COVID-19 Update: Looking Toward Economic Recovery

Your Update on What's Happening at the King County Council  

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

For many of us, the state of jobs and our economy is at the forefront of our minds. While some financial relief has been coming in, I believe that its absolutely critical that we start planning for how to safely re-open our economy when they start loosening social distancing mandates.

I’ve been working on my own ideas to help economic recovery:

First, I’ve been working closely with the Renton Mayor Armondo Pavone to develop a plan to attract companies that developing COVID-19 vaccines to site their manufacturing facilities in Renton. Renton has a robust and well-trained workforce of 54,000 and is home to Boeing’s 737 plant, the most efficient manufacturing operation in the world, and PACCAR, a Fortune 500 truck manufacturer. It is also just five miles from the nation’s 8^th largest airport and close to two of the nation’s largest ports. If successful, this would provide a substantial boost to our local economy—and give our region a leading role in the creation of a lifesaving vaccine.

Second, I’ve introduced legislation that would create the CuRE (Coronavirus Recovery Economic) Task Force to plan for economic recovery. This Task Force would be made up of leaders from our local industries, businesses, and governments with a mandate to work together to help revitalize our economy. I will update you on any developments as this legislation moves through the Council’s legislative process.

I’d like to close with an encouraging data point: New modeling from the Institute for Disease Modeling in Bellevue is showing that the average COVID-19-infected person is likely to infect just one or fewer additional persons, down from an average of 2.7 persons in late February. In short: the spread of COVID-19 is slowing. Public Health is encouraging everyone to sustain our social distancing efforts so we can continue to suppress transmissions of the virus—and return to normal life as soon as possible.

I hope you enjoy your weekend, and as always—stay healthy.

Best regards,

Reagan Dunn Vice Chair Metropolitan King County Council

Project CARE: Serving Our First Responders

Join me as I visit The Soup Ladies, who are working around to clock to serve our first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to Mama Ginger Passarelli for sharing about her organization, and to all the Soup Ladies for “warming the world one bowl at a time!”

The Soup Ladies are a great example of how we all can help with the COVID-19 response. Find other ways you can contribute at www.kingcounty.gov/CARE.

Dunn Joins with Mayor Pavone to Put Renton in the Running to Host Vaccine Manufacturing Facility

On Monday, the Renton City Council will vote on a measure that would authorize the pursuit of a COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing facility. I’ve been working closely with Mayor Armondo Pavone on a plan to attract vaccine manufacturing companies—and the jobs and economic boost they would bring. There is an exciting opportunity to make Renton a global leader in the manufacturing of a lifesaving vaccine, and I will continue to work on this initiative.

PSE Offering New Bill Assistance Program

Do you need help paying your PSE bill? Puget Sound Energy has launched a new program to provide bill payment assistance to customers who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes customers who recently became unemployed, partially unemployed, or cannot work.

For more information, visit the Puget Sound Energy website.

In the News

• MyNorthwest: King County councilmember says rent moratorium would destroy economy

• Auburn Reporter: Dunn Legislation Invites Business Leaders to Help Plan for Economic Recovery
• The Lens: Seattle job tax 2.0: “Punitive tax policy”