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Home My WebLink About020821_electronic_CorrFrom:Vezina, John Subject:WSF Service Update Date:Thursday, January 28, 2021 11:23:50 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Mayors and City/County Councilmembers/Commissioners of ferry-served communities, Good morning. With COVID still impacting not only our passengers, but WSF vessel crews and terminal staffs, we will remain on two-boat service on the Fauntleroy/Southworth/Vashon “Triangle” route, with the last late-night sailings still suspended on many routes as well. However, with training continuing, and passengers returning, we’re now turning our attention on how to augment service on the three routes on which we’d normally add service in the spring – Anacortes/San Juan Islands, Port Townsend/Coupeville, and the Triangle. While we don’t have the crewing or vessel capacity to start spring or shoulder seasons in March, we do have a plan to augment service on these impacted routes. Beginning on Sunday, May 9, we will: Start what we previously called our “summer” schedule on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands routes. This is several weeks earlier than usual for that schedule, but also means they’ll stay on their current “winter” schedule through May 8. The schedule beginning May 9 will run through Saturday, September 25. With the US/Canadian border still closed, and vessel availability an issue, we won’t resume service on the Anacortes/Sidney route until Sunday, September 26 (if the border has reopened). If the border opens before September, we’ll review our crewing and vessel availability, assessing whether or not it’s possible to begin service earlier. Whenever the border opens, it will take several weeks for us to restart service as we work with our labor partners on crewing those trips. US Customs and Border Protection has also told us it will take them 30-60 days to assign staff to the terminal when the border reopens. We will add a second boat to the Port Townsend/Coupeville route. In keeping with the cancelled final sailings on other routes, we won’t run a late night Friday/Saturday roundtrip on the route as we have in other years. Restore three-boat service on the Triangle route, with regular weekday service, but 8 hours of weekend service on the third vessel instead of the typical sixteen hours. Reservations for January 28-May 8 will be released at 7am on Tuesday, February 2. Reservations for May 9-September 25 will be released on March 9. While today we are confident we can crew these service additions on May 9, changes to crewing and/or vessel availability may require adjustments. We appreciate the public’s patience while we navigate COVID-caused constraints. As always, please let me know if you have questions or concerns. Best, John John B. Vezina Government Relations Director Washington State Ferries Cell - 206.473.9945 Pronouns: He/Him/His From:Linda Egan To:Greg Brotherton Cc:jefferson County Fair; jeffbocc Subject:FG homeless plan Date:Thursday, January 28, 2021 11:25:14 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Hello, Greg, longtime no hear :) I want first to thank you for (however quietly) continuing to seek a solution (however partial) to the untenable homeless situation at the Fairgrounds. I was so glad to learn that the BOCC/you, with the FG and OlyCap and, hopefully, with the police, have worked out a way to provide services to the homeless in exchange for the ability to expel anyone not following the rules. They may have substance and other behavioral issues, but they belong to a human society. Which human community functions because of the rules its members must follow. To ask the campers at the FG to abide by some rules is fair, sensible and —to protect the relevant rights of both the fairgrounds’s sheltered neighbors as well as the unsheltered campers occuping them— necessary. And long overdue. I think the plan that was laid out in The Leader is an excellent start. You should not back away from that plan because of the complaint (essentially) of a single individual with a private tragedy. The plan you and OlyCap have worked out is for the good of everyone, without reference to any individual’s personal motivation. Please please do implement the shared governance policy so carefully worked out by the coalition of actors you are collaborating with. We in the Lynnesfield and other surrounding neighborhoods are counting on you to do the right thing. Again, Greg, sincere thanks for your efforts on behalf of the homeless and of surrounding residents. With wishes for this to be Good News in 2021 :), Linda Egan 4048 Hill Street (916) 813-1487 From:ANDREW, BETHANY (DNR) To:Bergvall, Laurie (DNR); BRAUER, ROBERT (DNR); BURKHART, BRULE (DNR); DOR Clallam County Leg Authority 1; Clallam Co Treasurer; Clark Co Commissioners; Clark Co Treasurer; DOR Cowlitz County Leg Authority; DOR Cowlitz County Treasurer; CRUZ, ANA (DNR); Chertudi, David (DNR); David Reich; FENNER, LEAH (DNR); DOR Pacific County Reet 1; Franz, Hilary (DNR); DOR Grays Harbor County Leg Authority; DOR Grays Harbor County Treasurer; Griswold, Mona (DNR); Guthrie, Jay (DNR); HELMS, MICHELLE (DNR); Herb Gerhardt; jeffbocc; treasurerstaff; Kendra Smith; DOR King County Leg Authority 2; King Co Treasury; Kitsap Co Commissioners; DOR Kitsap County Reet 2; Klepl, Theresa (DNR); Klickitat Co Commissioners; DOR Klickitat County Treasurer; DOR Lewis County Leg Authority; Logue, Trisha; Mackay, Andrea (DNR); DOR Mason County Treasurer; MCKELLAR, ROBERT (DNR); MCNAMEE, KEN (DNR); DOR Kitsap County Treasurer; OGDEN, STEVE (DNR); Pacific Co Commissioner; DOR Pacific County Treasurer; Pierce Co Executive; POTTER, KATHY (DNR); Robinson, Gary; ROSANBALM, DREW (DNR); SARGENT, SCOTT (DNR); DOR Clallam County Treasurer; DOR Skagit County Leg Authority; Skagit Co Treasurer; DOR Skamania County Leg Authority; DOR Skamania County Treasurer; Snohomish Co Executive; Stapleton, Tim (DNR); STEFFEN, SARAH (DNR); Stevens Co Commissioners; Stevens Co Treasurer; Thurston Co Treasurer; Wahkiakum Co Treasurer; WELKER, TODD (DNR); Whatcom Co Treasurer; WILLIAMS, KELLIE (DNR); WISCH, ERIC (DNR) Subject:County Income Report Now Available Date:Thursday, January 28, 2021 2:20:52 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. The County Income Report for the 4th Quarter of 2020 is now available at https://www.dnr.wa.gov/about/fiscal-reports/county-quarterly-income-reports Thank you. Bethany Andrew Fiscal Analyst Office of Finance, Budget, & Economics WA State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Phone: (360)902-1268 bethany.andrew@dnr.wa.gov www.dnr.wa.gov From:Brian V To:jeffbocc Subject:Covid Restrictions Date:Thursday, January 28, 2021 3:12:38 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Dear Commissioners, I want to thank you for the great work you do. I read today that Gov. Inslee is opening several counties to limited indoor dining and I did not see Jefferson County on the list. I think it is vital for our local restaurants that they are allowed to open to the same standards as King, Snohomish Counties, etc. What can you all do about this? Sincerely, Brian Vervynck Mobile: 425-457-6387 From:Vezina, John Subject:WSF Weekly Update Date:Thursday, January 28, 2021 3:19:13 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. banner Ahoy, Washington State Ferries! Hello everyone, I’m Patty Rubstello, the new WSDOT Assistant Secretary of Washington State Ferries! I’m excited to be in this role and I’ve already learned so much from former head Amy Scarton and several of my new colleagues at WSF. Thank you to all who have helped in this leadership transition. I look forward to learning more about the nation’s largest ferry system every day, and how we can serve our customers, communities and employees better. Former WSDOT Assistant Secretary of Ferries Amy Scarton introduced me to employees virtually last week during an all- staff webinar. In the few weeks I’ve been on the job, I’ve grasped the seriousness of our many operational challenges. One of our most pressing issues is our aging fleet and terminals. Maintenance and preservation are vital for our long-term service needs. I’m encouraged that the governor’s budget plan puts a high priority on improving the safety and longevity of our infrastructure, along with strong support for ferry system electrification. I’m eager to share my 30 years of WSDOT experience with the Ferries Division and bring new perspectives not just in operations, but in customer service as well. Looking forward to working with everyone! January 28, 2021 Samish back in service following quick repairs Samish reentered service on our Anacortes/San Juan Islands route on Wednesday, Jan. 20, just three weeks after a major engine failure on Dec. 29. With machinists from our Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility busy with planned work on other vessels, the decision was made to set up an emergency contract with Marine Systems, Inc. to conduct these unplanned repairs. The Samish engine crew and Eagle Harbor staff provided support to MSI to help speed up the process. Great work! A look at main diesel engine repairs on Samish earlier this month while the vessel was docked at our Anacortes tie-up slip. 30-year service awards We recently presented 30-year service awards to Capt. Roger Hammett and Chief Mate Scott Boyer. Both work on our Point Defiance/Tahlequah route. Congratulations to Roger and Scott on your achievement and a big thank you for your service and dedication over the years! Screenshot from WSF all-staff webinar During last week’s all-staff webinar, I shared my background, which includes 30 years at WSDOT in design, construction, planning, traffic operations and leadership. Please join us for virtual community meetings, Feb. 9 and 10 And I’ll be introducing myself to the public next month during two virtual community meetings focused on our continued response to COVID-19, service, progress made on key projects in 2020 and answering questions from participants. If you would like to participate in the meetings at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, or 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, visit our community participation webpage for registration information. Service plans for spring and summer As the weather warms up and the COVID-19 vaccine becomes more readily available, we expect our ridership to rebound in the coming months. Based on our crewing and vessel availability, we plan to add sailings on three routes starting May 9: Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth: Restore three- boat service (third vessel will operate eight hours on weekends like previous spring and fall schedules, final late-night sailings remain suspended) Anacortes/San Juan Islands: Start daily four-boat domestic service (timetables like previous summer schedules without fifth vessel that mainly served Sidney, British Columbia) Port Townsend/Coupeville: Start two-boat service (without final Friday and Saturday roundtrip sailings) Photo of ferry docked at Sidney terminal With the U.S.-Canada border closed and limited vessel availability, the earliest we plan to resume Sidney, British Capt. Roger Hammett (top) and Chief Mate Scott Boyer (bottom) received a clock and certificate for their 30 years of service. “Looking forward to using [the new Mukilteo terminal] once I go back to the office! Also, shoutout to your loading crew last Friday who were super compassionate when I was dealing with a spare tire from a blowout on [I- 5]. The crew made sure I didn’t have to take the upper deck and treated me with kindness and compassion after a scary and stressful day. You all make me proud to be an islander and rely on the WSF!” -Mukilteo/Clinton customer on Facebook Columbia service is Sept. 26. We will operate our current sailing schedules through May 8 with fewer sailings than previous years on several routes. As a reminder, please limit ferry travel to essential purposes only. Vehicle reservations for March 28 through May 8 will be released at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2. The changes outlined above will run May 9 through Sept. 25, with reservations for that period being released on March 9. Don’t forget to sign up for our email alerts, check terminal conditions and read our COVID-19 travel updates if you need to ride a ferry! Patty Rubstello Assistant Secretary, WSDOT/Ferries Division WSF Weekly Updates are available online at www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/about-us/weekly-update Questions? Contact us at WSFWeeklyUpdate@wsdot.wa.gov Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) information If you would like to learn more about accessibility and the tools we have available, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/Accessibility STAY CONNECTED: Don't forget to register for the Budget Briefings as part of 2021 Parks & Great Outdoors Legislative Day! View this email in your browser Did this week speed by and you just realized you haven't registered for the House Budget Briefing first thing tomorrow morning? Well, it's not too late! From:Wa. Wildlife & Recreation Coalition To:jeffbocc Subject:BYO-Coffee for tomorrow"s 8am House Budget Briefing! Date:Thursday, January 28, 2021 3:57:49 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Whether or not you're able to join us on Feb 4, we hope you'll join us for our House and Senate Capital Budget Briefings on Jan 29 and Feb 1! Separate registration is required for both of these events and capacity is capped at 100 (and we're getting close!), so follow the links to register ASAP! (Details for joining the briefings, including your personal links, were automatically sent upon registration, so double check your email & spam folder for that information, if you think you already registered!) Questions? Email policy@wildliferecreation.org HOUSE CAPITAL BUDGET BRIEFING Hear directly from the House Capital Budget legislators, including: Representatives Tharinger, Callan, Hackney, Steele, and Wicks Register here SENATE CAPITAL BUDGET BRIEFING Hear directly from the Senate Capital Budget legislators, including: Senators Frockt, Mullet Honeyford, Schoesler, and Van De Wege Register here LEGISLATIVE DAY We're setting up your meetings—we'll keep you updated on your schedule! Training and meeting materials available here. Registration is closed. HAPPY HOUR CELEBRATION Close out the day with us and let us know how your day went! We've even invited Governor Inslee to join us! No separate registration—it's included in your registration for Feb 4 Legislative Day! Copyright © 2021 Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to Coalition emails or are a member of one of our partner organizations. Our mailing address is: Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition 1402 3rd Ave, Suite 714 Seattle, Wa 98101 Add us to your address book Photo Credit: RCO's PRISM Database Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list From:janetwelch To:Kathleen Keenan Cc:Janets Beastie Welch; Greg Brotherton; vteam@kptz.org; Kate Ingram; Keppie Keplinger; Tom Locke; Willie Bence; Heidi Eisenhour; jeffbocc Subject:Data question for Dr. Locke Date:Friday, January 29, 2021 10:29:02 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Incompatible data: The data used by Hopkins and others document daily averages over a 7 or 14 day period (whether it be cases, hospitalizations, etc) per 100,000. Washington persists in using cumulative numbers over the 14 day period per 100,000. When will Washington adopt the statistical methodology used by the other sources so that accurate comparisons can be made? From:Todd Oberlander To:jeffbocc Cc:IT Staff Subject:FW: Online Form Submittal: Feedback Date:Friday, January 29, 2021 12:02:42 PM Website Feedback Form Todd Oberlander Jefferson County Information Services 1820 Jefferson St. Port Townsend, WA 98368 (360) 385-9355 (360) 385-9195 fax The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule. – H. L. Mencken It is okay to print this email. Paper is a biodegradable, renewable, sustainable product made from trees. Growing and harvesting trees provides jobs for millions of men and women, and working forests are good for the environment, providing clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat, and carbon storage. When you don't need it anymore, be sure to put it in a bin designated for recycling and it will come back to us as new paper or cardboard or recycle it back in to the carbon cycle. From: noreply@civicplus.com <noreply@civicplus.com> Sent: Friday, January 29, 2021 12:01 PM To: #MailGateway <#MailGateway@co.jefferson.wa.us> Subject: Online Form Submittal: Feedback CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Feedback What kind of comment would you like to send? Problem What would you like to comment about? Commissioner's Office Other roadside litter Comments I recently returned from a road trip to Idaho. I was struck by the contrast between their clean roads and our very trashy roadsides. It seems that the roadside adopt a highway effort isn't happening here. Is there a way to activate that or get other trash pick up services. Prisoners for example? Name Kate Dwyer Email kate48dwyer@gmail.com Phone Number 3605312856 Please contact me as soon as possible regarding this matter. Yes Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. From:Kathleen Keenan To:Greg Brotherton; KPTZ VTeam; Kate Dean; Keppie Keplinger; Tom Locke; Willie Bence; Heidi Eisenhour; jeffbocc Subject:Questions for the February 1st BOCC Meeting Date:Friday, January 29, 2021 3:11:25 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Good afternoon. Several questions this week surround the worry that if a resident gets the first dose, can they receive the second dose according to the manufacturer’s recommendation...will the supply be sufficient to be timely. Also..still questions about gathering without masking with other vaccinated people...a question is not specifically included, but is a popular topic among those now getting their second dose. As more residents get a chance for vaccination, there are comments of praise for the process, the organization and the kindness and of all those involved. Respectfully, Kate Keenan, KPTZ Virus Watch Team Questions and related topics KPTZ would like to have presented on the air to Dr. Locke/County Commissioners (BOCC)/EOC/Jefferson County Public Health as time permits. Questions for the February 1st, 2021, BOCC Meeting Dr. Tom Locke: 1. What is the status of vaccination of all residents in the nursing homes/long-term care facilities in Jefferson County? 2. Does Dr. Locke have an idea for when the Johnson & Johnson vaccine might be available? 3. Once you register with Jefferson HealthCare to be notified of vaccine availability, are alerts made by a priority age tier or the order in which you registered? 4. The data used by Hopkins and others document daily averages over a 7 or 14 day per 100,000 Population. Washington persists in using cumulative numbers over the 14 day period per 100,000. When will Washington adopt the statistical methodology used by the other sources so that accurate comparisons can be made? 5. Can you give us more information about Governor Inslee’s rationale behind teachers not being given a higher priority for the vaccine? 6. I noticed the public health website shows the 60-69 year old age group with the most Covid-19 cases locally. Why aren’t you including the 60-64 year olds as a priority age group for the vaccine? 7. The Jefferson County Public Health webpage is now showing the number of residents that have received their first vaccine dose. Would Jefferson County consider publishing the number of residents who have completed the vaccination series? Covid-19 Testing: (none submitted) Public Health Strategies/Vaccines: 1. Could you clarify who is currently eligible to get in line for the vaccine,when it again becomes available?? 2. Can you tell us the status of vaccine availability for younger children?? 3. If a patient has an adverse reaction to the first vaccine dose and is advised to not get the second dose, then can/should the patient try and get vaccinated with a different vaccine to get to full immunity? 4. If you are eligible to receive the vaccine from the expected supply of doses in February, will you be guaranteed receipt of a second dose within the three or four weeks recommended by the drug manufacturers? The Leader reported that JHC can no longer hold back vaccines for second doses. Is this true? 5. My first dose of the Pfizer vaccine was administered on January 22nd and my second shot is scheduled for February 10th. I would like to know why this dose is scheduled a few days before the recommended 21 days the manufacturer recommends. 6. According to the state DOH, as of January 23, 2021, Washington has given 391,195 doses, and distributed 719,475 doses to approved vaccination facilities. Yet in our county and others, I keep hearing that they have run out of doses. Where are the rest of those 327,980 doses and why aren’t they going into the arms of our residents. (https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/COVID19/DataDashboard) Board of County Commissioners: (none submitted) EOC: 1. As a retired medical provider, with an active license, I would be more willing to volunteer in the local vaccine campaign if I could get both vaccine doses prior to inoculating other residents. Is this possible? From:ptcodt@mg2.lglcrm.net on behalf of "Brian Anderson" To:jeffbocc Subject:ODT Bike Tune-Up Fundraiser - Buy Your Coupons Now!! Date:Friday, January 29, 2021 3:17:18 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Letterhead Header Spring approaches and there's no better time to get your bikes tuned up for the riding ahead! Even better, our annual Bike Tune-Up Fundraiser is now underway!! Take advantage of our annual Bike Tune-Up Fundraiser while supporting the Olympic Discovery Trail. 100% of your donation goes to the ODT. Valid through April 30th, 2021, for labor on a Standard tune-up at any of the participating bike shops listed. Tune-up details vary. Contact the bike shops for info. Parts and/or additional services not included. Only 100 Coupons are available. Services Available at the Following Bike Shops: Port Angeles: Bike Garage, Sound Bikes & Kayaks Sequim: Sequim Bike Works, Ben’s Bikes, Pedego – Sequim Port Townsend: The Broken Spoke, P T Cyclery, The Recyclery, Williwaw Buy your Bike Tune-up Coupons HERE! *************************************** Volunteers Needed for the Upcoming Event: February 6th - Run The Peninsula - Elwha - Needs Volunteer to monitor 5K Turnaround Run the Peninsula is good to go!! They have received all the clearances necessary. Great article in the PDN Run the Peninsula - Elwha River Bridge 5K/10K Information For Registration to Volunteer ------This event raises money for the ODT!! *************************************** News: Check out all our news at ODT News or ODT Calendar If you have any news to post, let us know @ News From:Stephen Schumacher Cc:Board of Health; Tom Locke; Allison Berry, Clallam County Health Officer Subject:New hope for "negative cases" before Feb. 14 Date:Monday, February 1, 2021 12:43:19 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Dear Jefferson County Commissioners, Watching the Zoom of this morning's BoCC meeting, I noted that Dr. Locke did not answer or even address any of my questions at bottom, so they are all still on the table. I'm mystified by his mischaracterization of well-documented concerns over 90% false positive rates at high cycle counts as "nitpicky" and his easily-refuted opinion that PCR tests are "highly accurate". Philip Morley observed that Jefferson Healthcare handles only a small percentage of our county's PCR testing, with most conducted by UW and others. If so, that raises the additional question: 7) What Cycle Threshold is used by each organization performing PCR testing in our county, and approximately what percentage of testing is done by each organization? Because of the critical importance of the cycle count in evaluating the significance of a positive PCR test result, both pieces of information need to be reported to individuals as well as in overall county statistics. Dr. Locke's report began by warning about a tripling of cases with 26 new ones last week if I heard correctly. But what are the cycle counts of these new cases? It makes a huge difference whether they were found positive after 20 amplification cycles or after 45 cycles. My interest is getting at the truth, not politics. But today's meeting seemed concerned about county cases showing percentage improvements before a Feb. 14 deadline One way to achieve that in a hurry might be to re-examine recent cases and reclassify any that were incorrectly counted due to amplification cycles higher than 33, then continue using that rule for new cases. Not only would that be the right thing to do, it might achieve the "negative cases" Greg ruefully joked are needed! Yours truly, Stephen Schumacher 2023 E. Sims Way #200 Port Townsend, WA 98368 (360) 821-9509 --- Pubic Comment sent 8:28 PM 1/31/2021 --- Dear Jefferson County Commissioners, On September 2, 2020, I sent the following Public Comment to the Jefferson County Board of Health and Health Officer Dr. Tom Locke: "Per the August 29 New York Times report [of 90% false positives at 40-cycle threshold], I'm concerned about the criteria used to determine confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Jefferson County. Do all these cases exhibit symptoms, or are "cases" being equated to positive test results? If the latter, what percentage of cases exhibit symptoms? Are positive test results being recorded using PCR tests, and if so, what is the Cycle Threshold value used for these tests?" I never received any answers to these questions nor have seen them addressed by Dr. Locke in the press. Last week the Port Townsend Free Press reported that Jefferson Healthcare is "using a PCR assay with a 45-cycle threshold, well beyond the outer limits of reliability." https://www.porttownsendfreepress.com/2021/01/25/is-jefferson-county-health-department-overstating-covid-case- numbers/ This revelation raises various accountability issues, including: 1) Why did our county have to wait nearly 4 months to learn about its 45-cycle threshold from a fortuitous Public Records Request? 2) Since Dr. Locke was also Clallam Health Officer until recently, is this same unreliable 45 Ct test also in use throughout Clallam County? 3) Was the choice to use this 45 Ct test ever discussed and approved by the Jefferson County Board of Health or County Commissioners? If not, was it ever even reported and its significance explained to them? 4) Does Dr. Locke or anybody else keep statistical track of cumulative cycle counts for positive tests and resulting cases in our county, or is this info unavailable or being ignored? Could this information be regularly published in the media, or at least be made available upon request? 5) Does our county always order a second test following a positive PCR result, and if not, how often and on what basis? Are all positive tests treated as COVID-19 cases regardless of symptoms, and if not, how often has high cycle count been used to discard extremely weak positive test results? 6) How many county residents have been reported as cases, quarantined, and contact-traced based on cycle counts above 33, when the CDC shows "it is extremely difficult to detect any live virus in a sample above a threshold of 33 cycles"? Yours truly, Stephen Schumacher 2023 E. Sims Way #200 Port Townsend, WA 98368 From:Donald Mc Nees Jr To:jeffbocc; Philip Morley Subject:Tom Parks Public Comments Date:Monday, February 1, 2021 10:48:26 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. To, Kate, Gregg and Heidi, I watched this morning's comments and am writing because I am concerned our newest Commissioner does not know the history of the complaints by Tom Parks. His statement today suggesting constant gun noise during our hours of operation is one of the the more mild false accusations he has made over the years concerning our shooting facility. It seems we are in a time where falsehoods repeated, are some how accepted as truth over time. Part of that process is others giving support, credibility or just sympathy to those falsehoods. It is not true that shooting is constant at the shooting facility operated by the Jefferson County Sportsmen's Association during our operating hours. In fact, do to several factors, there has been a significant reduction in use of the range. Thanks for your time, Don McNees JCSA VP From:Stephen Schumacher Cc:Board of Health; Tom Locke; Allison Berry, Clallam County Health Officer; news@ptleader.com; PT Free Press Subject:Accountability for Jeffco"s 45-Cycle Threshold PCR Test Date:Sunday, January 31, 2021 10:01:28 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Dear Jefferson County Commissioners, On September 2, 2020, I sent the following Public Comment to the Jefferson County Board of Health and Health Officer Dr. Tom Locke: "Per the August 29 New York Times report [of 90% false positives at 40-cycle threshold], I'm concerned about the criteria used to determine confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Jefferson County. Do all these cases exhibit symptoms, or are "cases" being equated to positive test results? If the latter, what percentage of cases exhibit symptoms? Are positive test results being recorded using PCR tests, and if so, what is the Cycle Threshold value used for these tests?" I never received any answers to these questions nor have seen them addressed by Dr. Locke in the press. Last week the Port Townsend Free Press reported that Jefferson Healthcare is "using a PCR assay with a 45-cycle threshold, well beyond the outer limits of reliability." https://www.porttownsendfreepress.com/2021/01/25/is-jefferson-county-health-department-overstating-covid-case- numbers/ This revelation raises various accountability issues, including: 1) Why did our county have to wait nearly 4 months to learn about its 45-cycle threshold from a fortuitous Public Records Request? 2) Since Dr. Locke was also Clallam Health Officer until recently, is this same unreliable 45 Ct test also in use throughout Clallam County? 3) Was the choice to use this 45 Ct test ever discussed and approved by the Jefferson County Board of Health or County Commissioners? If not, was it ever even reported and its significance explained to them? 4) Does Dr. Locke or anybody else keep statistical track of cumulative cycle counts for positive tests and resulting cases in our county, or is this info unavailable or being ignored? Could this information be regularly published in the media, or at least be made available upon request? 5) Does our county always order a second test following a positive PCR result, and if not, how often and on what basis? Are all positive tests treated as COVID-19 cases regardless of symptoms, and if not, how often has high cycle count been used to discard extremely weak positive test results? 