Public Works Board – Traditional Financing
Traditional Programs
The Public Works Board (Board) is authorized by state statute (RCW 43.155). Its purpose is to loan money to counties, cities, and special purpose districts to repair, replace, or create infrastructure.
Eligible Applicants
- Cities
- Counties
- Special Purpose Districts
- Quasi-Municipal Organizations
Tribes, school districts, and port districts are ineligible for this program.
Eligible Infrastructure Systems
- Domestic Water
- Roads/Streets
- Bridges
- Sanitary Sewer
- Solid Waste/Recycling/Organics
- Stormwater
Past Projects Funded (According to Calendar Year)
Current Opportunities
Construction Application Cycle: Open 5/8/2023 – 7/7/2023
Construction Loan Program
The Construction Loan Program focuses on the activities that repair, replace, or create a facility. A construction loan project may comprise any combination of pre-construction and construction elements.
Online Application for Funding
Electronic submission of all applications for Pre-Construction, Construction, and Emergency Loans is through ZoomGrants. Paper copies will not be accepted.
Apply for PWB – Pre-Construction/Construction/Emergency via ZoomGrants. If you have a ZoomGrants account, log in and follow the instructions. If you are a new user, complete the required information for a new ZoomGrants account to create a profile. Please do not use “The” as the first word in the agency name. Once the agency profile has been created, select the Public Works Board Loan you wish to apply for, check the “apply” button, and start your proposal. Answers are automatically saved.
Prior to submitting an application, please print out and complete the Threshold Criteria Checklist (PDF). This will ensure that the submitted application is complete.
- Upcoming 2023 Funding Cycle Information Fact Sheet (PDF)
- 2023 (FY 2024) Application Guidelines (PDF)
- 2023 Application Workshops: Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
- May 10, 2023 Application Workshop
- May 11, 2023 Application Workshop
- April 2023 Lunch and Learn
- Using ZoomGrants to Apply for Public Works Board Loans (PDF)
- ZoomGrants Applicant Slideshow (PDF)
Questions? Please contact Mark Rentfrow, Program Director and Tribal Liaison.
Pre-Construction and Emergency Loans: Application Cycles Open Continuously
Pre-Construction Loan Program
Pre-Construction activities include, but are not limited to
- Design engineering
- Bid-document preparation
- Environmental studies
- Right-of-way acquisition
- Value planning
- Permits
- Cultural and historic resources
- Public notification
Emergency Loan Program
The Emergency Construction Loan Program focuses on the activities that repair, replace, and/or reconstruct a facility that will restore essential services. Applications are accepted continuously until loan funds are expended. So far in this biennium, emergency loans have been provided to Consolidated Irrigation District #14, Valley View Sewer District, the city of Moxee, the city of Olympia, and the city of Aberdeen. The town of Malden received an emergency grant under the Board’s catastrophic event policy.
PWB Traditional Programs Interactive Hardship Map
The Public Works Board Hardship Methodology considers county unemployment rate for the previous three years and Median Household Income (MHI). The interactive map highlights distressed and severely distressed counties. In non-distressed and distressed counties, the census tract levels can be viewed by scrolling or zooming in. Projects that serve distressed or severely distressed areas are eligible for reduced interest rates and grants.
Open interactive hardship map in new window.
PWB Project Managers
Project managers are here to assist you in making your project a success. Find your project manager by region below.
Bridget Pechtel
Project Manager – Eastern Washington
bridget.pechtel@commerce.wa.gov
Phone: 360-870-9288
Max Wedding
Project Manager – Western Washington
max.wedding@commerce.wa.gov
Phone: 360-764-0392
Program Resources and Cultural Review Information
In order to protect the rich cultural heritage of Washington state, Governor Jay Inslee signed Executive Order 21-02 (GEO 21-02). Recipients of state capital funds must consult with the Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation (DAHP) and any Federally recognized Indian tribes that may have cultural and/or historic interest or concerns in the project’s vicinity. However, if the project is subject to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act through federal involvement (such as the use of Federal funding or the need to acquire Federal permits), then the Governor’s Executive Order (GEO) 21-02 process is unnecessary.
Recipients will not move forward with any pre-construction or construction activities that will disturb soils(such as, drilling test wells, completing geo-tech work, grading, clearing, etc.), or construction activities until GEO 21-02 is completed (and/or both the SERP and 106 processes, if applicable) and the PWB has issued a final compliance letter. If ground-disturbing activities occur prior to the Recipient receiving the final compliance letter, the PWB loan funding will be jeopardized.
A government-to-government relationship must be properly adhered to for the cultural review. As such, it is the PWB’s responsibility to contact the Tribes and the DAHP. The PWB will notify the Recipient when a cultural resources survey is necessary. It is the Recipient’s responsibility to hire a qualified archaeologist to conduct the survey and submit a draft of the survey to the PWB for final approval.
Mark Rentfrow is the Public Works Board’s primary contact regarding the GEO 21-02 process. Award recipients start the process by submitting an EZ1 form to the PWB Program Director & Tribal Liaison. The PWB Program Director & Tribal Liaison will conduct the consultation with the DAHP and the Tribes. You can email materials to Mark.Rentfrow@commerce.wa.gov or mail to:
Mark Rentfrow
Department of Commerce
Public Works Board
PO Box 42525
Olympia, WA 98504-2525
The GEO 21-02 process requires award recipients to define the construction project area for potential impact, and identify any building or structures 45-years or older that are located within the project site. For projects that plan to alter structure 45-years of age or older, an online inventory survey must be completed by the Recipient. The DAHP can issue a broad range of responses to the submittal. A common response is a “No Effect Upon Cultural/Historic Properties” letter. If you receive such a letter, you have completed the DAHP portion of the review.
If the DAHP requires more information (completion of additional forms, cultural survey, inadvertent discovery plan, etc.) you must comply with the request. It is possible that you will need to hire a professional archaeologist to address this. Only when the DAHP concurs with the additional materials provided is the DAHP portion of GEO 21-02 complete. For projects that plan to alter structures 45 years of age or older, an online inventory survey must be completed.
Tribal consultation is initiated by the PWB Program Director & Tribal Liaison sending a letter to the potential affected Federally recognized Indian tribes(s). The letter details any project information describing the location and extent of the project, along with a map of the impacted area. The Tribe(s) will be allowed at least 30-days to respond. There may be no response, or there may be a wide range of responses to the information provided. As with the DAHP, if additional materials are required, they must be provided to the Tribe(s) and they must concur with the findings.
GEO 05-05 Overview for Public Works Board Applicants (PDF)
GEO 05-05 Process Checklist for Public Works Board Applicants (PDF)
Governor’s Executive Order 21-02 (PDF)
DAHP GEO 05-05 Guidance Overview (PDF)
DAHP – GEO 21-02 Frequently Asked Questions
DAHP – Cultural Resources Reporting (PDF)
DAHP – WISAARD: Find a Historic Place