The Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners is seeking proposals from local nonprofits and organizations for projects that “move the needle” on housing, economic development, or provide other public benefits for county residents.

Interested organizations are asked to submit a one-page letter of interest with project details and a budget by Jan. 31. County officials are seeking requests from $20,000 to $100,000. The total amount to be distributed will not exceed $835,000 and is contingent upon receipt of the last allocation from the U.S. Department of Treasury.

“[American Rescue Plan Act] ARPA and other COVID relief dollars from the federal government have helped make a number of important, long-needed projects happen here the last couple of years,” said County Commissioner Kate Dean. “We hope to put this last little pot of funds to work quickly on issues that our communities care about.”

Commissioners expect there to be more requests than there is funding available, representing a wide range of project ideas.

“We anticipate having to make some tough decisions about what to fund. There are a lot of needs, a lot of strong community partners, and a limited pot of money,” Dean said. “We created some loose priorities to help us prioritize and choose, but ultimately the process will be pretty qualitative and subjective based on the knowledge we have of the needs of all three districts in the county.”

Priorities used to select awards will include projects that “move the needle” on housing, economic development, and/or other public benefits for county residents; projects that leverage other funding sources, such as matching funds for a grant-funded project; plans that reflect and benefit geographic diversity throughout Jefferson County; and organizations that have not received previous ARPA funding or Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) awards from the county.

Previous awardees are welcome to apply though.

All submission materials must be received on or before 4 p.m. Feb. 10 at the county administrator’s office at 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend.

Funding is anticipated to be disbursed by September.

For more information, contact the county administrator’s office at 360-385-9100 or email jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us.