August 25, 2020

Dear Friends,

In this newsletter, you will find information on some very significant road construction projects in our area, a number of opportunities including rental assistance, a new round of grants for small businesses in the unincorporated areas, a survey to assist with data collection to potentially increase your internet speed, tips for how to relax during the COVID-19 pandemic, and much more.

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy with all of the very warm weather we have had recently!

As we look ahead and plan for the end of summer and the beginning of fall, it is so important that we continue to do everything we can to limit the spread of COVID-19 by wearing masks, social distancing, and following other public health guidance. We are all in this together!

Stay Healthy!

Kathy Lambert

In this Issue:

      1. Important road construction projects
      2. Help us get faster internet in the region!
      3. 2nd chance for unincorporated King County small business COVID-19 grants
      4. Newly renovated Tennis and Pickleball Courts in Carnation
      5. Local Food Initiative CHOMP! virtual summer camp: August 24-28
      6. Rental assistance and eviction prevention
      7. Census Deadline: September 30
      8. Mental Health and COVID-19
      9. Emergency Preparedness
      10. Update on Charter review

1. Important road construction projects

With all of the nice weather we have had lately, and plenty of sunshine still in the forecast ahead, you have likely noticed an increase of summer road construction projects in our region. I am thankful that so many important projects are being done, despite the very limited ongoing funding for our vital roads. I am still concerned about the broken state funding formula that is hurting our LOCAL roads network.

But here are some links to some of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and King County Roads Services Division projects impacting our community:

SR 203 closure.

NW Sammamish Road eastbound lane closure.

West Snoqualmie Valley Road NE closure, approximately September 1st to approximately September 25th. Note: The state is having some delays and they are coordinating with the county so there is no overlap in detour routes.

Drive Safely!

2. Help us get faster internet in the region!

We need your help!

With so many employees and students working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, adequate internet access and speed is absolutely vital.

The Washington State Broadband office has created an internet access and speed survey to identify gaps in service, speed, and broadband needs to advance the state’s goal of having universal broadband access in Washington.

By taking the 1-minute survey, you will help your community potentially receive grants and other support to improve internet access and speed!

Learn more and take the survey here.

3. Second chance for unincorporated King County small business COVID-19 grants

The King County Council previously approved $4 million in funding for grants, technical support, and translation and interpretation assistance to help small businesses in unincorporated King County recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There was a first round of grant applications accepted in July, but there is still funding available and the Department of Local Services has reopened the grant application for a two-week window with revised eligibility requirements.

To be eligible for a grant in this round, businesses must meet the following criteria:

• Thirty or fewer employees (up from 15 in Round 1)
• Annual gross revenue of up to $3 million (up from $1.5 million)
• Must have been in business since August 1, 2019 (down from 3 years)
• Must have specific costs related to COVID-19 that have not been covered or reimbursed through any other grant funding or program (Round 1 prohibited applicants that had received any federal assistance)

If your business applied for a grant in the first round of funding and did not qualify, but is now eligible under the new criteria, you do not need to reapply; your application has been automatically submitted for consideration in this new round.

The new deadline to apply for a grant is Friday, September 4th.

Additionally, coaching and technical assistance is still available to help you with getting information about funding and loan resources, utility bill assistance, filling out grant application forms, coaching to help your business survive the impacts of COVID-19 closures, and more. If your business is in unincorporated King County, you can get help from a U.S. Treasury-certified community development financial institution. Learn more by clicking here.

4. Newly renovated Tennis and Pickleball Courts in Carnation

Earlier this month, I had the absolute pleasure of attending the ribbon cutting for the newly renovated Tennis and Pickleball Courts at Memorial Park in Carnation!

My office was able to support this project as part of a $17,000 grant awarded to the City of Carnation to advance youth and amateur sports and recreational activities.

Thank you to the City of Carnation for their great work on this, I enjoyed having the opportunity to collaborate and be a part of this important and healthy project.

Time to play some pickleball!

