Survey introduced to gain community input on future TBD fund spending

The Point Roberts Community Advisory Committee (PRCAC) launched a strategic planning process June 14 to guide future spending of the community’s Transportation Benefit District (TBD) funds.
At a kickoff meeting at the Point Roberts Community Center, PRCAC members Rhys-Thorvald Hanson and Jeff Christopher introduced a public survey aimed at gathering input on transportation priorities through 2032. 

The committee plans to use the results to develop a five-year strategic plan to prioritize projects and strengthen state and federal grant applications.

Hanson said the effort grew out of the realization that no formal process existed for deciding how TBD funds should be spent.
“I was surprised to learn that there is not any formal plan in place for collecting community input,” Hanson said. “My highest priority was to start the strategic planning process and systemically collect data and input from lots of key informants and from the general public around where would you like to see these funds invested.”
Christopher said previous TBD discussions often struggled because community priorities had never been broadly collected.
“There was never consensus on how to do it, because we never asked the right questions or the right people,” Christopher said. “Now we're going to do that.”
Retired public works director and civil engineer Tom Hanson said state law restricts TBD spending to transportation-related purposes, including safety, congestion reduction and mobility projects. 

He said TBD funds can be especially valuable as matching dollars for larger grants.
“The best things TBD funds can be used for ... is so they can generate matching funds for grants,” Hanson said.
Discussion also focused on the district’s funding source. The TBD receives revenue from a fuel tax collected on gasoline sales in Point Roberts. 

Participants noted revenues have declined since the COVID-19 pandemic due to reduced border traffic, although the fund has continued to grow through accumulated reserves and investment earnings.
The survey will remain open through Aug. 15. 

Paper copies are available at the Point Roberts Community Center, and an online version can be completed at forms.gle/JL1TjKJcgZtrX1LY6. PRCAC plans to draft a strategic plan this fall, seek additional public feedback and present a final plan for adoption in November.