Councilmember Megan Dunn's January 2021 Update

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Councilmember Megan Dunn Banner

January 2021

Megan Dunn's eNewsletter

CM Dunn Headshot

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

 

Paula Rhyne, Legislative Aide


Friends: 

As we turn the calendar to a new year, while there is a sense of relief to have 2020 behind us, some of 2020’s issues and concerns still linger. I have hopes that a new federal administration will mean more expert attention and resources towards vaccine supply and distribution efforts. The County’s Department of Emergency Management and Snohomish Health District have been diligently planning and preparing for the vaccine distribution since mid-summer, but a lack of supply from the federal government is causing understandable frustration. Please know that staff have been working incredibly hard to ensure that we were ready to go when we receive the vaccines – we are just waiting for the supply to catch up with the demand. Many thanks to staff at the Snohomish Health District and Department of Emergency Management for their hard work! 

In this newsletter, I’ll be sharing the “Top 20 of 2020” from my first year in officesharing more about the vaccine rollout and current guidelines for COVID, providing information about a new round of small business grants, and other updates from the district.  

I hope that this newsletter finds you well. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. You can reach me at megan.dunn@snoco.org, or my Legislative Aide, Paula Rhyne, at paula.rhyne@snoco.org. You can also call our offices at 425-388-3494 and leave a message and we’ll return your call asap. 

Best, 

Megan 


Top 20 of 2020

January 6 marked one year since I was sworn into office, and what a year it has been! There was no way any of us could have predicted that 2020 would have turned out the way that it did, but I am proud of the work that the County has done to address the global pandemic and take steps towards addressing systemic inequities. During this first year I remained committed to fighting for working families and healthy communities, especially as the pandemic exacerbated inequities in our system.  

Looking back on my first year in office, I’d like to share my Top 20 of 2020 Highlights and Accomplishments: 

  1. Responded to over 400 constituent inquiries 
  2. Sent over 6,000 emails 
  3. Published 15 e-newsletters 
  4. Chaired 12 Operations Committee Meetings 
  5. Passed 33 Council Resolutions 
  6. Coordinated and hosted 27 calls with 50-100 local human services providers and county staff to help address human services needs across the county 
  7. Allocated $148 Million dollars in CARES Funding 
  8. Hosted two Economic Advisory Group Meetings with local business leaders from District 2 
  9. Hosted six hour-long Business Sector Meetings with business leaders from healthcare, manufacturing, labor, retail, local government, hospitality, and personal care sectors.  
  10. Input from the meetings mentioned in #8 and #9 led to a “Findings and Strategies Report” which was used to aide the county’s development of our economic recovery response to COVID 
  11. Intentionally reached out to businesses owned by people of color to ensure that they were aware of small business grant opportunities 
  12. Attended over 100 County Council Meetings (Administrative Session, General Legislative Session, and Public Hearings) 
  13. Served on 11 regional commissions or committees including Board of Health, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Affordable Housing Alliance, and several Washington State Association of Counties boards. 
  14. Championed Ordinance 20-028 which strengthens the apprenticeship utilization programs in Snohomish County 
  15. Included the addition of three Designated Crisis Responders to our County’s 2021 Budget 
  16. Included a study to potentially include a Tribal Liaison position with the County 
  17. Added a review of County’s specialty courts with a specific request to review the possible implementation of a Veterans Treatment Court 
  18. Fought for additional funding to the County budget specifically for equity and social justice work 
  19. Recruited and appointed nine people to represent District 2 on county boards and commissions 
  20. Volunteered 30 hours with the Health District Medical Reserve Corps, Nourishing Neighborhoods distribution sites, the County’s Isolation and Quarantine Center, the Health District's drive-through testing sitesand also donated two pints blood for County blood drives. 

It was a busy year and I'm so proud to be able to work hard for the betterment of our county and to serve my community. Looking ahead to 2021, I have high hopes for all of us as we hopefully can put COVID behind us.  