6) How many county residents have been reported as cases, quarantined, and contact-traced based on cycle counts above 33, when the CDC shows "it is extremely difficult to detect any live virus in a sample above a threshold of 33 cycles"? Yours truly, Stephen Schumacher 2023 E. Sims Way #200 Port Townsend, WA 98368 From:Cindy Johnson To:jeffbocc Subject:Homeless encampment Date:Sunday, January 31, 2021 4:16:42 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Living near the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, I must drive or walk past the homeless encampment every time I leave the neighborhood. I’ve been following the progress or lack or progress in trying to manage the situation. I applaud some of the efforts and do not agree with the opinions and influence of Barbara Morey. Ms. Morey’s comment that the campers did not sign up for shelter requirements is not productive and shows a lack of cooperation. That is not an approach that will resolve or improve the situation. I am writing today to bring to the attention of the commissioners the Op-Ed column in the Seattle Times today, “An End to Tent Encampments.” I hope all of you have read this and consider how the column might offer suggestions and goals for this local homeless issue. This situation really needs to be addressed. The potential solutions seem to have become stuck—like in the mud that now covers so much of the camp area. Cindy Johnson cjjohnson4033@gmail.com 360-774-2930 Don't forget to register for the Budget Briefings as part of 2021 Parks & Great Outdoors Legislative Day! View this email in your browser CORRECTION: Clearly WE needed more coffee this morning! Tomorrow's briefing is with the SENATE Capital Budget leaders. (We talked with House leaders on Friday and we'll be sharing recording link soon for any who missed From:Wa. Wildlife & Recreation Coalition To:jeffbocc Subject:CORRECTION: Tomorrow"s 8am SENATE Budget Briefing! Date:Sunday, January 31, 2021 11:51:07 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. it!) Separate registration is required for this event and capacity is capped at 100 (and we're getting close!), so follow the links to register ASAP! (Details for joining the briefings, including your personal links, were automatically sent upon registration, so double check your email & spam folder for that information, if you think you already registered!) Questions? Email policy@wildliferecreation.org SENATE CAPITAL BUDGET BRIEFING Hear directly from the Senate Capital Budget legislators, including: Senators Frockt, Mullet Honeyford, Schoesler, and Van De Wege Register here LEGISLATIVE DAY We're setting up your meetings—we'll keep you updated on your schedule! Training and meeting materials available here. Registration is closed. HAPPY HOUR CELEBRATION Close out the day with us and let us know how your day went! We've even invited Governor Inslee to join us! No separate registration—it's included in your registration for Feb 4 Legislative Day! Copyright © 2021 Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to Coalition emails or are a member of one of our partner organizations. Our mailing address is: Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition 1402 3rd Ave, Suite 714 Seattle, Wa 98101 Add us to your address book Photo Credit: RCO's PRISM Database Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Don't forget to register for the Budget Briefings as part of 2021 Parks & Great Outdoors Legislative Day! View this email in your browser Did this week speed by and you just realized you haven't registered for the House Budget Briefing first thing tomorrow morning? Well, it's not too late! From:Wa. Wildlife & Recreation Coalition To:jeffbocc Subject:BYO-Coffee for tomorrow"s 8am House Budget Briefing! Date:Sunday, January 31, 2021 11:07:46 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Whether or not you're able to join us on Feb 4, we hope you'll join us for our House Capital Budget Briefing on Feb 1! Separate registration is required for this event and capacity is capped at 100 (and we're getting close!), so follow the links to register ASAP! (Details for joining the briefings, including your personal links, were automatically sent upon registration, so double check your email & spam folder for that information, if you think you already registered!) Questions? Email policy@wildliferecreation.org HOUSE CAPITAL BUDGET BRIEFING Hear directly from the House Capital Budget legislators, including: Representatives Tharinger, Callan, Hackney, Steele, and Wicks Register here SENATE CAPITAL BUDGET BRIEFING Hear directly from the Senate Capital Budget legislators, including: Senators Frockt, Mullet Honeyford, Schoesler, and Van De Wege Register here LEGISLATIVE DAY We're setting up your meetings—we'll keep you updated on your schedule! Training and meeting materials available here. Registration is closed. HAPPY HOUR CELEBRATION Close out the day with us and let us know how your day went! We've even invited Governor Inslee to join us! No separate registration—it's included in your registration for Feb 4 Legislative Day! Copyright © 2021 Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to Coalition emails or are a member of one of our partner organizations. Our mailing address is: Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition 1402 3rd Ave, Suite 714 Seattle, Wa 98101 Add us to your address book Photo Credit: RCO's PRISM Database Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Celebrating 36 years! The Port Townsend Main Street Program is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 1985. Our mission is to preserve, promote, and enhance our historic business districts. From:The Port Townsend Main Street Program To:jeffbocc Subject:February News and Updates Date:Friday, January 29, 2021 5:07:53 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Main Street News: The Port Townsend Main Street Program has hit the ground running on our year-long marketing campaign Love Where you Live - Port Townsend. First on our agenda is taking photos and videos of business owners for our new campaign website that will be launching soon! If you are a business owner that has signed up to participate in the Love Where you Live campaign and still need to have your photo taken please email us or be on the look out for an email from us requesting date and time to schedule your photo. This campaign website is a great, FREE resource to showcase your business and our town and your photo/video will help tell your story. For more information or to sign up for this campaign visit our website. Port Townsend Treasures Trivia Hunt Are you looking for a fun, FREE, socially distanced activity to get you out of the house? The Port Townsend Main Street Program has put together a trivia hunt that takes you around the Historic Downtown where you will find and learn things about Port Townsend's colorful past. This hunt is great for families or individuals and is ADA accessible. If you would like to do The Port Townsend Treasures Trivia Hunt, download the Action Bound app on your smart phone and then scan the QR code, which will take you right to the hunt. Valentine's Day is Nearly Here! Looking for something sweet for that sweetheart in your life? Uptown and Downtown have you covered! Whether it is candy, chocolate or pastries, dinner out, take-out, or a truly unique gift for that special someone, you are sure to find it here. #lookherefirst #shopsmall #supportlocal What do you Love About Where you Live? Let's keep our streets clean! A message from the City of Port Townsend: The City of Port Townsend has been working hard to make sure the public trash cans are being tended to regularly with influx of take-out containers due to COVID-19 but there have been some reports of the private garbage cans are not receiving the attention they need. Please remember to empty your garbage cans regularly to help keep our downtown streets and spaces an inviting place for all to be. The Port Townsend Main Street Program is pleased to offer the opportunity to put your state B&O tax dollars to work here in Port Townsend through the work of the Main Street Tax Incentive Program. It's never too early to start thinking about next year! Put your State B&O Taxes to work here in Port Townsend through the 2021 Main Street Tax Incentive Program. 75% of your donation is returned to you via B&O tax credits in 2022. In addition, your entire contribution may qualify as a 501(c)(3) charitable deduction on your 2021 federal income tax return. Details about the Main Street Tax Incentive Program are available on our website. Find out more here! Rotary Bulletin Board on Taylor Street: On hiatus during Covid-19 restrictions. News Around the Block: Jefferson County Farmer's Market Needs Volunteers Interested in volunteering with the Farmers Markets? We have various ways that you can help our small team stay powerful (and keep you safe with physical-distancing). Visit our website for more information on how you can help! Jefferson Land Trust is Hiring! We're hiring for two great roles! Could you or someone you know become our new Conservation Assistant or Communications Coordinator? Find all the details, including the job descriptions and how to apply on our website. And please share with anyone who may be interested in applying! Khu Larb Thai & Little Rose are temporarily closed Khu Larb Thai is currently closed through the month of February while they undergo a kitchen remodel. They will continue to update patrons throughout the project, and will confirm a reopening date once they have one. Virtual Events Jefferson County Historical Society First Friday Speaker Series - Baking and Candy Making with Sugar Hill Farms As Valentine’s Day approaches, love and chocolate are in the air! Join Brenda from Sugar Hill Farms as she shares her recipe for the ultimate hot chocolate bombs – hollow chocolate balls filled with sugary goodness that melt to into delicious, decadent drinks. She’ll also share tips and tricks for the best pie crust, discuss her long family tradition of baking, and share insights on finding grace in imperfection. Suggested donation: $10 Register here via Simpletix: https://jchsmuseum.simpletix.com/e/63129 Chamber Cafe Your Community Conversation The 1st and 3rd Friday of each month Friday, February 5th, 2021 - How do you take an international pandemic and turn it into a positive experience for your organization? Join us and learn about the process and outcomes for the NW School of Wooden Boat Building and its Executive Director Betsy Davis. Pivoting to a successful and sustainable future! Lessons learned from Betsy and her Team! REGISTER HERE. A code will be needed for meeting access. There is no cost to attend and you do not need to be a Chamber Member. Commercial Space Available Prime retail space available on Water Street in the Historic Mount Baker Block Building. CLICK HERE for a list of available spaces. For more information about availability in Flagship Landing and Port Townsend Plaza email Julia Price. For more commercial retail opportunities, visit our website. Help save our Port Townsend Businesses! Port Townsend Athletic Club This unique and "Not your average gym", Is steeped in history and character. It is truly a 'one of a kind' facility with deep local roots that has survived for over 120 years. The Port Townsend Athletic Club has been closed to the public since March 2020 due to COVID-19 and they have been working hard to renovate the club for member safety and enjoyment. For more information on how you can help CLICK HERE. Hilltop Tavern The Hilltop Tavern has been supporting our community for 20 years with their Barstool Bingo every Wednesday night. Some of the organizations that have benefited from this charity event are Kiwanis, Gathering Place, Olympic Neighbors, Salmon Coalition, Camp Beausite, Xmas for Children, Habitat for Humanity, Relay for Life and many more. Judy is currently the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year for all the great work she does for our community. CLICK HERE for more information on how you can help. More COVID-19 "Safe Start" Updates: For more information about grant opportunities and resources, visit our website. For more information about COVID-19 visit these sites: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/1429/COVID-19 Main Street Makes a Difference, Join Us! Main Street Volunteer Mary Kellogg helping plant flowers at our 2020 Earth Day Clean-Up event. Did you know that our nonprofit works in four volunteer committees-- Organization, Design, Economics, and Promotion? With partners, we are working on business recovery plans in response to COVID-19 impacts. We care for the downtown gardens and Adams Street Park. We coordinate Creative District efforts, work on design projects, promote our local economy, and help light up Port Townsend for the holidays. We offer low-interest loan funds to property owners for commercial building renovations and microloans to business owners to offset the financial impacts of emergencies. Our work enhances the quality of life for residents and visitors. Become a member today! Head over to our Port Townsend Main Street website for a complete list of our activities and business resources. Follow us on Facebook, twitter and Instagram. Visit our website for more information ptmainstreet.org view this email in your browser Copyright © 2021 Port Townsend Main Street Program, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 211 Taylor Street, Suite 3 Port Townsend, WA 98368 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. From:Tom Locke To:janetwelch; Kathleen Keenan Cc:Greg Brotherton; vteam@kptz.org; Kate Ingram; Keppie Keplinger; Willie Bence; Heidi Eisenhour; jeffbocc Subject:Re: Data question for Dr. Locke Date:Monday, February 1, 2021 3:54:53 PM Ms. Welch, All of these methods are acceptable methods of tracking case volumes. Washington's current methodology is to compute rates based on date of testing. Since test results can lag by 1 to 7 days, this makes daily rolling averages difficult to compute (a new calculation has to be done every day and then revised as "late" reports come in). Using "date reported" makes this easier to calculate but distorts when the positive specimen was collected. We are expending considerable effort at a local level to compute and publish accurate information on case rates and percentage positive metrics. We do this because the State system is not able to accurately do this. In the case of percent positives this is because they are not able to track the total number of tests done. We appreciate that Jefferson County residents are closely tracking pandemic measures but I have to push back on some of the more extreme data requests. We have a small staff of nurse epidemiologists who are working 6 days/week on case investigation and contact tracing. This is complex and time consuming, especially the support necessary to isolate and quarantine an every shifting population and residents. There have been no staffing increases or significant State support for any of these efforts. Among my duties is to keep staff focused on mission critical communicable disease priorities. Satisfying media or public curiosity about day to day variations in case diagnoses is not our priority. People need to understand that for COVID-19, diagnosed cases are the tip of the pandemic iceberg. The unseen part of the pandemic (5-10 times the case rate, depending on testing intensity) is where the threat is. Adherence to strict masking, distancing, and hygiene is the key strategy for getting to the other end of the pandemic. If you wish to see county and state data reported in Hopkins-like format, I urge you to consult the New York Times which does an excellent job of following the pandemic epidemiology and uses a national standard for reporting. Sincerely, Thomas Locke, MD, MPH From: janetwelch <janet@olympus.net> Sent: Friday, January 29, 2021 10:28 AM To: Kathleen Keenan Cc: Janets Beastie Welch; Greg Brotherton; vteam@kptz.org; Kate Ingram; Keppie Keplinger; Tom Locke; Willie Bence; Heidi Eisenhour; jeffbocc Subject: Data question for Dr. Locke CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Incompatible data: The data used by Hopkins and others document daily averages over a 7 or 14 day period (whether it be cases, hospitalizations, etc) per 100,000. Washington persists in using cumulative numbers over the 14 day period per 100,000. When will Washington adopt the statistical methodology used by the other sources so that accurate comparisons can be made? From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Join NACo and Administration Officials for a National Call on President Biden"s American Rescue Plan Date:Thursday, January 28, 2021 10:51:14 AM From: NACo Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2021 10:51:03 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: Join NACo and Administration Officials for a National Call on President Biden's American Rescue Plan CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Having trouble viewing this email? Click Here National Association of Counties NACo-HQ-facade_700px_1683094.png JOIN NACo AND ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS FOR A NATIONAL CALL ON PRESIDENT BIDEN'S AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN TODAY, JANUARY 28 | 4 P.M. EST Please join the National Association of Counties (NACo) today, January 28 at 4 p.m. EST for a national member call to hear updates on President Biden's American Resue Plan. The White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and David Kamin, deputy assistant to the President and deputy director of the National Economic Council will outline the latest efforts CALL DETAILS DATE: Thursday, January 28 TIME: 4 p.m. EST DIAL-IN: RSVP here to receive dial-in information. QUESTIONS: Email your questions to to provide federal support to counties on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19. question@naco.org. NACo looks forward to working with President Biden and the 117th Congress to address some of the nation's most pressing challenges that affect counties, such as securing bipartisan coronavirus relief, upgrading the nation's infrastructure and achieving the balance of federalism to optimize intergovernmental partnerships. REGISTER FOR THE CALL COVID-19 UPDATES FROM NACo During this critical and unprecedented time, NACo is focused on advocating for the needs of counties at the federal level, disseminating useful information to our members and facilitating the exchange of effective strategies and approaches. We share the latest news and resources online at www.NACo.org/coronavirus. Click below to subscribe to updates. NACo.org/coronavirus SUBSCRIBE TO UPDATES 660 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20001 Did someone forward you this email? Sign up to stay up-to-date on topics affecting America’s counties! Click here to unsubscribe. Thursday, January 28 From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: COVID-19 News | January 28, 2021 Date:Thursday, January 28, 2021 11:01:15 AM From: Washington Counties (WSAC) Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2021 10:59:41 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: COVID-19 News | January 28, 2021 CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Want to receive this email in your inbox? Click here to subscribe. COVID-19 NEWSLETTER Statement on Crossing State Lines for Vaccine Given the limited supply of vaccine that is available at this time and our state’s commitment to equitable and fair access to vaccine, the state of Washington is requiring that those seeking COVID-19 vaccines in its four mass vaccination sites (Ridgefield, Spokane, Kennewick, and Wenatchee) must either live or work in Washington state. Regardless of citizenship or immigration status, all eligible people living or working in Washington should get vaccinated. Read more Announcements and Resources FEDERAL Join NACo and Adminstration Officials for a National Call on President Biden's American Rescue Plan Please join the National Association of Counties (NACo) today, January 28 at 1 p.m. PST for a national member call to hear updates on President Biden's American Rescue Plan. Read more STATE Department of Health Welcomes New Leader of Public-Private Vaccination Effort The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) announced the appointment of Mr. Dan Laster as Director of the COVID-19 Vaccine Action Command and Coordination System (VACCS) Center to create public-private partnerships. In this role, Mr. Laster will tap into the unique capabilities and resources of the private sector to support vaccination efforts across the state of Washington. Read more BUDGET & FINANCE Funding Opportunities Open for Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Fund Commerce’s Public Safety program has opened a funding opportunity for Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) that allows for a wide range of applications focused on preventing, preparing for, and/or responding to the coronavirus. Applications are due to Commerce by 5 p.m. on Feb. 26. Read more EMPLOYMENT County Unemployment Numbers for December 2020 Released Today The monthly employment report is a comprehensive report on Washington’s job market. We report the unemployment rate statewide and for the nation, the number of people in Washington’s workforce and the number of jobs by industry. Read more Weekly New Unemployment Claims Report During the week of January 17-23, there were 16,461 initial regular unemployment claims (down 14.3 percent from the prior week) and 482,158 total claims for all unemployment benefit categories (up 2.8 percent from the prior week) filed by Washingtonians, according to the Employment Security Department (ESD). Read more NOTEWORTHY Why Scientists are Very Worried About the Variant From Brazil New coronavirus variants seem to be cropping up everywhere. There's one from the U.K., which is more contagious and already circulating in the United States. There's one from South Africa, which is forcing Moderna and Pfizer to reformulate their COVID- 19 vaccines and create "booster" shots, just to make sure the vaccines maintain their efficacies. Read more COVID-19 Safety Violations Result in Large Fine for Yakima Area Fruit Company A Yakima area fruit grower and processor has been fined more than $150,000 by the Washington state Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) for violating COVID-19 workplace requirements designed to help keep workers safe on the job. Read more Still No Easy Way to Get Vaccine, but That Could Change Soon Bolstered vaccine shipments, better supplies and a new delivery forecast should soon make it easier to get a vaccine in Washington, Gov. Jay Inslee said Tuesday. Until then, it could take weeks to schedule your shot. Read more Public Health Systems Still Aren’t Ready for the Next Pandemic As state legislatures reconvene, lawmakers in many states will address immediate pandemic demands, such as vaccinations, testing and contact tracing programs. And some will work on measures designed to reopen schools safely. But most states, hamstrung by tight budgets, won’t be able to make the long-term investments needed to shore up their public health infrastructures. Read more VIRTUAL MEETINGS February 1, 12:00 pm | Virtual Assembly Register View this email in your browser This email was sent to Kdean@co.jefferson.wa.us | Why did I get this? Want to change how you receive these emails? Update your preferences | Unsubscribe from this list Copyright © 2021 WSAC, All rights reserved. 206 10th Ave SE · Olympia, WA 98501-1311 · USA | Contact Us From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Release: U.S. Navy conducting force protection exercise at Northwest bases Date:Thursday, January 28, 2021 11:07:46 AM Attachments:210125 -Navy conducting force protection exercise at NW bases.pdf ________________________________________ From: Stanford, Julianne E CIV USN COMNAVREG NW BGR WA (USA) Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2021 11:07:18 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) Subject: Release: U.S. Navy conducting force protection exercise at Northwest bases CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Good morning, The Navy Region Northwest public affairs office sent out a press release earlier this week to announce upcoming training exercises that all Navy installations in the Region will be participating in during the next two weeks, including Naval Magazine Indian Island. I'm forwarding this release on to you to make sure the community is aware of NMII's participation in these exercises. Please let me know if you have any questions! Very respectfully, Julianne Stanford Naval Magazine Indian Island Public Affairs Officer Desk: (360)-396-5393 Cell: (360)-867-8525 julianne.stanford@navy.mil -----Original Message----- From: Nakahara, Liane L CIV USN COMNAVREG NW BGR WA (USA) <liane.nakahara@navy.mil> Sent: Monday, January 25, 2021 11:05 AM Subject: Release: U.S. Navy conducting force protection exercise at Northwest bases Attached and pasted below is a press release for your use regarding an upcoming security exercise taking place on all Northwest U.S. Navy installations, including Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Naval Station Everett, Naval Base Kitsap and Naval Magazine Indian Island. Very Respectfully, Liane Nakahara Public Affairs Specialist Navy Region Northwest Desk: (360) 396-4988 ----------------------------------- January 25, 2021 Release #210125 Navy conducting Force Protection Exercise at Region Bases Silverdale, Wash. - Northwest Navy bases will participate in an annual anti-terrorism force protection exercise called Exercise Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain 2021 (CS/SC 21) February 1-12. Measures have been taken to minimize disruptions within local communities and to normal base operations, but there may be times when the exercise causes increased traffic around bases or delays in base access due to temporary gate closures or other security-related activities. Area residents may also see or hear security and other first responder activities associated with the exercise, including potentially seeing training smoke, hearing small explosive sounds, observing increased response vehicle activity, or observing increased vessel activity on the water near an installation. The simulations are part of the training exercise and pose no safety risk. Advanced coordination has taken place with local law enforcement and first responders. The safety and security of our people, equipment and facilities is a top priority. This important annual exercise is designed to ensure Navy personnel are at peak readiness to deter and respond to potential security threats. This regularly scheduled exercise is not in response to any specific threat, but it is based on realistic scenarios designed to increase readiness. It is Navy policy not to discuss the specifics of Force Protection; therefore, the details of the exercise will not be released. Exercise CS/SC 21 is conducted by Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command and Commander, Navy Installations Command at all Navy installations located in the continental United States. The Navy routinely conducts this type of security and other emergency response exercises to ensure readiness and improve coordination, communication and collaboration with other agencies during emergency situations. -USN- For more information, contact the Navy Region Northwest Public Affairs Office at 360-396-1630 or nrnw-pao[at]navy.mil. From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: communication and covid vaccinations Date:Thursday, January 28, 2021 11:17:46 AM From: Bruce Loeffler Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2021 11:17:34 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean; Heidi Eisenhour; Greg Brotherton Subject: communication and covid vaccinations CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Dear Kate, Heidi and Greg, Thank you for your service on the County Board of Commissioners. I am concerned that the Board, via the County Health Department and Jefferson Healthcare is NOT communicating adequately with the public about covid vaccinations. As I understand it, the County Health Department is in charge of the distribution of vaccines that are delivered from the State to Jefferson County. It is my understanding that Jefferson Healthcare is administering the majority of those vaccinations, with the exception of some vaccinations given in Port Hadlock. Jefferson Healthcare operates the Covid-19 website for the County, essentially, which alerts people to their eligibility and provides a way to sign up for appointments. Jefferson Healthcare sent mass e-mails to everyone in their system to alert them that people 85 and older were eligible for vaccinations; then 80 and above; then 75 and above. So far so good. Then vaccination appointments were canceled for the last week in February, the age limit was dropped TEN years to 65, and the website said it was not possible to make any reservations. Meaning, whenever they let people make appointments, many more people would be competing for fewer slots (with many slots already committed to second shots for the people who had already received their first shots). Then the Jefferson Healthcare site was changed (without any notification to the public via their e-mail distribution) that you had to sign up to be notified when you were eligible, whereas I had already been assuming they would notify me when I was eligible (I am 70). Then I heard you could volunteer in the vaccination lines and be put in Category 1a and get vaccinated. Friends who heard early got appointments to volunteer; those that heard later did not. This announcement was not made to the general public, but to a privileged few. In other words, access to vaccinations was an inside, who you knew situation, rather than an egalitarian system where everyone has equal opportunity. Then I heard that there were vaccine appointments at QFC in Port Hadlock. Friends who heard earlier got appointments, but I did not. Does QFC have independent access to vaccine, or are they administering vaccines for the County??? Let people know. If they are administering vaccines for the County, how come I did not know?? If QFC is handling vaccinations for the County, then eligibility for those vaccines and sign up access for ALL covid vaccines should be handled via the Jefferson Healthcare site. I was waiting patiently for my turn to be announced via the Jefferson Healthcare website. But now I do not know what’s going on. And I am scrambling. Am anxious and angry that the County is not communicating more clearly and more transparently. What I want to know, on really a daily basis via mass e-mails from Jefferson Healthcare is: Why was the age dropped TEN years from 75 to 65, while it had been proceeding in an orderly fashion of five-year tranches?? How many people will be trying to sign up for vaccinations for the 65-75 year old group? When we will be able to sign up for appointments? And how will I be notified? Are you holding back vaccine for the second-shot reservations as a priority? I personally think this is a good idea, but I would like to know what is going on, not guessing. Has Jefferson County or will Jefferson County receive Moderna vaccine? Have all the immunizations so far been Pfizer?? What are tn numbers? [I am currently signed up to get my first shot of Moderna at the Sequim QFC, but I don’t know if I will be rejected because I do not live in Clallam County. If I do get a shot there, will I be able to get a second shot of Moderna at Jefferson Healthcare?] I also think the public has a right to know in real time how many does of vaccine the county has received, who they were administered to (what groups). How much vaccine is the County holding in reserve for second shots? What shipments of what vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) is the County anticipating? When it is delivered, I would like to know how many doses of which vaccine were delivered. Who they are planning on administering it t?. How many does for second shots? How many does for the next group (65-75 year olds, currently)? Who is on deck, what group will be next? Will everybody who wants a vaccine in the previous group get a vaccine before the next group is eligible? Or do I risk forever being squeezed out as a 70 year old?? I am asking for transparency and fairness. A structured system with sufficient (and really, very much more) communication so that I always know what is going on, what all of my options are for getting a vaccine. This should be centralized on the Jefferson Healthcare website, with push notifications to everyone in their system. I should be able to wait patiently for my turn, knowing roughly when it will come and how I will be notified and sign up. I should not be left wondering. And I should not be scrambling for appointments that only some people hear about. Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. Be fair. Be fair. Be fair. Please get this straightened out. Failure to communicate is causing unnecessary anxiety and anger. Honestly, form my point of view, nothing is more important right now. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Bruce bruce.loeffler@pobox.com 805 704 5161 1505 V Street, PT From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Applications Now Live for the Citizens" Institute on Rural Design Date:Thursday, January 28, 2021 11:24:24 AM From: Carol McCreary Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2021 11:23:29 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Carol McCreary Subject: Applications Now Live for the Citizens' Institute on Rural Design CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Dear Friends, Please have a quick look at this opportunity from the Citizens' Institute on Rural Design (CIRD). Here is the 3-page prospectus on the 2021-2022 CIRD Learning Cohort. Applications are due March 11, 2021 This week I was inspired by the opportunity to see most of you at meetings of the Tiny House HAT of the Housing Solutions Network, the Quimper Community Housing Collective, and a PHLUSH session with and human-centered design facilitator Jasmine Burton. Most of us need one another to flesh our ideas out; with help from rural communities elsewhere, we can discover what is possible. 1. Do you have experience with design workshops or learning cohorts of this type? 2. What possibilities, programs, or projects for Jefferson County come to mind? 3. Are any of you already making plans to apply? Please share your thoughts. Names are bcc'd to avoid a crazy email circus. I'll consolidate replies for you before the February 9th (11 am Pacific) orientation for prospective applicants. With appreciation for your work in our communities, Carol Carol McCreary, Volunteer Public Hygiene Lets Us Stay Human (PHLUSH) 1240 W. Sims Way #59, Port Townsend WA 98368 www.phlush.org @PortlandPHLUSH carol@phlush.org 503.984.4081 From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Coronavirus Pandemic Resources for Counties – January 28, 2021 Date:Thursday, January 28, 2021 3:33:25 PM From: NACo Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2021 3:33:08 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: Coronavirus Pandemic Resources for Counties – January 28, 2021 CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Having trouble viewing this email? Click Here federal-policy-feed_969768.png NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES | NACo.org/coronavirus JANUARY 28, 2021 COUNTIES CALL ON CONGRESS TO PASS CORONAVIRUS RELIEF PACKAGE WITH ESSENTIAL AID FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS The National Association of Counties (NACo) today sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, calling on Congress to immediately pass the support featured in the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan, a proposal that includes $350 billion in critical aid to state, local and territorial governments. NACo also joined the U.S. Conference of Mayors and National League of Cities today to host a virtual press conference and issue a statement calling on Congress to pass direct assistance to counties and cities. READ NACo's LETTER | WATCH THE PRESS CONFERENCE | VIEW JOINT STATEMENT Call Recording: NACo Member Call with Biden Administration Officials Today, NACo hosted a call with the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and the National Economic Council, which outlined the latest efforts to provide federal support to counties on the front lines in the fight against COVID- 19. ACCESS THE RECORDING FEDERAL POLICY NEWS & RESOURCES White House COVID-19 response team holds first press briefing On January 27, the Biden administration held its first COVID-19 response team press briefing. Highlights of the briefing include remarks on increasing capacity and supply of vaccines, addressing concerns about COVID-19 variants and providing an update on efforts to improve equity in vaccinations. WATCH BRIEFING President Biden signs COVID-19 executive orders; pledges to increase vaccine supply to states The executive actions are diverse in scope but focus on expanding testing capacity, improving vaccine distribution and providing sufficient supplies and personal protective equipment. Additionally, on January 26, President Biden announced that he would increase overall weekly vaccination distribution to states, tribes and territories from 8.6 million doses to a minimum of 10 million doses, starting next week, and noted that the administration would ensure that state and local governments would have a three-week forecast on vaccine dose supplies. READ MORE FEMA announces plans to support vaccine distribution On January 25, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that it would take steps to support local vaccine distribution efforts. The agency has established a new Interagency Vaccination Task Force, and is deploying FEMA staff in the form of the National Guard to vaccination sites in support of state requests. The agency has obligated nearly $1 billion for COVID-19 vaccination efforts, and will expedite reimbursement for eligible emergency work projects and safe opening and operation of eligible facilities, such as schools and child care facilities. READ MORE CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND (CRF) SPOTLIGHT VACCINE DISTRIBUTION Macomb County, Mich.DuPage County, Ill. DuPage County intends to invest a portion of its direct CRF allocation for the purchase of two ultra-cold freezers to store COVID-19 vaccines. The county has partnered with local organizations to store vaccine doses until these freezers are delivered and operational. LEARN MORE Tippecanoe County, Ind. Tippecanoe County allocated a large portion of its CRF sub-allocation from the state to cover expenses related to its COVID-19 vaccine clinic. The location is opened to residents ages 70 and older and the county has established a 24- minute process that includes inoculation, a 15-minute monitoring window and the scheduling of each resident’s second appointment. LEARN MORE To find additional examples of how counties are investing federal CRF dollars, visit NACo’s CRF resource hub. HOW COUNTIES ARE RESPONDING County News Coverage: COVID-19 County News has explored many facets of county governments' response to the COVID-19 pandemic, big and small. LEARN MORE NKN_Banner_collection-covid_1729564.png FEB 4 County Eviction Series: Solutions from Across the Country FEBRUARY 4 | 2 - 3 P.M. EST REGISTER FEB 5 Fighting Food Insecurity During COVID-19 and Beyond: Key Updates for County Leaders FEBRUARY 5 | 2 - 3:15 P.M. EST REGISTER FEB 5 Vaccine Management Solutions for Local Governments FEBRUARY 5 | 3 - 4 P.M. EST REGISTER MORE UPCOMING EXPLORE ON-DEMAND NACo PARTNER RESOURCES Today, Surgo Ventures released their COVID-19 Community Vulnerability toolkit, a set of tools designed to provide solutions to addressing the inequity gap in the pandemic’s impacts. The dashboard is a comprehensive tool for designing evidence-based, data-driven solutions. Visit www.data.precisionforcovid.org to explore the toolkit, and for help working with the data in your county, contact covid19@surgoventures.org. Enhancing Fiscal Resilience in a Disruptive Environment webinar: Listen to NACo, KPMG and county officials discuss different approaches to enhance resilience in light of shifting public health, economic, budgetary and community dynamics. COVID-19 UPDATES FROM NACo During this critical and unprecedented time, NACo is focused on advocating for the needs of counties at the federal level, disseminating useful information to our members and facilitating the exchange of effective strategies and approaches. We share the latest news and resources online at www.NACo.org/coronavirus, as well as via this recurring digest. Click below to subscribe to updates. NACo.org/coronavirus SUBSCRIBE TO UPDATES 2021_Virtual-Leg-Conf-Ad_652_1802832.png 660 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20001 Did someone forward you this email? Sign up to stay up-to-date on topics affecting America’s counties! Click here to unsubscribe. From:Greg Brotherton To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: WSAC Coastal Caucus + Maritime Washington National Heritage Area Date:Friday, January 29, 2021 7:39:28 AM Attachments:MW-NHA One-Pager.pdf From: Lynn Fiorillo-Lowe Sent: Friday, January 29, 2021 7:32:32 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Coastal Caucus Cc: Brynn Brady Subject: FW: WSAC Coastal Caucus + Maritime Washington National Heritage Area CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Hello Coastal caucus members, See the note below from the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation. They are doing some outreach for the Maritime WA National Heritage Area. Take a look at the materials and if you don't mind, let me know your interest in having a virtual CC meeting to learn more and discuss with them. Thanks!! Dear WSAC Coastal Caucus Members, Greetings from the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation! I’m reaching out to share some information about the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area and how your county can help shape this new program. As you may know, the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area (MW-NHA) was officially designated by Congress in 2019 as a nationally significant cultural landscape. The heritage area encompasses 3,000 miles of Washington State’s saltwater coastline, from Grays Harbor County to the Canadian border—including 18 federally recognized tribes, 13 counties, 32 incorporated cities, 30 ports, and your counties. Managed by the nonprofit Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, the MW-NHA works to build partnerships and increase collaboration in order to support heritage tourism, strengthen maritime organizations, and provide a platform for the diverse, water-based stories and culture along our coast. National Heritage Areas: Are supported by the National Park Service but are locally managed and entirely non- regulatory. Focus on facilitating partnerships and aligning goals between multiple jurisdictions, private industries, nonprofits, and other entities to support communities in sharing their unique stories and maintaining resources that matter to them. Are flexible programs that can support locally identified needs, including historic preservation, economic development, natural resource conservation, recreation, heritage tourism, and education. Throughout the first half of 2021, there will be lots of opportunities for members of the public to help chart a course for the MW-NHA through virtual regional workshops, surveys, social media, focus groups, and more. I’ve attached here a flyer about the heritage area and encourage you to visit our website for additional information. We would love to speak with you about your county’s goals and how the MW-NHA can be crafted to provide value to your community. If you would like to speak further, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at agradwohl@preservewa.org or 206-735-3932. We would be delighted to set up a call, send additional materials, or present at one of your local meetings. Best wishes, Alex Alexandra Gradwohl | Project Manager she / her / hers Washington Trust for Historic Preservation 1204 Minor Avenue | Seattle, WA 98101 206-735-3932 (d) | 206-624-9449 (o) agradwohl@preservewa.org | www.preservewa.org -- Brynn Brady Ceiba Consulting | Martin Flynn Public Affairs, Inc. | 253.686.3387 January 29, 2021 COUNTY NEWS A Rural County in Washington State Hasn't Wasted a Single Covid-19 Vaccine Dose. Here's its secret A rural county in Washington state is lapping the field when it comes to distribution of the coronavirus vaccine. A big part of the reason Kittitas County says it is outpacing the vaccine rates in the state is that it's had a lot of practice in triaging and managing From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Friday 5 | Vaccine | Phase 2 | Critical Aid Date:Friday, January 29, 2021 10:01:31 AM From: Washington Counties (WSAC) Sent: Friday, January 29, 2021 9:59:54 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: Friday 5 | Vaccine | Phase 2 | Critical Aid CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. disasters, especially wildfires. COUNTY NEWS WEA Test Planned for February 25 in Pierce, King, and Thurston At 11:00 am, February 25, the Washington Emergency Management Division and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will jointly send a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) test message across many wireless devices in King, Pierce and Thurston counties. This is a test in the run-up to our launch later this year of an Earthquake Early Warning system in Washington state. NACo NEWS Counties Call on Congress to Pass Coronavirus Relief Package with Essential Aid for Local Governments The National Association of Counties (NACo) sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, calling on Congress to immediately pass the support featured in the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan, a proposal that includes $350 billion in critical aid to state, local and territorial governments. Learn More Learn More Learn More COVID NEWS Roadmap to Recovery Update; Two Regions to Move into Phase 2 The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) announced that based on Governor Jay Inslee’s updated Roadmap to Recovery phased reopening plan, the following regions will move into Phase 2: Puget Sound, West. The following regions will remain in in Phase 1: East, South Central, North Central, Northwest, Southwest, North. Phase changes will go into effect on Monday, February 1, 2021 and remain in effect until Monday, February 15, 2021. STATE NEWS $1.5 million Available for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety The Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) is seeking applications for funding in response to RFP 2021-01, “Walker and/or Roller Safety Enhancement Projects.” There is $1.5 million in federal funding available. The deadline for applications is March 19, 2021. FEBRUARY 11 Making Your Job Easier with MRSC Services FEBRUARY 17 An Introduction to Public Works Contracting Learn More Learn More UPCOMING EVENTS 11:00 am | Free Webinar 10:00 am | $35 | Webinar facebook twitter instagram linkedIn wsac.org View this email in your browser This email was sent to Kdean@co.jefferson.wa.us | Why did I get this? Want to change how you receive these emails? Update your preferences | Unsubscribe from this list Copyright © 2021 Washington State Association of Counties, All rights reserved. 206 10th Ave SE · Olympia, WA 98501-1311 · USA | Contact Us View More Upcoming Events FOLLOW US From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Panelist for Commission Zoom Meeting Date:Friday, January 29, 2021 10:26:09 AM From: Karen Erickson Sent: Friday, January 29, 2021 10:25:53 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: Panelist for Commission Zoom Meeting CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Hi Kate Dean, You are invited to a Zoom webinar. Date Time: This is a recurring webinar Topic: Commission Zoom Meeting Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device: Click Here to Join Note: This link should not be shared with others; it is unique to you. Passcode: 911887 Add to Calendar Add to Google Calendar Add to Yahoo Calendar Description: This can be used for any Commission Zoom Meeting Or iPhone one-tap: US: +12532158782,,86269043651# or +16699009128,,86269043651# Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 253 215 8782 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 Webinar ID: 862 6904 3651 Participant ID: 1183032 Passcode: 911887 International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kegrwDROJ1 From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: We Assist Counties with COVID Vaccination Nurse Staffing Pods for Mass Vaccination and Augmenting Staff Date:Friday, January 29, 2021 10:49:14 AM Attachments:image002.png Importance:High From: Dan Dietrich Sent: Friday, January 29, 2021 10:48:49 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Dan Dietrich Subject: We Assist Counties with COVID Vaccination Nurse Staffing Pods for Mass Vaccination and Augmenting Staff CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Good Afternoon, Let us do the heavy lifting. We have staffing and resources to support surge COVID-19 immunization programs Nationwide, typically in fully staffed immunization pods for drive-thru, outdoor or indoor configurations. Our team has experience supporting FEMA, City of Houston and the Oil & Gas Industry. We are in discussions to contract with other agencies in California. We can even do site setup. If you are interested, please contact me for more details. We also welcome you to visit https://joganhealth.com/covid-immunization-staff to view our full package of industry leading COVID-19 response staffing, technology and product solutions. We can also assist with FEMA reimbursement as applicable. If you are not the correct person for this, please kindly forward me to the correct person within your organization. I know what an urgent matter this is, you can reach me on my cell phone at any time: 303-374-4988. If you are not the correct contact, can you please kindly assist me in connecting with the people handling the vaccination staffing and planning. Thank You, Dan Dietrich President W: www.joganhealth.com E: dan.dietrich@joganhealth.com P: 303-374-4988 Dan Dietrich President W: www.joganhealth.com E: dan.dietrich@joganhealth.com P: 303-374-4988 From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Chamber Cafe Friday, February 5th with NW School of Wooden Boatbuilding Date:Friday, January 29, 2021 11:45:28 AM From: Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce Sent: Friday, January 29, 2021 11:45:19 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: Chamber Cafe Friday, February 5th with NW School of Wooden Boatbuilding CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. www.jeffcountychamber.org 360.385.7869 director@jeffcountychamber.org Join us on Zoom, Friday morning, 2.5.21 at10:00 for an hour of Chamber Cafe, acommunity conversation discussing a majorpandemic pivot and what that means to thisorganization and our community. How do you take an international pandemic and turn itinto a positive experience for your organization? Joinus and learn about the process and outcomes forthe NW School of Wooden Boat Building and it'sExecutive Director Betsy Davis. Pivoting to asuccessful and sustainable future! Lessons learnedfrom Betsy and her Team! Please register for this session. A code will be neededfor meeting access. There is no cost to attend. You do not need to be a Chamber member to Chamber Cafe Your Community Conversation The 1st and 3rd Friday of each month participate but will need to bring your own coffee andmuffins! We Are All in This Together! Register for Chamber Cafe Your Ad could be reaching this large audience at no cost to you! Just ask us! The Chamber is investing in our Community & YOUR business. The Chamber of Jefferson County Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce | 2409 Jefferson Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 Unsubscribe kdean@co.jefferson.wa.us Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by director@jeffcountychamber.org powered by Try email marketing for free today! From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Ask MRSC: January 2021 Date:Friday, January 29, 2021 11:57:56 AM From: Ask MRSC Sent: Friday, January 29, 2021 11:57:43 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: Ask MRSC: January 2021 CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. January 2021 IN THIS ISSUE I am interested in training resources to become more adept with finding what I need in our municipal code and the RCW and WAC. Do you have any suggestions? Can local governments provide anything of monetary value as an incentive to the public to participate in various community engagement efforts? Can an executive session be called for council to set wages for the upcoming budget year? Is there a process for cities to write-off bad debt? Can the mayor in a mayor-council city change employee work shifts from the typical five 8-hour work days to four 10-hour work days per Have a question? Officials and employees from eligible government agencies can use our free one-on-one inquiry service, Ask MRSC. Ask MRSC week? Correction: When the State Auditor audits a local government agency or special taxing district and the State Auditor has a finding, what does that mean for the agency that was audited? Correction: Can we use REET 1 or 2 revenue for street and road preservation work? Scroll down to read the answers I am interested in training resources to become more adept with finding what I need in our municipal code and the RCW and WAC. Do you have any suggestions? With respect to municipal code searches, we see that you use Code Publishing for your municipal code. Take a look at their "Tour" page which has some information regarding the "main interface," "printing and saving," and the "advance search" features of their codes. They also offer some YouTube training videos on browsing and searching online codes. For help with codes hosted by Municode, see their help page, which includes a video tutorial among other resources. For RCW and WAC searches, take a look at the following pages: RCW Search - allows for searching the RCW, and optionally, dispositions and supplements, as well as historical versions of the code WAC Search - allows for searching the WAC Each of these pages also include links to a Public LegSearch Help manual that contains guidance on searching both the RCW and WAC including creating basic search queries, viewing and navigating results, and advanced search techniques. You might also be interested in reviewing MRSC’s custom search tools that include city and county website and combined city/county code search tools. The combined city/county code searches are helpful when you want to locate and view sample code provisions from multiple jurisdictions. The combined website searches are great tools for accessing all sorts of information on what other jurisdictions are doing. Can local governments provide anything of monetary value as an incentive to the public to participate in various community engagement efforts? A public agency may provide incentives such as gift cards or other small gifts without violating the state’s prohibition on gifting of public funds, provided there is an articulated public purpose for doing so. From our Gift of Public Funds webpage: In assessing whether a gift has been bestowed to a private entity, the courts have used a two- step process. First, they determine whether the funds are being expended to carry out a fundamental purpose of the government. If so, then no gift of public funds has been made. Otherwise, the court looks to see whether the government entity had a “donative intent,” and whether it received an adequate return for the transfer. If an incentive program serves a valid purpose of government, then incentivizing participation in that program is not a gift. For example, providing wellness awards to patients that participate in annual check- ups at a hospital district are not gifts under the law. A hospital could also use gift card drawings to get patients to respond to satisfaction surveys. The hospital would be receiving something of value in exchange for the gift card – namely a response to the survey. Similarly, providing some incentive to participate in a community planning process is serving an important governmental purpose. If a city or other public entity does choose to offer incentives, it should adopt—in advance-- a reasonable policy regarding the incentives and the policy should articulate a valid municipal purpose for the expenditures. If gift cards or other items of monetary value are given as more of an “afterthought” or thank you gift, this would look less like an incentive program and more like a gift. We recommend discussing the specifics of any program with your city attorney. They will be in the best position to assist in developing an official policy that complies with the constitutional limitations regarding gifting of public funds. Can an executive session be called for council to set wages for the upcoming budget year? You cannot discuss wage rates in executive or closed session except in the context of collective bargaining. Even then, final action establishing the wage rates must be taken in an open meeting. RCW 42.30.110(g) allows for an executive session: To evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for public employment or to review the performance of a public employee. However, subject to RCW 42.30.140(4), discussion by a governing body of salaries, wages, and other conditions of employment to be generally applied within the agency shall occur in a meeting open to the public, and when a governing body elects to take final action hiring, setting the salary of an individual employee or class of employees, or discharging or disciplining an employee, that action shall be taken in a meeting open to the public; (Emphasis added.) Is there a process for cities to write-off bad debt? MRSC recommends that the city council adopt a policy providing for write-offs, stating the criteria that must be met before the write-off can occur. Such a policy should apply to all types of accounts receivable (water, sewer, garbage, court fines and other fees and charges that the city may impose). The policy should consider the variables for each type of receivable with specific criteria and internal controls in place to ensure that the city’s assets (receivables) are being safeguarded, then staff could write the debt off without further council involvement. There are several cities that have adopted write-off policies. Here are a few examples: West Richland Municipal Code, Section 3.09.030 Collection – Write-off Lakewood Municipal Code, Section 3.22.020 - Write-off Poulsbo Municipal Code, Section 3.72.040 - Uncollectible debts Bellevue Municipal Code, Section 3.32.100 - Authority of director regarding delinquent accounts Yelm Municipal Code, Section 13.04.290 - Nonpayment of charges Can the mayor in a mayor-council city change employee work shifts from the typical five 8-hour work days to four 10-hour work days per week? With the approval of the city council, the city could implement a change to the current schedule, such as to 4 days at 10 hours per day. The city council has the authority to set the office hours for the city offices. RCW 35A.21.070 provides that “All code city offices shall be kept open for the transaction of business during such days and hours as the legislative body of such city shall by ordinance prescribe.” RCW 35A.11.020 grants to the city council the power to “define the functions, powers, and duties of its officers….to fix the compensation and working conditions of such officers…” As the mayor, you have authority over the day-to-day operations of the city including day-to-day supervision of employees. We suggest you propose to the council the schedule change you want for the work week and then work with the city council to consider the change and corresponding changes to your local personnel manual and policies and procedures regarding hours. Here is MRSC’s webpage Personnel Policy Manuals with samples of other cities’ policies. A multi-code search on “office hours” turns up a number of sample code provisions establishing hour of operation including Monday through Thursday hours instead of five days per week. Correction: When the State Auditor audits a local government agency or special taxing district and the State Auditor has a finding, what does that mean for the agency that was audited? Last month in our December issue of Ask MRSC we published a response to the above audit finding inquiry. Our published response needs a bit of explaining. We receive numerous inquiries every day and frequently we have both verbal conversations as well as email exchanges with the inquiring local government entity. In this case we had both. The published response in our December issue of Ask MRSC did not include the verbal context that clarified the question of “what does that mean for the agency that was audited? Our response to that question is that an audit finding demonstrates that the local government agency has failed to comply with specific criteria required that may and/or has impacted local government’s internal controls over public resources or other issues. When auditors have significant concerns about a government’s operations or specific areas of legal compliance (for example, bid law) they will issue an audit finding. An audit finding is usually accompanied by recommendations by the auditors for improvements to fix the issues in the future. Our previous publication of this inquiry indicated that audit findings are part of a step process, however this is not necessarily true. It is important to note that audit findings can be issued during any audit if the compliance issues are significant or an isolated incident such as failure to comply with federal single audit requirements have been missed. Regardless, audit findings are always considered to be significant compliance issues that require the local agency to address the deficiency as quickly as possible. The State Auditor's Office adds the following comment: A finding typically reports a significant deficiency of a compliance or internal control nature that was identified during an audit and needs corrective action by the entity. The finding is included in the public audit report which is posted on the Office of the Washington State Auditor’s website. The entity’s subsequent audit will assess the status of any prior reported audit finding and what corrective action was taken on the issue(s) cited in the finding. The auditors will determine whether additional reporting, such as repeating the finding, is necessary or if the issue has been partially or fully addressed. Correction: Can we use REET 1 or 2 revenue for street and road preservation work? In our November issue of the Ask MRSC e-newsletter we published an inquiry that discussed the use of REET funds for street preservation. We would like to state that each entity that utilizes restricted resources such as REET may have specific circumstances that would alter the nature of our response. The REET legislation is very complex and has been modified by legislation over the past few years adding to the complexity. Any questions that you may have about the use of REET funds for your street and road projects should be presented to our Ask MRSC inquiry system and submitted to our office for analysis that will consider your specific set of circumstances. MRSC strives to provide timely and accurate responses to all of the inquiries received by local government, however every inquiry is unique and specific to the inquiring entity. Our monthly Ask MRSC e-newsletter provides a brief summary of some of the more common questions. We encourage everyone to direct their specific questions to one of our consultants to assure an accurate response to your specific set of circumstances. Thank you to our generous sponsors Stay Informed MRSC publishes a number of e-newsletters related to local government issues. You can also keep up with us on social media. Manage your Subscription ‌ ‌ If you have questions or comments for the newsletter editor, please contact Byron Katsuyama, Public Policy & Management Consultant or Jill Dvorkin, Legal Consutant. MRSC.org MRSC | 2601 Fourth Avenue, Suite 800, Seattle, WA 98121 Unsubscribe kdean@co.jefferson.wa.us Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by it@mrsc.org From:Jason Loihle To:DG_All_CityCouncil Cc:Hart, Jason; aunthank@co.clallam.wa.us; jeffbocc; "commissioners@co.clallam.wa.us"; "dchschscustomerservice@doh.wa.gov"; "kevin.vandewege@leg.wa.gov"; "steve.theringer@leg.wa.gov"; "mike.chapman@let.wa.gov" Subject:Sequim Letter of Support to Decouple from NW Group Date:Tuesday, February 2, 2021 12:58:12 PM Attachments:LOS decoupling Clallam and Jefferson from NW Group. COVID.