Contact:
Kent Patton
Kent.Patton@snoco.org
425-388-3883

Snohomish County Launches Rapid Response to Help Businesses and Workforce

EVERETT, Wash., March 20, 2020 – Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers today announced actions to support businesses and workers impacted by COVID-19. This new program complements federal and state actions announced over the past week.

“It is never too early to start our economic recovery efforts,” said Executive Somers. “We know that people are hurting and are worried about paying for basic necessities. The sooner we can bring support to our businesses and workforce, the more quickly we’ll recover when this is over.”

“Our businesses are the backbone of our economy,” said Snohomish County Council Chair Nate Nehring. “Anything we can do to keep employees working and businesses functioning will help the private sector quickly rebound from our current challenges.”

This response will help stabilize our local economy and provide much-needed mechanisms for supporting businesses and our workforce. The goal is to support struggling businesses and their employees, particularly those who may find it hard to provide basic needs. Recognizing the evolving circumstances of the pandemic, this flexible mechanism can be expanded and adapted as circumstances require.

Because coordination is necessary around short and long-term efforts, there is a critical need for innovative solutions to address our current challenges and those we can’t yet anticipate. Snohomish County is exploring every possible creative alternative to support the impacted business community and their employees during this challenging time.

• Snohomish County Economic & Workforce Recovery Task Force: A Blue Ribbon panel of public, private, and non-profit sector officials will be tasked to develop direct actions to support the economic stabilization, recovery, and resiliency of businesses in Snohomish County and those workers who have been laid-off as a result of the pandemic. This Task Force will work closely with Governor Inslee’s recently formed Task Force to support Washington state businesses.

• Office of Economic Recovery & Resiliency: Executive Somers will create the Office of Economic Recovery & Resiliency. The primary focus of this office will be to stabilize our local economy, plan for economic recovery, build resiliency for our local employers, and support our local workforce. This will be a multi-disciplinary effort focused on economic development, workforce training and support, and human services. The office will assist local businesses in recovery and workforce training and help organizations get our residents back to work while partnering with human service providers to support those most in need.

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Frequently Asked Questions for you to share with local businesses. It answers questions and provides links to detailed information on social distancing, screening employees, financial assistance for business owners and employees, and more.

Examples of how our partners have developed creative ways to help local businesses

• Everett for Everett is an effort led by the City of Everett in partnership with the Downtown Everett Association to inform the community about ways to safely support local businesses while following social distancing.
• In Arlington, the Stilly Valley Chamber of Commerce has developed Arlington Online and the Downtown Arlington Business Association has developed Virtual Arlington. Both are directories of places to eat, shop, get services, and volunteer.
• The Mukilteo Chamber of Commerce has published a list of restaurants open for delivery or takeout: https://mukilteochamber.org/what-restaurants-are-open/
• The City of Marysville is working with the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce and has published a map of local restaurants offering takeout and delivery meals. https://www.marysvillewa.gov/1047/Supporting-Local-Businesses