HomeMy WebLinkAboutALL summary recommendations (0002)
DRAFT COVID-19 RECOVERY & RESILIENCY PLAN:
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS BY SECTOR
Note: The full report is under development and will include, among other sections, full
Community Group plans/reports. This draft section focuses on prioritized projects for
preliminary review by the ICC and includes the following sub-sections:
• Culture & Events
• Economy & Jobs
• Children & Families
• Human Services
• Food System Resiliency
• Broadband
• Housing
CULTURE AND EVENTS PRIORITIZED SUMMARY OF PROJECTS
LEAD SECTOR: Culture and Events
SUPPORTING/OVERLAPPING SECTOR(S): Jobs & Economy, Broadband
COMMUNITY GROUP MEMBERS:
Michelle Sandoval (group lead), Nathan Barnett, Rob Birman, Wendy Davis, Janette Force, Belinda
Graham, Natalie Maitland, Tina McCleese, Lori Morris, Amanda Mulholland, Danny Mulholland, Mari
Mullen, Barb Trailer, Dominic Svornich, Teresa Verraes, Denise Winter
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The key area the group identified centered on creating outdoor performance/event venue spaces. As
restrictions ease on group gatherings, initially outdoors will be the safest location for events to take
place. Creation of these spaces extends a shared opportunity to our business community to also utilize
the outdoor venue space infrastructure. Investing now represents a long-term opportunity for shared
resources which will ensure the Culture, Arts, and Events Sector remains fiscally responsible in their
event production while meeting guidelines for safe gatherings so that they will emerge safely, while
recovering financially from the impacts of the pandemic. Additionally, the group’s recommendation
included shoring up the safety of an indoor performance space to be used for recording and live
streaming by individual artists and arts, culture and events groups until live performance is allowed.
PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY STATEMENTS:
The group accepts the array of challenges that the pandemic presents to the various events our
community treasures and is looking for both short- and long-term opportunities to survive. Many of our
area’s events are in jeopardy, and all face uphill battles in regaining financial footing during the recovery
process. With an emphasis on group collaboration and creating safe event spaces and practices, the
group hopes to be prepared for the time when events and gatherings can once again resume. The group
has made it our priority to work together to identify what needs will strengthen and benefit all of the
organizations and events represented in this group’s work - our artists and employees, in addition to the
hotels, restaurants, shops and businesses that are positively impacted by our work. The group has
identified the increased burden that will be placed upon them when producing an event by first needing
to create gathering spaces that meet COVID-19 guidelines and protocols. Subsequent discussions
centered on an opportunity to invest in community infrastructure to collectively ease the financial
impact of the pandemic on the ability to safely re-emerge. From co-marketing to shared resources the
group sees an opportunity, with support from governance, to once again share art and culture event
experiences with our community.
BACKGROUND:
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the Culture, Arts and Events Sector especially hard due to mandated
closures with no estimated date for when in-person group activities will resume. Pre-pandemic
economic impacts of this sector are reflected in these statistics: In Washington State, Arts and Culture
supports over 167,000 jobs and contributes $44.3 billion to the state’s economy; locally, Jefferson
County ranks 3rd in WA State’s Creative Vitality Index, indicating a high percentage of arts and culture
workers contributing greatly to our community. Over the past few months, members of the convening
work group represented this sector of Jefferson County with organizations as far ranging as The All
County Picnic and South County’s Shrimp Fest to the Rhododendron Festival and Jefferson County Fair
to Wooden Boat and Port Townsend Film Festivals to performing arts organizations like Key City Public
Theatre and Centrum for the Arts who together produce numerous performances, education programs
and festivals each year. The group discussed current and future needs that speak to increasing
collaboration, ensuring the health and safety of our community, creating solutions for event
opportunities, and financial impacts.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
1. Support and clearly communicate around event permitting
As we move forward in uncertain times, the group identified a need for support and clear
communication from Health Department and City/County Event Permitting to understand the
changes that could affect the event planning process once events are allowed to resume. The
group anticipates a variety of changes that are likely to result due to the pandemic - from
changes in vendor requirements to the sanitation services required. The group seeks guidance
and clear guidelines for holding large group gatherings once that opportunity is permitted.
Specifically, this includes:
• Front-end engagement with government permitting departments in partnership with
the Culture, Arts, Events Sector to help interpret/understand state requirements and
provide guidance for new event protocols.
• Flexibility from government permitting departments to help bolster and sustain events
by: waiving or reducing fees; allowing fees to be carried forward in the event of
reversals in re-opening phases that result in mandated cancellations; speed in
processing permits as re-opening announcements may provide shortened planning
windows.
• Deeper collaboration and communication through the permitting process – a shared
knowledge base both among the sector’s groups/organizations as well as between
government permitting departments and event sector groups; access to previous
permits to determine what was recommended and what was denied will benefit smaller
groups with less capacity to do research.
2. Deepen collaboration in planning, marketing and development of alternative solutions
Creative solutions to co-market and stretch marketing and advertising dollars will continue to be
important as budgets continue to remain constrained during recovery. Opportunities to
develop or support projects that simplify the event marketing messages and to work with
government agencies to help with the marketing effort were also discussed. In addition,
collaborative fundraisers, improved process for data gathering, and development of a shared
arts and culture plan for the county.
Specifically, this includes:
• Identify non-profit partners that may have the tools in place to lead in a co-operative
marketing effort such as Fort Worden PDA, The Co-Lab, The Port Townsend Creative
District, Port Townsend Main Street Program.
• Deepen connections and build a collective event marketing campaign with government
agencies such as the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce and City and County
LTACs. This may include a collective kit/sharing economy investments. Effort should be
placed on strong communication between all parties to avoid duplicative efforts and
maximize the stretch of our limited budgets.
• Build a strong relationship between City of Port Townsend and Jefferson County Lodging
Tax Advisory Committees and make it a funding priority for both LTACs to develop and
execute a clear collaborative marketing message for the Culture, Arts and Events sector.
• In support of the request by the Economy and Jobs Sector, prioritize funding the
strategic planning process for the Port Townsend Creative District. The greatest guide
for sector collaboration will be an Arts and Culture Plan for Jefferson County. The newly
formed Creative District is fundamental to our sector. Investment in time and funding to
flesh out the District’s strategic plan will pay back in huge dividends to the stability of
the County’s overall year-round economy. This comprehensive 3 to 5-year plan provides
not just visioning, but concrete steps.
3. Develop a comprehensive plan for shared resource management
The purchase of new assets for cooperative use by the sector has set in motion the creation of a
plan that will help sustain the vibrant arts and culture experiences in our county.
Specifically, this includes:
• Complete a long-term business plan with The Production Alliance, to maintain and
operate newly acquired infrastructure assets funded by CARES Act. Coordinate equitable
use by all non-profit, government, and for-profit Culture, Arts, and Events sector
partners.
• Develop a strategic plan for continued collaborative investment in current and future
infrastructure needs to support the sector, including an unfunded portable stage for the
outdoor venue ($23,650) and leading to a potential permanent location for an outdoor
stage/venue(s) and an indoor performing arts center. Possible investment by City and/or
County LTAC, dependent upon location(s), along with local government support for an
application to WA State’s biennial Building for the Arts Grant (next funding in 2022).
4. Provide direct funding to the sector
The group further identified the need for financial resources for many of our county’s long-
standing events which will continue to be pressed as the pandemic stretches well into 2021. This
sector is slated to be the last to re-open, however, it has had minimal funding opportunities
during the pandemic as most relief funds are necessarily directed to essential services. Unlike
other sectors, it is not enough to simply survive until re-opening is allowed. Most events,
performances and activities for this sector require several months to a year for preparation
before launch. With severely stretched reserves many organizations will lack start-up capital for
projects and programs once Phase 4 is reached, and by that time, relief funding will likely be
depleted or deemed no longer necessary.
Specifically, this includes:
• In-kind support from government and private entities that partner with non-profit event
groups in the form of waived fees for facility use or co-operative marketing for activities
that bring them shared value.
• Identify an entity to create a “Start-Up Capital Fund” for community events. Work with
Jefferson Community Foundation to either host the fund or identify another partner.
