Submitted by Port of Olympia
At its March 25 meeting, the Commission awarded Bucoda, Rainier, Tenino, and Yelm $10,000 each, for community and economic development investments, as part of the Port’s Small Cities Program.
Launched in 2010, the Small Cities Program provides gap funding for community and economic development initiatives in incorporated Thurston County cities with fewer than 15,000 residents. The four cities will use the funding to help implement the following projects:
- Bucoda will purchase event equipment to support and expand both the popular Annual Haunted House as well an outdoor event space.
- Rainier will continue to renovate and preserve the historic Rainier School and Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church for event and activity space rentals.
- Tenino will continue with construction of a shaded pavilion dedicated to the needs of bicyclists. The pavilion will feature water-bottle filling stations, seating, bike racks and minor repair facilities.
- Yelm will purchase emergency notification message boards that will be used to residents, as well as passing motorists, of an emergency or planned event that will impact the community.
This is the ninth year the Port has awarded funding through the Small Cities Program in an effort to build economic opportunity countywide. Eligible cities are required to submit applications detailing proposed projects which are then reviewed by the Board of Directors of the Port Economic Development, Port staff, and forwarded to the Commission for review and approval.
Past Port investments have helped with development of a community center in Yelm, installation of visitor signage in Tenino, enhanced main street sidewalks in Rainier and renovation of the Oddfellows Building in Bucoda.
