Dear Friends:

Today’s update includes a short video featuring the Multi-Service Center, information on the statewide mandate to wear facial coverings, King County’s Small Business Assistance Program, an upcoming road closure along the Green River, and more.

Washington Trivia

How many world’s fairs have been hosted by Seattle?

What is the smallest city to ever host a world’s fair?

(Answers at the bottom).



South King County Multi-Service Center: Help. Hope. Change.

The COVID-19 crisis has been especially challenging for food banks, which are serving more people than ever while donation rates decline. Given the reality of this situation, please consider making a donation to your local food bank so they can continue providing Help, Hope and Change to those in need. Visit the following sites to learn more about the critical services the Multi-Service Center provides, the team’s extraordinary efforts to quickly transition from grocery store style food collection to safe and efficient food box distribution, their thoughtfulness in translating all their materials to different languages, and their impressive response to the variant changes brought by this pandemic:

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/432671233
YouTube: https://youtu.be/8xPH54mRdBQ


With Robin Corak, CEO of the Multi-Service Center. (Photo taken prior to social distancing guidelines).

Facial Coverings Mandatory Statewide

On June 23rd, Governor Jay Inslee announced a statewide mandate requiring facial coverings when in public, effective today, June 26th. Cases have been on the rise in Washington and wearing masks will save lives. The statewide order does include exemptions for children under 5 and those who are deaf or hard of hearing. More information is available at the Governor’s Medium page.

Small Business Assistance Program

The King County Council approved $4 million in supplemental funding for grants, technical support, and translation and interpretation assistance to help small businesses in unincorporated King County recover from the impacts of COVID-19 closures. For more information about this program, please visit https://kingcounty.gov/localbusinesshelp.

I. Coaching and Technical Assistance:

If your business is in unincorporated King County, you can get help from a U.S. Treasury-certified community development financial institution. Technical assistance coaches can help you with the following:

• Information about the latest (federal, state, and local) funding and loan resources
• Utility bill assistance
• Filling out grant or funding application forms
• Coaching to help your business survive the impacts of COVID-19 closures
• Other advice and assistance

To access this technical assistance, call 206-331-3275 and leave a voice mail with your contact information. A technical services coach will call you back within two business days. You may also fill out and submit a Technical Assistance/Coaching Request Form at this website.

II. Grants:

Small businesses in unincorporated King County hurt by COVID-19 can apply for grants starting today, June 26th through July 10th. Materials and detailed instructions for applying will be posted this week in English and eight other languages on the project website.

To be eligible, a business must:
• Be active and licensed in the state of Washington, with a physical business address in unincorporated King County
• Be a small business, with no more than 15 full-time employees
• Have been in business for at least three years
• Have gross revenues of no more than $1.5 million per year
• Have not received any other federal funding related to COVID-19, including grants and loans

Green River Road Culvert Replacement



Local access to the Auburn Golf Course, Mary Olson Farm and the S. 277th Corridor Trail will be maintained throughout the closure. The project team is working closely with the City of Auburn and Mary Olson Farm to ensure visitors know about the closure and how to access these sites.

4Culture: Public Art Calls for Artists

Each month, 4Culture sends out artist calls, as well as a selection of calls submitted by organizations around the world. Visit this website to see all open calls, grants, jobs, and other opportunities.

Campus Reopening Guide: Plan to Restart Higher Education

On June 24th, Gov. Jay Inslee was joined by leaders of Washington colleges and universities to unveil the guidance for reopening in-person instruction at higher education institutions in the fall. The announcement comes with a proclamation providing specific health guidance for four-year public and private institutions, as well as two-year community and technical colleges, apprenticeships and private career schools.

King County Case Update

Today, Seattle – King County Public Health reported 83 new cases, bringing the total in King County to 9,695. In addition, Public Health reported 1 new death, bringing the total in the county to 586.

Stay In. Stay Healthy. Stay Strong.

Pete von Reichbauer
King County Councilmember



Washington trivia answers:

Washington State has been the site of three world’s fairs. I have attended two of the three and no, John, I wasn’t there in 1909!

Seattle hosted two world’s fairs--one in 1909 (Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition) and one in 1962 (Century 21 Exposition).

Spokane also hosted a world’s fair in 1974 (Expo ’74) and is the smallest city in the world to ever serve as host. The site of the fair is now Spokane’s Riverfront Park.