• Local government agencies lobby the State and/or Federal government to allow more
flexibility in relief funding or to create provisions for setting aside relief funds for use by
non-profit and for-profit Culture, Arts and Events businesses to use within a timeline
that is in sync with their allowed re-opening.
The group recommended projects that were funded as part of the original CARES Act funding approved
by the BOCC and that are described in the full report. In addition to the actions above, the equipment
purchases meant to alleviate the impacts of the retail and restaurant sectors will transition to use in the
arts, culture and events sector once such gatherings and performances are allowed to be safely re-
established. Likewise, the connection to broadband enables virtual events to ensure access and to reach
broader audiences.
THE FUTURE:
ECONOMY & JOBS PRIORITIZED SUMMARY OF PROJECTS
LEAD SECTOR: Economy & Jobs
SUPPORTING/OVERLAPPING SECTORS: Broadband, Families and Children
COMMUNITY GROUP MEMBERS:
• Jeff Randall, Jefferson PUD Commissioner – Liaison, Chair
• Brian Kuh, Team Jefferson Executive Director – Co-Chair
• Arlene Alen, The Chamber of Jefferson County, Executive Director
• Deborah Stinson, former Mayor and Port Townsend City Council Member
• Kris Nelson, business owner and former Deputy Mayor and City Council Member
• David King, past CFO of Townsend Bay Marine, former Mayor, City Council Member
• Elizabeth Court, Director Olympic Workforce Development Council
• Pinky Mingo, Jefferson County Dept. of Health, Envt’l Public Health/Water Quality Director
• Siobhan Canty, Executive Director of the Jefferson County Community Foundation
• Pete Langley, Owner PT Foundry
• Dina Geiszler, Workforce Development, OlyCAP
• Erika Lindholm, Craft 3, VP Senior Business Lender
• Will O’Donnell, Jefferson PUD Communications Director
• Rick Dickinson – Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship
• Kerry Hastings – Housing Solutions Network
• Will O’Donnell, Jefferson PUD Communications Manager – Staff
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS: Jefferson County’s economy and job situation has been under
stress for decades. Lack of affordable workforce housing, affordable childcare, affordable and available
high-speed broadband affect the ability of Jefferson County businesses to attract and retain the
workforce needed for their success. Jefferson County residents are dedicated to this place, creative and
entrepreneurial. However, these same issues make it difficult to afford to live, work, and thrive here.
PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY STATEMENTS:
Opportunity statement: We should look at the COVID crisis as an opportunity to seek positive change in
our economy and in our community.
• The COVID situation creates opportunities to look for new ways to conduct business where
location and distance are not an issue and may be in fact a new normal.
• We should strive to sustain and strengthen the existing economy while recognizing that our
environment is evolving (COVID) and seek to diversify our economy to make it more resilient.
We need to build on successful parts of our economy (tourism, maritime trades, construction,
agriculture and the arts) for a more diversified resilient local economy. We should engage the
whole community to get everyone working together to identify and find solutions to community
problems such as affordable workforce housing and childcare.
Problem statement: We need to identify the factors that have prevented us from achieving a diverse
resilient economy and work on these problems as part of our long-term economic development
strategy.
BACKGROUND:
The issues raised in this chapter are not new. As a rural county with very outstanding natural features
and a well-known tourist destination, Jefferson County has long been attractive as a place to retire.
While our retirees are generous with their time, expertise and financial resources, they are not reliant
on making a living in Jefferson County. This report is focused on the businesses and workforce that
Jefferson County needs to be a well-rounded and resilient community. Current trends are making
Jefferson County less affordable for local workers. The COVID crisis is accelerating these trends in many
ways. If we wish Jefferson County to be composed of real communities, where the businesses are
locally owned and the workforce is housed and lives locally, then immediate steps must be taken to
address the affordability of workforce housing, the availability of affordable childcare, the provision of
additional financial and technical assistance to businesses, increase the economic activity in the marine
trades sector which provides some of the best living wage jobs in the County, and provide affordable
and available high speed broad band to every home and business in Jefferson County.
PRIORITY ACTIONS:
1. Housing
Housing was a key priority for several groups; see separate section related to housing.
2. Investing in Local Creative Entrepreneurs
• Objectives & Desired Outcomes:
Objectives
a. Strengthen our existing community of local creative entrepreneurs that are not
dependent on physical space or visitors.
b. Strengthen our local economy by adding to a diverse range of development strategies
that are local and sustainable.
c. Increase sales of local creative entrepreneurs from online markets outside of Jefferson
County and make it easier for part- and full-time residents of Jefferson County to source
their purchases locally.
d. Attract new creative entrepreneurs to relocate here.
e. Increase tourism by attracting high-end shoppers and visiting creative entrepreneurs.
f. Create new training and employment pathways for local youth.
Outcomes
a. Create a master list of unique, craft-driven makers and service providers in Jefferson
County whose products can be purchased and delivered virtually.
b. Host a series of monthly virtual gatherings to facilitate networking and the sharing of
knowledge that relates specifically to craft-driven makers.
c. Develop sales platforms and support for shipping and delivery.
d. Create a brand for Jefferson County as a home to creative entrepreneurs.
e. Connect existing makers and services providers to a network of like-minded business
leaders and experienced volunteers
f. Hold a retreat to identify the greatest obstacles and opportunities they face in order to
inform the development of the Business Service Hub
• Proposed Lead Organization & Supporting Roles: Jefferson Community Foundation with
support from the Chamber of Commerce, Creative District (Port Townsend Main Street
Program), Economic Development Council, Northwind Art and Fort Worden PDA.
• Action Steps & Timeframe:
ACTION TIME FRAME
FUNDING
NOTES
Create a Master list of Creative
Entrepreneurs
First draft complete in
4 weeks
Staff only See Support Staff line below
Hold Monthly Gatherings and
Needs Assessment Sessions
Ongoing $1,200 Zoom & incidental
costs
Establish a website that lists and links
to local creative entrepreneurs who
have goods or services sold via the
internet.
3 months $7,500 Web Development
Establishment of a brand for Jefferson
County businesses (“Maker County” or
“Buy Quimper”) Develop and
implement a two-pronged marketing
program, one for local audience, one
for national.
3 months for design.
Ongoing campaign.
$35,000 - $150,000 Contract Professional
Marketing Firm. Cost here is
dependent on parameters
of contract and appetite for
risk.
Establish a data management and
matching systems for pro bono
experts and apprentices
3 months $1,200/yr Probably off the shelf.
Recruit and match pro bono
experts
Ongoing Staff only
Facilitate apprenticeships
Ongoing Staff only
Overall Staffing Ongoing $80,000/yr 1 FT leader, $55,000
1 PT support, $25,000
TOTAL FUNDING Min $125,000 Max
$240,000
• Assessment: Show that it is Tangible, Fundable, Legal, Able To Be Implemented, and
Addresses Recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic: This proposal is specific,
detailed and able to be implemented in the near term without any legal restrictions. The only
outstanding is question is funding.
• Does it also help address long-standing issues? Yes, the expansion of an existing group of
talented entrepreneurs will provide another avenue for living-wage jobs within our community
as well as provide resiliency for major events by bringing business activities to the local level.
• Describe any Legislation/Advocacy needed for this at the State, Federal or Local levels: None
needed.
3. Complete Professional Arts and Culture Plan
• Objectives & Desired Outcomes: Develop a year-round economy through employment and
entrepreneurship in the creative industries, divided into the following 5 sectors: Literary,
Culinary, Performing, Makers, and Visual arts. Goals of the plan include:
▪ Creating an artist registry and determining the needs of each sector;
▪ Developing a plan for sustainable funding;
▪ Developing a single source for information between artists and for audiences;
▪ Developing a comprehensive Arts and Culture plan for our community which
will lay out a road map on best ways to proceed. Formal boundaries for the
creative district are currently defined as uptown commercial, downtown
commercial, and Fort Worden PDA, as was necessary to obtain initial State of
WA grant funds to narrow the scope of the project. It is important to note the
Creative District promotion of creative industries would apply to all of east
Jefferson County.
• Proposed Lead Organization & Supporting Roles: Port Townsend Main Street Program.
