Message from Kitsap County Commissioners: Maintaining county services during the coronavirus outbreak

To say that we live in interesting times seems like a vast understatement. None of us have lived through anything similar in our lifetimes and each moment seems to bring a new bit of information – or misinformation, as the case often seems to be. 

We fully support the efforts of the dedicated public health officials who guide us during this COVID-19 outbreak, and extend our thanks and appreciation to medical professionals in all settings that have been watching over our affected family and friends.

County Commissioners are closely following local and national COVID-19 developments. We're watching what other adjoining counties are doing and evaluating practices that could be utilized here. In the last week, county departments have begun making operational shifts away from face-to-face, walk-up customer service by implementing innovative online interfaces.

A Kitsap County information line has been established to address residents' questions and concerns related to COVID-19. That number is 2-1-1. It is staffed from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Updated information about the spread of COVID-19 in Kitsap County and many resources are available at the Kitsap Public Health District website at kitsappublichealth.org. The state Department of Health has also set up a Coronavirus Response website at coronavirus.wa.gov with the latest news statewide. 

We are also thankful for the efforts of our own County staff. Their dedication and creativity in ensuring the County continues to provide quality public service is greatly appreciated. Permitting and inspecting new construction, recording real estate transactions, renewing vehicle registrations, preparing for elections, maintaining roads, sewer and stormwater systems and accepting property taxes are just some of the vital services our dedicated employees are performing while dealing with current COVID-19 challenges.

Many of our county services are available online. Though some of our departments have closed their walk-up service counters that doesn't mean we're not here for you. The technical tools we've put in place allow us to continue to serve the public and help keep our communities and economy moving forward. We encourage you to check out the county website at kitsapgov.com and contact services through phone or email. A new county webpage, linked to through our home page, is coming online this week to make it easier for the public to find newly enacted hours of operation for each department, contact information and links to online services.

Like you, our staff is impacted by the closures of schools, businesses, recreational facilities and the inability to visit friends and loved ones in healthcare facilities. Consequently, we strongly encourage that if you must visit a county office, please check the county's website first to see if certain services are available online or if an office's hours have changed. If you need to speak to a specific staff person, please call or make an appointment to ensure the staff person is in the office and available to assist you. Similarly, our County courts have issued a temporary order regarding the timing and processing of cases in Superior and District courts. That order can be found here.

We will continue, with the invaluable assistance of our employees and partners, to provide essential county services while maintaining compliance with the directives from Governor Inslee, the Kitsap County Public Health District and the Centers for Disease Control.  

Thank you for your ongoing support of Kitsap County.

Kitsap County Board of Commissioners

Charlotte Garrido, Chair

Robert Gelder

Edward E. Wolfe