Megan Dunn's eNewsletter
Snohomish County Council
3000 Rockefeller Ave., M/S 609
Everett, Washington 98201
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8th floor, Robert J. Drewel BuildingÂ
Phone: 425-388-3494
E-Mail:Â Megan.Dunn@snoco.org
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Paula Rhyne, Legislative Aide
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Hello,
With graduations, summer events and festivals, June is a great month with so much to celebrate. I was proud to vote in favor of Resolution 22-038 celebrating Pride Month in Snohomish County and also led the efforts to kick-off Pride Month in Snohomish County by raising the Pride Progress Flag at the county campus accompanied by an informational fair and entertainment. This is also the first time in State history that Juneteenth is legally recognized as a holiday and I joined local events to celebrate freedom and diversity in our community. Even with steps forward to acknowledge freedom to love and Juneteenth, there are disappointing steps backwards with the overturning of reproductive rights and safe access to abortion. Join me in continuing to defend our human and civil rights by being civically engaged and lifting up our community. We are all stronger together.
In this newsletter I’ll share more about the Snohomish County Pride Month Kick-Off Celebration, updates and information about COVID and the Snohomish Health District, Paine Field Master Plan updates, ways to get involved, and local events coming up.
As always, our office is here as a resource to you. You can also find me online on Facebook and Twitter. My office is committed to being responsive and helpful. If you have any comments or questions, please don’t hesitate to email me at Megan.Dunn@snoco.org. You can also call my office at 425-388-3494.Â
Pride Month is celebrated in June of each year to commemorate the Stonewall Riots of 1969 which started the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Last year I championed efforts to celebrate Pride Month by raising the Progress Flag at the county campus for the first time in county history. Building off of the success of that event and with the direction and leadership from the Pride community, I expanded the event this year to also include an informational fair, food trucks, entertainment, and even a photo booth. The event was well-attended with almost 20 information booths and I heard feedback from both attendees and folks tabling about how much they appreciated the event.
It’s important to me that Snohomish County is a safe and welcoming place for all people who live here, no matter their gender identity or who they love. The resource and information booths were so helpful to connect people with a supportive community. Here’s ways to get involved:
- If you are concerned about protecting LGBTQIA+ rights, especially in light of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn rights based on privacy, please check out Snohomish County Indivisible, or help get out the vote through League of Women Voters Snohomish County
- If you are a parent of a young person who identifies with the LGBTQIA+ community and want to help foster a community that supports them and their right to flourish, I’d suggest reaching out to Free Mom Hugs, PFLAG Everett, or GLSEN
- If you are a young person who needs support, please reach out to Cocoon House
- If you are part of the LGBTQIA+ community and need legal assistance with legally changing your name or gender, or if you have experienced housing or job discrimination because of your identity, please reach out to Snohomish County Legal Services.
- If you need medical assistance, advice, or education about safe sex, please reach out to Lifelong AIDS Alliance or the Snohomish Health District
- And here are a few of the other groups that joined to show their support and safe spaces for people who are LGBTQIA+: Sno-Isle Libraries, Snohomish County Human Resources Department, Snohomish County Planning and Development Services, and Edmonds Community College.
Rights for people who are LGBTQIA+ are basic human rights. I am proud to have led county efforts and amplified voices to share this message with the LGBTQIA+ community.
A big THANK YOU to Optum (Part of Polyclinic) for sponsoring the event! We are grateful for your support.
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Providing remarks at the flag raising |
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Thank you to all who joined to raise the Progress Flag |
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Great turnout for the information fair |
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My aide, Paula Rhyne, and I taking a break from the fun |
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The Snohomish Health District has been at the forefront of the pandemic response longer than any other health district in the United States. They have been through so much these past 2-1/2 years and have been a model to other health districts across the nation on how to best respond to the pandemic.
As the pandemic continues to evolve, weekly updates from the Health District recently shifted to a different reporting model. The state Department of Health now has an extensive COVID dashboard which has the ability to narrow down data to a county level. Given the length of the pandemic and number of total cases, cumulative counts are no longer useful for planning and disease prevention metrics. For more info, you can use the state dashboard, and other info is still available on the Snohomish Health District’s site at www.snohd.org.
The big news for the Snohomish Health District is that we recently voted to merge the Health District to become a department of Snohomish County. For years, the Health District has been a separate but intricately intertwined institution with the county. All five of the county councilmembers are Board of Health members and work closely with staff and leadership at the Health District. In our role as Board of Health members, we recently voted to merge the Snohomish Health District as a county department to formalize the partnership. It’s expected that the process will be complete as guided by state law by January of 2023.