• Action Steps & Timeframe: Hire a consultant to complete the study to more quickly and
decisively make an impact in strengthening and growing our creative economy. Two consultants
do this work in Washington State. Based upon interviews with these consultants and a review of
their work, the estimated cost to complete the plan would be $15,000-$17,000. This project is
already underway but needs funding to be completed. During these challenging economic times
impacted by COVID-19, we need to use all the creativity and tools we have to weather this
storm and emerge stronger. Study goals would be to connect audiences with artists and unify
our strategic efforts to grow these sectors of our County’s economy. Implementation steps
would include enhancing the flow through the Creative District with marketing, signage,
imaginative way-finding and transportation strategies. Additional goals include supporting
work-live housing strategies for artists and partnering with schools to develop options for young
adults wanting to stay in the area and work in the creative industries.
• Assessment: Show that it is Tangible, Fundable, Legal, Able To Be Implemented, and
Addresses Recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic: This project has been fully
vetted project by over 20 community partners and the Creative District’s State sponsor. The only
remaining issue is funding for this very small ask of $15-17,000 to launch the Creative District.
• Does it also help address long-standing issues? Yes, Jefferson County is home to many in the
creative entrepreneur economy and one of the struggles in the arts and culture sector is finding
economic sustainability. This project specifically aims to develop a plan to assist and support
artists of all genres to find successful economic models.
• Describe any Legislation/Advocacy needed for this at the State, Federal or Local levels: None
needed.
4. Expand Marine Trades Through Purchase of Hydraulic Trailer
• Objectives & Desired Outcomes: Purchase of a hydraulically operated trailer that can locate
boats more closely together than is possible with the marine lifts in current use. Result will be a
20% increase in useable shoreline hard stand space within the Port. More boats serviced is more
work for marine trades businesses.
• Proposed Lead Organization & Supporting Roles: Port of Port Townsend.
• Action Steps & Timeframe: Purchase a hydraulic trailer for $300,000.
• Assessment: Show that it is Tangible, Fundable, Legal, Able To Be Implemented, and
Addresses Recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic: This is fully within the Port’s
wheelhouse as an authorized use. The Port has forecasted available funds in 2022 but would be
able to match funding if grant funding became available sooner.
• Does it also help address long-standing issues? Active work yard space is what allows marine
trades to go to work every day. Adding 20% capacity to the yard, increases available potential
work by the same. Growing the marine trades adds community resiliency to a significant sector
of Jefferson County’s economy.
• Describe any Legislation/Advocacy needed for this at the State, Federal or Local levels: None
needed.
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS NOT PRIORITIZED IN THIS CHAPTER:
1. Jefferson County Business Survey
This project appears to be within the scope of existing capacity and does not require additional
financial support.
2. Enhancement of Jefferson County Business Resource Center
This project appears to be a core function of the EDC and Chamber.
3. Commercial lease relief
This is more of a policy objective than a specific project at the county level; it is recommended
that the ICG advocate for state and federal support to assist commercial tenants with rent relief.
THE FUTURE:
• What Future Work and Actions are needed to address longer-term Community needs by This
Group (or a similar/enhanced group) in 2021?
• List priority projects/uses if there is Future Federal Funding in 2021:
1. Housing
2. Investing in Local Creative Entrepreneurs
3. Complete Professional Arts & Culture Plan
4. Expand Marine Trades Through Purchase of Hydraulic Trailer
CHILDREN & FAMILIES PRIORITIZED SUMMARY OF PROJECTS
LEAD SECTOR: Children & Families
SUPPORTING/OVERLAPPING SECTOR(S): Human Services, Jobs & Economy, Broadband, Food
Systems:
• Support Broadband efforts, Connected Students: Broadband group
• Food distribution is critical for families: Food Systems group
• Consistent community messaging: Human Services group
COMMUNITY GROUP MEMBERS:
Kate Dean, Cherish Cronmiller, Barb Carr, Tamara Meredith, Larry Berger, Denise Banker, Anne
Koomen, Wendy Bart, Beulah Kingsolver, Anna McEnery, Trish Beathard, Jean Scarboro, Dave
Codier, Jenny Vervynck, Natalie Maitland, Cynthia Osterman, Ian Hannah, Apple Martine, Kelli
Parcher, Ciela Meyer
PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT:
COVID has placed enormous stressors on families. These include (but are not limited to):
• food and housing insecurity
• isolation
• poverty/ joblessness/ insufficient wages
• increase in depression/ anxiety/ suicidal ideation
• physical health impacts- delaying medical procedures, substance use, decrease in
activity
• lack of childcare
• mixed messages about COVID
• uncertainty in schooling
• instability within governmental institutions
• increase in domestic violence and less reporting to Child Protective Services,
In response to these, the Children and Families Community Group seeks to activate our
communities, which are known for stepping up and creatively meeting the needs of our kids,
to:
• break down silos within our organizations
• make resources easier to access, especially for families that are most challenging to
reach
• find new ways to fill gaps in services
The Community Group has identified near-term, implementable goals for 2020-2021, and
recognizes that poverty, insecure housing, and behavioral health are fundamental problems
that must be addressed strategically to improve long-term outcomes.
BACKGROUND:
When COVID hit in March of 2020, families in Jefferson County were already suffering from a
local economy that did not serve them well. Economic data indicates that a majority of jobs
here are in the service sector, which offers little stability and opportunity for growth. Wages
here were already lower than the state average and had stagnated since the 1990’s. 15% of kids
were living below the poverty line, and school districts reported that 45-85% of their students
qualified for free and reduced lunch. Property values were soaring due to cash buyers from
prosperous regions and retiree demand, which priced many locals out from buying homes.
Rentals were difficult to find and require a disproportionately high percentage of working
people’s income in order to cover.
All of this was true 7 months ago, and COVID has only made it more devastating for families.
Service industries such as tourism, restaurants and entertainment- all large employers of
family-aged workers- have been hard hit by layoffs. Real estate prices continue to climb. Kids
have been out of school to varying degrees, requiring parents to be home to supervise them.
These impacts to families have resulted, predictably, in stressors that are impacting mental and
physical health and safety. Domestic violence calls to law enforcement are up. Calls to the
crisis line have increased. And Jefferson Healthcare had 4 teen suicide attempts come through
their doors in a two week period, one to completion.
The Children and Families Community Group has grappled with these impacts since July and
identified near-term Recommended Actions, outlined below, that our communities and
organizations can focus on to mitigate impacts to children and families as we move into the
winter and look ahead to 2021, the hopeful arrival of a vaccine, and economic recovery.
But we also recognize that given the economic realities of families prior to COVID, Jefferson
County as a whole needs to be addressing long-term, structural flaws that make this an
exceptionally difficult place to achieve the security needed to nurture healthy families. We
implore the community to take a new approach to housing, services for families and teen
mental health, in particular, to make this a sustainable home for people of all ages.
PRIORITY ACTIONS
1. Mental Health: The Community Resilience Project
The isolation, economic hardship, and disruption to daily routines of the COVID-19 pandemic
have had significant negative impact on mental health in Jefferson County. While true for all
ages, the effects are especially acute among children and families and notably adolescents.
Mostly alarmingly, the community in September experienced the suicide of a 13-year-old as
well as three more unsuccessful attempts. Teachers and others who work with young people
report high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression in county teens, who already experienced
levels of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and depressive emotions that were much higher
than Washington State averages.
Parents, young children, and other age groups are also suffering the effects of prolonged stress.
Nationally, one-quarter of the population is experiencing symptoms of depression, triple the
number before the pandemic.1 Suicide rates among adults are also rising.
The Children and Families Work Group explored interventions to address mental health needs
across the age and risk continuum. Several initiatives with refined project plans and lead
organizations were recommended for funding and are outlined elsewhere in this report.
The task force recommends further action to develop a Jefferson County Community
Resilience Project. This would be a multi-pronged program to address urgent mental health
priorities through suicide prevention, trauma-informed care, and social support for key groups,
including parents, to mitigate stress and prevent mental health crises.
A steering body would bring all agencies, non-profits, clubs, and groups working in these areas
into alignment, so they share unified objectives, avoid duplication, and maximize resources.
