Dear Friends:

As we make our way through a unique holiday season, our usual traditions certainly look a lot different than how we have celebrated in the past. Many families are struggling this year with food insecurity, remote learning, economic hardship, lost loved ones, and other hardships. I recognize how challenging it is for so many people and families this season to shift how they enjoy this time of the year. It has been encouraging to see new events that have popped up – like touring Santas, drive-in holiday movies, and homemade gifts left on porches by neighbors. I’m hopeful that this will be the only time in our lifetimes that we will have to make these difficult adjustments, and that these safety modifications will save the lives of the people that we care about so that they can be with us next year to celebrate together.  

As this year comes to a close, I am reflecting on all that has happened these past 12 months since I took office. There have been a lot of ups and downs, and overall I am so grateful and thankful to the community members who have stepped up to help carry us all through this pandemic. The light is at the end of the tunnel with a vaccine arriving in the County, and it is critical that we recommit to being diligent about wearing our masks, staying home when we can, and staying socially distant when we do have to go out. Case counts have been surging and our hospitals are nearing capacity, with our hospital staffing levels beyond capacity. If case counts continue to spiral out of control, a vaccine will be less effective at eradicating this virus that has redefined our lives.  

This holiday, if you are able to volunteer, please give your time. If you are able to donate to the many nonprofits and food banks working to help our neighbors, please donate what you are able. I wish you and those close to you a safe and wonderful holiday season. Please be responsible with how you celebrate for the sake of those around you, the sake of our healthcare workers and healthcare system, and for your own health and well being. 

My office is here as a resource to you. If you have questions about anything in this month’s newsletter, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at megan.dunn@snoco.org, or my Legislative Aide, Paula Rhyne, at paula.rhyne@snoco.org. You can also call our office at 425-388-3494 and leave a message and we will get back to you asap. 

Have a safe and wonderful holiday season!  

Be Well, 

Megan 

The latest case counts from the Snohomish Health District have been showing an alarming trend in the exponential growth of case counts in our county. This case count spike has been leading to a sharp increase in hospitalizations and is stretching our health care system thin. The County’s Isolation and Quarantine Center has also seen a steep increase in people utilizing the space.  I can’t give enough kudos to the Snohomish Health District and the volunteers with Medical Reserve Corps for all of the amazing work they are doing to ensure that this pandemic is as contained as possible.  Not only are the volunteers and workers providing skilled healthcare services to people, but they are also serving as therapists and counselors to people who are feeling scared and alone as they await test results or make their way through the illness.

At the start of the pandemic, I responded by signing up as a volunteer with the Medical Resource Corps to help on the front lines and support our public health system. I recently volunteered at the County's Isolation and Quarantine Center to assist with over thirty new patients at this essential facility. This is a secure facility needed for temporary isolation and quarantine for those who may not be able to recover in their own home or who are among the county’s unsheltered population. Residents are directed to stay until released under orders issued by the Snohomish Health District. The primary mission of the facility is to reduce transmission to the public. During my shift, I performed odd jobs and helped serve dinner. I was incredibly impressed by the staff knowledge on human services and social issues and with the amount of work that the staffers and volunteers take on at the center. Snohomish County depended on the federal CARES dollars to launch and establish this essential facility and without a new package of support we will run out of funding to maintain this center. We have shared our concerns with our elected officials and we continue to urge our federal representatives to pass a new stimulus package. Here is a link to what's at stake for the County and Health District.

Because of the severity of the state’s recent numbers, the Governor recently announced more restrictions on activities and gatherings. These adjusted guidelines are intended to help curb this spike, protect our healthcare system, and to save lives. Here is a link with more information on the updated guidelines. They are currently set to expire on January 4 and we will receive more guidance from the Governor on or before that date.  

Council recently allocated the remaining Federal CARES Dollars that we received earlier this year. The county was required to spend the money by December 31 to meet federal requirements. At this point though, it’s clear that aide for our community and small businesses will be needed well into next year. A particular focus that I would like to share is our remaining allocation to Human Services. The allocation will go to continue services into the first quarter of 2021, with the hope that a new CARES Act will be passed soon. Here is what our Human Services Department will be able to do with this final allocation: 

Continuation of:  

• Eviction prevention rental assistance,  
• Northwest Washington 2-1-1 expanded information and referral services,  
• Community COVID Outreach Program which provides behavioral health services throughout the County,  
• Seasonal, day and night shelter at United Church of Christ,   
• Day sheltering operations at Carnegie (night costs being funded with other surge funds) and cold weather sheltering supports,   
• Emergency services vouchers through the Family Support Center network,   
• Behavioral health supports for families participating in childcare/early learning programs, 
• Telephone reassurance for individuals experiencing anxiety and other challenges,  
• Street outreach and connection to motel rooms, housing, and services. 