5. Local Food Initiative CHOMP! virtual summer camp: August 24-28

CHOMP! is a FREE Summer Camp that celebrates local farmers, chefs, and restaurants using local foods, and this year it is going virtual. Each day will feature video content to watch and participate in from home, including cooking demonstrations, educational activities, and much more.

The virtual events runs August 24-28. Join in on the fun here.

6. Rental assistance and eviction prevention

Earlier this month, Executive Constantine announced over $41 million in funding for eviction prevention and rental assistance that will help up to 10,000 households experiencing economic challenges due to COVID-19.

To be eligible for assistance, all tenants must have an income that is at or below 50 percent of the Area Media Income over the past 60 days, and must be partially or fully behind at least one month of rent since March 1, 2020. Applicants may be awarded up to three months of rent.

Learn more about the program by clicking here.

7. Census Deadline: September 30

This is our last chance to take the 2020 census and make an impact for the next 10 years.

Counting people through the census is how funding is distributed where it’s needed for the next ten years—for things like our schools, affordable housing, hospitals, and public transportation.

The census determines the distribution of funding for real things that affect our lives, like:

• The number of teachers in our schools.
• The number of safe bus routes and sidewalks in our cities.
• The availability of benefits like nutrition services, food stamps and emergency meals.
• The need for affordable housing.
• The number of nurses and beds in our hospitals.
• Whether our roads get fixed and are safe.
• Whether we’re prepared for earthquakes, wildfires, floods, and pandemics.

Complete the 2020 Census by September 30 to ensure that King County gets the resources it needs!

Visit 2020Census.gov to complete the census or call 844-330-2020.

8. Mental Health and COVID-19

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a lot of helpful information and tips regarding social distancing, quarantine, and isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we will be highlighting some of their content in our upcoming email newsletters.

Read what they wrote about finding ways to relax:

“ • Relax your body often by doing things that work for you-take deep breaths, stretch, meditate or pray, or engage in activities you enjoy.

• Pace yourself between stressful activities, and do something fun after a hard task.

• Talk about your experiences and feelings to loved ones and friends, if you find it helpful.

• Maintain a sense of hope and positive thinking; consider keeping a journal where you write down things you are grateful for or that are going well.”

This makes me think of the Williams Burroughs quotes: “Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.”

Especially in these days of so much concern and strife, finding ways to relax and calm your mind is so crucial!

9. Emergency Preparedness

A few weeks ago, we had an experience in Carnation that brought the need to be prepared for an emergency to our immediate attention.

The alarm from the dam went off, and thankfully we found it was a false alarm. I want to thank the 197 people who attended the post-event meeting and shared insights and information with Seattle Public Utilities. The county has also had a follow-up meeting with Seattle and discussed many issues. Additionally, I would like to thank the King County Office of Emergency Management for their speedy efforts to reprogram the alarms to have a false alarm message in both English and Spanish, as requested during the meeting. The city of Carnation is also having a follow-up meeting. We will all be monitoring the changes Seattle is making.

This experience highlights the need for all of us to be prepared for all kinds of emergencies, both in our homes and in our cars. While we are spending more time at home, a great project to work on is to create (or update) your emergency supplies kit. For a list of things to include in your kit, click here.

10. Update on Charter Review

As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, the upcoming November ballot will have SEVEN Charter Amendments for a public vote to approve or reject them. Charter amendments are changes to the county charter, which is like the county constitution. These changes are proposed every ten years after a review by the Charter Review Commission.

Not all of the charter amendments that will appear on the ballot went through the charter review process, nor were they all approved unanimously by the review committee. With so many amendments on the ballot, it is important for you to have accurate information on each amendment so that you can help educate your friends and neighbors early.

We will inform you about each amendment over the next several newsletters leading up to the election.

The first charter amendment appearing on the ballot this November specifies that inquests (an inquest is an administrative, fact-finding inquiry into the manner, facts, and circumstances of a death) should be performed for deaths in the county’s jails and provide the family of the deceased with legal representation during the inquest process. To learn more about the ordinance proposing this amendment that was considered by the King County Council, click here.

If you would like to read about the other amendments ahead of the upcoming newsletters, click here. But we will get to each of them!

Thank you for all you do to keep our communities safe and caring for one another.