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. For all parties concerned, The attached .pdf was sent to the Gov. Inslee via the portal as seen below regarding the Cities support of the 24th District Legislative delegation’s statement in response to the business reopening metrics announced Thursday by Gov. Jay Inslee. Send Gov. Inslee an e-message | Governor Jay Inslee (wa.gov) Thank you, Jason Loihle, MBA, LSSBB Parks and Arts Manager & Continuous Improvement Analyst 152 W. Cedar Street Sequim, WA 98382 (360) 582-2458 Office (360) 912-2158 Cell “If this Lean stuff seems easy you’re probably not doing it” – Jim Womack From:Gores, Alanna To:"Jason Loihle"; DG_All_CityCouncil Cc:Hart, Jason; Unthank, Allison; jeffbocc; "dchschscustomerservice@doh.wa.gov"; "kevin.vandewege@leg.wa.gov"; "steve.theringer@leg.wa.gov"; "mike.chapman@let.wa.gov"; Rod Fleck; Grafstrom, Audrey ; nwest@cityofpa.us; Kari Martinez-Bailey Subject:RE: Sequim Letter of Support to Decouple from NW Group Date:Tuesday, February 2, 2021 1:04:22 PM Attachments:Covid Recovery Plan.pdf LOS decoupling Clallam and Jefferson from NW Group. COVID.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Attached is a copy of the letter that the BOCC sent to Gov. Inslee today. Loni Gores Clerk of the Board Commissioners Office 223 East 4th Street, Suite 4 Port Angeles, WA 98362 Phone: 360-417-2256 From: Jason Loihle [mailto:jloihle@sequimwa.gov] Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2021 12:58 PM To: DG_All_CityCouncil Cc: Hart, Jason; Unthank, Allison; 'jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us'; Gores, Alanna; 'dchschscustomerservice@doh.wa.gov'; 'kevin.vandewege@leg.wa.gov'; 'steve.theringer@leg.wa.gov'; 'mike.chapman@let.wa.gov' Subject: Sequim Letter of Support to Decouple from NW Group For all parties concerned, The attached .pdf was sent to the Gov. Inslee via the portal as seen below regarding the Cities support of the 24th District Legislative delegation’s statement in res *** EXTERNAL EMAIL *** This message was sent from outside our County network. sophospsmartbannerendFor all parties concerned, The attached .pdf was sent to the Gov. Inslee via the portal as seen below regarding the Cities support of the 24th District Legislative delegation’s statement in response to the business reopening metrics announced Thursday by Gov. Jay Inslee. Send Gov. Inslee an e-message | Governor Jay Inslee (wa.gov) Thank you, Jason Loihle, MBA, LSSBB Parks and Arts Manager & Continuous Improvement Analyst 152 W. Cedar Street Sequim, WA 98382 (360) 582-2458 Office (360) 912-2158 Cell “If this Lean stuff seems easy you’re probably not doing it” – Jim Womack From:Brian V To:jeffbocc Subject:Fwd: Covid Restrictions Date:Wednesday, February 3, 2021 10:11:08 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Dear Board, I sent this email to you on January 28 and I still do not have a response. I would expect, as elected officials, you would respond within 48 hours to an email. I request your response. Sincerely, Brian Vervynck ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Brian V <bdv1945@gmail.com> Date: Thu, Jan 28, 2021 at 3:12 PM Subject: Covid Restrictions To: <jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us> Dear Commissioners, I want to thank you for the great work you do. I read today that Gov. Inslee is opening several counties to limited indoor dining and I did not see Jefferson County on the list. I think it is vital for our local restaurants that they are allowed to open to the same standards as King, Snohomish Counties, etc. What can you all do about this? Sincerely, Brian Vervynck Mobile: 425-457-6387 From:Shira Goodman To:jeffbocc Cc:Goodman Brian Subject:Fwd: Confirmation - Statewide Broadband Initiative Date:Wednesday, February 3, 2021 11:44:00 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. I would like to share with you an email I sent today to the Washington State Dept of Commerce re. their Broadband Initiative. I’m very concerned that they are forgetting us out here on the Peninsula and that we won’t see any relief for many years, if at all. Our need is urgent, and I would appreciate a response from Heidi, my local Commissioner, as well as the Board as a whole. Shira Goodman 34 Ridgeview Dr Port Townsend (Woodland Hills neighborhood) (626) 318-9317 PS - Your contact page shows David Sullivan as District 2 Commissioner with his contact info. Heidi Eisenhour’s info is not listed. I found her listed on LinkedIn but the email listed is for her art, not county business. Begin forwarded message: From: Smartsheet Forms <forms@app.smartsheet.com> Subject: Confirmation - Statewide Broadband Initiative Date: February 3, 2021 at 11:12:46 AM PST To: shiragoodman@me.com Thank you for submitting your entry. A copy is included below for your records. Statewide Broadband Initiative Your name Shira Goodman Your e-mail address shiragoodman@me.com Subject Rural Port Townsend – DON'T FORGET ABOUT US! Message WE CANNOT OPERATE OUR HOME-BASED BUSINESSSUCCESSFULLY WITHOUT RELIABLE INTERNET. OUR PROBLEMIS EXTREME AND URGENT. We have lived in the lower Woodland Hills neighborhood ofunincorporated Port Townsend for 4 years, a few blocks away from theJefferson County International Airport. Although we have learned thatthe airport and the fire station there have very high speed FIOSbroadband internet, the internet service to our area is spotty andinsufficient. My husband is a photographer and designer. We’ve been unable totransfer large file documents, even with the assistance of internet apps,because we can’t even upload our files to them. We’ve had to spendhundreds of dollars to overnight art files to out-of-state galleries. At times, I’ve been unable to submit Excise Tax reports, and throughoutthe Covid pandemic, when we have been eligible for unemploymentassistance, I have spent literally HOURS trying to submit my reportingto the ESD, trying various browsers, waiting for buffering to finish,having to restart the process, etc. Accessing emails, paying bills online,researching data, online shopping (both business & personal) have allbeen very difficult to do and at times impossible. Zoom meetings, which have become crucial for everyone during thepandemic, for both business and for keeping in touch with friends andfamily, have been very difficult, especially if we both have Zoomsscheduled for the same time. We’re often “frozen” or get bumped off themeeting. Even simply being able to stream a movie or tv show during thispandemic has been frustrating and unreliable, sometimes withexcessive buffering, and sometimes without being able to access theprogram or streaming service at all. Centurylink is our only option. Wave isn’t available to us, and they toldus that WE would have to pay at least $25,000 personally for them toexpand their infrastructure to bring internet to us. Centurylink has toldus the same thing, even though they already have very high speedinternet only a few blocks away. The highest amount of bandwidth we can purchase is only a mere 20mbps! Most days, our internet speed ranges between 3 and 9, but it hasgone as low as 1.2 or cut out completely for spans of time. We havecontinually complained to Centurylink technical and customer serviceand have had numerous service calls to our home. Nothing they havedone helps. They claim that the full 20 mbps is coming to our home,however during the last service call, when the tech recorded only 9mbps. Their advice to us is to turn off ALL of our other wifi devices,which is ridiculous and impractical. WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MANDATE THAT CENTURYLINK ORWAVE BRING FIOS INTERNET LINES TO OUR AREA. ALL THE OFTHE FOCUS BY THE STATE SEEMS TO BE ON MAINLANDWASHINGTON. PLEASE DON’T FORGET ABOUT US OUT HERE ONTHE PENINSULA. Powered by Smartsheet Forms © 2021 Smartsheet Inc. | Contact | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Report Abuse/Spam From:Discontinued Business (LCB) To:GEARHEADDELI@YAHOO.COM Cc:McFerran, Grover P (Pat) (LCB); Wheeler, Maureen T (LCB); Cooper, Alana G (LCB); DOR FAX BLS; Beer and Wine Taxes (LCB); jeffbocc Subject:DIZBIZ LICENSE #419037 - 2M - GEARHEAD DELI - UBI 6031076010010002 Date:Wednesday, February 3, 2021 2:52:09 PM Attachments:419037 - GEARHEAD DELI.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Greetings, This is for your information and record. Thank you, WSLCB Customer Service / YCA Customer Service/Licensing and Regulation PO Box 43098 | Olympia, WA 98504 discontinuedbusiness@lcb.wa.gov From:Tom Sparks To:Public Comments Subject:A few ruin it for the many.... Date:Monday, February 1, 2021 8:55:09 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Greetings ! After taking a recent tour of the neighborhoods of the Commissioners ( and staff), and listening to how very quiet each of your neighborhoods are...it's easy to understand why there isn't more movement on the gun noise that cinstantly emanates from the gun range. If you had to live with this horrific noise on a daily basis, perhaps the commissioners ( and staff ) would be slightly more motivated to effect more silent days than are currently observed. ( one day a week...and one sunday a month.....how generous ) This is old news and repetitive to be sure...but so is the gun noise...the same few people with the same guns, making the same concussive blasts..all day everyday. These people are really stuck in a rut. But at least we have rain...and rain helps our neighborhood's cause for some quiet times...( at least during the winter months ). I hope you have a great beginning to February, there is much to do, and the virus just makes things harder to accomplish. irrepressibly yours, Tom Parks From:Annette Huenke To:Public Comments Subject:public comment for 2/1/2021 BOCC meeting Date:Monday, February 1, 2021 1:27:27 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. In response to a recent article of mine reported in the Port Townsend Free Press, titled “Is Jefferson County Health Department Overstating Covid Case Numbers?” Commissioner Dean posted this Facebook comment: "Genuine question: if they were interested in overstating numbers why would we consistently be in the bottom 2-3 counties for # and prevalence of cases? In other words, what would the motivation be for over-stating, especially if doing it so poorly?" These questions left me wondering if Ms. Dean actually read the article, not to mention the links. Or, did she just read the headline? The matter of overstating numbers has no relevance to how this county ranks in comparison to other counties. Regarding motivation, as I see it, our health department is zealously doing what they’re told by the state — if not more, in terms of alarming people into compliance. What is the motivation of the Governor and the state Department of Health to overstate cases? The answer to that question is likely manifold, but one thing is for certain: recent circumstances have empowered government bureaucrats at all levels beyond anything they’ve experienced before. Power is intoxicating. Once gained, it is not willingly relinquished. As early as last spring, several concerned Jefferson County citizens began warning the county commissioners and Board of Health that authoritative research was proving PCR tests unfit for purpose, and the test results plagued with a high percentage of false positives. Our appeals were not acknowledged beyond the pat phraseology “we trust our experts." Having had enough of the obfuscation, at the end of December I submitted a Public Records Request for the cycle thresholds the lab at Jefferson Healthcare was using. The responding document showed that their PCR assay has a 45 cycle threshold, which is well outside the boundary of reliable positivity. False positives inflate case counts. Inflated case counts mean more restrictions. More restrictions mean more disruption of normal existence — our childrens’ education, our social connections, our web of life. It means more unnecessary health department and L&I micromanaging of the businesses that are still hanging on. Inflated case counts mean more fear. When people are fearful, they are more easily controlled. An easily controlled society is a totalitarian government’s dream. Annette Huenke From:Stephen Schumacher Cc:Board of Health; Tom Locke; Allison Berry, Clallam County Health Officer; news@ptleader.com; PT Free Press Subject:Accountability for Jeffco"s 45-Cycle Threshold PCR Test Date:Sunday, January 31, 2021 10:01:27 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Dear Jefferson County Commissioners, On September 2, 2020, I sent the following Public Comment to the Jefferson County Board of Health and Health Officer Dr. Tom Locke: "Per the August 29 New York Times report [of 90% false positives at 40-cycle threshold], I'm concerned about the criteria used to determine confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Jefferson County. Do all these cases exhibit symptoms, or are "cases" being equated to positive test results? If the latter, what percentage of cases exhibit symptoms? Are positive test results being recorded using PCR tests, and if so, what is the Cycle Threshold value used for these tests?" I never received any answers to these questions nor have seen them addressed by Dr. Locke in the press. Last week the Port Townsend Free Press reported that Jefferson Healthcare is "using a PCR assay with a 45-cycle threshold, well beyond the outer limits of reliability." https://www.porttownsendfreepress.com/2021/01/25/is-jefferson-county-health-department-overstating-covid-case- numbers/ This revelation raises various accountability issues, including: 1) Why did our county have to wait nearly 4 months to learn about its 45-cycle threshold from a fortuitous Public Records Request? 2) Since Dr. Locke was also Clallam Health Officer until recently, is this same unreliable 45 Ct test also in use throughout Clallam County? 3) Was the choice to use this 45 Ct test ever discussed and approved by the Jefferson County Board of Health or County Commissioners? If not, was it ever even reported and its significance explained to them? 4) Does Dr. Locke or anybody else keep statistical track of cumulative cycle counts for positive tests and resulting cases in our county, or is this info unavailable or being ignored? Could this information be regularly published in the media, or at least be made available upon request? 5) Does our county always order a second test following a positive PCR result, and if not, how often and on what basis? Are all positive tests treated as COVID-19 cases regardless of symptoms, and if not, how often has high cycle count been used to discard extremely weak positive test results? 6) How many county residents have been reported as cases, quarantined, and contact-traced based on cycle counts above 33, when the CDC shows "it is extremely difficult to detect any live virus in a sample above a threshold of 33 cycles"? Yours truly, Stephen Schumacher 2023 E. Sims Way #200 Port Townsend, WA 98368 From:tprosys@gmail.com To:Public Comments Subject:PUBLIC COMMENT - NO Amnesty for code violators Date:Sunday, January 31, 2021 4:46:17 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Good Morning Commissioners and staff. Regarding the “Amnesty” presentation that you will hear later this morning. First point – it has some self-inconsistent language. On the “Goals” slide of the Powerpoint it says: [quote] Allow property owners with existing code violations (unknown to the County) to come forward and enter into a Voluntary Compliance Agreement without concerns about being fined. [end quote] But, on the next slide it says: [quote] Letters will be sent to property owners of existing code violations informing them of the program and how to get enrolled. [end quote] Wait, what? Which is it? Known or unknown? If these are existing code violations that are unknown to the county, exactly how does the Compliance Officer expect to know which property owners are to be sent letters? That sounds illogical. Second point – Amnesty? Why? I am fundamentally opposed to this idea. Amnesty sends a very clear signal to people that, as long as they are clever enough to hide their illegal activities, they will suffer no consequences. The better solution is to lower DCD fees to something that is closer to reality and then operate the department in a way that actually helps people. If people see that they are getting value for their money, they will be far more likely to comply with the code. For example, DCD charges hundreds of dollars for a minor building permit, such as putting on a new roof, and then does not even perform a physical inspection. In other words, those permits are just a grift, picking the pockets of law-abiding residents. Unless and until DCD proves that it provides good value to the community, and as long as there is little if any actual enforcement, the violations will just continue. I don’t want to hear any sob stories about how people can’t pay the fines. No excuses, period. “Don't do the crime if you can't do the time." Stay safe, Mask Up. Tom Thiersch, Jefferson County From:Ben Montalbano To:Public Comments Subject:Jefferson County to stay in Phase 1 Date:Friday, January 29, 2021 12:04:03 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. To the Jefferson County Commissioners, This is a quote from the Pennisula Daily News: "To the confusion of local health officers on the North Olympic Peninsula, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday afternoon that the Puget Sound and West regions can move to Phase 2 of the “Roadmap to Recovery” plan, while the region containing Clallam and Jefferson counties can not. “ This decision by Gov. Inslee is based on current PCR tests in our county. The problem , as I see it, is that Jefferson County has been using a threshold of amplification of PCR tests in the 45 range. This is a direct quote from Dr. Anthony Fauci: “…If you get a cycle threshold of 35 or more…the chances of it being replication-competent are miniscule… you almost never can culture virus from a 37 threshold cycle…even 36…it’s just dead nucleoids, period.” It then seems to me, that our county public health officials have been using a PCR threshold way above the recommendation of Dr. Fauci and the WHO. To get accurate readings, without so many false positives, we must begin to follow the science. I would further recommend that you tell the health officials to bring the testing to acceptable, scientifically accurate, levels and then we can have an accurate picture of the county virus situation and eliminate so many false positives. Thank you for your consideration, Dr. and Mrs. Bernard Montalbano From:Robert Gray To:Public Comments Subject:Public comment - County Commissioners Meeting Date:Friday, January 29, 2021 9:54:28 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. From: Bob Gray Port Townsend County Commissioners and the public should be aware that two important services that were cut short last year because of COVID, are back up and running. First, the AARP TAX-AIDE assistance program is taking appointments starting today through April 15, 2021. This is free tax preparation and e-filing for low- and middle-income taxpayers of ALL ages. Call 360- 302-1867 for appointments, COVID safety requirements, and what to bring to the appointment. Second, to help navigate Medicare options, volunteers with the Statewide Health Insurance Benefit Advisors (SHIBA) are available to assist with the latest Medicare information. To have a SHIBA volunteer call you, leave a message at 360-452-3221. A limited number of in- person appointments, if necessary, are available. To make an appointment in Port Townsend, call 360-385-2552. From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: The Business Insider -February 2021 Date:Friday, January 29, 2021 2:02:16 PM From: The Chamber of Jefferson County Sent: Friday, January 29, 2021 2:01:57 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: The Business Insider -February 2021 CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. www.jeffcountychamber.org 360.385.7869 director@jeffcountychamber.org The Business Insider - February 2021 To honor the many requests we've had to send the Business Insider electronically, we are continuing to send this digitally, Please remember that to continue to receive this newsletter via USPS, Chamber members need to contact the office and sign up for that courtesy service. admin@jeffcountychamber.org or 360.385.7869 Click here to read the Business Insider, copy, forward or print it and enjoy! 2021 Jefferson County Community Leadership Awards Nomination open February 4th Fillable form click here! send completed form to: director@jeffcountychamber.org www.jeffcountychamber.org Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce | 2409 Jefferson Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 Unsubscribe kdean@co.jefferson.wa.us Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by director@jeffcountychamber.org powered by Try email marketing for free today! January 29, 2021 From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Legislative Bulletin | January 29, 2021 Date:Friday, January 29, 2021 3:01:27 PM From: Washington Counties (WSAC) Sent: Friday, January 29, 2021 3:00:57 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: Legislative Bulletin | January 29, 2021 CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. On the Hill By the close of the second week, multiple “early action” budget bills aimed at addressing the continued coronavirus-related needs have been introduced. The first, HB 1334, introduced by Rep. Drew Stokesbary, is called the REAL Recovery for Washington Act. The $4 billion relief package uses our state's rainy-day fund and new federal dollars to help families, students, schools, and small businesses recover. The bill appropriates $2.1 billion from the state’s “rainy day” reserves and $1.8 billion in new federal stimulus funds: REAL Recovery for Families ($1.5 billion) “Recovery Rebate” to working families to offset high sales tax burden, cover essential needs and stimulate spending in local communities ($200M) Expanded rental assistance for tenants unable to work because of prolonged government-mandated closures ($600M) Stipend of $300 per student for low-income families to defray the disproportionate financial burdens of remote learning ($160M) Funding for testing, contact tracing and vaccine distribution and administration, including prioritization for teachers, so families can get back to work and kids can get back to school ($506M) REAL Recovery for Students ($1.5 billion) Additional instruction for K-12 students to reverse learning loss due to prolonged remote learning with prioritization for historically- disadvantaged students ($500M) Funding for school districts to safely reopen, made available once a district submits a plan to resume in-person learning in accordance with the governor’s most recent school-opening guidance ($825M) Childcare provider grants to assist with increased pandemic costs and ensure these essential providers can remain open ($100M) Emergency assistance for private K-12 schools ($46M) REAL Recovery for Small Business ($834 million) Expanded small business grants of up to $75,000 for employers that have incurred significant operational costs and revenue losses due to mandatory closures ($250M) Mitigation of skyrocketing UI tax rates triggered by extraordinary pandemic-related claims and substantial fraud losses by ESD to Nigerian scammers ($500M) Temporary B&O tax relief to sectors hardest hit by mandatory closures, including restaurants and hotels, so they can recover faster and restore more jobs ($84M) In comparison, filed by House and Senate Democrats, HB 1368/SB 5344 would spend $2.8 billion of state and federal dollars. House Appropriations Committee Chair Timm Ormsby called the bill a first step. Highlights of the package include: $618 million for vaccine administration, contract tracing and testing (includes emphasis on helping school districts reopen safely). $668 million for schools as they resume in-person learning plus dedicated funding to help students catch up from learning loss during the pandemic. $365 million for rental assistance to help tenants and landlords impacted by the pandemic. $240 million for more than 12,000 small business assistance grants (administered through the state Department of Commerce). $70 million to assist undocumented immigrants who have been impacted by the pandemic, but do not qualify for federal or state assistance. $26 million for food assistance to individuals and households in need. $50 million in grants to help childcare businesses stay open and expand capacity. While Rep. Stokesbary says this package doesn’t go far enough, Senator Christine Rolfes, Chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee, said it was negotiated between House and Senate Democrats but included input from the governor’s office and Republicans. HB 1334 was discussed in a work session and HB 1368 was heard in the House Appropriations Committee on January 26th at 3:30 pm with executive action on January 28th at the same time. HB 1368 has been scheduled for public hearing on February 2nd in Senate Ways & Means in anticipation of it passing the House. Quick Links Weekly Legislative Hot Sheet Legislative Steering Committee Legislative Priorities Accessing the Legislature Remotely RESOURCES Committee Schedules House Remote Testimony Senate Remote Testimony County Zoom Backgrounds Upcoming Events WSAC Virtual Assembly Monday, February 1 LSC Meeting Friday, February 5 Medicaid in Jails Housing individuals in jails is an expensive service that counties perform. One of the most expensive aspects of this service is the provision of physical and behavioral health care. Here are the statistics: (1) 50% of those in jail have serious chronic health conditions; (2) 65% of those in jail have major mental health issues; (3) 53% of those in jail have substance use issues; and (4) 49% of those in jail have co-existing mental health and substance use conditions. Another eye-opening statistic is that 80% of those in jail are in pretrial status awaiting the resolution of their case. And, even though they may have Medicaid benefits, they cannot access them because federal law requires that an individual’s Medicaid benefits be suspended while they are in confinement. This means that jails are responsible for the provision of their medical needs. The suspension of Medicaid benefits hinders an individual’s successful reentry because the reinstatement of those benefits lags upon their release making it more difficult for individuals to access their physical and behavioral health appointments and prescription medications. Rep. Davis’s bill, HB 1348, which is being heard on February 4, 2021 in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness seeks to address some of these issues. Her bill requires the Health Care Authority to seek a waiver from the federal Department of Health and Human Services to allow Medicaid benefits for those in confinement to remain active for the first 30 days of their confinement. Because the average length of stay in a county jail is 25 days, this bill would ease the financial burden on county jails and allow those who have not yet been found guilty to maintain their benefits. We strongly support the passage of this bill. Public Health Round-Up Local boards of health and the desire to include community and healthcare membership was a recurring issue in week 3 of the session. Like its more robust cousin (HB 1152), HB 1110 provides criteria and requirements for expanding local boards of health membership to include healthcare/medical, tribal, community agencies, and individuals. However, HB 1110 focuses these changes within the existing public health structure, without the restructuring of health districts or the state oversight of local health officials. WSAC and WSALPHO see this bill as a starting point for further discussion into improving local board of health engagement and continue to share insight and feedback to the bill sponsor. Food regulation policy and programs, including local food establishment inspectors' work, have prevented millions of deaths since the passage of food safety standards and regulation beginning in the 1900s. Food inspection and regulation ensures the food that people consume is safe and free from bacteria and virus. HB 1258, a bill from the 2020 session, was heard Friday morning in House Local Government. While working sporadically with the bill proponents over the interim, concerns remain about regulating private kitchens and the concessions to food safety that would allow these kitchens to operate and micro-enterprise facilities. WSALPHO will continue to hone the pilot proposal with the bill proponents to find this balance while also encouraging the legislature to look at other methods such as small business loans and increased access to shared kitchens that facilitate entry into the food industry. “Forward Washington” Transportation Package Takes First Step Senator Steve Hobbs (D-Lake Stevens), released an updated version of his “Forward Washington” transportation revenue package this week, and held a public comment session on Thursday, January 28. As a reminder, Senator Hobbs originally introduced this package in 2019. While there have been modifications, investments to counties and our partner agencies remained relatively unchanged from his previous proposal. Senator Hobbs’ proposal includes two separate funding scenarios, one under a “Cap and Invest” based proposal (aka Cap and Trade), and the other under a “Carbon Fee” based proposal. The full Cap and Invest proposal raises $18.2 billion in revenue, while the full Carbon-Fee proposal raises $19.1 billion in revenue. Both proposals span a 16-year period. In the Cap & Invest proposal the package raises $5.1 billion. The carbon proposal raises $8.5 billion through a carbon fee. Both proposals then proceed to raise billions through bonding, a 6-cent fuel-tax increase, and various fee increases. For a full summary see here. The Senate proposal invests heavily in state highway preservation and maintenance ($2.5 billion), state, local, and tribal improvement projects, and in state and local fish passage barrier removal ($3.5 billion). Programs of interest to counties include: $80 million to the County Road Administration Board; $100 million to the Transportation Improvement Board; $50 million to the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board; $375 million of direct distributions via the Motor-Vehicle Fuel Tax, to cities and counties (the split is unknown at this time); $45 million to the Complete Streets Program; $100 million to the Safe Route to Schools Program; $200 million to the Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety Program; $200 million to the Rural Mobility Grant Program. As a reminder, the House Democrats released their own transportation revenue proposal in week 2 of the legislative session. For a summary of that proposal see here. Now that the two proposals have been introduced there will be conversations, both publicly and privately, on the pros and cons of each proposal. We may even see additional proposals released by Republicans, or other Democrats. WSAC and WSACE will actively engage its membership over the course of the next weeks and months to establish our positions on these two packages. Multiple OPMA Bills, Fiscal Flexibility, and Expanded Police Misconduct Liability (Déjà Vu All Over Again!) Two of WSAC’s major COVID/pandemic-related priorities continue to move forward. HB 1056 allows counties to conduct remote meetings (held over Zoom, phone, etc. without a traditional physical location) during a declared emergency (statewide or local) throughout the duration of the emergency. This bill passed out of the full House unanimously last Friday (98-0 on January 22). HB 1069, the so-called “fiscal flexibility” bill, would allow counties greater scope in spending on certain criminal justice sales tax, lodging tax, real estate excise tax, and levy proceeds. This bill was passed out of the House Finance Committee on Thursday; unfortunately, it looks like this bill is getting caught up in some caucus politics. It would be good to clarify with Republican caucus members that there are no new revenues or taxes in the bill—simply a use of existing funds for more expansive purposes to