Thank you for reading Monroe This Week.

This week’s edition includes details on the installation of the City's new gateway signs, how you can help Snohomish County prioritize federal COVID-19 relief funds, a survey to help reimagine the US-2 Corridor in Sultan, fun events happening in Monroe tomorrow, the return of the Farmers Market on Wednesday, the Affordable Connectivity Program available to help with internet costs, the local recognition of Building Safety Month, and the upcoming Sky Valley Volunteer Fair. 

Please contact me with any and all feedback regarding the articles below. I can be reached at GThomas@MonroeWA.gov.

Yours in Service,

NEW GATEWAY SIGNS TO BE INSTALLED NEXT WEEK

The City is getting ready to install two new gateway signs next week. As I mentioned in an earlier edition of Monroe This Week, the first will be installed at the roundabout at State Route 522 and the west end of Main Street. The sign will be approximately 30 feet long and 10 feet tall. The sign depicts Monroe’s location at the foot of the Cascades, and features the distinctive Bearcat “M”, with a river rock base. A second, smaller matching sign will be installed at Lewis Street Park, welcoming travelers crossing the Lewis Street bridge as they enter Monroe. The historic wood signs at each location will be relocated to make way for the new signs.

The gateway signs are part of a series of new monument and wayfinding signs that will be installed over the next two years, starting on Monday. Everything will match and be cohesive across Monroe. This is part of a long-term plan to replace a variety of aging signs with a new cohesive system to help residents and visitors find their way around our community. The new wayfinding signs will be installed along US-2, Main Street, Chain Lake Road, Kelsey Street, 179^th Avenue, and Fryelands Boulevard. A series of similar signs are planned for City parks. 

The sign designs were based on community feedback, and input from the City’s Economic Development Advisory Board. You can see the final designs here, and find more information about the gateway and wayfinding signs by visiting the City’s website.

HELP SNOHOMISH COUNTY PRIORITZE FEDERAL COVID RELIEF FUNDS

Join District 5 County Councilmember Sam Low on June 9 for the County Council District 5 COVID-19 "Recovery Roadshow". The event will take place from 6:00 - 7:30 pm in the 4H Building at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds. District 5 includes the communities of Gold Bar, Index, Lake Stevens, Monroe, Snohomish, and Sultan.

Child care or kids activities as well as dinner will be provided on-site at no cost to attendees. This event is free and open to the public, and it will include an opportunity to connect directly with local elected officials and County staff on important pandemic recovery issues. You do not need to stay for the entire event to participate. 

The event agenda includes:

• Voting session where attendees can vote for their top three recovery investment priorities to help guide County decision-making.
• Starting at 6:45 p.m., a deep-dive recovery discussion on the top-voted issues. Residents can provide feedback on how they have been impacted by the pandemic and work alongside County staff to start to develop solutions and programs.
• Resource tables where attendees can connect directly with Snohomish County and community-based services and resources. Participating organizations include the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Planning and Development Services, and Volunteers of America Western Washington.

HELP CITY OF SULTAN REIMAGINE US-2 CORRIDOR

The City of Sultan has identified improvements to the US-2 corridor to reduce congestion and improve mobility for the community. Sultan is coordinating with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to plan, design, and construct improvements along this corridor to meet the long-term needs for the City.

As part of this ongoing effort, the City of Sultan is now seeking input from the public on a wide range of aspects of the US-2 corridor, including identifying problems to solve, improvements to include, and impacts to avoid. Please consider completing their survey here.

A SATURDAY FOR EVENTS IN MONROE

It’s going to be a beautiful, sunny weekend in Monroe, and what can be better than starting it off with a walk/run around Lake Tye? VFW Post 7511 will be hosting their Flags for Our Fallen 5K at 9:00 a.m. at Lake Tye Park. Take this time to remember and honor the lives of the brave men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. You can still register for a discounted rate of $35 and know that every dollar supports the event and post. After the 5K, head to Rotary Field to check out Miracle League which runs until 2:00 p.m. The Miracle League offers children with special needs an opportunity to suit up in a uniform, step up to the plate, and enjoy playing the game of baseball in its purest form. This is a dream most of them would not be able to realize as members of a traditional youth league. You won’t leave without a smile!

