WASHINGTON: The Port of Walla Walla is diving into Memorial Pool reconstruction with a $200,000 grant to help the city make up a financial shortfall for the project. The three Port commissioners unanimously approved use of its share of the Economic Development Sales Tax funds in 2017. The project is included in the Port’s annual Economic Development Plan and thus eligible for the boost in funds. The decision also requires a vote of approval from Walla Walla County Board of Commissioners.
The Economic Development Sales Tax Fund was established by the Legislature in 1999. It returns nine-tenths of 1 percent of state sales taxes generated locally to the county for economic development projects. The county controls the funds, but under a revised interlocal agreement from 2005, two-thirds of the money is funneled through the Port. Memorial Pool reconstruction qualifies for the funds using the noneconomic criteria of the principle guidelines for use of the money. The project is expected to create 36 summer seasonal jobs but not create or sustain family-wage jobs, defined as $25,000 per year plus benefits.
Under noneconomic guidelines, the city can’t return to the Port for more of the sales tax fund for five years unless it involves a public infrastructure project that creates new jobs, new taxes and private sector investment. Nevertheless commissioners were wholeheartedly on board with the contribution.
Memorial Pool closed a decade ago in a state of disrepair. Since then, three bond measures floated to voters to replace it failed at the polls. The last one, in 2015, passed with 64 percent approval. Construction started this year and has gone full steam ahead at the former pool location off Rees Avenue. The city reports 33 truck loads of cement were poured at the pool site last week. That’s a total of 340 cubic yards of cement. Port Commissioner Peter Swant said the absence of a public pool for youths and other users has been “a big void for too many years.” But what started as a roughly $5.8 million bond has grown with inflation and some bells and whistles to an $8.25 million project.