• Suicide Prevention
o Development of a robust county-wide suicide prevention strategy with
emphasis on youth suicide including identification of short- and long-term
interventions.
o Community training in Mental Health First Aid to reduce stigma, increase
recognition of warning signs, and learn how to respond to someone who is
struggling, making this knowledge as common as CPR so community members
including teachers, business owners, faith leaders, and parents can act as a first
1 Ettman CK, Abdalla SM, Cohen GH, Sampson L, Vivier PM, Galea S. Prevalence of Depression Symptoms in US
Adults Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(9):e2019686.
doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.19686
line of action. This is especially critical in rural areas with a shortage of mental
health professionals. Details on the program, costs, and how it works.
• Trauma-Informed Approach
o County-wide learning collaborative so trauma-informed care becomes the norm
for systems and services throughout the community. TIC understands the
pervasiveness of trauma, recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in
individuals (including self), and responds by actively seeking to support recovery
and avoid re-traumatizing people who come in contact with the service,
organization, workplace, etc. See more information on trauma-informed
communities.
• Social Supports
o Parent and Youth support groups through a community hub such as YMCA to
increase peer-to-peer connection, alleviate stress, and improve connection to
resources.
▪ Work more closely with Empowered Teens Coalitions to utilize resources
available through HCA/DBHR funding
▪ Seek additional funding partnerships through CHIP, BHC, OCH, 1/10, etc.
o Elderly and isolated community member connections
▪ Using emergency management neighborhood groups, create a
framework for check-ins that connect volunteers by phone or distanced
in-person contact with individuals who are isolated by virtue of age,
disability, or mental health status.
▪ Train mail carriers to be alert for signs of potential problems (mail not
picked up, lack of activity, strange activity, etc.) and teach them
recommended follow-up actions.
▪ Recruit Local 2020 to develop other initiatives to provide social supports
for people whose normal supports such as church, library, clubs are not
active due to COVID, such as care boxes, pen pals, etc.
▪ Work more closely with O3A and OlyCAP to increase community-building
programing for independent elderly.
2. COMMUNITY-WIDE YOUTH ENGAGEMENT, CONNECTION AND MENTORSHIP
Objectives:
• To provide structured activities for youth to engage with peers and adult mentors in
order to reduce isolation and continue skill development in social/ emotional
relationship-building, as well as stimulating or furthering interests in enrichment
activities.
• To create safe environments for interaction and enjoyment, consistent with COVID
protocols, which benefit mental health.
Roles: This priority action could happen in a “piece-meal” fashion, with groups,
organizations and individuals stepping up to provide independent opportunities for enrichment.
OR, It could be an organized, collaborative effort requiring leadership and funding to launch.
• Potential partners: Jefferson County and City of PT Parks & Rec, YMCA, Skillmation,
School Districts, Jefferson Healthcare, youth sports organizations, local fitness facilities.
Assessment: This project is feasible if there is leadership and dedication to bring it to fruition.
Jefferson Healthcare has expressed interest in seeing more structured activity for youth as a
preventative factor for teen mental health. Individuals and organizations could also create or
expand programming separate from a coordinated effort.
Funding - to be determined.
Addresses Long term Issues: Yes
Governmental Involvement: to be determined.
3. FAMILY RESOURCES NAVIGATOR (funded by CARES thru 12/1/2020)
Objectives & Desired Outcomes:
Families are often struggling to cope with the challenges they are facing due to:
• a lack of awareness of existing resources
• barriers to accessing resources
• little to no resources to support their issues
• a combination of all of the above
Community agencies and health care providers find themselves in a similar situation – they,
too, are often unaware of services that are available to support the families they serve.
Knowing that early intervention is critical in the continuum of care for vulnerable families,
finding a way to connect families to all available resources can enable them to move from “in
crisis” to “vulnerable” and from “vulnerable” to “thriving.”
The Family Resource Navigator will be responsible for developing develop an outcome-based,
centralized approach to support children and families; and advocate on behalf of children and
families to ensure accessibility to the resources they need.
Outcomes for families:
• Connection to resources that are appropriate for their needs
• Increased efficacy, resilience factors, and ability to thrive
• Deeper sense of community support
Outcomes for community-based organizations/healthcare sector:
• Increased awareness of resources available to the children/families they serve
• Expanded/enhanced inter-agency partnerships to fill and/or mitigate gaps in services to
families
• Improved health and resilience outcomes for children/families
Proposed Lead Organization & Supporting Roles:
Olympic Peninsula YMCA/Jefferson County Branch and MCS Counseling
Action Steps & Timeframe:
By mid-November the FRN will:
• Complete Community Scan
• Finalize Assessment Tools
• Launch Intake/Outreach Pathways
• Develop Marketing Materials
• Collect and Organize Database of Resources
• Begin Utilization of Assessment & Readiness to Change Model
Assessment: The Family Resource Navigator (FRN) will have an “intake” conversation with
families to evaluate readiness to change and/or identify potential barriers to engaging with
support services. The FRN will also complete a family stability assessment. From there, the FRN
will develop a family-centered plan and will both advocate for and connect families with the
programs and services they need. The FRN will evaluate the efficacy of the support services that
children and families are using and will close the feedback loop with referring partners e.g.
teachers and healthcare providers.
Does it also help address long-standing issues?
According to data from 2018, 25% of families in Jefferson County would benefit from
prevention/intervention services in order to thrive. This is in addition to the 13% of families
who are classified as “in crisis” and in need of emergency services. Jefferson County has a
multitude of community organizations that have the potential to serve as a robust safety net
for vulnerable children and families but there is no central repository or hub that highlights all
of the available options.
Funding: Currently this project has funding from the YMCA and CARES Act. Additional funding
will be needed to continue it through 2021.
4. DEVELOP MORE CHILDCARE CAPACITY & OPTIONS:
Objectives & Desired Outcomes:
• Build at least one new childcare facility that accepts public assistance subsidy
• Create options for families to have safe, nurturing, affordable childcare options to allow
for parents to work effectively.
• Remove the barrier that currently exists where employers struggle to recruit and retain
qualified employees due to “childcare desert”.
Proposed Lead Organization & Supporting Roles: Jefferson Healthcare, Peninsula College, and
the YMCA
Action Steps & Timeframe: The partners above applied for a Washington State Department of
Commerce Child Care Planning Grant and received planning funds to develop increased child
care in 2020-2021. The planning grant includes development of start-up funds for a new child
care program.
Assessment: Strong community partners have aligned to address this on-going community
challenge and secured funding to complete early phases of this priority action.
The COVID-19 outbreak exacerbated our county’s already limited and full child care offerings.
Because child care during the COVID-19 outbreak requires larger spaces and more teachers,
additional funds (approximately $50,000) will be needed to successfully launch this program.
Does it also help address long-standing issues? Yes, lack of childcare is identified by the
Olympic Workforce Development Council as one of the main barriers to a strong workforce
locally. Creating more capacity in quality childcare will create better employees, more stable
parents and healthier kids.
Describe any Legislation/Advocacy needed for this at the State, Federal or Local levels: The
ICG should advocate at every level for increased funding for the building and development of
childcare as well as tax incentives and subsidies for families to use childcare.
THE FUTURE
The Children and Families Community Group has identified the 1-5 year time frame (2022-2027)
as critical to creating secure and stable conditions to support this population in Jefferson
County. While conditions pre-Covid were precarious for families, how we rebound from the
pandemic could make-or-break the ability of the mid-career workforce to settle here.
There are three essential needs that must be addressed to ensure a future for families here:
Affordable housing, living wage jobs and mental health supports. They are inexorably
intersectional. Achieving functional mental health is often not possible if housing is insecure.
And finding a safe home is often out of reach without a living wage job. These three legs of the
stool must be addressed strategically and intersectionally.
While some people would attribute the livability challenges that families here face to “market
forces”, there are demonstrated, structural changes that could be implemented to reverse this
trajectory. While the Jobs & Economy Community Group wil address the “Living Wage Jobs” leg
of the stool, the Children& Families group identifies the following mid-term needs:
• The Housing Solutions Network (HSN) is calling out creative solutions to our housing
availability and affordability crisis. Whether through home sharing, co-ownership or
changes to building codes, there is a local non-profit and membership base committed
to finding creative solutions to the disparities in housing here. With 25% of our housing
stock being vacant part-time/ vacation rental/ second homes while nearly half of renters
are “cost-burdened”, there is a clear need to narrow the housing gap. HSN serves an
important role in motivating all people- individuals, organizations and governments- to
be part of the myriad solutions we need to consider for housing.