Megan Headshot

Updated Vaccine Information

Our County’s Department of Emergency Management has worked in partnership with the Snohomish Health District since the summer months to prepare for the vaccine rollout. The distribution plan has included identifying sites across the county and putting the infrastructure and logistics in place to safely vaccinate as many people as we can and as quickly as possible. With these plans in place, the county is fully prepared for vaccine distribution on a large scale, with the capacity to vaccinate 30,000 to 50,000 people per week. Prior to Governor Inslee’s announcement to change eligibility to a lower age of 65 years old, Executive Somers, Chair Wright and I requested permission from the Governor to begin overlapping phases so that we can vaccinate more residents as soon as possible. As more vaccines become available for distribution, we ask that everyone is patient as more vaccines are being delivered and distributed every week. 

Both the WA Department of Health and Snohomish Health District have information that you can use to stay up-to-date on the vaccine rollout and phases. Here is some information that may be helpful:  

  • To find out if you currently qualify for a vaccine, or to sign up to receive a notice when you do become qualified, please use the WA Phasefinder tool.
  • If you do qualify to receive a vaccine 
    1. Check with your primary healthcare provider to learn more about their vaccine distribution plan. Their plan may include referring you to one of these vaccine sites at pharmacies or medical buildings.  
    2. Otherwise, you can register for an appointment at one of the County-approved vaccine administration sites (more sites added as they become approved by the CDC):  

The vaccine is safe and effective and broad administration of it will help to control this deadly disease that has taken the lives of too many people in our county, state, nation, and world. If you have any more questions about the vaccine, please check out this FAQ page, call your medical provider, or you can call the COVID Call Center for Snohomish County at 425-339-5278. 

I am dedicated to improving the vaccine distribution and capacity and will be volunteering for shifts at the sites as a volunteer with Medical Reserve Corps in a support role. If you like to sign up to help, here’s more information. 

SHD

Snohomish County Small Business Relief, Recovery, and Resiliency (R3) Grant Program

After council approval, Executive Somers recently announced the reopening of the R3 grant program to help businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic. This will be the third round of grant funding through this program, and businesses that have previously applied but have not yet received an award will be automatically considered in this round and do not need to replyIf you have not previously applied for the R3 Grant Program please visit www.workforcesnohomish.org for more information about the various qualifications, and to fill out the application. Grant funding is available up to $25,000 for qualifying businesses. Applications are due by February 2. For additional information you can contact Workforce Snohomish staff at snocogrant@workforcesnohomish.orgHere is a link to the press release that has more information as well.  

Workforce Snohomish

US Small Business Association Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Reopens for Applications

A new round of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is now available to small businesses. Businesses that had previously been awarded a PPP grant are also eligible to apply for a second round of funding. Applications are now live, and being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Here is a link to an article with more information, and here is a link to SBA’s page with more information and a link to the application.  

SBA Logo

Impacts of COVID-19 on Historically Disadvantaged Small Businesses

The County's Office of Economic Recovery recently released this report which provided findings and strategies to support small businesses that have been disproportionately impacted by business closures of COVID-19. I appreciate that the county took the time to dive into this project which will help to address inequity and support the closing of opportunity gaps. 

Additionally, through the allocation of CARES Dollars, the county and Office of Economic Recovery has worked hard to support our local businesses in more ways than I can list on this newsletter. Please take a look through their website and infographics that highlight all of the hard work they have done this year. 

Infographic

Homage Senior Services Op-Ed

I recently wrote an op-ed for Homage Senior Center’s monthly newsletter and would like to share it with you as well. Homage has done incredible things this last year to reimagine how they provide services to our senior population, especially as they meet challenges with accessing technology and enduring isolation. Thank you, Homage staff for all that you do! 

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Seniors are cherished members of our Snohomish County community. Seniors provide a living history, so we don’t repeat our mistakes and can learn from past actions. Many experienced changes on the frontlines, from the first computers to high speed internet and environmental changes like a changing climate and environmental restoration. Unfortunately, our seniors have also been on the frontlines of the pandemic and are more vulnerable to COVID-19 and the loneliness of isolation. As a County Councilmember, I’ve prioritized the needs and vulnerability of our seniors during the pandemic and focused on long term policy solutions. 