help counties balance their budgets for the next three years. Nothing is changed with respect to existing programs, and any transferring of funds will be done by elected local officials—the same as for any county budget. Two other bills on remote public meetings, HB 1180 and HB 1329, are moving forward and there is some discussion of consolidating all of these OPMA bills (along with HB 1056) into one bill. Generally, we support new tools to lets us conduct business remotely, but we are wary of new mandates or requirements being added to an already-complex area of law. We will continue to work with the sponsors on these bills to get to solutions that serve the public and help us do business remotely. Finally, as part of a more sweeping system of police reforms, HB 1202 was heard in committee on Tuesday, and this bill would allow counties to be sued under a fairly broad definition of police misconduct. WSAC testified in opposition to the bill based on its expansive tort liability costs and our belief that court orders are a poor way to set policy and get at underlying reform. While there is a logic to holding counties responsible for the actions of their employees – sheriffs are often independently elected, and police are often trained, overseen, disciplined, and even hired and terminated by a complicated system over which counties have little direct oversight. The situation is made even more complex by the application of collective bargaining agreements, which set forth specific standards that cannot unilaterally be changed by county authorities to comply with the bill. Simply put, it is unfair to hold counties responsible for systems they do not fully oversee. If this law goes forward, we hope that the legislature will reopen other areas of law to provide counties with additional oversight to accompany the additional liability. Joanie Might Love Chachi, but Fonzi Loves ADUs As the legislature continues to struggle with practical strategies to address the housing shortage, new regulations to encourage the creation of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), are again proposed as a part of the solution. An ADU is a secondary housing unit on a single-family lot. ADUs are also known as backyard cottages, accessory apartments, or a mother-in-law apartment. For a pop culture reference, think Happy Days and The Fonz, who lived in the apartment above the Cunningham's garage. That's right, Arthur Fonzarelli lived in an ADU. Two bills have hearings next week to promote more ADUs in single-family neighborhoods. The first bill, HB 1298, seeks to overturn case law and allow an exemption for detached ADUs from consideration of contributing to a zone's underlying density. This change would allow more ADUs outside of urban growth areas. Currently, detached ADUs are not allowed. The second bill, HB 1337, proposes to pay local governments for additional ADUs constructed if they enact specific regulations intended to encourage more of them. Counties who implement the laws qualify for a $10,000 grant per ADU built over the average number constructed in previous years. Counties can utilize the funds any way they choose. Both bills will be heard in the House Local Government Committee Wednesday, February 3rd at 10:00 AM. Will the state support more ADU's? Only time will tell, but it was good enough for the Fonz. Did somebody say, "Aaaaay?" FOLLOW US Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram WSAC.org View this email in your browser Copyright © 2021 Washington State Association of Counties, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are involved with county government. Our mailing address is: Washington State Association of Counties 206 10th Ave SE Olympia, WA 98501-1311 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Contact Your WSAC Policy Team From:Greg Brotherton To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Questions for the February 1st BOCC Meeting Date:Friday, January 29, 2021 3:11:26 PM From: Kathleen Keenan Sent: Friday, January 29, 2021 3:11:05 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Greg Brotherton; KPTZ VTeam; Kate Dean; Keppie Keplinger; Tom Locke; Willie Bence; Heidi Eisenhour; jeffbocc Subject: Questions for the February 1st BOCC Meeting CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Good afternoon. Several questions this week surround the worry that if a resident gets the first dose, can they receive the second dose according to the manufacturer’s recommendation...will the supply be sufficient to be timely. Also..still questions about gathering without masking with other vaccinated people...a question is not specifically included, but is a popular topic among those now getting their second dose. As more residents get a chance for vaccination, there are comments of praise for the process, the organization and the kindness and of all those involved. Respectfully, Kate Keenan, KPTZ Virus Watch Team Questions and related topics KPTZ would like to have presented on the air to Dr. Locke/County Commissioners (BOCC)/EOC/Jefferson County Public Health as time permits. Questions for the February 1st, 2021, BOCC Meeting Dr. Tom Locke: 1. What is the status of vaccination of all residents in the nursing homes/long-term care facilities in Jefferson County? 2. Does Dr. Locke have an idea for when the Johnson & Johnson vaccine might be available? 3. Once you register with Jefferson HealthCare to be notified of vaccine availability, are alerts made by a priority age tier or the order in which you registered? 4. The data used by Hopkins and others document daily averages over a 7 or 14 day per 100,000 Population. Washington persists in using cumulative numbers over the 14 day period per 100,000. When will Washington adopt the statistical methodology used by the other sources so that accurate comparisons can be made? 5. Can you give us more information about Governor Inslee’s rationale behind teachers not being given a higher priority for the vaccine? 6. I noticed the public health website shows the 60-69 year old age group with the most Covid-19 cases locally. Why aren’t you including the 60-64 year olds as a priority age group for the vaccine? 7. The Jefferson County Public Health webpage is now showing the number of residents that have received their first vaccine dose. Would Jefferson County consider publishing the number of residents who have completed the vaccination series? Covid-19 Testing: (none submitted) Public Health Strategies/Vaccines: 1. Could you clarify who is currently eligible to get in line for the vaccine,when it again becomes available?? 2. Can you tell us the status of vaccine availability for younger children?? 3. If a patient has an adverse reaction to the first vaccine dose and is advised to not get the second dose, then can/should the patient try and get vaccinated with a different vaccine to get to full immunity? 4. If you are eligible to receive the vaccine from the expected supply of doses in February, will you be guaranteed receipt of a second dose within the three or four weeks recommended by the drug manufacturers? The Leader reported that JHC can no longer hold back vaccines for second doses. Is this true? 5. My first dose of the Pfizer vaccine was administered on January 22nd and my second shot is scheduled for February 10th. I would like to know why this dose is scheduled a few days before the recommended 21 days the manufacturer recommends. 6. According to the state DOH, as of January 23, 2021, Washington has given 391,195 doses, and distributed 719,475 doses to approved vaccination facilities. Yet in our county and others, I keep hearing that they have run out of doses. Where are the rest of those 327,980 doses and why aren’t they going into the arms of our residents. (https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/COVID19/DataDashboard) Board of County Commissioners: (none submitted) EOC: 1. As a retired medical provider, with an active license, I would be more willing to volunteer in the local vaccine campaign if I could get both vaccine doses prior to inoculating other residents. Is this possible? From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: This Week in Photos Date:Saturday, January 30, 2021 5:07:58 AM From: NACo Sent: Saturday, January 30, 2021 5:06:27 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: This Week in Photos CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Having trouble viewing this email? Click Here This Week in Photos CSPAN @cspan This Week in Photos During a joint press conference, leaders from NACo, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities urge Congress to pass immediate, bipartisan, direct aid to support local COVID-19 mitigation efforts. Watch the recording on C-SPAN, and read NACo's letter to Congress. NACo @NACoTweets NACo President Gary Moore (bottom right) outlines county infrastructure priorities and calls for bipartisanship in Washington during a meeting with the Milkin Institute. This Week in Photos VACo @VACounties This Week in Photos Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) President Jeff McKay leads his first VACo Board of Directors Meeting. Miami-Dade County @MiamiDadeBCC This Week in Photos Miami-Dade County, Fla. commissioners and law enforcement officials launch a human trafficking education campaign. Montgomery County @MCOhio This Week in Photos Montgomery County, Ohio Commissioner Debbie Lieberman celebrates the Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act. CSAC @CSAC_Counties This Week in Photos The California State Association of Counties legislative team provides a policy update for county officials. Lafourche Parish @LafourcheGov NACo @NACoTweets This Week in Photos Lafourche Parish, La. President Archie Chaisson (left) delivers a monthly update on the state of the parish. This Week in Photos NACo staff monitor Twitter and Facebook during the #CountiesForKids social media day. Visit countiesforkids.org to join the network and learn how counties support children from prenatal to age three. SEE MORE PHOTOS 2021_Virtual-Leg-Conf_eblastAd_636_1803495.png 660 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20001 Did someone forward you this email? Sign up to stay up-to-date on topics affecting America’s counties! Click here to unsubscribe. From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: communication and covid vaccinations 2 Date:Saturday, January 30, 2021 10:30:24 AM From: Bruce Loeffler Sent: Saturday, January 30, 2021 10:30:18 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean; Heidi Eisenhour; Greg Brotherton Subject: communication and covid vaccinations 2 CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Dear Kate, Heidi and Greg, This is a follow-up to my e-mail of January, 28, 2021. I think the situation is way worse than I thought. I do not think anyone really knows what’s going on or who is in charge. And minimally, you need to be talking to whoever at Jefferson healthcare is running their covid-19 vaccination program. Who made the decision to drop eligibility by TEN years at the very moment supplies were reduced and uncertain?? Who controls what goes on their website?? If Jefferson Healthcare, QFC, Safeway, Tri-Care all ordering their own vaccines, then Tom Locke does NOT control what happens to the vaccines in this County. The latest rumor I heard is that Jefferson Healthcare is still ordering and receiving all of the vaccine (because they have the refrigerator) and that QFC etc. were asked to help administer vaccines (because Jerfferson Healthcare could not come up with the personnel to do so, despite their arranging for 4 drive thru lanes). The rumor says QFC etc are getting their vaccines from Jefferson Healthcare. Who in Jefferson County communicates with the State? Who here knows what the state is doing?? This should NOT be the Wild West free-for-all it is devolving into. It should be organized, what is actually happening should be communicated clearly to the population for Jefferson County. You three are the heads of government for Jefferson County. If you do not know exactly what is going on with Covid-19 vaccinations, you are not doing your job. It is the number one, and frankly the only, current priority. Nothing else matters if this is not handled properly. You need to find out what is going on, from every possible source. You need to know who is in charge, need to know exactly how the vaccination program is being handled. You need to communicate this to the public, thoroughly and in a timely manner. The current chaos and lack of information and transparency is a disaster. PLEASE, PLEASE fix it. Sincerely, Bruce bruce.loeffler@pobox.com 805 704 5161 1505 V Street, PT From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Possible Unpermitted Shooting Range Date:Sunday, January 31, 2021 2:24:28 PM From: Tom Richardson Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2021 2:24:17 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean; Greg Brotherton; Heidi Eisenhour Cc: Philip Hunsucker Subject: Possible Unpermitted Shooting Range CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Dear Commissioners: Happy and healthy 2021 to all of you and your families. What a challenging time this is for each of us personally, and for you commissioners as our wonderful county steers its way through the Pandemic and all the medical and economic challenges it imposes on us. I am hoping that the Biden administration and the closely divided but majority rational US Congress can exert wise leadership that was sorely missing in the prior administration. The January 6 attack on Congress by the presidential election deniers reminds us of how dangerous firearms can be in the hands of hate groups and conspiracy believers. And although Jefferson County is a blessedly peaceful and sensible place, we have our own individuals and groups who foster doomsday conspiracy fears. And they have firearms too. That’s why I am writing to you today. I recently was on a Discovery Bay beach near Chevy Chase one afternoon and heard from across the bay to the west repeated shooting in the direction of the former shooting range on the Gunstone property. As I was leaving, I ran into Robin Ornelas whose home overlooks Discovery Bay. She told me that for many weeks there has been frequent and continuous shooting from that location—the type of shooting that had ended once the Gunstones revoked the license/lease of the former commercial shooting range. The shooting continues, according to Robin, and just yesterday between about 6 and 7:15 PM there were two very loud explosions heard from the same direction. It seems unlikely that all of this shooting and the explosions are backyard target practice by the Gunstones. Under Title 8.50.220 (10) of the Jefferson County Code, use of the former commercial shooting range on the Gunstone property by guests of the Gunstones qualifies as an unpermitted commercial shooting range. The relevant language from the code is: In addition, where property is used primarily for lawful shooting practice for guests of the owner, and where the other uses of the property either facilitate shooting practice or are incidental, intermittent or occasional and whether or not payment is received, it is presumed that the property used for lawful shooting practice is a commercial shooting facility. The term “commercial shooting facility” does not include: (a) Shooting facilities that are both owned and operated by any instrumentality of the United States, the state of Washington, or any political subdivision of the state of Washington; or (b) Any portion of a privately owned property used for lawful shooting practice solely by its owner or the owner’s guests without payment of any compensation to the owner of the privately owned property or to any other person, except where the property is presumed to be a commercial shooting facility, as described above. I submit that where there is a specific, dedicated area on a property set aside for no other purpose than continuing (not occasional) shooting practice, the other uses of that property for the owner’s home, shop, garden are inherently incidental to that dedicated use. The clear intention of this definition discussed at length during the drafting of the commercial shooting range ordinances was to prevent sham commercial shooting ranges masquerading as “back-yard target practice areas.” Such an outdoor range is prohibited under our county code. At a minimum, this activity should be investigated by appropriate authorities such as the Jefferson County Sheriff. Thank you for giving this matter your attention. Tom From:Greg Brotherton To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: *** Reminder *** Roadway Safety Presentation Date:Monday, February 1, 2021 4:02:06 AM From: Village Council Sent: Monday, February 1, 2021 4:01:58 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Greg Brotherton Subject: *** Reminder *** Roadway Safety Presentation CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Transportation Safety Committee Reminder Port Ludlow Roadway Safety Presentation Visit the Village Council Web Site Your Village Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation whose purpose is to be a unifying force and information conduit for the benefit of all Port Ludlow residents. Port Ludlow Village Council | Post Office Box 65012, Port Ludlow, WA 98365 Unsubscribe gbrotherton@co.jefferson.wa.us Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by portludlowvillagecouncileblast@gmail.com From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Join our 3 County Commissioners on Coffee with Colleen Date:Monday, February 1, 2021 7:30:40 AM From: Clallam EDC Sent: Monday, February 1, 2021 7:30:36 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: Join our 3 County Commissioners on Coffee with Colleen CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Join Commissioners Ozias, Johnson and Peach on Coffee with Colleen Wednesday Morning at 8am! Our Commissioners will discuss Clallam County's economy and their views on the Governor's Roadmap to Recovery Phasing Plan. Our County CFO, Mark Lane, will also be joining us. Please join us: Join Zoom Meeting at 8 a.m., Wednesday Morning https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81875115879? pwd=UnEzQjV1N09rM2ZLbFIzVVVxYzJoQT09 Meeting ID: 818 7511 5879 Passcode: 923050 One tap mobile +12532158782,,81875115879#,,,,,,0#,,923050# US (Tacoma) Olympic Peninsula Entrepreneur Network (OPEN) Monthly business meetups based on topics and industries - the Olympic Peninsula Entrepreneur Network (OPEN). Hosted by CIE, OPEN is a free platform where people come together to learn, share stories, collaborate, socialize, network and connect with local entrepreneurs. Explore a different topic each month, featuring: Panelists Ideation sessions Networking Business pitches Workshops Next OPEN gathering: Thurs, Feb. 4th, 6-7pm Topic: Tax & Bookkeeping Tips w/ local panelists Register here Find more details on OPEN here. Mark the Date - Virtual Job Fair - Feb 16th This Virtual Job Fair is focused on Clallam and Jefferson County Businesses and Job Seekers. The date is set for February 16th from 10am - 2pm. If you are a business owner and you would like to create you FREE booth to participate in an incredibly effective way to meet job candidates, contact Mike Robinson at MRobinson@esd.wa.gov. Doing Business with Our Local Governments Infrastructure funding is expected to be at an all time high in the next few years! We're here to help you get your small business ready to win these contracts. Your EDC in partnership with the Washington Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) and USDoT Northwest Small Business Transportation Resource Center will be hosting weekly FREE technical classes for a month beginning on March 31st. More information to follow. If you would like more information on these courses, please contact us at info@clallam.org. Choose Clallam First | ChooseClallamFirst.com ‌ Clallam County Economic Development Council | 338 W 1st St., Suite 105, Port Angeles, WA 98362 Unsubscribe kdean@co.jefferson.wa.us Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by info@clallam.org powered by Try email marketing for free today! View this email in your browser Local 20/20 logo Local 20/20 Weekly Announcements February 1, 2021 From:Greg Brotherton To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Local 20/20 Weekly Announcements Date:Monday, February 1, 2021 9:01:30 AM From: Local 20/20 Sent: Monday, February 1, 2021 9:00:46 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Greg Brotherton Subject: Local 20/20 Weekly Announcements CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Eventide at the Point Wilson Light by Christopher Bricker COVID-19 Update on Mon, Feb 1st *Update* The Weekly COVID-19 update with Jefferson County Public Health Officer, Dr. Thomas Locke. To watch live or recorded videos of the entire 9 a.m. Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting, including the 9:45 a.m. COVID-19 update, go to the website for videos of meetings. You can choose “Streaming Live” or, if viewing later, “Recorded.” You can also listen live to Dr. Locke on KPTZ or later in the KPTZ archives. And see below, in Community Notices, for how to be COVID S.M.A.R.T.! Farmers Markets Vendor Applications for Port Townsend DUE Mon, Feb 1st *New* Hoping to have a booth at the Port Townsend or Chimacum markets in 2021? Vendor Application and 2021 Guidelines are available here. Due date for Chimacum is April 1st. Climate on Tap – Mon, Feb. 1st – “What Does It Mean to Rejoin the Paris Climate Accord?” *New* *Online* Now that President has signed the Paris Climate Accord, what does that mean for our future? What have we agreed to do? This administration has chosen to make climate action a central part of their agenda. Who and what is involved? Find out all the good news at tonight’s session! Each Climate on Tap is held on the first Monday of the month. Co-sponsored by Local 20/20 Climate Action, Jefferson County Public Health, and FinnRiver Cidery. This This is not a lecture series, but a book club/discussion format. Here is the Zoom link. Time: 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Location: Online Meeting ID: 964 5543 5517 Passcode: 562614 ** for security’s sake, please don’t share this link on public web sites. Thank you! Jefferson Land Trust Presents: Nature in Your Neighborhood: Liverworts with Tracy Hudson - Wed, Feb 3rd *New* *Online* This is the second of two winter bonus Nature in Your Neighborhood Virtual Nature Walks that take a deeper dive into specific forest-related topics. In the Nature in Your Neighborhood program, our backyards and neighborhoods are our classrooms. Birds, trees, ferns, and mammals are just a few of the topics we will learn about together. Our explorations are guided by an experienced naturalist (or two) who’ll kick off our week of learning with a Virtual Nature Walk and then send us out with activities to explore and observe the hidden wonders close to home. The program is free and open to all ages, so you’re welcome to encourage your loved ones to participate with you. For more information and to sign up, go here. Time: 4:00 - 5:30 pm, Location: Online Virtual Sound Waters University 2021 - Sat, Feb 6th *New* *Online* Registration is now open for Virtual Sound Waters University 2021: A One Day Journey of Discovery About Our Beautiful Natural World and the Salish Sea that's organized and hosted by Sound Water Stewards. Cost is $50.00. For more information, go here. Time: 8:30 am - 3:15 pm, Location: Online Meaningful Movies Presents "Mr. Soul" - Mon, Feb 8th *Online* Please join us for an online screening of "Mr. Soul!" with special guests: poet, spoken word artist, and playwright Jaye Ware; singer, songwriter, and poet CJ Dudley; and singer songwriter Ashanti Proctor. REGISTRATION REQUIRED. From 1968 into 1973, the public television variety show SOUL! offered an unfiltered, uncompromising celebration of Black literature, poetry, music, and politics, capturing a critical moment in culture whose impact continues to resonate today. This powerful, hopeful documentary shines a spotlight on a generation of Black artists. This event will continue to celebrate Black literature, poetry, music and politics with a fabulous panel of African American artists. After the film and a brief presentation by our panelists on OVEE, we will switch over to Zoom for a longer panel discussion and community conversation with the artists. We will post the link to the Zoom in the chat box after the movie and panel presentation. More info here. Time: 6:30 pm Screening, 7:30 pm Panel Presentation Local 20/20 Climate Action Outreach Meeting - Thurs, Feb 11th *Online* Want to help educate the community on what we all can do related to reducing our carbon footprint? Attend our monthly meeting to learn more about what is currently planned, and add your ideas to the mix! Meetings are generally on the second Thursday of the month, from 3:00 - 5:00 pm. For the online meeting information, email Cindy. Time: 3pm – 5pm Location: Zoom online Ancestral Villages of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe - Thurs, Feb 11th *Online* Did you know the Jamestown S’Klallam trace their ancestry primarily to six ancestral villages located on the northeast Olympic Peninsula? We will review historic documents, oral histories, and archaeological data related to these sites and examine the historic factors that led to their abandonment. Link here. For more information: 360-681-4632 or email or website. Time: 3:00 - 4:30 pm; Location: Online Save Styrofoam for Safeway Styrofoam Collection Event - Sat, Feb 13th Styrofoam recycling returns to Port Townsend! After a short break due to the retirement of Port Townsend’s long-time volunteer Styrofoam recycler, a small group of Port Townsend residents is working with Safeway to add its Port Townsend store to the Safeway Styrofoam recycling program. The local group, Port Townsend StyroCyclers, is asking residents to set aside clean and dry Styrofoam materials for delivery to the Safeway parking lot on February 13, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Pieces may be broken down to conserve space. Consider collecting pieces in paper yard bags instead of plastic. No packaging peanuts will be collected; contact local mailing vendors to see if they are accepting peanuts when you have them. No water-logged Styrofoam will be accepted; dispose of it with landfill garbage. Please spread the word. For more information and to volunteer at Safeway on February 13, email the PTStyroCyclers. Time: 9 am-1 pm Location: Safeway Parking Lot Local 20/20 Council Meeting - Wed, Feb 17th *New* *Online* The monthly Local 20/20 Steering Council meeting is open to all and welcomes those interested in active involvement in Local 20/20 leadership. Newcomers are always welcome. If you'd like a virtual orientation, please email Marlow. For online meeting information, contact Mark. Time: 4-6 pm Location: Zoom meeting Farmers Market Annual Meeting: Vendor Attendance Required - Sun, Mar 7th *New* The Annual Meeting will include essential information for a successful 2021 Market season, including the ways the markets will continue to align with Covid-19 safety guidelines. A holistic community and financial report for 2020 will be presented. For vendors, the meeting is mandatory, and Friends of the Market are also welcome. The meeting will be held via online platform, with a link shared in mid-February. Look for upcoming news about Board Elections; we're working to make that happen in a separate secured online forum. Time: 6-7:30 pm Location: Online Community Notices Local 20/20 COVID-19 Resources l2020.org/COVID-19/ *Online* A central location for community-wide information relating to COVID-19, updated frequently. Includes Reliable Information Sources, Vaccine info link, Food Sources, Community Covid-19 Resource pages, Giving and Getting Assistance, Community Events Online, Community Face Mask Program, and information web posts related to COVID-19. Look in the red box at the top of the page for all the newest information. Rising COVID Case Rates - Rising COVID Risk! The Jefferson County community has done exceptionally well holding widespread COVID at bay. Good Job!! We are now faced with a third wave and rising rates in our county. We must not let up and get lax in our vigilance! The Department of Emergency Management is asking you to: Be COVID S.M.A.R.T.! S: Sanitize Frequently M: Mask appropriately - even with family & friends outside your household A: When socializing - stay in good air flow. Outside or Inside with fans and open windows R: Room Between People - Social Distancing reduces virus transmission T: Technology for Gatherings - Use zoom or other conferencing technology instead of in-person visits The Kul Kah Han Native Plant Garden Seeking New Groundskeeper *New* Help maintain a popular one-acre educational native plant garden in Chimacum. Some landscape experience preferred. Will train if necessary. Activities will include: rake paths - some weeding - irrigation in summer - spreading wood chips - no power tools. Work with a group of great volunteers. Requires 2 hours once per week. March through November. A generous stipend is available. Easily distance while wearing a mask outdoors during COVID. The garden encourages environmental responsibility through the cultivation of native plants. Please email your applications to Linda. SpringRain Farm Now Hiring *New* Several positions are available, and interviews are happening now. The sustainable integrated-systems farm has a "limited hierarchy," with team members participating where they are needed. Job descriptions and online application are available on their website. Jefferson Land Trust Is Hiring a Half-Time Communications Coordinator and a Half-Time Stewardship Assistant *New* The Jefferson Land Trust has a track record of high quality and innovative conservation work preserving habitat, working farms and forests in Jefferson County. The half-time (with benefits) Communications Coordinator will report to the Communications Manager and will support the mission of the Land Trust by showcasing our work and ensuring the organization has positive and widespread visibility in the region. See the full job posting and read the complete position description here. The Stewardship Assistant will report to the Stewardship Director and will support the mission of the Land Trust by completing both administrative and field-based stewardship tasks associated with the perpetual protection of conservation lands in Jefferson County. See the full job posting and read the complete position description here. Veg Rx: Fresh Produce at The Food Co-op *New* January through March, the Food Co-op's partnership in the Veg Rx program offers $20/month in fresh produce buying-power. If your family qualifies for Apple Health and you have at least one person in your household under age 18, talk with your Jefferson Healthcare clinician about your food budget. Veg Rx can help stretch your fresh-food dollars. During the Farmers Market season, you can use your VegRx for fresh produce at the Markets. WA360 Race Replaces the R2K for 2021- Applications Now Open The Northwest Maritime Center's Race to Alaska is canceled for 2021, but a new race is taking its place called the WA360. For more information go here. Farmers Market Launches BIPOC Business Start-up Fund Jefferson County Farmers Markets (JCFM) has launched a Farmers Market BIPOC Business Start-up Fund. Applications are now being accepted, and will be open until funds are exhausted. The Fund seeks to reduce barriers for small business entrepreneurs to join the farmers market with low overhead and have a successful market season. Those applying to the Fund may receive $250-$1000 to procure supplies, mobile equipment, marketing/signage, etc., or other start-up costs. There are no strings attached, and applicants are welcomed to a 4-hour ‘Bootstrap Business’ class, to hone a business plan, led by the Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship, a Fund partner. The Farmers Market Vendor Application, and new Fund Application are available here. Local 20/20’s Social