• The need for a Community Land Trust (CLT). CLT’s provide affordable entry into home
ownership, often a critical aspect to retaining young professionals in a community.
Homeward Bound Community Land Trust, which owns property in Clallam County, is
currently working to get established in Jefferson County as a provider of permanently
affordable home ownership. CLTs will need support in the form of land donations and
subsidy in order to get established in communities like ours with high land values.
• Multifamily, Affordable Housing: Jefferson County has been unable, in the past 15
years, to attract investors and developers of multifamily housing, which is the most
affordable way to produce much-needed inventory of units. High land prices, lack of
infrastructure and strict environmental regulation are all factors contributing to this
problem. Identifying lands that are buildable
• Dedicated facility for family wellness: Beyond the need for coordinated family
resources, a stable, purpose-built facility to support recreational, physical health,
childcare and nutrition is needed to serve as an anchor for working families. Many
parents have moved from Jefferson County specifically to live in communities with
recreational facilities for the myriad benefits they provide.
The YMCA has been working with the City and other partners for many years to finalize
a design and campaign for such a facility. While it has met many challenges, maintaining
this vision (and seeing it to completion) will be critical to retain working families here.
• Emphasize Social Determinants of Health via CHIP and other efforts: The Community
Health Improvement Plan provides an ideal avenue to explore the impacts of economics
and demographics on the well-being of children and families. This lens is critical to
making clear the connections between housing, wages, mental health and physical well-
being. Children and families are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of insecurity and
instability due to:
1. The presence of dependents in the home and the need for a larger, more
expensive home;
2. The need to feed, clothe and house more individuals, some of whom (children)
don’t bring in financial resource;
3. The need to invest time to provide necessary attachment and nurturing for
healthy physical, social and emotional development;
4. Less flexibility in scheduling and career choice to support a structured, safe
home and family life.
For these reasons, assessing all community needs from the Social Determinants of
Health framework is critical to ensuring that famiiles are served.
CONCLUSION:
The well-being of children and families in Jefferson County was at risk before Covid and how we
recover now may well determine if and how working families are able to live here in the future.
The impacts of that would be felt in our economy with challenges in filling vacancies and in our
schools, who struggle with falling census and funding. Families, and the organizations and
institutions they support, are pillars to upholding healthy, diverse, productive communities.
Keeping families central to the conversations about how we re-think and re-build post-Covid
will provide myriad benefits to all residents.
HUMAN SERVICES PRIORITIZED SUMMARY OF PROJECTS
LEAD SECTOR: Human Services Work Group
SUPPORTING/OVERLAPPING SECTOR(S):
Broadband, Food System Resiliency, Children & Families (including CARES Act-funded projects; more
detail in full report)
COMMUNITY GROUP MEMBERS:
Ariel Speser, Bob Wheeler, John Nowak, Kathleen Kler, Catharine Robinson, Louise Huntingford, Claire
Roney, Cherish Cronmiller, Anna McEnery, Jaci Hoyle, Jim Novelli, Celeste Schoenthaler, Carol McCreary,
Judson Haynes, Nat Jacob, Tammy Tarsa, Gabbie Caudill, Kimber Rotchford, Trish Beathard, Brian
Richardson
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The issues facing our community in the Human Services arena pre-date the COVID-19 pandemic. The
addition of a global pandemic has served to exacerbate already difficult issues in our community. Issues
like housing, poverty and lack of services have been at the root of the disparity plaguing Jefferson
County for years. Vulnerable members of our community struggle to meet their basic needs.
COVID-19 has made all this much worse. Many residents and families of Jefferson County have complex
and urgent mental, physical, and substance-related health needs, which have only grown more urgent in
the COVID era. These vulnerable individuals and families need a centralized hub to access resources, be
supported by community resources, and have an advocacy system in place. It is no secret that these
community members often interact with the criminal justice system and are disproportionately likely to
have frequent contact with emergency services. These contacts cost city and county tax dollars and
increase the potential for COVID exposure for both those seeking services and the service providers
themselves. Currently, emergency services can’t be coordinated in a manner that follows-through to
address ongoing needs of the individuals/families after an emergency has abated.
The Human Services team has been working to develop solutions that augment and, in some cases,
provide new services that enable community members to get help when they need it. Importantly, the
group focused substantial attention on efforts that are preventative, rather than reactive after a crisis
has occurred, trying to prioritize the actions that fill the most pressing needs.
PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY STATEMENTS AND BACKGROUND
COVID presents unique challenges to the delivery of human services for our community. The COVID
crisis will also significantly decrease the funding available for these essential services. Members of
Jefferson County’s network of human service agencies have not yet coordinated resources to specifically
address the challenges presented by COVID and its secondary impacts. The housing crisis that predated
COVID is only growing worse as housing stock dwindles, while the need for supportive and affordable
housing increases. Best practice Public Health guidelines for keeping community members safe require
additional tools to implement and manage new safety protocols, intensifying gaps in service. Many of
Jefferson County’s vulnerable residents have not yet been identified by existing service providers.
But this crisis may represent an opportunity for local agencies to emerge more resilient, agile and
interconnected. The purpose of this Work Group is to address the following community needs
considering this new landscape:
1. Identify priorities for delivery of services;
2. Focus on being preventative instead of reactive to issues;
3. Consolidate services to mitigate budget cuts;
4. Provide emergency and transitional housing for our community’s most vulnerable;
5. Guarantee that our residents have access to reliable internet, phone or mail;
6. Explore how existing social safety net structures can become more adaptable;
7. Conduct efforts to determine the health and wellbeing of the Jefferson County community;
8. Develop programs for community members to become connected to needy individuals;
9. Consolidate and expand resources and service provider information;
10. Create new partnerships with the goal of maximizing limited funding; and,
11. Take real solutions to local officials to adopt as policy and implement.
PRIORITY ACTIONS
The following projects were funded as part of the original CARES Act funding approved by the BOCC. The
Human Services group recommends that additional funding be obtained to continue funding these
essential services.
1. Open American Legion Shelter 24/7 and Provide Weekend Meals
Most of the places where unsheltered people congregate during the day are currently closed or
have limited capacity, such as libraries, coffee shops, and grocery stores. Keeping the shelter
open 24/7 would provide our unsheltered community members a safe place to be during the
day. It also would provide unsheltered community members accessible shower and laundry
facilities to maintain personal hygiene needs.
The shelter is crucial to a population that has been released from medical care, inpatient
treatment, incarceration and struggles with chronic homelessness. This population is able to
comply with rules and regulations pertaining to congregate sheltering and would benefit
significantly from having a safe place to stay during the day that is warm and secure.
Due to COVID, COAST is not able to provide regular and weekend meals at the Shelter. Similarly,
other faith partners providing meals are low on funding due to not holding regular services.
Therefore, to support our vulnerable community members’ health and well-being, weekend
meals would be made available to those staying at the Shelter and to other unsheltered
individuals in the community.
The shelter would continue to be operated by OlyCAP, with additional staffing of six eight-hour
shifts per day with two staff members on each shift (male/female). Cost per month would be
approximately $12,600 per month. Weekend meals provided by OlyCAP would be purchased
from the hospital at $7.00 a meal, with an estimated 30 meals for each night Friday – Sunday, at
approximately $2,520 per month.
2. Provide a COVID Navigator
Many residents of Jefferson County and the City of Port Townsend struggle with complex and
urgent mental, physical, and substance-related health needs, which have only grown more
urgent in the COVID era. It is no secret that these individuals often interact with the criminal
justice system and are disproportionately likely to have frequent contact with emergency
services. These contacts cost county and city tax dollars and increase the potential for COVID
exposure for both those seeking services and the service providers themselves. Currently,
emergency services are not coordinated in a manner that follows-through to address ongoing
needs of the individuals after an emergency has abated. Navigator programs are beginning to
emerge to provide “on scene” resources and divert people who most frequently engage with
emergency services, but there is currently no program in place to “take the ball” from the
navigator in order to assist these individuals bridge the gap between emergency contact and
ongoing care.
