HomeMy WebLinkAbout031422cbs02 JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of County Commissioners
FROM: Kate Dean, Commissioner
DATE: March 14, 2022
SUBJECT: One-time allocation to North Olympic Development Council
STATEMENT OF ISSUE:
The North Olympic Peninsula Resource Conservation& Development Council (NODC) empowers the
North Olympic Peninsula to invest in and pursue its own economic and environmental destiny. As the
federally-designated Economic Development District for Jefferson and Clallam counties,NODC is a
collaborative, innovative effort among member governments, community organizations, tribes and
businesses to advance economic, environmental and quality of life initiatives in the region. NODC primarily
plays a planning and facilitation role, collaborating with local governments, nonprofit organizations and
businesses to improve the regional economy.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 the NODC has taken on an unusual scope of work
and expanded programming, channeling millions of dollars of federal funding to our region and managing a
suite of vital recovery efforts in addition to the more traditional project management and convening roles the
organization plays. Examples of this work include:
• Securing a $400,000 Economic Recovery and Resiliency grant from the Economic
Development Administration with the following outcomes:
o Social media, online marketing and website design assistance to help more than 40
local businesses pivot their marketing and sales efforts to respond to the realities of the
pandemic.
o Partnering with the Jefferson Community Foundation to pilot a Creative
Entrepreneurship Network.
o A $50,000 subcontract to Cascadia Consulting Group to facilitate a regional disaster
resilience planning process (beginning March 2022).
o A $10,000 subcontract with CBG Communications to identify additional broadband
expansion projects and position them for funding (beginning March 2022).
• Securing a$170,000 grant from the National Estuary Program through the Puget Sound
Partnership for a regional climate change planning process, with consulting time valued at
$18,975 going to each of four local governments for their own plans (Port Townsend, Clallam
County, Port Angeles and the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe).
• Working with partners to raise more than $120,000 to create the Olympic Peninsula Farmers
Fund in 2020, contracting with twelve area farmers to provide produce, meat, fish and dairy to
food banks.
• Securing three grants from USDA totaling $176,931 to provide business advising and support
to agricultural and food businesses in the region.
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• Providing outreach and technical assistance to help the Northwest School of Wooden Boat
Building secure a grant of$447,500 from the Economic Development Administration to equip
the School's new Marine Systems Classroom.
• Providing outreach and technical assistance to help the Field Arts & Events Hall apply for a
grant of$2.1 million from the Economic Development Administration.
• Coordinating the Clallam County Community Broadband Team and assisting Clallam County
staff with grant applications that secured $25 million in grants for broadband expansion.
Due to the nature of the bulk of the NODC's funding, which is typically associated with a prescribed set of
deliverables and often requires non-federal matching funds, the organization has need for additional
unrestricted funding in order to provide staff with the flexibility to plan for and manage new projects and
initiatives while transitioning from the "COVID recovery" footing it has maintained the past two years. This
funding may also leverage additional federal resources. NODC's role in key regional projects -those with
broad benefit but for which our counties lack sufficient resource to tackle independently—can be seen in the
regional climate change planning effort, the regional rural broadband expansion work and the regional
disaster resilience process.
The NODC is taking several steps to improve its ability to generate these vital unrestricted funds including
expanding membership, reviewing its dues structure and initiating a limited fund development program as
the NODC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
However, given the outsized role the NODC has taken on these past two years the county representatives
from both Jefferson and Clallam Counties, Commissioner Kate Dean and Commissioner Mark Ozias,
believe that a one-time allocation of$50,000 ($25,000 from each county) would be an appropriate and
advantageous consideration that would afford the NODC with the flexibility it needs at this crucial juncture.
Clallam County approved a$25,000 allocation on March 7, 2022.
ANALYSIS: Funding NODC with unrestricted funds to continue operations and seek additional grants will
provide benefit to the many businesses, non-profits and government entities that it supports.
FISCAL IMPACT: $25,000, source of funds to be discussed.
RECOMMENDATION: Commissioner Dean recommends a one-time allocation of$25,000 to support the
valuable and on-going community and economic development work performed by the North Olympic
Development Council.
REVIEWED BY:
Mark McCaule / terim County Admi •r D to