  This pilot program will expand housing stability and reentry support for individuals transitioning out of incarceration, by giving them resources to sustain a job, build our economy, and live within Puget Sound.

 
STEM Education and Workforce Opportunity

• Congolese Integration Network — STEM Education Program
  Location: SeaTac
  Amount: $1,031,000
  Funded through NASA-related Community Project Funding, this program will expand STEM education access for immigrant and refugee youth. The Congolese Integration Network (CIN) is building a program to address the digital disparity prevalent within refugee and immigrant communities through a comprehensive basic and coding class initiative. The program is strategically designed to not only equip participants with essential digital literacy skills but also to ignite their interest and involvement in STEM fields, fostering pathways to economic independence and professional growth. In recognizing the critical importance of technology proficiency in contemporary society, CIN aims to empower individuals within these communities with the necessary tools and knowledge to navigate the digital landscape effectively.

 
###