Councilman Erickson joins state Legislature Office Funding Board

Cashmere City Councilman Dave Erickson has been asked by the Washington State Legislature Office Funding Board to serve as the representative for small cities on the Recreational Conservation Funding Board to address funding opportunities for underserved populations.

"'Communities in need' is the exact terminology used," Erickson said.

The Office Funding Board oversees and administers grants like the one Cashmere received to do its 2016 Riverfront Park expansion. The state recently passed new policy about how needy communities are scored when being considered for a Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program grant. This adds a 13th criterion to the list.

Erickson's job is to help flesh out exactly how the policy will be implemented; in other words, to define exactly what 'communities in need' will mean.

The diverse group of representatives selected are from a variety of agencies from around the state like Washington State Public Lands and the Ellensburg Park Director, etc. Erickson's background with the city of Wenatchee's Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, his experience serving on the city councils of two small towns (Cashmere and Chelan) plus his long experience working with State Park Conservation grants, led to his being asked to serve on this board. The group meets online every other month. The first draft is due in March after which it will be revised into a final draft due in July to be implemented in October.

Karen Hartman can be reached at cashvalleyrecordphoto@gmail.com