We are also keeping a close eye on the eviction moratorium from the state as it’s currently set to expire on December 31. If you are in need of assistance, please contact 2-1-1 so that they can help connect you with resources for utility assistance, child care, and other essential needs. As a note, just in the past 30 days, 2-1-1 has received almost 2,000 calls for rental assistance from people in Snohomish County. Staff at 2-1-1 has been working so hard to respond to the overwhelming number of requests from the community. Please don’t wait until the end of the month to get in touch with them if you’re in need of help.  

I am so thrilled to hear that the first batch of vaccines are being administered in Snohomish County. Over the past few months the Snohomish Health District has been working in conjunction with experts at the Washington State Department of Health, Federal Center for Disease Control, and other county health departments to plan and prepare for the vaccine rollout. Here is a recent blog post from SHD with more information about the vaccine rollout and links to further information. Additionally, here is the website for the preliminary vaccine distribution plan from the Washington State Department of Health. There will be a phased approach for vaccine distribution and making our way through all four phases is expected to take up to six months. Last, here is a YouTube video with more information about the vaccine and distribution in Snohomish County. Information in the video is provided by County Executive Dave Somers, Jason Biermann who is the Director of Emergency Management, and Dr. Chris Spitters who is the Snohomish Health District Health Officer.  

The best way to ensure maximum effectiveness of the vaccine is to have the lowest number of COVID cases. It has been equated to using a firehose to either put out a structure fire or a campfire. The fewer number of COVID cases in our community, the quicker the vaccine will be able to extinguish this pandemic. I know it’s exciting that the light is at the end of the tunnel, but until we get the green light to resume normal activities, we need to continue to wear masks, social distance, limit gatherings, and practice good hand hygiene. Please stay safe! 

Our local restaurants have certainly born the brunt of the economic impacts of the pandemic. Our restaurant workers and owners have been working so hard to keep their doors open and adapt to changes in guidelines and keeping staff and customers safe. The Snohomish Health District recognizes the challenges that our food industry have been working through and the Board recently made some changes to when annual operating permit payments are due. Originally, they were due on December 31, but through a resolution passed earlier this month, this payment can be deferred to March 30, 2021, and any late fee will be waived. The hope is that this extra time will allow for some relief to restaurants and that with the vaccine rolling out, business will begin to resume as normal soon. We also tabled fee increases for food permits and other permits in recognition of the current strain on restaurants. The fees were intended to fully capture the direct and indirect costs and will be considered at a future date.  

I’ve been coordinating meetings with local businesses and the Governor’s office to help with state guidance and directives. Owners and managers have contacted my office with concerns about restrictions and I’ve facilitated meetings regarding indoor dining, indoor recreation, and our requirements for our local farmer’s markets. The main goal is a safe experience, meaningful restrictions, and safety for workers and consumers. I’m proud to be able to bring these concerns right to the Governor's office for meaningful dialogue and collaboration with our local businesses.  

New guidelines from the state only allow for take-out from restaurants, with limited outdoor seating available for some establishments. If you have the means, I encourage folks to consider getting take out from their favorite restaurant to help buoy your favorite place through these next few months. The City of Everett has this great website called Everett for Everett that lists all sorts of businesses, including restaurants, showing their hours and how to best order from them. Additionally, the Mukilteo Chamber of Commerce has a great listing of restaurants in Mukilteo with their hours and operating procedures.  

Last, the County recently launched Support SnoCo which has a ton of resources and business listings both for small business owners and shoppers in the County, including restaurants. I was pleased to suggest a few small businesses in my district so that they could be highlighted to encourage local shopping, dining and local tourism. 

County leaders recently met with our Washington State Legislators who represent areas of Snohomish County to discuss shared priorities for this upcoming 2021 Legislative Session. We highlighted the need for law enforcement and justice reform, enhanced workforce training, COVID relief and recovery, protecting shared state revenues, and highlighting the Snohomish County Food and Farming Center facility which will help combat food insecurity in Snohomish County while supporting business for our local farmers.  

I look forward to working with our state delegation this session to make sure that Snohomish County and District 2 are at the forefront of legislative discussions and decisions. I've been hearing too that folks are still having trouble with receiving unemployment benefits. Please reach out to your state representative or their legislative aide to ask for assistance so that they can do casework to help move your claim along, or to receive more information about the availability of your benefits.  

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this newsletter. As 2020 comes to a close, my family and I will be celebrating a lot differently than in years past, but I am so thrilled that the light is at the end of the tunnel and we can hopefully put COVID behind us soon. As a reminder, even with the rollout of these vaccines, there is still a lot of unknowns regarding how quickly it will take for COVID to be a thing of the past.

As always, don’t hesitate to reach out if my office can be of assistance. I know that this time of year is difficult for people and if you need help connecting to services, please don’t hesitate to contact my office and I will be happy to make sure that you get the help that you need.  

Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones, and best wishes to a wonderful New Year! 

Best, 

Megan