OlyCAP has hired a COVID Navigator whose specific job is to work with vulnerable populations in
non-emergent capacity (i.e., to schedule and transport people to medical appointments, take
them to DSHS to sign up for services, etc.). Further funding this type of program would be cost-
efficient, by mitigating the need for constant (and very expensive) emergency department and
jail visits and increasing public safety by keeping emergency services from being
unnecessarily tied-up during the pandemic.
At a salary of $26/hour, a COVID Navigator costs approximately $5,720 per month including
salary, fringe costs, IT, facilities and administrative oversight.
3. Provide Utility Assistance
There is an increased need for utility assistance due to household incomes being negatively
impacted by COVID. Though shut-offs have been halted, community members are still
accumulating past due accounts and will receive shut-off notices when the moratoriums expire.
Vouchers for utility assistance are always paid directly to the utility providers on the customer’s
behalf. Community members whose household income has been negatively impacted by COVID
are also struggling to pay medical insurance costs, car insurance, phone and internet bills.
Likewise, homeowners in Jefferson County need help with mortgage assistance and many do not
qualify for funding with CDBG. In order to qualify for an affordable loan repayment plan,
homeowners in arrears often need help with an initial payment.
Cost per month is approximately $10,000.
THE FUTURE
Many of the proposals above and in the full list support underlying social issues in our community. Most
of these proposals could be funded beyond the end of the COVID pandemic as the infrastructure is in
place. The more comprehensive planning and activities achieved by the formation of the ICC community
groups has been an excellent model for how to attack systemic community issues of inequity and poor
access to services. Continued collaboration and formation of sub-teams will help identify solutions for
difficult community problems and to prepare proposals for state, federal, foundation, and local
charitable funding. Likewise, clear communication and coordination across groups and sectors is
important for success. The Human Services Work Group has expressed a willingness to continue our
efforts if there is a clear directive, purpose, and need for that continuation.
FOOD SYSTEM RESILIENCE PRIORITIZED SUMMARY OF PROJECTS
LEAD SECTOR: Food System Resilience
SUPPORTING/OVERLAPPING SECTOR(S): Economy & Jobs, Children & Families, Human Services,
Broadband
COMMUNITY GROUP MEMBERS:
Karen Affeld, Annie Bartos, Greg Brotherton, Rufina Garay, Crystie Kisler, Laura Lewis, Marki Lockhart,
Pam Petranek, Cliff Moore, David Seabrook, Shelby Smith, and Kevin Street
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The group of 13 community members, agricultural experts, educators and practitioners, has been
focused on understanding both the immediate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food system in
Jefferson County and how prepared the food system is to deal with future shocks. Combining collective
knowledge and expertise alongside surveys and focus groups with regional food system actors, the
group concludes that the pandemic has both highlighted and worsened a number of long-standing
vulnerabilities in the regional food economy and that it is also ill-prepared to handle further disruptions
in the near future. In particular, the pandemic has led to a substantial increase in food insecurity among
families who have lost income due to the crisis, disrupted food distribution systems making the
availability of local food resources more important, and has stymied the regional food market where
regional produce and goods are typically bought and sold.
Therefore, recommendations can be summarized as two-fold:
1. To support the local farm and food economy to produce, process and distribute the food we
need to feed vulnerable members of our community while generating sustainable livelihoods.
2. To support the development of a funded and staffed regional, appointed commission
dedicated to strategic planning, policy-making, and integrated coordination across multiple
agencies and organizations that prioritizes creating and promoting an equitable and sustainable
food system.
The recommendations consider the food economy as a holistic system that includes food production,
food processing, food distribution, food access and consumption, and also attempts to resolve some of
the underlying inequalities that underpin and sometimes undermine this system. The recommendations
outlined below include a variety of ways to promote, educate, invest in, and foster community and
cultural support for an environmentally and economically sustainable regional food system in the short
term and in the future. The group sees this current moment as an opportune time to create new
frameworks, new ways of doing business and new ways of supporting our regional community
members. Therefore, the group strongly recommends focused and sustained attention with political
clout at a regional-level to ensure a healthy, resilient and equitable food system that is able to meet the
needs of a diverse and growing community, and withstand and rebound from systems challenges such
as pandemics, natural disasters and climate disruptions.
The group recommended projects that were funded as part of the original CARES Act funding approved
by the BOCC and that are described in the full report. While meant for short-term deployment of
regional food and meal services for vulnerable residents, extension of these projects will provide
additional benefits in addition to the actions above.
PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY STATEMENTS
Shorter-term: Increase local food production for local consumption. Local food production would
support food security regardless of disruptions to the global food supply and strengthen the local food-
producing economy.
Longer-term: Develop and support a regionally focused food and agriculture group of community
leaders, experts and practitioners to research and focus on resolving systemic barriers and creating
opportunities for an equitable and sustainable food system now and in preparation for future
emergencies/shocks to the food system.
BACKGROUND
Jefferson County has a long history of agricultural production, a moderate climate and a diversified base
of small farms, yet it currently relies on producers and distributors outside the region for the vast
majority of the food consumed by its population. COVID-19 resulted in disruptions across the global
food system which created complications at a local scale. For example, grocery store chains were unable
to keep up with the demand for certain staple products or commodities, and local farmers were unable
to access the markets they depend on. COVID-19 exposed further flaws in food distribution, food-based
labor sector, and government policies which keep local solutions uneasily achieved.
Around the world, local municipalities have adopted governance frameworks that prioritize the needs of
and support the growth of regional food economies. These bodies are most effective when they include
elected representatives and/or local leaders who are responsible for enacting policy. The pandemic
exposed to us that separate groups working in similar but disparate nodes of the food system could be
more effective if they were combined, unified and representative of the regional food system including
organizations that hold institutional knowledge. A unified governance structure would be able to bring
together these disparate actors and nodes of the food system in order to plan and create a more
sustainable and equitable approach to increasing regional food production and consumption. We
suggest that Jefferson County adopt and appoint a new Food System Resiliency Commission (FSRC). The
FSRC would be separate and different in mandate from the existing Port Townsend Food Policy Council;
it is our understanding that this latter group has been largely inactive and was not housed within a local
government structure to ensure policy change at a local or regional level. In addition, the council lacked
access to a budget for staffing and other operational needs.
PRIORITY ACTIONS
1. Support local farmers with the resources they need to plan, produce and process food for area
residents while generating sustainable livelihoods
• Proposed Lead Organization & Supporting Roles:
○ WSU
○ NODC
○ County Conservation Futures Committee
○ Conservation District
○ Jefferson Land Trust
○ OlyCap
○ Landworks Collaborative
Supporting local farmers to plan, produce and process food for area residents includes:
• Developing mechanisms to encourage/facilitate linkages between local farmers and
restaurants, schools, and large businesses
Action Steps:
○ Fund the annual conference of Eat Local First Olympic Peninsula, an existing
campaign to promote local food, and its marketing campaign (alongside the Jobs
and Economy Group)
○ Recommend pandemic-responsive incentives and long-term incentives for
regional stores to purchase regional food to support revival and recovery of
agrarian economy to ensure future local food supply.
○ Coalesce current research and identify additional research topics regarding
strategies to promote new linkages and distribution models and a
comprehensive understanding of food sources for aggregation of sales.
• Mobilizing winter food production models and store winter supply of dry and value-added
goods for increased production and emergency preparedness
Action Steps:
○ Provide onsite (farm-based) cold and cool storage, dry-good and general storage
with alternative power sources.
■ Ideal request is to fund five farms within the region at $10,000.
○ Provide onsite (farm-based) green/hoop houses to extend growing season.
■ Ideal request is to fund ten farms within the region at $10,000.
○ Provide offsite (non-specific to a particular farm) emergency regional dry
storage and commercial canning equipment.
■ Ideal request is $10,000 for space and equipment.
○ Provide Food Banks with generators or alternative power supply for existing
cold storage.
■ Ideal request would be $30,000 for three generators.
• Creating a new position for a business expert with farm-based enterprise experience to help
navigate changing business laws, (changes to payroll taxes, huge spikes in unemployment
fraud this past spring, etc) and help source or facilitate co-op buying of seeds, supplies,
packaging, or other inputs.
