Sub-Regional Opportunity Fund

Open for applications Sept. 1. Download the application packet here. Applications are due by close of business on Oct. 7, 2022.

Allocation

  • The Opportunity Fund is 10.23% of the King County Flood Control District’s annual levy proceeds.
  • The Opportunity Fund for 2023 is estimated to be $6 million pending the Flood Control District’s Board of Supervisors approval in the fall of 2022.
  • Proposed proportional allocation of funds among the 40 jurisdictions in King County is based on assessed values and annexations.

Application Instructions

2023 Opportunity Fund Application Packet

Instructions:

  1. Review eligibility criteria.
  2. Consider options for leveraging funds.
  3. To complete the application, save the document to your computer and fill in all fields.
  4. Fields will expand as text is entered. However, fields are character-limited and the form will not expand beyond maximum words allowed. (NOTE: Writing and editing application text first and then cutting and pasting into the application is recommended.)
    If you would prefer to work with a Word version of the application form, email Kim Harper to request one at Kim.harper@nullkingcounty.gov.
  5. If you are not proposing a project for this year, complete the upper portion of the first page of the application and return it as instructed below.
  6. Return the completed application by 5 p.m. on October 7, 2022 to: Kim.harper@nullkingcounty.gov.
  7. For questions about the application or reimbursement processes, contact Kim Harper at the above email or at 206-477-6079.

Next Steps:

  • Applications will be reviewed for completeness and consistency with the eligibility criteria. The scope of work must describe the specific deliverable products and how they will be produced.  The budget must describe how costs were estimated and list the items covered by the grant. 
  • Proposed projects will be combined into a single list, which will become part of the proposed annual work program and budget for the Board of Supervisors to consider. 
  • The submittal of an acceptable application by a jurisdiction, and approval of that application by the Board of Supervisors through their approval of the annual work program and budget, will create and constitute an approved amendment to the interlocal agreement each jurisdiction has with the Flood Control District. 
  • The interlocal agreement also stipulates that the schedule for a project must provide for the expenditure of Opportunity Funds within two years after the commencement date of the project. 

Reimbursement and Progress Reports

  • All remaining funds shall be issued on a reimbursement basis following a jurisdiction’s submittal of a completed reimbursement form and accompanying documentation to King County. 
  • Jurisdictions are required to provide the Flood Control District with semiannual progress reports updating the status of projects, as well as a final report, which shall be provided within 90 days of project completion. 
  • While not specified in the interlocal agreement, we ask that jurisdictions submit semiannual progress reports by June 30 and December 31 of each year.  Jurisdictions will be sent the reporting forms in November once the new projects are approved.

Opportunity Fund Background

In authorizing the Flood Control District, the Board of Supervisors authorized a property tax levy to fund the Flood Control District’s work program. As allowed under the Flood Control District’s statutory authority in Chapter 86.15 RCW, the Board of Supervisors set aside 10.23% of the District’s annual levy proceeds for a Sub-Regional Opportunity Fund.

The Board of Supervisors determined the Sub-Regional Opportunity Fund should be implemented as follows:

  • Allocation: Funds are distributed to each jurisdiction proportional to assessed valuation (AV) for an eligible project or activity with a minimum distribution of $10,000 per eligible jurisdiction.
  • Eligible Activities: Opportunity Funds shall be used for any project or activity that is consistent with the statutory authorization of Chapter 86.15 RCW. This can include flood control and stormwater improvements, as well as watershed management activities such as habitat conservation, if such projects are linked to flood or stormwater activities.

Criteria for eligible projects and activities

Consistent with the authority granted in state statute, Flood Control District Resolution 2008-10.2 established the criteria for eligible projects and activities under the Sub-Regional Opportunity Fund.

  • Funds can be spent for flood control, stormwater control and cooperative watershed management projects.
  • Funds spent on watershed management projects consisting of salmon habitat protection projects must be linked to the construction of a flood or stormwater project.
  • The authority to spend Flood District funds for flood control and stormwater control is provided in RCW 86.15.110 and RCW 86.15.035 adds the watershed management category, which is linked to RCW 39.34.190.

An explanation of each of the eligible categories follows:

  1. Flood control improvements may be extended, enlarged, acquired or constructed, provided a comprehensive plan of development for flood control has been developed and the improvement contributes to the objectives of that plan and the plan has been submitted to and approved by the Washington State Department of Ecology. See RCW 86.15.110 (1) and (2).
  2. Stormwater control improvements may be extended, enlarged, acquired or constructed, provided a comprehensive plan for stormwater control has been prepared for the area and the improvement is consistent with the stormwater plan. See RCW 86.15.110 (1) and (2).
  3. Watershed management projects identified in watershed management partnerships or other intergovernmental agreements for the purposes of water supply, water quality, and water resource and habitat protection and management. See RCW 86.15.035*. The Board of Supervisors has directed that projects in this category that consist of salmon habitat protection projects must demonstrate a link to flooding or stormwater projects. This third category ties into RCW 39.34.190 – .200, and under these statutory provisions, up to 10 percent of District revenues (the equivalent of the amount of the Opportunity Fund) may be used for the implementation of watershed management plans, including, but not limited to, the following:
    • Watershed plans developed under chapter 90.82 RCW;
    • Salmon recovery plans developed under chapter 77.85 RCW;
    • Watershed management elements of comprehensive land use plans developed under the Growth Management Act, chapter 36.70A RCW;
    • Watershed management elements of shoreline master programs developed under the Shoreline Management Act, chapter 90.58 RCW;
    • Nonpoint pollution action plans developed under the Puget Sound water quality management planning authorities of chapter 90.71 RCW and chapter 400-12 WAC;
    • Other comprehensive management plans addressing watershed health at a WRIA level or sub-WRIA basin level;
    • Coordinated water system plans under chapter 70.116 RCW* and similar regional plans for water supply; and
    • Any combination of the foregoing plans in an integrated watershed management plan.

** In categories (1) and (2) above, construction improvements require the development of preliminary engineering studies and plans, and such studies and plans must be on file with the King County River and Floodplain Management Section, which functions as the service provider to the District. For all projects, cost estimates and underlying data must be provided, and the benefit provided by the improvement must be described. See RCW 86.15.110 (3), (4) and (5)*.

Draft 2023 Allocations for the King County Flood Control District Sub-Regional Opportunity Fund
Based on forecasted King County assessed values.

The table below shows estimates of the allocations. These will be revised when the King County Flood Control District Board of Supervisors approves the 2023 Work Plan in November 2022. 

JurisdictionDraft Allocation
Algona$10,000
Auburn$113,025
Beaux Arts$10,000
Bellevue$648,336
Black Diamond$12,921
Bothell$63,867
Burien$77,398
Carnation$10,000
Clyde Hill$28,839
Covington$32,080
Des Moines$44,538
Duvall$15,856
Enumclaw$19,917
Federal Way$122,811
Hunts Point$11,448
Issaquah$112,298
Kenmore$51,535
Kent$224,790
King County$507,962
Kirkland$310,341
Lake Forest Park$33,922
Maple Valley$48,051
Medina$44,206
Mercer Island$142,953
Milton$10,000
Newcastle$39,295
Normandy Park$18,319
North Bend$19,866
Pacific$10,000
Redmond$248,515
Renton$199,696
Sammamish$199,273
SeaTac$41,977
Seattle$2,249,881
Shoreline$114,399
Skykomish$10,000
Snoqualmie$31,184
Tukwila$64,213
Woodinville$41,840
Yarrow Point$13,618
TOTAL$6,009,170

Reimbursement and Progress Report Forms