By Megan Dunn and Nate Nehring / For The Herald
In January, we were unanimously elected as the vice chair and chair for the Snohomish County Council. We plan to leverage our leadership platform to move forward on family-friendly and community wellness policies as a guiding workplan for the council.
Last year, we hosted a facilitated roundtable workshop with county staff and members of the community to discuss barriers and gaps in services and amenities provided for families. This discussion led to identifying solutions that will improve overall wellness for families and businesses in Snohomish County, including initiatives to improve community safety, increase workforce entry points, and provide education and engagement for Snohomish County residents and their loved ones.
After the roundtable, we focused on which of these suggestions could be implemented as short-term program changes and which could become long-term policy priorities. The goal for the suite of proposed initiatives is to ensure that Snohomish County stays a leader in fostering an environment where every family can thrive.
Initial discussions mentioned the need for increased access points for young people to enter the workforce and also flexible work schedules to meet the needs of families with younger children or aging parents. Snohomish County government is one of the largest employers in Snohomish County and, as such, has an increased responsibly to ensure that employee needs are being met since so many households are affected. Because of this need, we are working to expand our county internship policy and encourage flexible work policies within all departments.
As many of us have seen or felt in the past few years, a post-covid world has left many feeling disconnected or in need of a stronger-knit community to promote wellness. With the Snohomish Health District merging with the county a couple of years ago, we are in a better position to support public health outreach efforts to promote healthy choices.
The council approved two budget notes to ask the Health Department to promote a public service announcement educating the public on the dangers of excessive screentime for children and the Economic Development Office to promote the benefits of homeownership for economic mobility. There will also be upcoming community engagement activities with councilmembers volunteering as a way to give back to our communities and work together, such as beach clean-ups, tree plantings, and litter clean-ups.
Public safety remains a top priority for many of us on the council and we often hear from the community about frustrations and concerns related to graffiti. Over the coming year, we will be working with internal and external partners to explore how to expand efforts for reporting and removal and if a new system can be brought to the county if funding allows. Graffiti can be more than an eyesore, it can perpetuate unsafe feelings and other acts of destruction or violence.
Finally, we are working closely with staff and local community organizations on how we can promote more family-friendly events throughout the county to bring our communities together. The Evergreen State Fair is a great example of community-building and we’d like to work toward additional countywide events to serve families and individuals who call Snohomish County home.
We are thankful to the people who joined the initial discussions to get this work started. The initiatives are set to move forward in the coming months with public input and discussions expected to be part of the development process. With this framework we will be well-equipped this year to celebrate what makes Snohomish County a wonderful place to live.
We recognize the challenges that families face every day, and it’s important that government leads by example and puts policies in place that set up all families to prosper. By implementing family-friendly and wellness policies, we can create a community that supports the needs of all families and those who are within their care.
Megan Dunn is vice chair of the Snohomish County Council, representing District 2, which includes Tulalip, Everett and Mukilteo. She lives in Everett with her family. Nate Nehring serves as the chair of the Snohomish County Council, representing District 1, which spans the northern part of Snohomish County. Nate and his wife live in Arlington where they are raising their three young children.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
