Contact: 

Kelsey Nyland

Communications Director, Office of Recovery & Resilience

Kelsey.Nyland@snoco.org 

425-407-3071

Happening Tomorrow: District Five Recovery Roadshow Event at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds

Community Event to Provide Feedback on Federal Recovery Funds for Residents of County Council District Five, Including Gold Bar, Index, Lake Stevens, Monroe, Snohomish, and Sultan 

Snohomish County, Wash., June 8, 2022 – The third Office of Recovery & Resilience (ORR) in-person pandemic recovery community event is taking place tomorrow, June 9, in Building 4H at Evergreen State Fairgrounds, from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. At this event, Snohomish County Council District Five communities – including residents and business owners in Gold Bar, Index, Lake Stevens, Monroe, Snohomish, and Sultan – will be able to help shape uses of the county’s $160 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation.

The following are the top six pandemic recovery issues for District Five; these issues were identified through ORR’s conversations with community partners and local elected officials in the district:

Event attendees will vote on their top three pandemic recovery priorities from within these identified issues. At 6:45 p.m., attendees can participate in a facilitated deep-dive discussion on the top three voted issues to identify recovery barriers and solutions.

In addition, the event will include resource tables where attendees can connect directly with Snohomish County and community-based services and resources. Participating organizations include the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Planning and Development Services, Volunteers of America Western Washington, and ChildCare Aware. Participants will also get free dinner and dessert from Tacos El Tule Oaxaca and Bliss Small Batch Creamery. Imagine Children’s Museum will provide on-site arts activities for elementary-school aged kids. In addition, Latino Education and Training Institute (LETI) will provide on-site Spanish interpretation and discussion. 

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Snohomish County communities have come together to do what’s best for all of us: We’ve gotten vaccinated, tested, and rallied around our front-line workers and small businesses. Our collective recovery should be no different – we have to do it together,” said Executive Somers. “That’s why the county and partners are embarking on this extensive outreach and engagement effort. We want to hear directly from our residents and businesses on what recovery means to them. Our goal is to ensure we make smart and sustainable investments that are responsive to community needs, with a focus on people most impacted by the pandemic.”

“The residents of Snohomish County have been affected tremendously by the events of the past two years. Given that, it is important that the community have ample opportunity to voice their thoughts on how these dollars should be invested,” said Councilmember Sam Low (District 5).

Lake Stevens Mayor Brett Gailey said, “All industries – including cities – took a big hit financially during the pandemic. This is a great opportunity for cities, like Lake Stevens, to work collaboratively with the county on recovery funding for small businesses, community service organizations, parks, and trails. There is also a significant need for revenue to improve roads and other infrastructure that serves both city and county residents.”

“The COVID -19 pandemic exacerbated the many issues small communities in Snohomish County were already experiencing, from economic challenges to critical impacts on our vulnerable and underrepresented populations. We have faced particular challenges with childcare and mental health. I look forward to participating in the conversation about how we can make a healthy, equitable, and sustainable economic and social recovery,” said Snohomish Mayor Linda Redmon.

Details for the District Five Recovery Roadshow event are as follows:

• Date & Time: Thursday, June 9; doors open at 6 p.m., event ends at 7:30 p.m.
• Location: 4H Building, Evergreen State Fair Park, 14405 179th Ave SE, Monroe WA 98272
• Cities: Gold Bar, Index, Lake Stevens, Monroe, Snohomish, and Sultan 
• Free Dinner: Food trucks from Tacos El Tule Oaxaca and Bliss Small Batch Creamery will be on-site throughout the event. 
• No Cost Kids Activities: Imagine Children’s Museum will be providing free activities for elementary school-age kids on-site throughout the event. 
• Interpretation Services: Latino Education and Training Institute (LETI) will provide on-site Spanish interpretation and discussion.  

Residents can find more information on the District Five event here. In addition, interested attendees are encouraged to review this flyer ahead of the event to better understand how ARPA funding can be used. District Five residents who are unable to attend the June 9 event can email their recovery priorities to ORR directly at SnohomishCounty.Recovers@snoco.org.