While we are facing challenging times, we want to take the opportunity to assure our businesses
we are here to support you.
We are working with local, regional and national entities to gather and distribute the most current and up-to-date information available. We are participating in multiple weekly updates to share the concerns of our businesses, advocate for support and make connections for needs - whether it be staffing, supply demands, resources, etc.
Included in this email are updates from the City of Renton, the Renton School District and the FEMA Business Emergency Management updates. You will notice there are opportunities to sign up for your own immediate updates and resources. The FEMA Dashboard is a phenomenal resource for businesses to stay abreast and current on FEMA response as well as industry specific updates.
In the meantime,
please utilize us to spread the word of any activities, any discounts, any specials that you might be having
. Let us help broadcast and encourage the local support of your business. Tag the Renton Chamber in your social media posts so we can help spread the word from our organization and our staff and our Ambassadors and Board.
Together We Are Stronger - Lean On Us For Support
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THE RENTON REPORTER WANTS TO HEAR FROM
YOU ON HOW TO HELP
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Haley Ausbun, our outstanding local reporter with the Renton Reporter, wants to help our local businesses.
Please reach out to her with your stories, items you need, stories you want to share, asks for our community ---- she wants to help.
And the best way she can help is to use her resources to spread the word with our community - to encourage that local support for our businesses.
Hailey can be reached direct at the link below or HAusbun@RentonReporter.com
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UPDATE FROM CITY OF RENTON
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UPDATE FROM: Armondo Pavone
Mayor, City of Renton "Mayor's Newsletter"
March 12, 2020
Renton schools to close until April 24; city offers employees telework option.
City takes action to address COVID-19
Just like the rest of our region, we continue to experience impacts from the outbreak of the respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus,
COVID-19
. The virus has spread rapidly and globally, with some fatalities in King County with cases of hospitalization or prolonged illness in other instances. The city has adjusted business practices and services to support efforts at mitigating the impacts and minimize the spread of the disease.
These are particularly challenging times for all of us and I want to assure you we are doing everything possible to protect you and everyone in our community. We have also been working hard to provide you with frequent and updated information on the COVID-19 and what actions we are taking at the city.
Also, I’d like to express my gratitude and deep appreciation to our police, firefighters and all the city staff who are on the front lines continuing to provide services as we work through this challenging period.
Testing Telework at City Hall
We have expedited our telework policy and urged all staff who are eligible to complete the paperwork as soon as possible in preparation for a potential closure. The city is continuing to test remote work capabilities and encouraging more employees to work from home if possible. On Thursday and Friday, March 12 and 13, employees who have been approved to telework will be working from home. If you have an emergency and need immediate assistance, please call 9-1-1.
Council to teleconference March meetings
Renton City Councilmembers
are committed to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. At the same time they understand how important it is for us to conduct the business of the city and continue to be accessible to the public. So the council will be conducting their
March 16 and March 23 meetings
via teleconference. Council is not scheduled to meet on March 30. All committee meetings in March are cancelled.
All city council meetings are broadcast live on Channel 21 in Renton and available online at
rentonwa.gov/21
.
Emergency Proclamation
On March 5, I issued a
proclamation of local emergency
for the city due to the public health impacts of the COVID-19. During uncertain times such as these, the city may require supplemental assistance if the severity of the event goes beyond the capabilities of local resources. The emergency declaration enables the city to call in those additional resources. Also, the city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is activated virtually between 8 am to 5 pm and using Zoom video conference links for EOC meetings.
Facilities and Events
Large events and meetings over 250 people have been canceled per governor’s emergency order.
Public Health Officer also prohibits ALL gatherings under 250 to reduce infection unless they comply specifically with Public Health guidance.
We have closed and cancelled all programming, events, meetings, and rentals through March 31 at the following locations:
Renton Community Center
Renton History Museum
Renton Senior Activity Center
North Highlands Neighborhood Center
Highlands Neighborhood Center
The
Senior Lunch Program
is also still operating. Sack lunches available for pick-up by drive through only, Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. City staff will be out front to hand out sack lunches.
We have increased the frequency for disinfecting common spaces, counters and door handles in all city facilities throughout our hours of operation.
COVID-19 Renton Business Resources
We want to reassure our business community that the City of Renton is coordinating with local and regional partners to provide resources and information to help our local businesses and employers. We have compiled a
number of resources
for your reference. These resources and links are available on our website.
Communications and Information
We’ve also established a
COVID-19
page on our website and are working diligently to share information from public health officials via our Twitter, Facebook and Nextdoor accounts. We have been working closely with members of my Inclusion Task Force to keep them informed of the situation and be available to them and their communities during these times.
The containment of COVID-19 is an ever-evolving situation with all events happening in real time.
Based on Public Health’s assessment that the virus has not yet peaked, the city is preparing to sustain the reduction in services and modified business practices.
Each of us can play a role in preventing the spread of germs.
Renton is a city where we all pull together, we all work together, and we all care for each other. It’s just who we are—and we should all be proud of that.
As I learn more, and as the situation changes and evolves, I’ll continue to provide more information.
Feedback
Comments, questions or suggestions, or just want to share all the great things that are happening in the city, please
email
me. Thanks for reading.
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RENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT UPDATE
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UPDATE FROM: Randy Matheson
Executive Director, Community Relations, Renton School District
March 12, 2020
March 16 through April 24
Following the new directive from Washington State Governor Jay Inslee, we will close all Renton School District schools beginning Monday, March 16 through Friday, April 24.
The Governor’s Office states that a brief closure (two weeks or less) of schools is not enough to affect a change for the infection rate of the virus. Guidance from the Governor’s Office, based on known data and epidemiological modeling, is to close schools for this extended period of time.