The last update regarding the Snohomish Health District is that a new Health Officer was recently selected. Dr. Chris Spitters had announced last year that he would move on to new endeavors after 20 years with the Health District. His departure left a large role to fill and I am thrilled that Dr. James Lewis has been selected to be the county’s next health officer. Dr. Lewis has worked in public health at the state and local level and has extensive experience with epidemiology, disease surveillance and response, and project management. Many thanks to Dr. Spitters for his amazing accomplishments and best wishes to him and his next steps and a warm welcome to Dr. James Lewis!
As COVID restrictions have lifted, many of the conferences that I’ve attended virtually over the past two years are now being hosted in-person again. It’s been critical to work with leaders from across the nation to help improve our local communities. In my role as a member of the National Association of Counties Environment, Energy, and Land Use Sub Committee, I recently attended our meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, to learn about western efforts in energy sustainability. While there, I had the opportunity to tour a power plant and water utility and see the stunning Kenai Fjords.
Additionally, through my role on the Federal Environmental Protection Agency Local Government Advisory Committee, I attended the meeting in Washington DC where we worked on recommendations for clean air, water, energy and environmental justice.
Bringing the stories of the people and lands of Snohomish County to a national discussion has been imperative to secure the federal policies and funding needed to protect our local environment and combat climate change. It’s truly an honor to serve the people of Snohomish County on a federal level.
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On a tour in Alaska with NACo |
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Photo of inside the power plant. This plant uses 747 engines to heat up water and turn a steam turbine. |
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And after a cool, wet spring, some may be caught off guard by the rapid summer warm-up. Here is some information in advance of potentially hotter weather later in the season. Resources available on the Public Safety Hub this summer include:
Stay safe!
Paine Field is working to put together their Airport Master Plan which is a long-range planning document that recommends a strategy for the development of airport land and facilities. Phase one started in 2020 and we are currently in Phase Two which includes engaging with the community to help develop the plan. They are currently hosting a Master Plan online open house which is open for comments and questions through Thursday, June 30. You can also visit the airport website to learn more about the master plan here.
Snohomish County is home to two Washington State Ferry docks including one in my District in Mukilteo. Twice a year they host a WSF leadership meeting and a recording of it is available on WSF’s community participation webpage. The meeting covers current and future plans for the WSF system and opportunities for the public to provide input. Check out the link to watch.
In 2020 I volunteered at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds Annual Food Drive and had a great time meeting community members and doing my small part to help collect food and donations benefitting the Volunteers of America Western Washington and the Snohomish County Food Bank Coalition. The event will be held again this year on July 16 from noon-5p at the Evergreen State Fair Park and for every five food items you donate, you will receive one Fair weekday admission ticket (limit 5 tickets per vehicle)! Click here for more info or ways that you can volunteer.
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Volunteering at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds Food Drive in 2020 |
Each summer the Port of Everett hosts Sail-in Cinema events down at Boxcar Park. The Port of Everett projects movies every Friday night over the summer for folks who walk, bike, scoot, sail, or drive up. They recently announced their summer movie lineup which can be found here.
The Mukilteo Chamber of Commerce is hosting a number of Music at the Beach events this summer which are bound to be a lot of fun. Concerts are at Lighthouse Park and offer rockin’ jams and a beer/wine/water garden. Check out the chamber website for the summer line up, and here’s the sign-up sheet if you would like to volunteer.
There are a number of 4th of July celebrations coming up across the county including parades in Bothell and Arlington. The City of Everett is hosting Thunder On The Bay 4th of July Celebration at Legion Memorial Park followed by a fireworks show down on the water. The Everett Music Initiative is hosting the Rock The Fourth waterfront concert at Boxcar Park which is another great vantage point for the fireworks show. Parking is limited, so please consider biking, walking, scooting, or taking Everett Transit. No matter how you celebrate the 4th this year, please don’t drink and drive.
Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter. It’s important to me to keep you updated on my work at the County and updates from my district. If you are in need of any assistance or if there is any county information that I can help to provide, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at Megan.Dunn@snoco.org, or with my aide at Paula.Rhyne@snoco.org. You can call our office as well at 425-388-3494 to leave a message and we’ll return your call. Â
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