Justice Work Group *Online* The "Artist Spotlight” shines on multi-talented local artist, Micah Wallace. Learn about Micah, view some of his work and listen to his music productions here. Housing Solutions Network Call to Action Now more than ever, affordable housing is key to our health and economic recovery from the pandemic. Finding solutions is going to require action from all of us. Housing leaders and advocates across Jefferson County have created a Community Call to Action for Housing. They are calling on everyone to take action; individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and government all have a role to play. Today, they ask you to stand with them and: READ THE DECLARATION & CALL TO ACTION SIGN YOUR NAME SPREAD THE WORD BY SHARING THIS MESSAGE Join the Jefferson County Farmers Market Board of Directors The Jefferson County Farmers Market Board is an enthusiastic group of market vendors and community members who love local food and strengthening our local economy. We have two open board member positions. If you have: experience with fundraising, marketing, policy writing, graphic design; connections with organizations or groups; or experience inspiring people to volunteer their time, please consider applying! Submit a completed application here. Learn more here. Local 20/20 Social Justice Workgroup Webpage Now Live *Online* Besides the Local 20/20 Social Justice Statement and Addendum, the newly launched pages feature sources we are reading and discussing, community organizations and businesses to support, a spotlight on a regional community artist, and links to other reading and visual resources. Our intent is to learn and share how to be an antiracist, how to support antiracist policies and ideas, and how to incorporate anti- racism into our core purpose, identifying the relationship between climate justice and social justice. To view the new pages, go here. You can find it here or at the Resiliency of the Heart group webpages. Check out our New Music section (on the first link) to share the voices of young Native Americans. Local 20/20 Statement on Systemic Racial and Social Inequities As our hearts, minds, and bodies survive and move through the COVID 19 pandemic and into the uprising of voices demanding social and racial justice sparked by the murder of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement, Local 20/20 acknowledges the existence of systemic racial and social inequities in our country. With compassion, we “take a knee” in solidarity with victims of oppression in any form. We pledge to work harder at understanding what it takes to make positive change toward our collective goals for policy that reflect antiracist actions and ideas. Local 20/20’s mission is to promote sustainability and resilience through advocacy and education. We recognize that our goals of a healthy existence for all can ONLY be achieved through policies that uphold racial and social equity. As we enjoy the benefits of living in this incredible paradise, we also acknowledge that we live on land usurped by European Settlers from the Jamestown S’Klallam, the Lower Elwah Klallam, the Port Gamble S’Klallam, the Skokomish, the Quinault, the Quileute, the Hoh, and the Makah tribes. Read about actions that have emerged since we first posted this statement. See updated readings in our Resilience Review section below on this topic. Host a Meeting on the Local Housing Emergency *Online* The HSN's Outreach Housing Action Team is releasing the Cultivating Community Solutions to the Housing Crisis video online to continue reaching broader audiences and inspiring more action. You can view the video here. You can continue spreading this call to action by sharing this video in the community. COVID-19 is a threat multiplier to the challenges our struggling community members were already facing. You can join the HSN Giving Circle here. Just Soup on Tuesdays On Tuesday, 11:30-1:30, Just Soup provides free, hot soup lunches at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1020 Jefferson St, on the Tyler St. bus line [by the Bell Tower.] Enter the rear church parking lot on Franklin, and whether you are on foot, bike, or car, you will be in line for curbside pickup, with masks, gloves, and safe distancing protocols in place. Pick up a lunch for yourself or your neighbor in need. No questions asked. Many partners and supporters have come together to feed Port Townsend one bowl at a time!!! This information also appears on Local 20/20 COVID- 19 Resources Meals Page here. Times and Locations: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays, St. Paul's Episcopal Church Download Port Townsend Walking Times Map Local 20/20 Transportation Lab's popular walking times map is downloadable here. It provides approximate travel time on foot between points. Estimates are based on an average speed of 3 mph. Walking is healthy, social, fun, costs nothing, keeps your carbon footprint small and allows you to maintain social distance. Use the map to find new routes across our beautiful town. Emergency Text Alerts from Jefferson County Sign up to receive Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management’s emergency alerts by text on your mobile phone and/or by email. NIXLE messages provide crucial information in an emergency & are sent directly to your text-enabled device and/or email. The sign up web page also has information about other alert and warning systems, including the tsunami warning system and the WSDOT alert system. A Tool for Neighborhood Organization Nextdoor is a private social network for YOUR neighborhood. Use this link to join one of 59 Nextdoor Neighborhoods in Jefferson County. Currently there are 12,030 subscribers, with many new members joining each day. Email Pete Hubbard with questions or comments. Calling Local Photographers! Local 20/20 Weekly Announcements invites local photographers to submit images that capture the character of our community and its natural setting. For the opening photo of each weekly email, we seek local color, horizontal (“landscape”) orientation, and jpeg format. Please no children, pets or recognizable faces. Kindly send to events@l2020.org. Please include your name in the jpeg filename. We are an all-volunteer non-profit, so compensation for your talent and generosity is a photo credit and our profound thanks. Resilience Readings Do you have readings, podcasts or videos to share that are aligned with our Local 20/20 mission? Please submit them here for consideration. Rondout Riverport 2040 *New* Vision. Local 20/20’s name refers not to the year we lost down the COVID hole, but to vision. We can use the power of imagination to look together towards our future and decide what we want it to look like. This involves the process of thinking critically and searching our souls for what values we want to preserve and amplify and choosing what things we can do without. This wonderful article from Andrew Willner at resilience.org imagines a future on the Hudson River and is an admirable example of how we can reconfigure a post-carbon future in response to climate change. It is a shining example of how place shapes the imagination of a people. Those of us now living in the coastal Salish communities have ample food for thought from our indigenous ancestors as well as other more recent arrivals. We are limited only by our imaginations. Please read this article and have fun imagining what things might look like in the place where we live at the branching of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Kalama Methanol Refinery and the Thin Green Line *New* The January column for Local 20/20’s Resilience Review in The Port Townsend Leader is from Polly Lyle, a member of the Local 20/20 Climate outreach group. She describes the ramifications of a proposed methanol refinery in Kalama, Washington, and shares some good news on the recent developments from WA Department of Ecology. Learn more about that proposal, as well as another one in Oregon, in this article. Insurrection, Pandemic, and Censorship In this article, thinker Richard Heinberg reviews recent tumultuous political events and places them in context. In a previous essay he discussed the breakdown of consensus reality (see article below). Here he returns to that theme as he focuses on communication and censorship. At first he seems to be defending the rights of people to say whatever they want and that we will have to learn to live with cognitive dissonance. But then he turns a corner. He suggests holding the line not merely at spreading lies but also at speech that threatens harm to others. Although Heinberg avoids discussion of how we should consider anti-public health (e.g. vaccination conspiracy theories) speech, he does remind us to think critically. He urges us to build emotional resilience so that we might best help our communities navigate “the craziness to come.” Please find the article here A Farmer and His Extra Row From the Transition Town of Jericho, Vermont, author Laura Markowitz shares this inspirational story of how a community responded when a local farmer said he would love to plant an extra row of butternut squash but didn’t have the labor he would need to pull that off. The Transition Town community responded they could support that need, so the farmer planted in early summer. Harvest time is always weather dependent, and in this case the threat of an early frost required short notice to gather the laborers. About a dozen people showed up and picked 584 squash in little more than an hour. A ton of food for locals in need was grown by a partnership between a skilled farmer and a community supportive of local agriculture. This is a great concept that would work for us. Please find the article here. Mom, We Crashed Their Planet Our neighbor across Admiralty Inlet, Vicki Robin, shares her thoughts about planetary physics, consumption, oil, and overshoot. Vicki asks a lot of “what if” questions and then wonders why we are not making any real progress on solving the climate crisis we face. She offers up the analogy of addiction and the approach of the “Anonymous” programs, with their first step of recognize that whatever we are doing is not working, its not helping to leave the planet in a better place than we found it. She then asks why we can’t see that unless we actually change our behaviors we threaten the future of everything we love with collapse. What follows is a wide- ranging exploration through literature and philosophy, Shakespeare and Monty Python, focused on our predicament. Please find the article at Resilience.org or at the Vicki Robin blog. Saving Farmland, Supporting Young Farmers This article focuses on reforming our concepts of land use and preserving land for Common Purpose. Author David Bollier gives an overview of his latest podcast, Agrarian Commons, titled “Frontiers of Commoning.” It starts with an important observation, especially for theses times: “At the root of peace is sufficiency and wholeness, and that means people having their needs met, people being fed.” Bollier interviews a young organic farmer from Maine and her multi-pronged strategy to promote “community-supported and collectively stewarded farmland.” Bollier mentions a program there called “Seaweed Commons” that promotes seaweed aquaculute and “ecological literacy of stakeholders in the marine economy." Bollier discusses this and other such endeavors as critical to efforts to “build new types of food systems that are regenerative, diversified, and community minded.” Anyone who wants to be part of creating a new local and resilient food system here will find this discussion of value. Please find the discussion and link to the podcast at Resilience.org or at the David Bollier Blog. Global Warming Could Stop Relatively Quickly after Emissions Go to Zero From Inside Climate News, Bob Berwyn summarizes climate- related findings from 2020. Bven though our economy slowed during 2020 due to the pandemic, the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere continued to rise to record levels. But unexpected findings show that despite the La Niña oceanic cooling effect of 2020, we still had record warming even compared to 2016, a year when the El Niño warming effect dominated. The rate of warming in the polar regions was found to be about three times the global average, and the thawing of permafrost is now well underway releasing carbon in a positive feedback loop. Also as polar ice melting accelerated, we are now seeing global sea level rise of 2 inches per decade on average. Berwyn also reviews the findings that many places in the world most affected by climate change were the least studied. Finally, an unexpected but welcome result from research indicates that if we can get to net zero emissions we stand a good chance of breaking the vicious feedback cycle and warming may level off and stabilize within just a couple decades. Quite a hopeful thing that should motivate us to redouble efforts to stop our greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible. Find the article here. In Pursuit of Better Agriculture (and a Better Society) The way we farm and the way we think are connected. When, 10-12 thousand years ago we started growing annual plants to feed ourselves and this permitted cities and civilization to take root. We started to think of ourselves as being in control because we grew food rather than simply gathering what nature provided. We started to think short term instead of long term. In this interview of Bill Vitek, a colleague of Wes Jackson, Olivia Malloy discusses the movement to explore the value of “New Perennials” as something both new and ancient.” Vitek sees growing perennial grains as a way to look to nature and observe how ecosystems exist. Vitek asks us to think critically that culture that is based on extraction, consumption. The way we try to turn land into a machine and make it work non-stop, and how we treat workers the same way. He observes that our education systems are geared to preparing kids to live a short-term, fast-paced life; the gig economy. They also discuss how the emergence of a new, truly sustainable, agriculture can scale up to meet the need and co-exist with our existing dominant paradigm during a period of transition. The concepts discussed are very much relevant to how we radically transition our systems to address converging crises and climate change. Initially published in a new journal titled Merion West, please find the article here. 2020: The Year Consensus Reality Fractured Let’s get real, people. 2020 has been a year that has at times seemed surreal or even unreal. In this year-end essay Richard Heinberg discusses the concept of consensus reality. He first describes how consensus reality develops then talks about how it has fallen apart. Heinberg argues that a breakdown of consensus reality during a period of economic, political, or social emergency may contribute to societal collapse when it undermines the social trust that is required for complex societies to function. Heinberg takes it a step further when he suggests part of the problem is a deep “blindspot” and lack of a “unifying vision” here in the U.S. If our “main guiding value is only ‘more” (consumerism) then we continue to dig ourselves a very deep hole indeed. In the last part of the essay Heinberg optimistically speculates that despite the challenges a new consensus is possible. He describes a very positive view of what that that could look like and though he acknowledges that such a reunification will be difficult, he leaves us with the notion that it is something worth striving for. Please enjoy a peaceful holiday season and find Heinberg’s article here. Community Program Taming Bigfoot® Is Back The December column for Local 20/20’s Resilience Review in The Port Townsend Leader is from Bob Bindschadler, a member of the Local 20/20 Climate outreach group. He announces that the Taming Bigfoot® carbon reduction contest is back! It was first held 5 years ago in Jefferson County. After spreading to other areas of the state and country, it will be repeated here, as “Taming Bigfoot 2021: Recovering Greener”, capturing the time we are in as we emerge from the pandemic with an opportunity to adjust some of our lifestyle choices. The meetings will all be virtual. Applications are due by 1/22/20, so read more here to learn more and join in! Citizens Climate Assembly: Report from the UK There are indicators that our existing national political system is not up to the task of responding to the climate crisis. For multiple reasons our political "leaders" seem unlikely to enact the significant change we need within the urgent timeframe required. One possible alternative providing a glimmer of hope is a “Citizens Climate Assembly." A citizens assembly is a form of participatory democracy in which members of the community are called to duty to listen to the evidence and craft recommended actions and strategies. The UK convened a climate assembly earlier this year with 108 members of the public randomly selected. They met over a period of five months and heard testimony from 47 subject matter experts. A 556-page report from this citizen group was recently released and an article from carbonbrief.org goes over some of its findings and offers links to the full report. The hope is that citizens working together can find solutions that will be acceptable to a majority of stakeholders and that it will help coerce and support politicians to enact needed policies. The report provides 50 key recommendations to help the UK reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. In a world where both our ecosystems and our democracies seem imperiled this approach offers a way forward. Please see the post above on a Washington State Citizen Climate Assembly starting January 2021. For a detailed look at the UK effort and its findings please access the article here. Transforming Life on Our Home Planet, Perennially This essay by Wes Jackson et al is the first part of a new book, The Perennial Turn: Contemporary Essays from the Field, and it is a joy. The authors suggest analysis as the first step in facing “the multiple, cascading crises that humans have created.” He argues that agriculture may be “the worst mistake in the history of the human race" (argued by Jared Diamond among many others) and that by ramping up agriculture to industrial scales we have monkeyed with ecosystems that we do not fully understand or appreciate. The book discusses how our claim to dominion over the resources of the entire planet sets up an artificial separation of humans from nature. They key thing to understand, the authors write, is that earth’s atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere are not separate from the biosphere. Earth is alive in a holistic way. As they put it, “We hold this to be a truth that must become self evident: Our shared human responsibility is to live on, not dominate, our home planet.” Success will be measured by the “long-term flourishing of ecosystems, including people.” Their prescriptions do not reject reductionist science but call for greater appreciation of complex systems and a “revolutionary change in theory and practice.” They reject fantasies of unlimited growth. They close soberly by considering Wendell Berry, who says we live on “the human estate of grief and joy.” They acknowledge that our cumulative harms of the past mean that unless we change we face grief “unprecedented in human history.” Please find the article here. Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story This worthy yet entertaining documentary on YouTube is an eye opener. The documentary also goes into wasted land, water and inputs. The documentary is free, with a few ads. Filmmakers and food lovers, Jen and Grant, dive into the issue of food waste and pledge to quit grocery shopping and survive only on discarded food for 6 months. In addition, the film looks into expiry dates, perfect produce, and portion sizes, supposedly little things that add up to an overwhelming problem. You can watch the video here. It Took a Townsend The November column for Local 20/20’s Resilience Review in The Port Townsend Leader is from Tracy Grisman, who is a member of Local 20/20's Beyond Waste Action Group. Tracy provides a recap of the Repair Cafe she and others organized earlier this year. The title of the article is “It Took a Townsend: A Fond Memory from 2020." In the article we are introduced us to a new term, the Repairocene (noun): A time when common goals of healing, repairing, and restoring of our lands, our things, and our relationships are shared. Port Townsend’s Repair Café debut was a smash hit! (No pun intended.) You can find the article on our website here. The "Market" Won't Save Us from Climate Disaster This article from The Guardian’s Robert Devine argues that “expecting the free market to fix global warming is like trying to pound nails with a saw.” It quotes a former Chief Economist for the World Bank calling climate change “the greatest and widest-ranging market failure ever seen.” Devine goes into what “market failure” means and how a defect in communication has contributed to consumers not having the appropriate information when they choose to buy, say, a gallon of gasoline. He talks about how ecosystem services have been terribly undervalued for too long. Devine stops short of offering a prescription for radical departure from the free market but offers some ideas for how the current system can be greatly improved and perhaps work towards our goals instead of against them. Please find the article here. Food for Thought Author Leander Jones tackles the problems of our dominant industrial agriculture model and how a system that relies on global production and transportation contributes to risk for some communities when it is stressed by situations like Covid-19. Jones offers an alternative model practiced in Germany that combines collective land ownership with CSA membership. Such a model adheres to principles such as localism, ecological sustainability, common ownership and production for need rather than profit. It pays farm workers a living wage that is independent of crop fluctuations. CSA members are encouraged to help work on the farm and invest their labor as well as their capital to help ensure success. The operation Jones highlights resists growing in size beyond that which serves its members. Also, Jones illustrates how growing local food for local consumption can greatly help reduce agriculture’s greenhouse gas footprint. It's a model worth exploring locally. Please find the article here. No Matter Who Wins The 2020 election is behind us and many people feel optimistic for our future once again. Thus it is a good time to inject some big picture reality into the equation. Some may equate reality with pessimism but as our political leaders begin to transition to establishing new priorities and approaches to problem solving it would be good to base our plans on reality and science. Nate Hagens is with the University of Minnesota and the Institute for the Study of Energy and the Future. He is one of those big picture guys, especially in finance and energy systems. Just before the election he wrote an essay in which he draws our attention back to the really big problems we face, all of which have in recent months been forced off the radar screen of our limited attention spans. He covers the impact of COVID and its economic impact, pending oil supply problems, and our interdependence with the natural world as well as offering some great titanic iceberg analogies. Hagens offers a number of quotes that begin with the same phrase “No matter who wins the election” such as “we will have to face a more complex and less certain energy future.” Readers are encouraged to take the time and inform themselves on the Big Picture with Nate Hagens, find the article here. How to Fix Our Country's Empathy Problem, Starting with the Farmworkers Who Keep Us Fed This article from Salon’s Ashlie Stevens provides good food for thought. It takes up the situation of the migrant workers who play a key role in our food supply chain. Most of us are mostly unaware of the role these essential workers play and of the conditions with which they contend. Stevens argues that many of us have lost a sense of empathy, that we don’t consider the suffering that others must endure simply to earn the money needed to support themselves and their families. We have become deficient in empathy. As we consider how to make our local food system more resilient for the challenging times ahead, we should create a system that works for all stakeholders. Justice for front line workers fosters stability and resilience and, more importantly, it is simply the right priority for our fellow human beings. Please find the article here. Kiss the Ground This fantastic documentary presents the amazing potential of regenerative agriculture. Narrated by Woody Harrelson and featuring Ian Somerhalder, this 2020 Tribeca Film Festival selection was produced by Josh & Rebecca Tickell and provides viewers with the compelling story of how our soil can not only sequester carbon but even draw it down from the atmosphere. The film includes the perspectives of thought leaders, soil conservationists, ranchers, and farmers. This is one of those rare examples of something tangible we can undertake to head off a catastrophe. You can watch it now on Netflix, or on October 22nd you can stream it for $1. This 84 minute film will leave you feeling... hopeful. To watch a trailer, and to learn more, please visit the Film’s website here. The Great Climate Migration Compared to many places, we live in a region where the climate forecast offers reasonable temperature and adequate rainfall. While we cannot expect to escape the direct nor the indirect effects of climate change, we may be one of the places where people from other regions migrate to escape inhospitable temperatures and humidity, drought, or recurring natural disasters. It is, however, a complex situation. A recent report from ProPublica & The New York Times Magazine takes a look at the prospects for climate migration. They begin with analysis of the geophysical forecasts for the U.S. using county-level data displayed in a series of interactive maps. The accompanying article provides an in-depth analysis of the impacts on agriculture, water, and housing issues, as well as consideration of economic and social factors that are quite concerning. This is important information as we begin to think about how we might react and what community values we would like to uphold in such a scenario. The ProPublica article is here, and an interactive and comprehensive mapping feature is here. New Study Shows a Vicious Cycle of Climate Change Building on Layers of Warming Ocean Water It would have been easy to miss the alarming new report from researchers who describe how the Oceans are “stabilizing”. These days it would be quite understandable to welcome any sort of stabilizing but in our oceans this represents an ominous situation. The ability of our oceans to buffer the impacts of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has allowed us to delay the onset of the major impacts of climate change forecast for the future. However, it seems the ability of the oceans to perform this service is ending far sooner than scientists had expected. One of the study's co-authors is Michael Mann of Penn State who also says we now cannot rule out some of the more dire risks including that atmospheric CO2 could triple by the year 2100, and that global average temperature could rise by 8 degrees F. Even as so much of our attention seems focused on things like the death toll from COVID-19 and an uncertain political situation we should also take time to assess our world from the big picture perspective and to act accordingly. Find the article by Bob Berwyn at Inside Climate News here. Local 20/20 Mission Working together toward local sustainability and resilience – integrating ecology, economy and community through action and education. Action Groups are where we do most of our work. Each is focused on an interrelated aspect of sustainability. Visit L2020.org to learn what the different action groups are working on. Want to submit an announcement? We welcome notices of events, calls for participation and other items of interest. Local 20/20 Announcements goes out every Monday morning. Please submit the following in paragraph form: Subject or event. Brief description. Day, date, time. Venue address. Contact information. Web links. Include a logo or a photo in jpeg format. See existing announcements for examples – no bullets, colored fonts, etc., plain text is best. Email to events@L2020.org by 8 p.m. Saturday. We post announcements aligned with Local 20/20’s mission and of interest to our community. 