Councilmember Nehring's February Newsletter

I hope you and your family are staying well as we move forward in 2021. In this month’s newsletter, I will be highlighting our regional collaboration efforts, work on broadband access, an update on the Regional Apprenticeship Pathways (RAP) Program, and the Snohomish County Tomorrow (SCT) General Assembly.  

Martin Luther King Jr. Day 

On Monday, January 18th, we observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I am grateful for Dr. King’s legacy in the civil rights movement and his continued influence on our work to ensure equality for all. In this time of great division in our nation and tensions among neighbors and friends, I recall one of my favorite MLK quotes: “Be the peace you wish to see in the world.” As we continue work in our public and private lives to improve outcomes for all Americans, I hope more of us can draw on the inspiration that Dr. King provides. 

SWISS Regional Collaboration 

The group of SWISS Counties encompasses Snohomish, Whatcom, Island, Skagit and San Juan Counties. Last year, elected officials from all five of these counties began meeting to discuss ways that we can better collaborate on issues affecting all our residents. We continued that effort at our first meeting of the new year on January 11th. 

At that meeting, all SWISS Counties were represented as we made plans for legislative advocacy and the future of SWISS. We confirmed our joint legislative priorities including reliable broadband access and infrastructure expansion, behavioral health resources for our most vulnerable residents, and transportation improvements and connectivity between our population centers. As the legislature meets in legislative session, we hope to speak with one voice on these important issues moving forward.  

At our January meeting, we also reviewed a draft charter which will formalize our collaboration efforts. Each county is currently considering the charter and we plan on finalizing our organization in the coming months.  

Broadband Access 

Reliable broadband access has been a critical issue for many residents in rural North Snohomish County for years. COVID-19 and the subsequent dramatic increase in telecommuting, remote healthcare, and e-learning has brought this issue into even greater focus.  

In an effort to organize our broadband expansion efforts, I am joining Councilman Sam Low (District 5 – East County) to form a Broadband Action Team (BAT). The BAT will be made up of stakeholders from across the County and public and private sectors. The membership will help identify our gaps in broadband access and the importance of expanding infrastructure to more residents.  

As the BAT meets in the coming months, we will be working to produce a feasibility study that will lay out our options for expanding broadband and make us more competitive for state and federal investments. I look forward to meeting with our Broadband Action Team and our efforts ahead.  

RAP Program  

As many of you know, the Regional Apprenticeship Pathways (RAP) Program has been a successful pre-apprenticeship opportunity for students across North Snohomish County. In 2019, we were successful in obtaining operating funds from the State Legislature for the first two years of the program. Now, we are back requesting continued funding in the next biennial budget for the State. Our diverse group of stakeholders has requested $1.5 million over the next two years to continue and grow the RAP Program. We look forward to meeting with legislators and sharing the success and importance of the RAP Program in the coming months.  

SCT Annual Assembly 

Snohomish County Tomorrow (SCT) is a collaborative organization made up of elected officials and staff from Snohomish County and our cities. SCT deals with important land use and planning policies as well as other countywide issues. Each year, the full SCT membership meets for our General Assembly. This year, the Assembly was held virtually on Wednesday, January 27th. At the Assembly, we heard from three great speakers on important topics of the day.  

Josh Brown, Executive Director of the Puget Sound Regional Council, discussed the outlook for population and job growth in our region. Russ Elliot, Director of Washington State’s Broadband Office, spoke about their efforts for expanding broadband access to more residents and the current accessibility issues we face. To wrap up the night, Chris Mefford, Interim President and CEO of Economic Alliance Snohomish County, talked about the economy and economic recovery following the COVID-19 economic shutdown.  

I appreciated the great speakers and thank all of the elected officials, community members, and staff that attended the SCT General Assembly last week.  

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 425-512-4810 or Nate.Nehring@snoco.org.