Juneteenth Celebration in Marysville

Juneteenth is a holiday new to many of us but is an important date in our nation’s history. June 19th is known as Juneteenth and it marks the end of slavery in the United States, when federal troops arrived in Texas in 1865 to ensure the freedom of slaves (2 ½ years after the Emancipation Proclamation.)  

In recent years, more Americans have learned about the history of Juneteenth and its significance in our country. I had the chance to join many community members at this year’s Marysville Juneteenth celebration where we heard from speakers and gathered as a community to celebrate this milestone in our nation’s history. I am thankful to the organizers of the event. I also appreciated the chance to see Chris and Jordon with America’s Promise Project. They are doing great work with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office on a project to improve relations between the black community and law enforcement in Snohomish County.  

New Department of Health Rule for Coffee Stands

Last month, we learned of a new rule set by the State Department of Health which would have required all independent coffee stands to connect to municipal water and sewer. This rule would have been cost prohibitive for many of our local stands.  

The current rules allow these stands to bring in clean water and store & haul out dirty water from the stand operations. They have been operating this way for many years without significant incident. That’s why many stands in Snohomish County were surprised to receive an email from the Snohomish Health District last month informing them of the new state rule.  

After hearing from a number of coffee stand owners in Snohomish County with significant concerns about the financial impacts of this state rule change, I convened a meeting of owners to discuss. At the meeting, many stand owners expressed frustration at the new rule and the lack of transparency and stakeholder involvement. Some shared that they might go out of business if forced to make this costly change and it would also be a barrier for new stands to open in the future.  

I was relieved to learn that after hearing from many coffee stand owners and concerned citizens, the State decided to walk back the rule change and allow the stands to continue operating as they have been. It is critical that government engages with relevant stakeholders when considering policy changes. This is just one example of that. I am glad that the voices of our local business owners and citizens were heard on this issue. To read some of the media coverage, please visit this link.  

Joint County Council/Ag Board Meeting

Before the pandemic, the Snohomish County Council and County Agricultural Advisory Board (Ag Board) would hold a joint meeting on an annual basis to discuss issues facing agriculture in the county. These meetings were a great opportunity to learn from Ag Board members, most of whom are farmers themselves, about what we can be doing on a policy level to help support agriculture and farming.  

On June 14th, we held our first joint meeting with the Ag Board since the pandemic began. It was great to be back in a room with the Board members and discuss challenges they are facing. In addition to the issues many of us are facing with inflation, high fuel prices, and supply chain issues, they shared some specific challenges they face in agricultural sectors.  

We heard about the unique challenges farmers are facing with broadband access. Farming and farm equipment has become very technical and many of our county’s farms are in broadband deserts. This is an issue we will be looking at with the Snohomish County Broadband Action Team. 

We also heard significant concerns with HB 1838 in the last legislative session which would affect property owners along waterways. The bill would significantly reduce the areas farmers could use of their land. This bill didn’t pass last session but it is something we will be keeping an eye on in the future. 

RAP Tour with OSPI

On June 16th, we hosted Superintendent Reykdal (Superintendent of Public Instruction for the State of Washington) at the Regional Apprenticeship Pathways (RAP) Center. The RAP Program has been a great success in training high school students and young adults in the building and construction trades since it was started in 2019.  

State Senator June Robinson also joined us on the tour. Sen. Robinson has been a great advocate for the RAP Program in the Legislature.  

While on the tour, we talked about the great work students are doing in the program and the opportunities made available to them through the program. Many program graduates are working in the building and construction trades and attribute their success to their experience in the RAP Program. 

We discussed ways to ensure ongoing support for the RAP Program as well as opportunities to expand this successful model to other parts of the state. I appreciate Superintendent Reykdal and Senator Robinson for taking the time to tour the RAP Center and learn more about the great work happening there.  

Marysville Strawberry Festival 

June 11th through 19th was the 90th Annual Marysville Strawberry Festival. This great event brings the community together for fun, food, and entertainment.  

My family and I enjoyed the opportunity to watch the Grand Parade, visit vendors, eat great food, and talk to many community members in Marysville. It has been great to see many community events like this come back after being cancelled in previous years due to the pandemic.  

Comcast Donates Laptops to Boys and Girls Club

On June 22nd, Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin and I joined the Comcast Team at the Boys and Girls Club on Casino Road as they donated 400 laptops to students and $50,000 to the Club. This donation was part of Comcast’s ongoing support of local youth and expanding access to information throughout Snohomish County.  

Every student at the club was able to take a laptop home. Comcast has also partnered with the Boys and Girls Clubs to install “Lift Zones” with free high-speed WiFi so that kids can stay connected while they are at the Club. 

It was a great experience to help distribute the laptops and see the joy on the faces of these kids. Many youth in our community will benefit from this generous donation. I would like to thank Comcast for being a great community partner in Snohomish County.  

District 1 Recovery Roadshow

As part of their effort to collect community feedback on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) investments, the Snohomish County Office of Recovery and Resiliency (ORR) has hosted community meetings in each County Council district. On June 23rd, ORR hosted their North County meeting at the Byrnes Performing Arts Center in Arlington. 

At the meeting, ORR staff shared ideas they’ve received from the community and local leaders for how the County should invest the second tranche of $80 million from the federal government received through ARPA. These funds can go toward infrastructure, addressing behavioral health issues, childcare, and economic development, as well as other efforts to recover from the pandemic.  

I appreciate the members of the public who attended the community meeting to provide their feedback and the ORR team for coordinating the meeting. If you have suggestions for the use of these funds, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Nate.Nehring@snoco.org.  

Innovation Center Ribbon Cutting

On June 28th, I joined community members and local leaders at the ribbon cutting event for the Northwest Innovation Resource Center hub in Arlington. "The Lab” is focused on supporting entrepreneurs, inventors, and startup businesses and provides a location for collaboration and resources for these individuals and businesses. 

The Lab has another location in Everett and this new branch in Arlington will help local innovators get their ideas off the ground and promote economic development in North Snohomish County. I am excited about this new opportunity and the great work happening at the Northwest Innovation Resource Center to support our local economy. 

Herald Commentary: Opposing Political Violence

As political division in our country is on the rise, so too is political violence. Political violence is attacks on persons and property motivated by political issues or ideology.  

According to a recent poll, 32-44% of younger Democrats and Republicans approve of “assassinating a politician who is harming the country or our democracy.” This is a concerning statistic as we face serious issues in our country that require us to come together and face head on.  

I penned this op-ed for the Everett Herald to share my thoughts on this disturbing trend and our role as individuals to cool the temperature of political discourse moving forward.  

I send out monthly newsletters to keep you informed about what I am working on and how I am representing North Snohomish County on the County Council. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate in reaching out to me at Nate.Nehring@snoco.org or 425-512-4810.  

Sincerely,   

Nate Nehring 
Councilmember, District 1