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Sims Way #12 · Port Townsend, Wa 98368 · USA From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Brinnon News - Hot Soup Mondays!!! Date:Monday, February 1, 2021 11:02:54 AM From: Brinnon News On Behalf OfBrinnon News Sent: Monday, February 1, 2021 11:02:10 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: Brinnon News - Hot Soup Mondays!!! CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Brinnon News A service of Emerald Towns Alliance (ETA) PO Box 323, Brinnon WA 98320 United States You received this email because you signed up on our website or made a purchase from us. Unsubscribe From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: WSCAP Weekly Advocacy PRO Sign-Ins (Feb 1-5) Date:Monday, February 1, 2021 11:19:14 AM From: Cherish Cronmiller Sent: Monday, February 1, 2021 11:19:04 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Cherish Cronmiller Subject: FW: WSCAP Weekly Advocacy PRO Sign-Ins (Feb 1-5) CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. This morning I testified for HB 1333. I wanted to share with you all the ability to sign on PRO to issues that have been highlighted by the Washington State Community Action Partnership Association (representing the 30 community action agencies in WA State.) I sit on the legislative committee of the association, and we have worked on a way to get sign-ins supporting legislation that is pertinent to our missions. (Supporting low and fixed income households, Head Start families, food banks, energy initiatives, affordable housing, supportive, transitional and emergency housing, senior programs, community centers, employment & training programs, and supporting self- sufficiency.) So, each Monday morning or Sunday evening you would get a list, like the one below, where you can click and auto-fill support for these initiatives. There are deadlines to sign-on (though written testimony can be submitted up to 24 hrs after live testimony.) You are welcome to share and forward this email to those you think would be interested and agencies that may want to support. Or, you can just see the bills that I have signed OlyCAP on in support of each week. If you do NOT want to receive, let me know, and I will take you off my list. - Cherish Office: 360.385.2571 x.6308 (Depending on availability- forwards to my cell phone) Subject: WSCAP Weekly Advocacy PRO Sign-Ins (Feb 1-5) Hi all, Reminder: these sign-in links are unique to the particular committee hearing and expire one hour before the hearing. Deadlines are noted in the order they fall throughout the day. However, you can provide written testimony up to 24 hours AFTER the hearing. If you are interested in providing written or live testimony on any of these bills, or have any questions about the proposals, let us know! Search bills by number here: https://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/ Sign up for live or submit written testimony for committee hearings here: https://app.leg.wa.gov/CSIRemote/ Monday HB 1016: Making Juneteenth a legal holiday Deadline 2:30PM SHB 1089: Concerning compliance audits of requirements relating to peace officers and law enforcement agencies SBH 1092: Concerning law enforcement data collection SSB 5051: Concerning state oversight and accountability of peace officers and corrections officers Deadline 3PM SSB 5066: Concerning a peace officer's duty to intervene SSB 5117: Concerning rental vouchers to eligible incarcerated individuals SSB 5118: Supporting successful reentry Tuesday HB 1363: Addressing secondary trauma in the K-12 workforce Deadline: 7AM HB 1373: Promoting student access to information about behavioral health resources. HB 1293: Reducing unduly harsh sentences for offenses committed by domestic violence survivors. HB 1369: Washington Wage Recovery Act (anti-Wage Theft law) Deadline: 9AM SB 5261: Collecting information regarding police use of deadly force, personnel complaints, pursuit incidences, and patrol car crashes. Deadline: 9:30AM SB 5259: Concerning law enforcement data collection HB 1370: Concerning grants for early learning facilities. Deadline: 12:30PM HB 1297: Bipartisan Working Families Tax Exemption HB 1406: Improving the equity of Washington state's tax code by creating the Washington state wealth tax and taxing extraordinary financial intangible assets. HB 1342: Eliminating lunch copays for students who qualify for reduced-price lunches. Deadline 2:30PM Wednesday SB 5383: Authorizing a public utility district to provide retail telecommunications services in unserved areas under certain conditions. Deadline: 7AM HB 1241: Planning under the growth management act Deadline: 9AM HB 1412: Concerning legal financial obligations SB 5355: Washington Wage Recovery Act (anti-Wage Theft law) Deadline: 9:30AM Thursday SB 5375: Concerning a study of the differences in low-income housing development in urban and rural locations Deadline: 7AM SB 5226: Concerning the suspension of licenses for traffic infractions Deadline: 9:30AM SB 5387: Concerning working families tax exemption Deadline: 12:30PM Friday HB 1395: Ensuring Equity in Farming Deadline: 7AM HB 1443: Concerning social equity in the Cannabis industry Deadline: 9AM HB 1356: Prohibiting the inappropriate use of Native American names, symbols, or images as public school mascots, logos, or team names. Best, Jeff DeLuca Executive Director Washington State Community Action Partnership Call/Text: 360-464-4290 Pronouns: He/Him/His From:Greg Brotherton To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Data question for Dr. Locke Date:Monday, February 1, 2021 3:54:54 PM From: Tom Locke Sent: Monday, February 1, 2021 3:54:52 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: janetwelch; Kathleen Keenan Cc: Greg Brotherton; vteam@kptz.org; Kate Ingram; Keppie Keplinger; Willie Bence; Heidi Eisenhour; jeffbocc Subject: Re: Data question for Dr. Locke Ms. Welch, All of these methods are acceptable methods of tracking case volumes. Washington's current methodology is to compute rates based on date of testing. Since test results can lag by 1 to 7 days, this makes daily rolling averages difficult to compute (a new calculation has to be done every day and then revised as "late" reports come in). Using "date reported" makes this easier to calculate but distorts when the positive specimen was collected. We are expending considerable effort at a local level to compute and publish accurate information on case rates and percentage positive metrics. We do this because the State system is not able to accurately do this. In the case of percent positives this is because they are not able to track the total number of tests done. We appreciate that Jefferson County residents are closely tracking pandemic measures but I have to push back on some of the more extreme data requests. We have a small staff of nurse epidemiologists who are working 6 days/week on case investigation and contact tracing. This is complex and time consuming, especially the support necessary to isolate and quarantine an every shifting population and residents. There have been no staffing increases or significant State support for any of these efforts. Among my duties is to keep staff focused on mission critical communicable disease priorities. Satisfying media or public curiosity about day to day variations in case diagnoses is not our priority. People need to understand that for COVID-19, diagnosed cases are the tip of the pandemic iceberg. The unseen part of the pandemic (5-10 times the case rate, depending on testing intensity) is where the threat is. Adherence to strict masking, distancing, and hygiene is the key strategy for getting to the other end of the pandemic. If you wish to see county and state data reported in Hopkins-like format, I urge you to consult the New York Times which does an excellent job of following the pandemic epidemiology and uses a national standard for reporting. Sincerely, Thomas Locke, MD, MPH From: janetwelch <janet@olympus.net> Sent: Friday, January 29, 2021 10:28 AM To: Kathleen Keenan Cc: Janets Beastie Welch; Greg Brotherton; vteam@kptz.org; Kate Ingram; Keppie Keplinger; Tom Locke; Willie Bence; Heidi Eisenhour; jeffbocc Subject: Data question for Dr. Locke CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Incompatible data: The data used by Hopkins and others document daily averages over a 7 or 14 day period (whether it be cases, hospitalizations, etc) per 100,000. Washington persists in using cumulative numbers over the 14 day period per 100,000. When will Washington adopt the statistical methodology used by the other sources so that accurate comparisons can be made? From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Thank you !!! Date:Monday, February 1, 2021 4:40:41 PM Attachments:JeffCo Board of Commissioners.pdf From: Betsy Davis Sent: Monday, February 1, 2021 4:40:25 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Cc: Heidi Eisenhour Subject: Thank you !!! CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Hey Kate. A HUGE thank you for putting in the effort to get the letter approved by the Jefferson County Commission that documented our collaboration. (As you know, it was a requirement for us to be able to submit the application.) It worked!!! I am thrilled to report we just learned that we’ve been awarded the grant to purchase equipment for the expansion of our Marine Systems program. THANK YOU!!! Kilmer, Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding Celebrate New Federal Investment | U.S. Congressman Derek Kilmer of Washington's 6th District (house.gov). You should “count this” as more COVID-relief dollars you’ve personally helped deliver to the County! Heidi – I’m copying you since you’ve been following developments at the Boat School for many years. I’ve also attached the letter the Commissioners supplied for our grant proposal – just as background for you. Hooray. Betsy Betsy Davis Executive Director Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding www.nwswb.edu cell: 206-390-0381 Our mission is to teach and preserve boatbuilding and marine systems skills while developing the individual as a craftsperson. - From:Greg Brotherton To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: COVID-19 Weekly Report - 2/2/21 Date:Tuesday, February 2, 2021 4:01:05 AM From: Village Council Sent: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 4:00:41 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Greg Brotherton Subject: COVID-19 Weekly Report - 2/2/21 CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. COVID-19 WEEKLY UPDATE February 2, 2021 This Weekly Update provides a link to the County Department of Emergency Management Community Situation Report rather than duplicating information that is being published by them. That report covers Dr. Locke’s presentation at the Monday County Commissioners meeting. 24 new cases last week For details, see the full County Situation Report HERE JeffCo is still in Phase I of the re-opening metrics along with our sister regional counties of Clallam, Kitsap, and Mason New JeffCo JHC – Vaccine notification availability sign-up Here: Jefferson Health Care Vaccination notification signup form Roadmap to Reopening To download full County Case Information, click HERE To download full Global Case Count Information, click HERE To view Washington State Safe Start Program, click HERE To view WA State Risk Assessment Dashboard, click HERE Resources: jeffersonhealthcare.org/covid-19/ jeffersoncountypublichealth.org/1429/covid-19 Wash Hands Maintain Distance Wear a Mask Visit the Village Council Web Site Your Village Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation whose purpose is to be a unifying force and information conduit for the benefit of all Port Ludlow residents. ‌ Port Ludlow Village Council | Post Office Box 65012, Port Ludlow, WA 98365 Unsubscribe gbrotherton@co.jefferson.wa.us Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by portludlowvillagecouncileblast@gmail.com From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Coronavirus Pandemic Resources for Counties – February 2, 2021 Date:Tuesday, February 2, 2021 7:12:57 AM From: NACo Sent: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 7:10:59 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: Coronavirus Pandemic Resources for Counties – February 2, 2021 CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Having trouble viewing this email? Click Here federal-policy-feed_969768.png NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES | NACo.org/coronavirus FEBRUARY 2, 2021 GettyImages-1220174508_1791091.jpg COUNTIES WELCOME PROSPECTS OF BIPARTISAN COOPERATION, CALL FOR CRITICAL AID TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Monday, NACo responded to the Republican proposal for the next coronavirus relief package, which does not include critical aid to states or localities. We are encouraged that there is a desire for bipartisan negotiations on COVID-19 relief, but this plan unfortunately misses the mark by omitting much-needed investments in the frontline heroes of the county workforce. READ THE FULL STATEMENT UPCOMING COVID-19 WEBINARS & EVENTS County Eviction Series: Solutions from Across the Country FEB. 4 | 2-3 P.M. EST County governments are assisting vulnerable residents whose housing and financial stability are at heightened risk due to COVID-19. Hear directly from county leaders on challenges and solutions to the evictions crisis, including county programming and support for children and families. REGISTER Fighting Food Insecurity During COVID-19 and Beyond: Key Updates for County Leaders FEB. 5 | 2-3:15 P.M. EST Join county leaders, congressional staff and national experts to discuss how emergency COVID-19 legislation can help counties combat food insecurity and the implications it may have for national anti-hunger policy moving forward. REGISTER Vaccine Management Solutions for Local Governments FEB. 5 | 3-4 P.M. EST Counties play an integral role in the administration of local COVID-19 vaccination programs, including the scheduling, tracking and reporting of vaccination data. Join NACo for a webinar series that will highlight effective technology solutions for county vaccination management. REGISTER IN CASE YOU MISSED IT NACo sends letter to Congress on local government support Last week, NACo sent a letter to congressional leaders urging immediate passage of the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan, a proposal that includes $350 billion in critical aid to state, local and territorial governments. READ LETTER Counties call on Congress to pass coronavirus relief package with essential aid for local governments On January 28, NACo joined the U.S. Conference of Mayors and National League of Cities for a virtual press conference, and the three organizations issued a statement calling on Congress to pass direct assistance to counties and cities. WATCH THE PRESS CONFERENCE | VIEW JOINT STATEMENT Call Recording: NACo Member Call with White House Officials On January 28, NACo hosted a call with the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and the National Economic Council, which outlined the latest efforts to provide federal support to counties on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19. ACCESS THE RECORDING COVID-19 UPDATES FROM NACo During this critical and unprecedented time, NACo is focused on advocating for the needs of counties at the federal level, disseminating useful information to our members and facilitating the exchange of effective strategies and approaches. We share the latest news and resources online at www.NACo.org/coronavirus, as well as via this recurring digest. Click below to subscribe to updates. NACo.org/coronavirus SUBSCRIBE TO UPDATES GettyImages-1220174508_1791091.jpg 660 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20001 Did someone forward you this email? Sign up to stay up-to-date on topics affecting America’s counties! Click here to unsubscribe. View this email in your browser From:Greg Brotherton To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: OCH Community Briefing | February 2, 2021 Date:Tuesday, February 2, 2021 9:18:14 AM From: Olympic Community of Health Sent: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 9:17:56 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Greg Brotherton Subject: OCH Community Briefing | February 2, 2021 CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Olympic Community of Health (OCH) seeks to connect people and agencies throughout the region with resources and opportunities related to improving population health. Tackling health issues that no single sector or Tribe can tackle alone. Do you have resources or opportunities to share? Email us at OCH@olympicch.org. OCH Announcements Hope-Centered and Trauma-Informed: Using Science to Improve Outcomes OCH has teamed up with Kitsap Strong to offer four free Trauma-Informed Care sessions. These sessions are free and build upon each other. We encourage you to attend all four sessions. The first session is this Thursday, Feb 9. Learn more and register here. Feb 9, 9-11a- Session 1 Feb 11, 9-11a- Session 2 Feb 16, 9-11a- Session 3 Feb 18, 9-11a- Session 4 Guest Blog: Raising Resilience How to Raise Resilience in Yourself and Your Children April Avey Trabucco, Executive Director of Raising Resilience, submitted this guest blog in support of OCH’s campaign ”Plant Hope, Grow Resilience”. Raising Resilience is a parenting support non- profit in Kitsap County. Check out their blog to learn about the ways they are supporting resilience in Kitsap County. Progress Toward Value-Based Care Health Care Authority staff will be joining the February 8 OCH Board of Directors (1-3p) meeting to share results of the 2020 Paying for Value survey. They will share highlights from the survey with particular attention to how the Olympic region has progressed on this effort. All who are interested in this topic are encouraged to join in the conversation. Add to calendar. Read the full article Additional Medicaid Managed Care Organization (MCO) Coming to the Olympic Region Health Care Authority (HCA) and Community Health Plan of Washington (CHPW) staff will be joining the March 8 OCH Board of Directors meeting to hear from providers and to discuss adding CHPW to the Olympic region as an additional Medicaid plan option. All who are interested in this topic are encouraged to join in the conversation. Add to calendar. Feedback Requested: OCH Future State Proposal As the conclusion of the Medicaid Transformation Project quickly approaches, all nine Accountable Communities of Health are beginning to think through how they will continue and/or shift their work post-MTP. Olympic Community of Health is excited about the opportunity to collaborate with partners across the region to explore the best plan for OCH’s continuation. Please click here to access the future state proposal and survey. Opportunities Feb 24: Collective Platform Webinar OCH would like to share this upcoming opportunity to learn more about the Collective Ambulatory Platform (Feb 24, 1-3p). Please note that this webinar is shared statewide and only 300 spots are available, so registration should be made as soon as possible. If you would like to participate, please respond and OCH can send you the registration details. Participating in this event will counts as a 2021 learning & convening for implementation partners (a component of the OCH 2021 payment model). Learn more and register here. OCH Meetings and Events Board of Directors Feb 8 | 1-3pm | Add to calendar | Meeting Packet 3CCORP: Treatment Workgroup Feb 17 | 1-3pm | Add to calendar Save the Date: Natural Communities of Care (NCC) Convenings Join your local NCC convening to learn about local successes and explore creative strategies to foster a county of healthy people and thriving communities. Learn more and register by clicking on the links below. Kitsap NCC | Mar 2, 1-3p Jefferson NCC | Mar 3, 1-3p Clallam NCC | Mar 10, 1-3p In partnership, OCH Team OCH@olympicch.org | olympicch.org Olympic Community of Health would like to gratefully acknowledge that we are on the territorial lands of the Coast Salish, S'Klallam, and Chimicum Tribes. Click here to learn more about the Indigenous land where you are. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here! Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. This email was sent to gbrotherton@co.jefferson.wa.us why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences Olympic Community of Health · 2500 W Sims Way · Port Townsend, WA 98368-2234 · USA From:Greg Brotherton To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: *** CORRECTION *** Roadway Safety Presentation Date:Tuesday, February 2, 2021 10:07:11 AM From: Village Council Sent: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 10:07:04 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Greg Brotherton Subject: *** CORRECTION *** Roadway Safety Presentation CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Transportation Safety Committee Correction Port Ludlow Roadway Safety Presentation The earlier announcement and reminder for today's (Tuesday) presentation incorrectly referred to tomorrow's (Wednesday) Zoom meeting. The correct link is in the "February 2 Presentation Link," below. We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this error may have caused. Tuesday, Feb 2nd at 2:00 PM Click here to Join by computer on Feb 2nd: February 2 Presentation Link Join by phone: Call in number: 1 253 215 8782 Meeting ID: 816 9837 4732 Passcode: 871331 Wednesday, Feb 3rd at 7:00 PM Click here to Join by computer on Feb 3rd: February 3 Presentation Link Join by phone: Call in number: 1 253 215 8782 Meeting ID: 879 9584 2681 Passcode: 194818 For those residents unable to participate, the PLVC Roadway Safety Committee will make every effort to record and post the presentation on the PLVC website upon completion. If you have any questions, please contact Jim Moffitt, President, PLVC at 832- 816-9998. Visit the Village Council Web Site Your Village Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation whose purpose is to be a unifying force and information conduit for the benefit of all Port Ludlow residents. Port Ludlow Village Council | Post Office Box 65012, Port Ludlow, WA 98365 Unsubscribe gbrotherton@co.jefferson.wa.us Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by portludlowvillagecouncileblast@gmail.com From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: *** CORRECTION *** Roadway Safety Presentation Date:Tuesday, February 2, 2021 10:20:52 AM From: Jim Moffitt Sent: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 10:20:31 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Greg Brotherton; Heidi Eisenhour; Kate Dean; Philip Morley; Al Cairns; Wendy Clark; Eric Kuzma Cc: Allan Kiesler Subject: Fwd: *** CORRECTION *** Roadway Safety Presentation CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Team: Should you wish to attend one of the Port Ludlow Roadway Safety Presentations - the below is updated login info. Sorry for any confusion this may have caused. Regards. Jim Moffitt PLVC ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Village Council <portludlowvillagecouncileblast@gmail.com> Date: Tue, Feb 2, 2021 at 10:11 AM Subject: *** CORRECTION *** Roadway Safety Presentation To: <jgm.moffitt@gmail.com> Transportation Safety Committee Correction Port Ludlow Roadway Safety Presentation The earlier announcement and reminder for today's (Tuesday) presentation incorrectly referred to tomorrow's (Wednesday) Zoom meeting. The correct link is in the "February 2 Presentation Link," below. We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this error may have caused. Tuesday, Feb 2nd at 2:00 PM Click here to Join by computer on Feb 2nd: February 2 Presentation Link Join by phone: Call in number: 1 253 215 8782 Meeting ID: 816 9837 4732 Passcode: 871331 Wednesday, Feb 3rd at 7:00 PM Click here to Join by computer on Feb 3rd: February 3 Presentation Link Join by phone: Call in number: 1 253 215 8782 Meeting ID: 879 9584 2681 Passcode: 194818 For those residents unable to participate, the PLVC Roadway Safety Committee will make every effort to record and post the presentation on the PLVC website upon completion. If you have any questions, please contact Jim Moffitt, President, PLVC at 832- 816-9998. Visit the Village Council Web Site Your Village Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation whose purpose is to be a unifying force and information conduit for the benefit of all Port Ludlow residents. Port Ludlow Village Council | Post Office Box 65012, Port Ludlow, WA 98365 Unsubscribe jgm.moffitt@gmail.com Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by portludlowvillagecouncileblast@gmail.com Tuesday, February 2 From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: COVID-19 News | February 2, 2021 Date:Tuesday, February 2, 2021 10:59:48 AM From: Washington Counties (WSAC) Sent: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 10:59:28 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: COVID-19 News | February 2, 2021 CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Want to receive this email in your inbox? Click here to subscribe. COVID-19 NEWSLETTER Roadmap to Recovery update; Two Regions Move into Phase Two he Washington State Department of Health (DOH) announced that based on Governor Jay Inslee’s updated Roadmap to Recovery phased reopening plan, the following regions will move into Phase 2. Phase changes went into effect on Monday, February 1, 2021 and remain in effect until Monday, February 15, 2021. As Governor Inslee just announced, regions now need to meet any three of the four metrics outlined in the Roadmap to Recovery plan in order to move into Phase 2. Read more Announcements and Resources FEDERAL Counties Welcome Prospects of Bipartisan Cooperation, Call for Critical Aid to State and Local Governments On Monday, NACo responded to the Republican proposal for the next coronavirus relief package, which does not include critical aid to states or localities. We are encouraged that there is a desire for bipartisan negotiations on COVID-19 relief, but this plan unfortunately misses the mark by omitting much-needed investments in the frontline heroes of the county workforce. Read more STATE More than 10,000 People get COVID-19 Vaccine at State’s Mass Vaccination Sites Following a successful first week at the state’s four mass vaccination sites, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is pleased to announce registration is opening for week two. Read more COVID-19 Data Shows Some Encouraging Signs as Well as Reasons for Caution The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released the latest statewide situation report on COVID-19. The report includes declining COVID-19 transmission provides an opportunity to get case and hospitalization rates under control before the faster-spreading B.1.1.7 variant takes hold in the state, and that case counts dropped sharply after the first week of January. Read more TIP OF THE DAY Understanding Phase Finder & Vaccine Distribution Progress in COVID-19 vaccine delivery gives us hope for a post-pandemic future and moves us one step closer to providing vaccines for everyone in Washington. But our vaccine delivery plan has also raised a lot of questions. Read more NOTEWORTHY Be a Good Neighbor: Don’t Cross State Lines for the COVID-19 Vaccine We are all relieved and anxious that COVID-19 vaccines are finally here — and in record time! We are so excited, some are even crossing state lines to get vaccinated to protect ourselves and our families. Even though we’re excited to finally put COVID-19 in our rear-view mirror, we need to make sure we share our vaccinations in a fair way. Read more VIRTUAL MEETINGS February 8, 12:00 pm | Virtual Assembly Register View this email in your browser This email was sent to Kdean@co.jefferson.wa.us | Why did I get this? Want to change how you receive these emails? Update your preferences | Unsubscribe from this list Copyright © 2021 WSAC, All rights reserved. 206 10th Ave SE · Olympia, WA 98501-1311 · USA | Contact Us From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: JCHS in Feb! Hot Chocolate Bombs! Date:Tuesday, February 2, 2021 3:17:07 PM From: JeffCo Historical Society Sent: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 3:16:43 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: JCHS in Feb! Hot Chocolate Bombs! CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. The Big Snow of February 1916 The lessons of winter, and a farm. Hunker down. Get cozy. Bundle up. These are all timeless winter phrases, things we say to signal this season and tell loved ones that its OK to slow down a little and rest up for what will surely be a busy spring. But this winter feels different. We've already been hunkered down for a year. If the winter blues (pandemic blues?) are starting to set in about now, engaging with your community can help. We invite you to join our virtual programs - from making hot chocolate bombs to learning about our water system. And we encourage you to engage in Black History Month by exploring regional resources and learning about a local farm. What is the history of African Americans in Jefferson County? Many people in our community are asking this question, and not finding an easy answer. That lack of representation in our local historical record only leads to more questions. Who are our local heroes and why? What is the story behind the name for that particular street, town, or county? It is not a matter of whether the history of slavery in America impacts Jefferson County, it is how, and what we can do to learn more, reconcile erasure, and heal together. The Black Heritage Society and Northwest African American Museum are primary sources for learning and engaging in content related to African American heritage and culture in our region, and have special programs happening this month. If you want to utilize these lessons from history to empower and support the Black community here, look no further than Chimacum! We are thankful to all the people who have rallied around Woodbridge Farm and gave permission for us to share Peter Mustin's story and campaign in our newsletter. Get cozy, stay masked, and keep asking questions. The story of Woodbridge Farm Woodbridge is a 24-acre farm located along a salmon stream in the fertile Chimacum Valley. The land at Woodbridge was purchased in 2018 by Peter Mustin, one of rural Jefferson County’s only Black farmers and one of its largest Black landowners. As a steward of the land, Peter’s vision of Woodbridge Farm is to cultivate community while caring for the soil, growing good food and flowers, and providing space for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to experience the life- affirming bounty nature provides. His farm project is both a personal passion for him and a significant effort towards making Black farmers viable and visible in this community. The mission for Woodbridge includes land stewardship, economic vitality and social equity. Recent legislation proposed by Senators Booker, Warren and Gillibrand-- the Justice for Black Farmers Act-- addresses the heavy legacy of exploitation and exclusion faced by Black farmers over the centuries. Peter's project represents an effort to reclaim a relationship with the land that feeds all people equitably, and to create a thriving food-producing farm that also serves as a place for diverse youth and adults to form a healthy relationship to food and to the soil. Woodbridge Farm is a project of love and restoration, honoring Peter's family roots and lifelong love of farming, plants and beauty. It is also a project with the potential to showcase how community support can be a form of reparations by way of acknowledging historical inequities and contributing to a redistribution of resources. Please share with others who may be inspired to support this vision of a thriving farm, healing community space and Black-owned land project! Woodbridge Farm seeks to become a center for vibrant community life and healing. As a way to keep people connected with their story, they are documenting the process of growth and transformation from beginning to end. The video for this campaign is part of the early stages of that documentation (with a shout out of gratitude to Gabe Van Lelyveld of Whaleheart Productions). To learn more about Peter’s vision of Woodbridge Farm and the challenges he is working to overcome, we invite you to view the campaign video, and use the button below to visit the project's fundraising page. This project represents an important effort to get precious fertile local land back into production, as well as larger significance in the context of history and legislation. Story courtesy the Woodbridge Farm campaign. For more information: Contact Peter Mustin and Cameron Jones at: woodbridgefarm.biz@gmail.com Follow: Website: woodbridgefarm.net Instagram: @woodbridgefarm FIRST FRIDAY SPEAKER SERIES Our 2021 First Friday Speaker Series celebrates the art of making, featuring makers from throughout Jefferson County and the broader peninsula. From food and fiber to metal and wood, we’re honoring materials and making of all kinds. Upcoming event: Baking and Candy Making with Sugar Hill Farms Learn More About Supporting Woodbridge Friday, February 5 7:00 – 8:00 PM Hosted via Zoom Suggested donation: $10 Register here via Simpletix As Valentine’s Day approaches, love and chocolate are in the air! Join Brenda from Sugar Hill Farms as she shares her recipe for the ultimate hot chocolate bombs – hollow chocolate balls filled with sugary goodness that melt to into delicious, decadent drinks. She’ll also share tips and tricks for the best pie crust, discuss her long family tradition of baking, and share insights on finding grace in imperfection. Sugar Hill began as a small-time sweet stand at local farmer’s markets, with owners Brenda and Michael’s six young children. In a time where candy is at every front counter for a dime a dozen, Sugar Hill’s mission is to create confections that taste like someone cares, with each piece handcrafted by a family with a dream and a love for life. Series Passes are available now! Series Pass: $75 for non-members, $65 for members Purchase your Series Pass on Simpletix. 