The intersection of several issues has made seniors more vulnerable including underlying health issues, loneliness and isolation, discrimination, and the digital divide. According to the Department of Health, in Snohomish County, patients 60 years and over represent 17% of COVID cases but 63% of hospitalizations and 91% of deaths. Older adults were more likely to experience loneliness during the pandemic and senior centers in the County closed for in-person activities. Long Term Care facilities were closed to visitors while outbreaks and uncertainty created fear for families. 

Older adults experience prejudice and discrimination which is illegal under the Age Discrimination Acts from 1967 and 1975. As doctor appointments, church services, and meetings moved to online platforms, seniors felt the digital divide even stronger and many seniors have not been able to engage and therefore missed out on another form of connection.  

I have been focused on the solutions to these challenges. The State Department of Health and Snohomish Health District have prioritized long term care facilities and seniors for the COVID Vaccine. The 2021 County budget included foundational support to area senior centers, many switched to meal delivery and ensured our seniors still had a human connection. I have been working on an equity lens for County policies - a tool that would consider the broader impact of policy decisions, including agism. An equity lens would analyze the unintended consequences of any policy decision to prevent discrimination. I host monthly Local Human Services Providers calls to keep providers informed on emerging issues with the COVID response; Homage was one of the first groups to participate as an advocacy voice for our county’s seniors.  

To help with the digital divide, the County supported Homage in their efforts to provide resources and support to seniors. I championed additional funding for Designated Crisis Responders (DCRs) to respond to mental health calls, such as when an individual with Alzheimer’s becomes lost. DCRs ensure there is a trained response to an emergency call for a mental health break down. 

Finally, here’s what I commit to doing moving forward: advocate we move faster in our efforts for inoculation with the vaccine, include agism in my language when I reference discrimination, fight to include senior centers in the budget and Designated Crisis Responders, and continue to host provider calls. Additionally, I’ll continue to reach out to show appreciation to our trusted elders to continue to learn from life lessons. 

Homage

Redistricting Appointment

I recently nominated Hillary Moralez to serve on Snohomish County’s Redistricting Commission. Hillary is a proud lifelong resident of Snohomish County with an extensive background in community engagement. When she’s not volunteering with the Washington State Sierra Club Executive Committee, Seattle NOW organization, or the Snohomish County Tomorrow Community Advisory Board, she is working at Coastal Community Bank as the IT Support Lead. She has been the first woman of color to hold many of the local political organizational leadership roles. The Redistricting Commission will be served well by her inclusiveness, attention to detail, and ability to make sure that all voices are heard. Congratulations, Hillary! 

HIllary Moralez

Mukilteo Multi-Modal Ferry Terminal

On December 29, the new Mukilteo Multi-Modal Ferry Terminal opened for business. The opening of the new terminal is a milestone achievement for WSDOT Ferry Services. The space and new roadway is incredibly eco-friendly and also seismically stable. The facility honors local Tribes through art and considerations to preserving the cultural significance of this shoreline. Here is a link to the virtual ribbon cutting celebration video which also includes some great footage of the area and terminal. Congrats to WSDOT and the City of Mukilteo! 

WSDOT Ferry

Celebrating the Legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This past MLK Day, there were many virtual celebrations all over the world that celebrated and honored the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I was particularly moved by the Becoming Brave Tribute from the Lift Every Voice Legacy in partnership with Communities of Color Coalition. The video includes spoken word, interviews, vocalists, musicians, local step dance groups, and readings. Honoring MLK’s legacy of service and social change requires constant work, dedication and study. Click on the picture below to watch the video:

Being Brave Tribute

Closing

Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter. As wstart our way through 2021, I am filled with hope that better days are ahead. As always, please consider my office as a resource to you. If you have any questions or if I can help with any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at megan.dunn@snoco.org or call my office at 425-388-3494 and leave a message.  

Happy New Year, 

Megan 


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