Councilman Nehring's August Newsletter

Dear North County Neighbors,

I hope you had a great Independence Day and 4th of July weekend enjoying the great summer weather last month brought us. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, we have continued to stay busy at the Snohomish County Council. In this month’s newsletter, I share updates on the RAP Program state certification, another meeting of the North County Economic Recovery Advisory Board, and county department presentations to Council.

RAP Program

The Regional Apprenticeship Pathways (RAP) Program at Marysville-Pilchuck High School had an exciting development last month. At its July 16th meeting, the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council (WSATC) certified the RAP Program as a registered apprenticeship preparatory program (pre-apprenticeship). This pre-apprenticeship certification from the State recognizes the significant work that has gone into the program from the diverse group of stakeholders from labor to industry and education partners. The application for certification was a significant body of work and I would like to thank Herman Calzadillas with Everett Community College and Anne Carnell with the Marysville School District for their efforts.

Over the next couple of months, we will be ramping up our advocacy efforts for the RAP Program as the legislative session approaches in January. We will be asking the legislature to continue to support this important program. The first year of the program showed great success and we are looking forward to the program’s growth and the workforce training and career preparation it provides to students in Snohomish County. We appreciate the efforts of the many RAP stakeholders who have joined us in the advocacy effort and for their past and ongoing support.

North County Economic Recovery Advisory Board

As the ongoing COVID-19 economic shutdown presents challenges to businesses and employees across the County, the North County Economic Recovery Advisory Board (NCERAB) continues its work to find ways to support these businesses and workers. At our meeting last month, the NCERAB discussed ways to utilize some of the CARES act money that the County has allocated toward economic recovery and resiliency. Some of these ideas include assisting businesses with marketing to improve consumer confidence, supporting sole-proprietors that have be left behind by other programs, and improving communication regarding policies and procedures to keep workers and customers safe. I look forward to working with the Office of Economic Recovery and the NCERAB to find more ways to support our businesses during this challenging time.

Department Presentations

This past week and next week, the County Council is hearing presentations from Snohomish County departments and offices regarding their operations, budget situation, and COVID-19 impacts. This is a separate exercise from the annual budget presentations the Council will hear as part of the 2021 budget process. These presentations and the information being shared with the Council are critical to understanding the various ways that COVID-19 has impacted County government operations and set the stage for our work moving forward with County finances. I appreciate the time each of the directors and independently elected officials have given to present to the Council. We will have many difficult decisions to make in the coming months and I feel we are better prepared now to work as a Council and other electeds to face these challenges head on.

I send out newsletters on a monthly basis to keep you informed about what I am working on and how I am representing the residents of North Snohomish County on the County Council. Please feel free to reach out to me at 425-388-3494 or Nate.Nehring@snoco.org.

Sincerely,

Nate Nehring
Councilman, District 1

Snohomish County Council 3000 Rockefeller Ave., M/S 609 Everett, Washington 98201   8th floor, Robert J. Drewel Building  Phone: 425-388-3494 E-Mail: Nate.Nehring@snoco.org   Russell Wiita, Legislative Aide