2021 Upcoming Programs: March 5: Fermentation with Midori Farms April 2: Jewelry Making with Azure May 7: Metalwork with The Port Townsend Foundry VIRTUAL ARCHAEOLOGY TALK An Overview of Historic Archaeology in Western Washington and Nearby Coastal Areas Weds, February 107:00 – 8:00 PM Hosted via Zoom Suggested $10 donation Register here via Simpletix This presentation will consider a number of historic archaeological studies addressing sites in western Washington and northwestern Oregon. The latter include possible Drake connections in the Northwest, the Bee’s Wax Wreck near Nehalem, Vancouver’s “lost Anchor” near Whidbey Island, the Hudson Bay Company occupations at Fort Vancouver and Fort Nisqually, and still more recent historic features. It will review what the sites contain and what they tell us about both the possible and demonstrated early historic European and Euro- American presence in this region. Presenter Gary Wessen holds a M.A. and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Washington State University and has operated as an archaeological consultant in the Northwest since 1983. He has 50 years of archaeological fieldwork experience in western North America, having worked in Mexico, California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and southeast Alaska. Most of his experience, however, has been in coastal and lowland forest settings in western Washington. To date, Wessen has worked with or conducted ten large-scale excavation projects, 96 small-scale site testing and evaluation projects, and more than 500 archaeological site survey projects. THE PORT TOWNSEND PAPER MILL – PAST,PRESENT, AND FUTURE The Jefferson County Historical Society and the Port Townsend Public Library are teaming up with the City of Port Townsend, the Port Townsend Paper Mill, KPTZ 91.9, the Swan School, and other partners to present a suite of programming this winter all about the Mill – it’s history, economic and workforce impact, recycling practices, and of course its product – paper! Upcoming event: History and Operation of the Port Townsend Olympic Gravity Water System Thurs, February 25 7:00 – 8:00 PM Hosted via Zoom No registration required, FREE Presented by Ian Jablonski, Water Resources Operations Manager for the City of Port Townsend Port Townsend’s location in a rain shadow at the north end of the Quimper Peninsula made it necessary for community leaders to develop a reliable water source in the Olympic Mountains. In 1928, a partnership with Crown Zellerbach paper mill was formed to construct a 28-mile-long replacement water system. Under an agreement with the city, Port Townsend Paper Company continues to operate and maintain the transmission system while city staff provide treatment and delivery of the water to the community. Ian Jablonski is the Water Resources Operations Manager for the City of Port Townsend, responsible for leading the water treatment and distribution staffs. He has administered the Cooperative Watershed Protection Program with the US Forest Service and participated in a variety of study and planning efforts including Water Resource Inventory Area 17 watershed planning. During the past 27 years he has overseen a number of water system improvements including reconstruction of the Little Quilcene River Diversion, City Lake outlet pipeline replacement, development of the membrane Water Treatment Facility, and repairs to the Big Quilcene Diversion. Explore all the upcoming Paper Mill programs on our website. COMMUNITY PROGRAMS OF INTEREST February 11th THPO Topic: Ancestral Villages of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Did you know the Jamestown S’Klallam trace their ancestry primarily to six ancestral villages located on the northeast Olympic Peninsula? Join Tribal Historic Preservation Officer David Brownell, who will review historic documents, oral histories, and archaeological data related to these sites and examine the historic factors that led to their abandonment. Join using this Zoom link Meeting ID: 833 3255 7790 Passcode: 447316 THPO Topics are brought to you by the Jamestown S'Kllalam Tribal Library on the 2nd Thursday of the Month 3:00pm — 4:30pm. For more information call 360-681-4632 or email library@jamestowntribe.org Visit the Tribal Library website for more information. Get your history flick fix with PTFF Pics this week Stalag Luft III–One Man’s Story is told by WWII U.S. Eighth Air Force Bombardier Lt. Charles Woehrle, one of 10,000 prisoners of war in Stalag Luft III. At age 93, this remarkable man and gifted storyteller takes us from Pine City, Minnesota to war-torn Europe as he relives his experiences with vivid detail supported by recurring reenactment imagery of his B-17 getting shot down (VFX), captured by the Nazis, the 70-mile forced march in below zero weather, and writing letters to the home front. He survived two long years of uncertainty and tremendous hardship as a prisoner of war. His saga is filled with grit and grace. Charles Woehrle of the 'The Mighty Eighth' is one of the countless heroes from the Greatest Generation who has much to teach us about war and about life. Watch the trailer here. Tickets are available directly through Eventive and streaming starts February 1. And remember, you can gift a ticket to a friend! FEBRUARY MEMBERSHIP DRIVE Show us your LOVE and renew your membership with JCHS this month! We are sending out 2021 renewal letters this week to all past members who expired in 2019 and 2020. Not a member yet? Join using this link or click the image below. Members make all our free and by-donation virtual programs possible! We LOVE you! P.S. Check out our Sustaining Membership program. You get the satisfaction of fueling our mission monthly, and you can opt-in to receive twice-yearly goodie boxes with special products made right here in Jeff Co. Thank you! Our Mission: Through collections, research, exhibits and programs, we bring people together to share, learn and be inspired by Jefferson County arts and heritage. Copyright © 2021 Jefferson County Historical Society, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are a valuable member of our community. Please forward to your friends and family, and tell them to come party with us as members too! Our mailing address is: Jefferson County Historical Society 540 Water Street Port Townsend, WA 98368 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: 3 County Commissioners on Coffee with Colleen and at Noon - State of the Chamber report Date:Tuesday, February 2, 2021 3:35:57 PM Attachments:image001.png image002.png From: director@forkswa.com Sent: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 3:07:48 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: 3 County Commissioners on Coffee with Colleen and at Noon - State of the Chamber report CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Dear Kate Dean , Please join us Wednesday, February 3rd for our Monthly Business Meeting and State of the Chamber report. We will also have community announcements and talk about the upcoming “Best Of” Awards. Our meeting takes place online Noon – 1pm and is open to the public and all are welcome to attend. You can join the meeting with this recurring link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84599423539?pwd=aGlFWGYvQjRUeWdOM0hNTVc5MlM0QT09 Meeting ID: 845 9942 3539 Passcode: 912775 One tap mobile +12532158782,,84599423539#,,,,,,0#,,912775# US (Tacoma) +16699009128,,84599423539#,,,,,,0#,,912775# US (San Jose) Upcoming Programs February 3 – Monthly Business Meeting and State of the Chamber February 10 – Annual “Best Of” Awards February 17 – The Prevention Works! Child Care Task Force FROM CLALLAM EDC Join Commissioners Ozias, Johnson and Peach on Coffee with Colleen Wednesday Morning at 8am! Our Commissioners will discuss Clallam County's economy and their views on the Governor's Roadmap to Recovery Phasing Plan. Our County CFO, Mark Lane, will also be joining us. Please join us: Join Zoom Meeting at 8 a.m., Wednesday Morning https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81875115879?pwd=UnEzQjV1N09rM2ZLbFIzVVVxYzJoQT09 Meeting ID: 818 7511 5879 Passcode: 923050 One tap mobile +12532158782,,81875115879#,,,,,,0#,,923050# US (Tacoma) Olympic Peninsula Entrepreneur Network (OPEN) Monthly business meetups based on topics and industries - the Olympic Peninsula Entrepreneur Network (OPEN). Hosted by CIE, OPEN is a free platform where people come together to learn, share stories, collaborate, socialize, network and connect with local entrepreneurs. Explore a different topic each month, featuring: · Panelists · Ideation sessions · Networking · Business pitches · Workshops Next OPEN gathering: Thurs, Feb. 4th, 6-7pm Topic: Tax & Bookkeeping Tips w/ local panelists Register here Find more details on OPEN here. Mark the Date - Virtual Job Fair - Feb 16th This Virtual Job Fair is focused on Clallam and Jefferson County Businesses and Job Seekers. The date is set for February 16th from 10am - 2pm. If you are a business owner and you would like to create you FREE booth to participate in an incredibly effective way to meet job candidates, contact Mike Robinson at MRobinson@esd.wa.gov. Doing Business with Our Local Governments Infrastructure funding is expected to be at an all time high in the next few years! We're here to help you get your small business ready to win these contracts. Your EDC in partnership with the Washington Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) and USDoT Northwest Small Business Transportation Resource Center will be hosting weekly FREE technical classes for a month beginning on March 31st. More information to follow. If you would like more information on these courses, please contact us at info@clallam.org. FROM FORKS COMMUNITY HOSPITAL There is peace of mind in knowing that if you were to have a medical emergency and dial 911, highly trained local EMTs will be on their way to you no matter the day or time. Our logging companies, hikers, and local population depend on the team of first responders for over 850 calls for service each year. This ballot allows you to choose to keep 24 hour a day 7 day a week ambulance coverage with employed EMTs. Our local EMTs participate in community functions; donate time to things like the derby, twinkle light parade, vaccination clinics, and much more. They donate so much; allow the hospital to fully fund our EMS services. Forks Community Hospital is a not-for-profit hospital, meaning we are a part of our community. Long Term Care and Forks Ambulance are both operating at a budget deficit. We need your help to fill the smaller of the two financial burdens at this time. Long Term Care operates at a 1.5 million dollar deficit each year. Forks Ambulance operates at a $350,000 deficit. Voting yes to spend $0.32 per $1,000 will allow us to keep our services. 100% of the levy will go towards EMS. The last levy allowed us to ensure patient safety by updating ambulances and equipment that were 20 years old and older. Peace of mind, that when seconds count, help is on the way is $0.32. In order to maintain our ambulance services and EMS services for the next 6 years, we are asking for your continued partnership through a YES vote on the EMS Levy. FROM QVSD FROM CLALLAM TRANSIT We would like to ask for your help as a community partner. Clallam Transit is looking at ways to improve our current transit services and we need to gather as much input from community members as possible. If you could share the following information with your network of business partners, your employees, and post the attachment for your public visitors, it would be greatly appreciated. Together we can help build a strong transit system that serves the needs of our community. Have 5 minutes? Share your thoughts on how to improve transit service in Clallam County! Clallam Transit has launched a new project to evaluate and improve transit service in Clallam County. The goal of the project, called a Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA), is to better serve the community while adapting to new economic, demographic, and technological realities that influence how people use transit. Learn more and provide your feedback on our transit system through the Clallam Transit Public Engagement Portal. Take our survey and be automatically entered to win a $25 gift card! FROM FORKS ELEMENTARY PTO CHAMBER RENEWALS for 2021 have been mailed. Please feel free to contact me with questions. We accept cash, check and credit cards (we can take your card over the phone, or send you a Paypal invoice). We appreciate your continued support! Chamber News… FORKS VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER (VIC) We are open with a modified foyer to help visitors. We can help one group at a time (up to 4 people) inside the visitor center and we will be open Monday through Saturday 10 am – 4 pm and Sunday 11 am – 4 pm through the winter. FOREVER TWILIGHT IN FORKS COLLECTION Per the Governor’s mandate: “Private rentals/tours for individual households of no more than 6 people permitted. General admission prohibited.” We are open for private tours for up to 6 people from the same household. Masks are required. IF POSSIBLE, PLEASE CONTACT US 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE TO ARRANGE A PRIVATE TOUR. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. EVENTS PAGE We are in the process of repopulating our events page. We accept online and in-person events (events allowed in Phase 2). If you have an event you would like share, please send it to events@ForksWA.com. FORKS CHAMBER STAFF DIRECTORY Lissy Andros, executive director Rob Hunter, VIC staff member and assistant to the E.D. Rob handles all of our visitor correspondence and administrative duties for the Chamber, and the online store. Gay Bunnell, Forever Twilight in Forks Collection and VIC staff member. Gay is our lead staff member at the Collection, including maintaining the records for the exhibits. She is in charge of procuring our brochures, maps, and information for the VIC. Kari Larson, VIC staff member. Kari is in charge of ordering our merchandise and sending out visitor packets. Susie Michels, IT Manager. Susie runs our website and handles all technical issues. PPP, EIDL and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Best regards, Lissy Lissy Andros, Executive Director Forks Chamber of Commerce 1411 S. Forks Avenue Forks, WA 98331 360-374-2531 office 903-360-4449 cell From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: County News Now – February 2, 2021 Date:Tuesday, February 2, 2021 4:07:20 PM From: NACo County News Sent: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 4:07:05 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: County News Now – February 2, 2021 CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Having trouble viewing this email? Click Here County News February 2, 2021 Biden, Harris’ roots lie in county government Communication campaign for vaccines: ‘Most important one we’re going to do’ Counties are handling most of the communications and logistical work needed to get residents set up for COVID-19 vaccinations. READ MORE Counties’ BBQ contest boosts Georgia election turnout Armed with their chicken barbecue recipe, members of the Putnam County, Fla. Commission traveled to Putnam County, Ga. to help their Georgian counterparts boost voter turnout on a cold December morning. Read more State associations hold virtual, hybrid trainings for newly elected officials There's rarely a "slow week" for newly elected county officials to start, so state associations hold trainings to get them up to speed. Read more SolarWinds breach highlights threats to the county technology supply chain Even if counties don’t use SolarWinds products, third-party vendors may, and that's a good prompt to check the security of your supply chain. Read more MORE COUNTY NEWS GeoTab-Feb-9-Keyless_728x90_NaCo_CN-Now-eNews_FEB_Public-works-(002)_1813269.jpg Legislative Updates NACo National Membership Call: COVID-19 Briefing Join NACo on Thursday, February 4 at 12:30 p.m. EST for a national member call with administration officials to hear updates on President Biden's COVID-19 Plan. Register HHS announces special enrollment period in response to COVID-19 pandemic The special enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act will run Feb. 15 – May 15. Read more USDA accepts applications for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Additional producer categories are eligible for the program, which is accepting new applications through Feb. 26. Read more USDA releases new guidance following executive order on federal nutrition benefits The guidance reflects an increase in Pandemic-EBT benefits and expanded eligibilities designed to ease the administrative burden on states, local governments and families grappling with the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more New Keep America Beautiful grant program will support community recycling projects A competitive grant program will support the KAB Affiliate Network, other nonprofit organizations and community groups to implement programs or projects designed to build clean, green and beautiful public spaces. Read more EPA announces grants for diesel emission reduction The Diesel Emission Reduction Act is opening up $46 million for projects aimed at reducing emissions from the nation’s existing fleet of older diesel engines. Read more NOAA announces new Hydrographic Surveying Matching Fund opportunity pilot program The program encourages non-federal entities to partner with NOAA on jointly-funded hydrographic surveying, mapping and related activities of mutual interest. Read more EPA releases rivers and streams assessment, seeks input on modernizing survey methods The report provides a snapshot of water quality in U.S. rivers and streams. Read more EPA finalizes Lead and Copper Rule The final rule, which was finalized before the start of the Biden Administration, will go into effect on March 16. Read more Rulemaking process set for future Clean Air Act regulations The final rule, which was finalized before the start of the Biden Administration, clarifies the terms for forecasting the costs and benefits expected from adopting significant regulations. Read more Finalized rule sets new restrictions on scientific studies used to set pollution standards Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science rule, finalized during the Trump Administration, requires the agency to rely heavily on studies that make their underlying data transparent and primarily public when setting pollution standards. Read more MORE NEWS The Latest From NACo 2021 Achievement Awards now open! Join us in celebrating 51 years of county innovation! Does your county have an innovative program to spotlight that is modernizing and improving county government? The NACo Achievement Awards program celebrates initiatives nationwide in categories such as health, civic education, public safety and more. NACo will highlight the 18 “best in category” winners, as well as feature all winners in NACo materials and online. Apply now! NKN_Banner_collection_CN-now(1)_1729551.png FEB 4 WEBINAR County Eviction Series: Solutions from Across the Country 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. EST FEB 5 WEBINAR Fighting Food Insecurity During COVID-19 and Beyond: Key Updates for County Leaders 2 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. EST FEB 5 WEBINAR NACo Webinar Series: Vaccine Management Solutions for Local Governments 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. EST FEB 10 WEBINAR Announcing the NACo Managed Cybersecurity Solution 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. EST FEB 11 WEBINAR Bernalillo County Resource Re- Entry Center: Improving Health and Leveraging Community Partners 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. EST MAR 8 CONFERENCE 2021 Virtual NACo Legislative Conference March 8–26 | Virtual MORE EVENTS 2021 Virtual NACo Legislative Conference 660 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20001 Did someone forward you this email? Sign up to stay up-to-date on topics affecting America's counties! Click here to unsubscribe. From:Greg Brotherton To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Village Council Board Meeting Feb. 4, 2021 Date:Wednesday, February 3, 2021 7:42:10 AM From: Port Ludlow Village Council Sent: Wednesday, February 3, 2021 7:42:07 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Greg Brotherton Subject: Village Council Board Meeting Feb. 4, 2021 CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Village Council Board Meeting Thursday, 2/4/2021, 2:45 p.m. FreeConferenceCall.com Videoconference Call Like everyone else right now, your Village Council Board is observing stay-at-home practices as directed by the Governor. We still believe that it is important to reach out to the community like we do monthly, only now we will conduct these meetings using conference calling until we are allowed to resume our normal gatherings. Date: Thursday, February 4, 2021 Time: 2:45 PM - 4:45 PM The agenda is attached for your review. Tomorrow's meeting will feature special participation by JeffCo Solid Waste Manager Al Caines, who will join Laura Tucker, JeffCo DOH - Environmental Health Specialist II - Education and Outreach Coordinator, to discuss some issues we have raised about recycling from a Solid Wasted perspective. The following links will enlighten you on the Environmental Public Health and Solid Waste Programs in JeffCo: https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/204/Environmental-Public-Health https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/689/Solid-Waste Directions for joining the conference call are: Conference Call Dial-in number: (339) 207-8391 Access # 389-672# Video and Screen Sharing Online meeting ID: villagecouncilconference Online meeting link: join.freeconferencecall.com/villagecouncilconference Announce yourself Mute your phone or PC until the moderator solicits participation To avoid having multiple people attempting to talk at the same time, please wait until questions or comments are invited by the moderator. When you wish to speak, un-mute your phone and ask to be recognized. When recognized, begin by stating your name and then your comments. Agenda Next PLVC Board Workshop: Thursday, February 16th, 2021 at 2:45 pm, Virtual and Conference Call Next PLVC Board Meeting: Tuesday, March 3rd, 2021 at 2:45 PM, Virtual and Conference Call Visit the Village Council Web Site ‌ Your Village Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation whose purpose is to be a unifying force and information conduit for the benefit of all Port Ludlow residents Port Ludlow Village Council | Post Office Box 65012, Port Ludlow, WA 98365 Unsubscribe gbrotherton@co.jefferson.wa.us Update Profile | Customer Contact Data Notice Sent by portludlowvillagecouncileblast@gmail.com From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Reminder - Our 3 County Commissioners will be on Coffee with Colleen This Morning Date:Wednesday, February 3, 2021 7:45:29 AM From: Clallam EDC Sent: Wednesday, February 3, 2021 7:45:17 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: Reminder - Our 3 County Commissioners will be on Coffee with Colleen This Morning CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Join Commissioners Ozias, Johnson and Peach on Coffee with Colleen this Morning at 8am! Our Commissioners will discuss Clallam County's economy, sales tax revenues by industry and their views on the Governor's Roadmap to Recovery Phasing Plan. Our County CFO, Mark Lane, will also be joining us to answer questions. Please join us: Join Zoom Meeting at 8 a.m., Wednesday Morning https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81875115879? pwd=UnEzQjV1N09rM2ZLbFIzVVVxYzJoQT09 Meeting ID: 818 7511 5879 Passcode: 923050 One tap mobile +12532158782,,81875115879#,,,,,,0#,,923050# US (Tacoma) Olympic Peninsula Entrepreneur Network (OPEN) Monthly business meetups based on topics and industries - the Olympic Peninsula Entrepreneur Network (OPEN). Hosted by CIE, OPEN is a free platform where people come together to learn, share stories, collaborate, socialize, network and connect with local entrepreneurs. Explore a different topic each month, featuring: Panelists Ideation sessions Networking Business pitches Workshops Next OPEN gathering: Thurs, Feb. 4th, 6-7pm Topic: Tax & Bookkeeping Tips w/ local panelists Register here Find more details on OPEN here. 2021 PPP and SBA Rule Changes Explained Tuesday, February 9th, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. PST | 50 minutes Webinar recording available: If you are unable to attend at that time, register for the webinar and we will send you a recording afterward. Mark the Date - Virtual Job Fair - Feb 16th WorkSource Clallam County is hosting a Virtual Job Fair for employers in Clallam and Jefferson Counties from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on February 16th. WorkSource would like to extend an invitation to businesses looking to hire to participate in this event at no cost to your company. If you have open positions and are actively hiring, please contact Chris Abplanalp at CAbplanalp@esd.wa.gov or Patrice Varela-Daylo at PVareladaylo@esd.w.agov. Virtual planning meetings are being held each week. Please see the information below for meeting times and contact information. Space is limited so please contact us soon if you are interested! Doing Business with Our Local Governments Infrastructure funding is expected to be at an all time high in the next few years! We're here to help you get your small business ready to win these contracts. Your EDC in partnership with the Washington Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) and USDoT Northwest Small Business Transportation Resource Center will be hosting weekly FREE technical classes for a month beginning on March 31st. More information to follow. If you would like more information on these courses, please contact us at info@clallam.org. Choose Clallam First | ChooseClallamFirst.com ‌ Clallam County Economic Development Council | 338 W 1st St., Suite 105, Port Angeles, WA 98362 Unsubscribe kdean@co.jefferson.wa.us Update Profile | Customer Contact Data Notice Sent by info@clallam.org powered by Try email marketing for free today! From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Join NACo and Administration Officials for a National Call on President Biden"s COVID-19 Plan Date:Wednesday, February 3, 2021 7:49:26 AM From: NACo Sent: Wednesday, February 3, 2021 7:49:13 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: Join NACo and Administration Officials for a National Call on President Biden's COVID-19 Plan CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Having trouble viewing this email? Click Here National Association of Counties NACo-HQ-facade_700px_1683094.png JOIN NACo AND ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS FOR A NATIONAL CALL ON PRESIDENT BIDEN'S COVID-19 PLAN TOMORROW, FEBRUARY 4 | 12:30 P.M. EST Please join the National Association of Counties (NACo) tomorrow, February 4 at 12:30 p.m. EST for a national member call to hear updates on President Biden's COVID-19 Plan. Eduardo Cisneros, COVID-19 intergovernmental affairs director at the White House and Dr. Bechara Choucair, White House vaccinations CALL DETAILS DATE: Thursday, February 4 TIME: 12:30 p.m. EST DIAL-IN: RSVP here to receive dial-in information. QUESTIONS: Email your questions to coordinator, will provide their latest updates to counties on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19. question@naco.org. NACo looks forward to working with President Biden and the 117th Congress to address some of the nation's most pressing challenges that affect counties, such as securing bipartisan coronavirus relief, upgrading the nation's infrastructure and achieving the balance of federalism to optimize intergovernmental partnerships. REGISTER FOR THE CALL COVID-19 UPDATES FROM NACo During this critical and unprecedented time, NACo is focused on advocating for the needs of counties at the federal level, disseminating useful information to our members and facilitating the exchange of effective strategies and approaches. We share the latest news and resources online at www.NACo.org/coronavirus. Click below to subscribe to updates. NACo.org/coronavirus SUBSCRIBE TO UPDATES 660 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20001 Did someone forward you this email? Sign up to stay up-to-date on topics affecting America’s counties! Click here to unsubscribe. From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Republic Services Named One of Fortune"s 2021 World"s Most Admired Companies Date:Wednesday, February 3, 2021 12:32:59 PM Attachments:image002.png From: Gilmore, Steven Sent: Wednesday, February 3, 2021 12:32:33 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) Subject: Republic Services Named One of Fortune's 2021 World's Most Admired Companies CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Friends, I am very proud that we have been named as One of Fortune’s 20201 World’s Most Admired Companies. Here is a link regarding the announcement: https://investor.republicservices.com/news-releases/news-release-details/republic-services-named- one-fortunes-2021-worlds-most-admired I am very pleased that I work for a company that truly takes care of its people, customers, communities and the environment. Please let me know if you have any questions. Steve Gilmore Municipal Relationship Manager Washington Post Collection 4160 6th Avenue SE, Suite 204 Lacey, WA 98503 e sgilmore@republicservices.com o 206-332-7723 c 425-628-3144 f 206-764-1234 w www.republicservices.com From:Kate Dean To:Julie Shannon Subject:FW: Upcoming Webinars: MRSC Services, Public Works Contracting, Online Meetings, and More Date:Wednesday, February 3, 2021 1:35:39 PM From: MRSC Webinars Sent: Wednesday, February 3, 2021 1:35:26 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Kate Dean Subject: Upcoming Webinars: MRSC Services, Public Works Contracting, Online Meetings, and More CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Join us for our local government webinars! MRSC's webinars provide valuable training opportunities and certification credits for local government staff and officials across Washington State. Below are some of our upcoming events. You can also find this information on our website under Training. All pre-registered attendees get access to the recorded webinar a day after the broadcast. UPCOMING WEBINARS Scholarship information: Training scholarships may be available for some webinars. Information about specific scholarship or reimbursement programs will be posted on each webinar page if applicable; also see our Training Scholarships page for general scholarship opportunities. FREE: Making Your Job Easier With MRSC's Services February 11, 11 AM - 12 PM Learn More and Register In this webinar, we will provide a comprehensive overview of MRSC's tools, resources, and information – all designed to help you do your job better. This includes a live demonstration of our website showing new tools and resources, as well as tips to help you quickly find what you're looking for. Cost: FREE An Introduction to Public Works Contracting February 17, 10 AM - 11:30 AM Learn More and Register This webinar will provide an overview of public works contracting requirements and processes, including prevailing wages, bid thresholds and processes, small works rosters, competitive bidding exemptions, and more. Credits: APWA-CAEC Cost: $35 Facilitating Great Online Meetings February 24, 11 AM - 12 PM Learn More and Register COVID-19 required a quick transition to online meetings, with sometimes rocky results. But working in a virtual space has also unearthed the potential for local governments to connect with the public in new ways that offer increased convenience and accessibility. This webinar will show how to conduct more successful and efficient online meetings to promote engagement. Credits: CML Cost: $35 Roles and Responsibilities in Local Government March 4, 11 AM - 12 PM Learn More and Register Understanding the roles of the executive and legislative branches can help strengthen local governments and improve communication. This webinar will review relevant laws and responsibilities, as well as suggestions for working together in the gray areas. Credits: CLE, CML Cost: $35 What to Consider When Closing Out a Public Works Contract March 24, 10 AM - 11:30 AM Learn More and Register This webinar will provide key considerations in the closeout process for public works contracts, including documentation requirements, relevant statutes, release of bonds, and how to address possible disruptions to the process. Credits: APWA-CAEC Cost: $35 FREE: Developing an Effective Housing Element March 25, 1 PM - 2:30 PM Learn More and Register The housing element of a comprehensive plan, which is required for those jurisdictions planning under the Growth Management Act, is integral to developing housing policies to meet your community's needs. This free webinar will cover the state Department of Commerce's recent guidance on how to develop an effective housing element. Cost: FREE Local Government Success | mrsc.org/training | 206.625.1300 MRSC.org MRSC | 2601 Fourth Avenue, Suite 800, Seattle, WA 98121 Unsubscribe kdean@co.jefferson.wa.us Update Profile | Customer Contact Data Notice Sent by it@mrsc.org