Action Steps:
○ Create a City of Port Townsend or Jefferson County position to undertake
these responsibilities. Total cost of 1 FTE, salary and benefits would be
approximately $60,000 to $66,000
• Examining zoning, permitting and local health regulations to reduce barriers including
barriers to agricultural and food enterprise processing
Action Steps:
○ This activity could be led by the same individual described in 2.4 above, but
would require consistent interaction with the Planning Commissions of
Jefferson County and Port Townsend.
2. Develop and resource a regional, appointed commission dedicated to strategic planning,
policy-making, and integrated coordination across multiple agencies and organizations that
prioritizes creating and promoting an equitable and sustainable food system
Developing such a commission includes:
• Creating a new employment opportunity for a “Food System Resilience Lead” This position,
at .75 FTE would require funding of between $53,000 and $56,000, salary and benefits. At 1
FTE, the cost would be between $60,000 and $66,000
○ Objectives/Desired Outcomes: This staff position would be responsible for over
a three-year period at a minimum:
■ Organizing, facilitating, leading, and promoting this FSRC
■ Developing a matrix of relationships with community gardens, shellfish
producers, fishers, foragers and hunters so those are ready and
available for emergency activation
■ Researching and understanding the systemic challenges food producers
face in the region and bringing these challenges to the attention of the
FSRC for mitigation (e.g. including investigating particular models that
can be utilized from other institutions such as Northern Arizona
University’s FEWsion)
■ Activating more education around the diverse modes of food
procurement and issues of accessibility
○ Proposed Lead Organization & Supporting Roles:
■ Port, PUD, City and County
■ Potentially housed in DEM or WSU Extension or supported by several
counties (e.g. Jefferson, Clallum, Kitsap)
■ WSU, UW, other regional food resilience committees
• Working with the ICC to create a structure for a regional FSRC, including membership and
bylaws
○ Objectives/Desired Outcomes:
■ Recruit members who are representative of the constituents of the food
system and food system organizations such as WSU, NODC, JCFM,
OlyCap, Food Bank Farm to Food Bank project, Peninsula Food Coalition,
Indigenous peoples, School District, Chefs, Grocery Store, Local 2020,
Large-scale agribusiness and small-scale agribusiness, food processor,
community-at-large member
■ Develop a North Olympic Food Resiliency Plan which includes specific
policy and land-use arrangements to support regional food production,
distribution and access.
○ Actions Steps to consider (not exhaustively):
■ Work with Land Trust and/or Planning Commission to create more
innovative cooperative housing and community trust models for making
agricultural land accessible
■ Revisit county-wide development plans to:
● Regularly review and make recommendations to update city
and county codes
● Ensure lands with designated vital soils are preserved for
agriculture and not real estate.
● Coordinate with housing planning agencies to manage housing
needs for agrarian workforce and food production labor.
■ Consider and implement strategies to enable the purchase and
placement of agricultural land into a public trust for community food
production
■ Increase opportunities for acquisition of affordable agrarian land for
small-scale food system enterprise. Initiatives could include:
● Promoting low-cost, alternative financing for start-up
businesses as well as support for conservation easements,
cooperative ownership, incubator farms and other mechanisms
to reduce the cost of entry into farming, with a goal of financing
ten farms of a minimum of five acres each per year, in each of
the following ten years.
● Leasing new farmers unproductive lands designated for
agriculture but currently not in use.
● Developing a fundraising strategy that will be able to
underwrite the cost of legal and tax services for small farms
● Developing opportunities for aging farmers to pass the land on
to new farmers and ensure they have the means to retire
without selling their land for development.
● Incentivize new farmers to grow storage crops such as grains,
nuts, beans and seeds
■ Create associations for larger scale restaurant supported agriculture
(RSAs), school supported agriculture (SSA), and healthcare supported
agriculture (HSA) associations for economies of scale in purchasing for
restaurants, schools, the hospital and other regional businesses to
purchase directly from an aggregation of regional growers
■ Create an educational awareness campaign around the environmental
and social benefits of supporting regional food systems and subsidize
markets to sell these products at price points accessible to all income
levels.
■ Evaluate and coordinate the emergency preparedness of the food
sector in Jefferson, Clallam and Kitsap counties including:
● Researching other rural populations’ approaches to food
emergencies such as the Alaska Food Policy Council or the
Community Food Emergency and Resilience template
● Analyzing the need for additional food-related policies and/or
modification to existing policies to accommodate and adapt to
future emergency-related work
● Understanding the Counties’ existing emergency procedures
and any gaps in resources, knowledge of authority, know-how,
or accessibility
● Creating an emergency food cache system
● Inventory supplies and set standards to monitor safe storage
(humidity, temperature, possible infestations etc.)
■ Find financially sustainable wage-sources for food processing workers
■ Establish a navigable, online portal for multiple types of end-users in the
holistic food system
● to find the equipment, finances, and other resources (including
university resources) to produce food,
● to find available food at no cost during crisis or due to lack of
ability to purchase, and
● to identify transparently the interconnected agencies in support
of food access and their current initiatives and projects.
BROADBAND GROUP PRIORITIZED SUMMARY OF PROJECTS
LEAD SECTOR: Broadband
SUPPORTING/OVERLAPPING SECTOR(S):
Children & Families, Economy & Jobs, Human Services, Culture & Events, Food Systems
COMMUNITY GROUP MEMBERS:
The local volunteer organization JBAT (Jefferson Broadband Action Team) makes up the community for
the Broadband Group. JBAT is a group of 32 people representing a cross- section of Jefferson County
government agencies including the County, City, Port, PUD, EDC Team Jefferson, WSU Extension,
Chamber of Commerce, education, healthcare, library, as well as private internet service providers,
small business owners, and residents.
Current Members: Arlene Alen, Beau Young, Ben Bauermeister, Bill Putney, Brian Kuh, Cedar Knoll, Cliff
Moore, David Olsen, Dan Toepper, Daniel Heaton, Deborah Stinson, Diane Jones, Frank DePalma, Gage
Pacifera, Gary Nelson, Gary Rowe, Greg Brotherton, Heather Dudley Nollette, Jerry Wilson, Jeff Randall,
Karen Bennett, Ken Collins, Kevin Streett, Leo Boyd, Maggie Kelley, Norm Norton, Pete Duncan, Rich
Durr, Tamara Meredith, Tom Brotherton, Will O’Donnell. (JBAT steering committee members in bold)
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Provide basic, low-cost, and immediate access for those who lack it, especially students.
This work has already begun. In consultation with local school superintendents and the state broadband
office, Jefferson County PUD installed more than a dozen Wi-Fi hotspots across Jefferson County in the
spring and summer of 2020. These hotspots provide free and open high-speed internet with connections
of up to 100mpbs for anyone to drive up to and connect while seated in their car, 24/7.
Meanwhile, the Connected Students Initiative has been helping to put Wi-Fi connections into under-
resourced students’ homes, via cellular hotspots or low-to-no-cost internet connections paid for by the
non-profit and provided by local internet service providers. Both endeavors were awarded CARES act
funding in 2020 but will continue to expand efforts and seek additional funding in 2021.
Expand broadband infrastructure network as rapidly as possible.
In the handful of locations in Jefferson County where populations are dense and broadband exists, the
infrastructure is either over-subscribed or underutilized. In much of the rest of the county, homes are
spread out or loosely clustered too far from existing fiber routes for private service providers to justify
the cost of building connections.
Jefferson County needs more broadband infrastructure. Everywhere. In any form available: coaxial
cable, fiber, wireless, or low-orbit satellite. Local county agencies and businesses should endeavor to
complete ongoing studies and pursue all opportunities to increase access to high speed broadband
internet infrastructure of any type, in every and any location of the county possible, and as soon as
possible.
Engage State and Federal agencies to improve opportunities for rural communities
While state and federal opportunities for funding broadband infrastructure have been rapidly
increasing, pe-existing rules and laws make it difficult for rural communities like Jefferson County to
either receive funding, or to create self-sustaining business models that would ensure the success of
grant funded projects long term. Local governments and community groups should collaborate to
advocate for changes to current rules, with the goal of improving access and opportunity for rural
residents and geographically isolated and/or constrained communities.
PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY STATEMENTS:
Improving access and quality of service for the citizens of Jefferson County is a large undertaking, but for
the purposes of this report can be broken out into three essential project categories:
1. COVID-19 related shutdowns and the move by governments and business to online platforms
have left many citizens in Jefferson County without options for participation in essential and
everyday services. More funding should be sought and used to provide immediate internet
connections to those without any access, especially students.
2. Too many areas in Jefferson County lack any access to broadband internet. Widespread use of
video conferencing technology adopted to largely replace school, work, healthcare, and social
functions during pandemic related shutdowns has exposed the shortcomings of even the areas
of the county that have access to broadband. More high-speed broadband infrastructure is
needed in every part of the county and government and private agencies should organize,
collaborate and endeavor to prioritize the construction of that infrastructure wherever they can.
3. Many state and federal laws and policies are prohibitive to rural communities seeking internet
access in areas where private industry will not build. Local agencies, businesses and citizens
should work together to engage legislators and rulemakers to end practices that burden and
restrict rural communities.
BACKGROUND:
Years before COVID-19 arrived, multiple Jefferson County agencies had identified lack of access to
broadband internet as a threat to the county’s economy and future potential. Like many rural
communities, most of Jefferson County has been both unserved (less than 10mbps) or underserved (10-
25mbps) with broadband. A survey of residents and businesses conducted by Jefferson PUD in 2019
indicated that 45% of residential responders have either no internet or only have access to slow speeds
and outdated infrastructure such as DSL. Only 59% of businesses surveyed indicated they had high
speed broadband. In total 70% of the respondents to the survey reported that they did not currently
have internet at broadband speeds.
For the last few years, the county’s two largest private internet service providers (ISPs), Wave and
CenturyLink, have been slow or unwilling to extend service or infrastructure beyond the county’s two
more densely populated areas. Additionally, these companies have shown little interest in improving
increasingly congested service in areas where they do have infrastructure, leaving many during the
pandemic paying premium prices for advertised speeds of 100mbps or more but receiving sub-
broadband speeds (less than 25mbps) during times of heavy use. Other ISPs operating in the county are
few and small in size, lacking investment resources, and have not kept pace with growing demand.
Because of the pandemic, children have had to attend school virtually and teachers are having to teach
school virtually. Residents are working from home in numbers never seen and all signs suggest that even
as COVID wanes many workers will continue to work remotely. Others have lost work, and without the
additional federal unemployment subsidy, lack the funds to pay for broadband. Most Jefferson County
residents are experiencing some level of virtual health care. Local businesses hurt by COVID restrictions
are now more reliant on internet-based commerce and communication tools to remain open. If the
business, their customers, or remote workers, lack reliable and affordable high-speed internet, they will
be at risk.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
1. Fund the Connected Students Initiative and Drive-In Wifi program
The Connected Students Initiatives (CSI) is a non-profit endeavor that has put computers, portable hot
spots, and monthly internet access services into the hands of families with children on the free &
reduced school lunch program. CSI is working to connect 113 of these homes with immediate temporary
internet access through free hotspots and reduced cost internet subscription. This allows students who
otherwise lack access to the internet the ability to attend school virtually. The total cost of this project is
estimated at $124,103. $18,918 in CARES act funds have been awarded to CSI. 55 of the estimated 113
homes are currently connected.
The Broadband group also recommends funding to widen the Connected Students Initiative circle of
support to include a broader group of families who struggle to afford internet and make provisions to
get them the access they need for work, school, and healthcare from home. Funding should also be
provided to extend the time limit for reduced-price monthly internet services. These plans are currently
set to expire in less than 12 months. The need for home internet access will not lessen for these
students after they go back to the classroom. These efforts will need to be continued after the pandemic
has passed. Total cost of this expanded effort is estimated at $280,600, reaching up to 610 students.
Prior to the pandemic, many residents lacking internet used free WIFI from public facilities and cafes to
access the internet. With most of those options removed by the shutdown, Jefferson County PUD
stepped in to construct more than a dozen free and open WIFI hotspots. The PUD has added hotspots
connected either to its fiber network, or to broadband signals from private cellular providers. Many
locations were identified in consultation with local school superintendents. The total for equipment,
supplies, contracted labor, engineering, and other costs approached nearly $190,000. PUD staff time
was extensive but is not included. Much of the PUD’s 2020 budget for broadband expansion was
diverted from new fiber extensions for expanded backbone and middle mile connections to hotspot
construction. CARES act funds were awarded to the PUD to reimburse these expenses. The PUD
anticipates adding additional Wi-Fi hotspots in 2019.
2. Complete Broadband Planning and Implement Pilot Programs
Conduct business case studies and engineering design planning for the construction of expanded
broadband infrastructure networks in Jefferson County. Include in the study and planning options for
the deployment of multiple technologies, such as fiber, wireless, cellular, or low-orbit satellite.
Jefferson County PUD has finished phase one of its broadband strategic planning effort. The PUD began
phase two, focusing on business planning, in November 2020 and expects to finish in February of 2021.
CCG Consulting is assisting with the study. JBAT may conduct its own study as well and has discussed
engaging GEO Partners to provide additional cost estimates for either community-specific or county-
wide broadband implementation. Both all-fiber and hybrid approaches would be studied. The cost for
this could be less than $15,000 and would provide more confidence in other third-party estimates. It
could be completed as soon as December 31, 2020.
After the studies are complete, the Broadband group proposes creating a near-term list of targeted
communities, close to existing fiber, where expansion conditions are near “shovel ready” for pilot
projects to enable the design, construction, and deployment of a broadband network that would
provide last mile connections to end-users. Efforts should be made to match these projects with state
and federal grant opportunities. Construction (and or connections) would ideally begin in 2021 or 2022.
Cost estimates are not available at this time but range from $1-5M, depending.
The group also advocates immediately engage county residents and businesses to participate in the WA
State Broadband Office survey of broadband access, so that the state’s attention to Jefferson County is
raised as a recipient of short- and long-term funding, solutions, and policies. The survey mechanism is
already in place; the cost associated with the effort to get households to respond (akin to a “get out the
vote” effort) is modest and should be absorbed by the City of Port Townsend, Jefferson County, the Port
of Port Townsend and Jefferson PUD in activities already underway [starting now, and through
December 31, 2020).
3. Join in Joint Advocacy Efforts to Change Laws and Rules Surrounding Broadband Funding.
Engage State and Federal Legislators and Agencies to improve opportunities for local governments and
special purpose districts to provide broadband access to underserved rural communities by enacting the
following changes:
• Change the WA state regulations that restrict public agencies from servings as a retail internet
service provider “of last resort” when other internet service providers won’t deliver service in
rural areas because of limited revenue potential.
• Remove the restrictions on broadband grant and loan programs that handcuff local government
agencies and others, and that use criteria that only large-scale internet service providers can win
when those are the same providers failing the rural, underserved, and low-income communities.
• Overturn existing FCC mapping practices allowing large ISPs to self-report available services and
speeds in rural areas.
• Allow government agencies to apply for grant funding to build open access networks without
demonstration of a committed private partner.
• Change the definition of broadband to a more aggressive speed benchmark that would prohibit
large ISPs from claiming communities are served (or can be served) with existing coaxial cable or
copper DSL infrastructure.
• Increase funding for the construction of rural broadband infrastructure.
• Create and fund permanent solutions for low-income households to access broadband internet
services, including ideas like vouchers (state of Alabama), negotiating fixed low-income pricing
with service providers, etc.
To achieve these results, the Broadband group recommends encouraging local agencies to appoint
members to the North Olympic Legislative Alliance. This should occur as soon as possible and no later
than December 31, 2020. Members could work to obtain or draft position papers to distribute to
legislators, state agencies and or governmental associations like WASC, AWC, WPUDA, WPPA, etc. This
action item requires little funding up-front, directly works to address issues clearly exacerbated by
COVID-19, and directly addresses long term structural problems that have prohibited rural communities
from receiving fair consideration for broadband funding.
THE FUTURE
Each action item listed in this proposal will continue to be carried out and expanded upon in
2021. Priority projects for the coming year:
1. CSI and Drive In Wi-Fi expansion
2. Fiber buildout along BPA transmission route.
3. Fiber and Wireless LUD pilot program development
4. Starlink beta tester outreach, coordination, and support
5. NOLA membership participation