MONROE FARMERS MARKET RETURNS WEDNESDAY

The City is excited for the return of the Monroe Farmers Market this coming Wednesday! Facilitated by the Chamber of Commerce, the market will be held weekly again this year between opening day thru September 7. Running from 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at Galaxy Theatres, there will be a myriad of vendors ranging from locally grown produce to jewelry, a petting zoo, and more! If the weather is nice, there will even be live music. You won't want to miss this summer hit. 

AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM HELPS WITH INTERNET COSTS

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a national, U.S. government program to help low-income households pay for internet service and internet connected devices. Lower-income residents (below 200% of federal poverty level) or those who are receiving public benefits such as free school lunch, WIC/SNAP, Pell grants, subsidized housing, and Medicaid are eligible for the benefit along with Lifeline users. You can find out if you qualify here.

Getting the ACP benefit requires one or two steps:

1. Confirming eligibility
2. Signing up with the internet provider to apply the subsidy.

Some internet providers with a low-income program allow direct ACP sign-up; others will require the federal ACP eligibility sign-up first. You can learn more on how to apply here, or get answers to frequently asked questions on the Federal Communications Commission's website.

For other ACP questions, email ACPSupport@usac.org or call 1 (877) 384-2575. 

MAY IS BUILDING SAFETY MONTH - CITY RECOGNIZES IMPORTANCE OF SAFE BUILDINGS

As I've mentioned in recent editions of Monroe This Week, the theme of Building Safety Month 2022 is “Safety for All: Building Codes in Action”. The International Code Council (ICC) has designated each week of May as a different building safety theme to help raise awareness. This week's theme is Disaster Preparedness. Natural disasters are increasing in severity and frequency. Preparing for devastating events like hurricanes, floods, snowstorms, tornadoes, wildfires and earthquakes helps individuals and communities increase the health and safety of their population during a disaster, protects the local tax base, ensures continuity of essential services, and supports a faster recovery in the aftermath of a disaster. Understanding the Four Phases of Emergency Management can help us better prepare for natural disasters:

• Phase 1: Disaster Mitigation - Includes actions to prevent future emergencies or minimize their effects. For example, purchasing flood and fire insurance for your home is a mitigation activity. One of the best ways for individuals and communities to mitigate disasters is to build using the most up-to-date, modern building codes. The adoption, implementation and enforcement of building codes provides you, your family, and your community protection in the event of a natural disaster. 

• Phase 2: Disaster Preparedness - Making sure your family is prepared for any natural disaster is important. Your actions can ensure that no matter what Mother Nature brings, you, your family and your community will be more resilient. Below are some of the steps you can take to prepare your family and protect your home from natural disasters.

• Phase 3: Disaster Response - Response activities occur during and in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Response is putting your preparedness plans into action. For example, seeking shelter from a tornado or turning off gas valves following an earthquake are both response activities. Response focuses on saving lives and preventing further damage to property. Response activities may include immediate actions like search and rescue, medical care, firefighting, and sheltering.

• Phase 4: Recovery from a Disaster - Recovery includes actions taken to return to a normal or even safer situation following a disaster. In fact, studies show that enforcing local life safety codes decreases injuries and losses following disasters by up to 25 percent. Recovering from a disaster is a gradual process with safety being the main priority. It is important to know what assistance is available and how to access it. Taking the opportunity to update and rebuild using the most recent building codes is a worthwhile investment during recovery.

I recently issued a Proclamation recognizing the month of May as Building Safety Month. I encourage you to read the full text of the Proclamation and check out the ICC's resources for the week here.

SKY VALLEY VOLUNTEER FAIR

Are you interested in finding volunteer opportunities within the Sky Valley? Consider attending the Sky Valley Volunteer Fair, Wednesday June 1st, 2022 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. This event will take place at the City of Sultan Community Room; 319 Main Street, Sultan. Learn about the different non-profit, civic and service organizations serving in The Sky Valley and find volunteer opportunities that match your interests, skills, passion and talent. Want to have a table at the event? Reach out to Melody via phone at 360-793-0983 or email  at melody.dazey@skyvalleyvic.net for the registration link.

The City Council will next meet in a Regular Business Meeting on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. The meeting will be held in a hybrid format; members of the public may participate in Monroe City Council meetings both in-person at City Hall and remotely via the Zoom remote meeting platform. Participation information will be posted with the May 24 agenda, which can be accessed by clicking the button below.