Read more about
- Breakfast and Lunch Services
- Learning During the Closure
- Childcare
- More
Student/Family Support
We wanted to share information regarding the following essential services for students and families:
Learning During Closure
Renton Schools has provided resources for at-home learning during our closure. We are committed to providing equitable learning experiences for our students.
The resources provided are intended to support skill maintenance and development. Paper copies of the learning resources were distributed to students at all schools on Friday, March 13 and directions are posted on the
district website page for students and families
. Additional copies will also be available at schools during meal service.
We worked with instructional leaders to develop the learning resources and guidelines regarding digital platforms, content, support structures, and shared resources. Our learning resources outline developmentally appropriate learning opportunities for different ages of students, including many non-digital options for learning. At our secondary schools (grades 6-12), all students have a district-provided Chromebook (and district-provided internet hotspot as needed) which provides them access to online learning platforms in addition to offline learning activities. We are continuing to develop learning resources and strategies that can support students with various needs, especially special education and English language services. In all of these plans, there are equity considerations and impacts to families in terms of student learning support.
Childcare
We are working with our partners and with the state education office (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction - OSPI), on clear guidance to provide childcare during the school closure. Details to follow.
Building, Field, Pool Use During Closure
Our schools, buildings, fields, and pools remain closed to outside organized teams/groups through the end of March.
Thank you for your diligence and efforts during this transition. We continue to adapt during this evolving situation and will continue to provide updates through direct e-mail messages.
Randy Matheson, Executive Director, Community Relations
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Renton School District Food Services During School Closure 🍎🥪
🍎🥪🍎🥪🍎🥪🍎🥪🍎
Breakfast and Lunch
Beginning Tuesday, March 17, 2020, meals will be available for any child, age 1-18, in the front lot of every Renton School, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. daily during the school week.
- Meals are “grab and go” - Students will not stay on-site to eat; meals are intended to be taken off of campus and can be picked up through car windows.
- Meal bags will contain both breakfast and lunch.
Additionally, meals will be available at the following apartment complexes:
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BUSINESS UPDATE FROM FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (F.E.M.A.)
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UPDATE FROM: Brett Holt
Private Sector Liaison | Region 10 Office of External Affairs
Bothell, WA
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Region 10 is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request a disability accommodation contact me at least five (5) working days in advance at 425-877-8593 or
brett.holt@fema.dhs.gov
.
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Businesses with locations in other
FEMA regions
can reach out to me for those specific Private Sector Liaison contacts. I’m welcome to connect you.
Continue to forward this email, ask to be added to the distribution list, or reach back for questions or comments.
National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC)
The FEMA National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) is activated as part of the Interagency Crisis Action Task Force, supporting the HHS, the Lead Federal Agency for our nation’s response to COVID-19.
The Crisis Action Task Force and NBEOC are operating daily (M-Fri) from 0800-1700 hrs. (EST).
The
NBEOC Dashboard
remains active 24/7. Post questions for the private sector community and FEMA staff to respond. We will post current information on the dashboard as it’s received.
Next NBEOC Cross Sector Coordination Call (TODAY)
Thursday, March 12
12pm PST
1-800-593-7177 #7963614
Calls are every Tuesday and Thursday
Small Business Administration Resources
- Small business Advising: Free, one-on-one business advising is available through the SBA Resource Partner Network: www.sba.gov/Local-Assistance. In particular, the Washington Small Business Development Center (www.wsbdc.org) is providing both advising and daily business resiliency trainings.
- Financing: The SBA Loan Guarantee Program features a variety of loan types – including express loans and lines of credit – that can be used for most business purposes from $500 to $5.5 million: www.sba.gov/loans.
City of Seattle Office of Economic Development Small Business COVID-19 Impacts Weekly Webinar
The City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development is committed to responding to and supporting our small businesses to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19. As this is a rapidly developing issue, we will be holding weekly calls to share new developments, hear about the impacts you are experiencing, and answer your questions. Please join us every Wednesday, from 1:00pm- 2:00pm.
Register here
.
Washington Small Business Development Center Business Resiliency Webinars
The Washington SBDC is launching a series of Business Resiliency webinars targeted at small businesses starting this Thursday at 11am in Response to COVID-19.
View the upcoming
events to support your business.
Webinar participants will also receive access to a business resiliency PDF fillable form that they can customize according to their particular needs. About 30 minutes of the webinar will be an overview of resiliency planning and the remainder of the time will be for questions and answers. In addition, they have a
business resiliency web page
. On the page, you’ll be able to download a copy of our Business Resiliency Guide, as well as a Business Resiliency Plan, which can be customized by small business owners to meet their specific needs.
Environmental Protection Agency
Resources & Guidance (from the CDC)
State Updates (current as of March 10, 2020, 8pm PST)
Alaska
Public Health Disaster Emergency Declaration
Emergency Operations Center is activated to Level 2 (Heightened Awareness) in support of State Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Private Sector Leads for Alaska Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management
Idaho
Emergency Operations Center is activated to Level 3 monitoring COVID-19
Private Sector Lead for Idaho Office of Emergency Management
Oregon
State of Emergency Declaration
Emergency Operations Center is activated
Private Sector Lead for Oregon Office of Emergency Management
Washington
State of Emergency Declaration
Emergency Operations Center is activated to Level 1
Washington COVID Information
Private Sector Lead for Washington Emergency Management Division
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Renton Chamber of Commerce
625 S 4th St
Renton WA 98057
425.226.4560
www.GoRenton.com
info@gorenton.com
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