Project for Civic Health Summit

On October 19th I attended the Civic Health Summit, which is a joint event hosted by Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck, UW Evans School for Public Policy, the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, and the Ruckelshaus Center. The focus of the event was to encourage and promote finding common ground, working together, and exploring solutions to issues facing our communities. 

The themes and goals of the Summit are similar to the Building Bridges Tour hosted by Councilmember Mead and I this year. Our goal is to bring community members together to break through the political divisions and polarization that seem to dominate our politics. I was happy to participate as a panelist at the Civic Health Summit and appreciate the opportunity to engage with others on this important topic. 

Stanwood High School Class Visit

One of my favorite things about being a County Councilmember is the opportunity to visit classrooms and talk to students about local government and civic engagement. On Monday, October 23rd, Councilmember Mead and I visited Stanwood High School and talked to students about county government and the importance of civil discourse. 

The students were very engaged and provided great feedback on issues facing our communities and ideas on policy issues we are working on at the county. These opportunities to speak to youth in our community and hear their perspectives gives me great hope for the future. 

Jail Tour and Budget Proposal for Treatment

On Tuesday, October 24th, I joined Sheriff’s Office leadership and staff for a tour of the Snohomish County Jail. The goal of the tour was to learn more about the current drug treatment services being offered in the jail and to explore ways to expand our treatment options in Snohomish County.  

It was great to learn more about opportunities for incarcerated individuals to participate in medically assisted treatment (MAT) while they are serving their sentence in the jail. A partnership between jail staff and outside providers gives inmates an opportunity to detox and begin treatment while they are in jail. One of the benefits of this program is that it connects these individuals with providers so that they can continue their treatment after leaving jail in the hope that they continue to abstain from drugs and get their lives back on track. 

Another part of the tour was looking at currently under-utilized jail space in an effort to explore the possibility of increasing the number of beds available for use under the Involuntary Treatment Act (ITA). We know that the synthetic drugs on the street (meth and fentanyl) are so addictive and so destructive to users that they often cannot make the decision for themselves to get clean and begin treatment. There are options under the state’s Involuntary Treatment Act to commit these individuals to treatment following an assessment from a Designated Crisis Responder (DCR) and decision by a judge. But there is a significant lack of ITA beds throughout the state. I am working with County staff from the Human Services Department, Sheriff’s Office, and Executive’s Office to draft a budget amendment for Snohomish County’s 2024 budget which would appropriate seed funding for turning this unused space in the jail (or elsewhere) into treatment beds. The tour led by staff provided me with great information about the current state of treatment in jail and the proposed space for renovation.  

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office of Neighborhoods is a team of deputies and Human Services social workers who focus on issues of homelessness, substance abuse, and mental health crises on our streets. This team is focused on getting resources to those who need them while also keeping a focus on public safety and enforcing our laws. I had the opportunity to do a ride-along with the Office of Neighborhoods team last month to see what is happening on the street and specifically, to better understand the issue of nuisance RVs parked on our streets.  

The issue of nuisance RVs has been brought to my attention by multiple community members and law enforcement partners. These RVs parked on rights-of-way can cause public safety concerns including attracting drug use, property crimes, and environmental hazards caused by illegal dumping. I am currently working with Council staff, the County Executive, and the Sheriff’s Office to identify potential legislative solutions to the issue of nuisance RVs. This work is ongoing and the ride-along last month was part of collecting information to inform this work. I will share the progress of the legislation in future newsletters. If you have been affected by nuisance RVs, I would love to hear from you. You can contact me by emailing nate.nehring@snoco.org.

Last month, Snohomish County officials joined federal and state representatives and members of the public for a ribbon cutting ceremony at Meadowdale Beach Park. We recently completed a project to replace a 5-foot culvert under railroad tracks with a 100-foot opening which will restore salmon habitat. The project also improves beach access for all users.  

This project was funded with a combination of federal, state, and local funding. I appreciate the support from many stakeholders who helped bring this project to fruition.  

SCLC Labor Champions Dinner

On October 10th, I joined labor and community leaders, elected officials, and community members at the 2024 Snohomish and Island County Labor Council’s Labor Champions Dinner. At the dinner I had the opportunity to help present awards to award recipients.  

The Snohomish and Island County Labor Council has been a great partner in community efforts to build our future workforce. They were early supporters of the Regional Apprenticeship Pathways (RAP) Program and I appreciate the opportunity to partner with them.

Civility First Event

Civility First is an organization made up of a group of citizens representing a wide range of political views working against the increased polarization in our country. They host events that bring community members together to become respectful listeners, work together on problems facing our community, and encouraging curiosity, rather than judgement.  

Councilmember Mead and I were the speakers at a Civility First event on Monday, October 30th in North County. We shared our approach to good governance and the ability to find common ground on issues as well as the ability to disagree while being respectful. The audience was made up of a range of community members with differing political views. It is critical that more of us understand and practice civility and bridging political divides. I thank Civility First for hosting the event and their ongoing work in this space. 

---