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Home My WebLink AboutCOW 2020-11-09 Item 4C - COVID-19 - Coronavirus Weekly ReportITEM INFORMATION STAFF SPONSOR: RACHEL BIANCHI ORIGINAL AGENDA DATE: 11/9/20 AGENDA ITEM TITLE A weekly update on the City’s planning and response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) CATEGORY Discussion Motion Resolution Ordinance Bid Award Public Hearing Other Mtg Date 11/9/20 Mtg Date Mtg Date Mtg Date Mtg Date Mtg Date Mtg Date SPONSOR Council Mayor HR DCD Finance Fire TS P&R Police PW SPONSOR’S SUMMARY The City is actively engaged in regional efforts to address the coronavirus (COVID-19). Staff are providing the Council with updated information regarding the City’s response to COVID-19. REVIEWED BY Trans&Infrastructure CommunitySvs/Safety Finance Com Planning/Economic Dev. LTAC Arts Comm. Parks Comm. Planning Comm. DATE: N/A COMMITTEE CHAIR: RECOMMENDATIONS: SPONSOR/ADMIN. N/A COMMITTEE N/A COST IMPACT / FUND SOURCE EXPENDITURE REQUIRED AMOUNT BUDGETED APPROPRIATION REQUIRED $ $ $ Fund Source: Comments: MTG. DATE RECORD OF COUNCIL ACTION MTG. DATE ATTACHMENTS 11/9/20 Coronavirus Report C OUNCIL AGENDA S YNOPSIS ----------------------------------Initials --------------------------------- I TEM N O. Meeting Date Prepared by Mayor’s review Council review 11/9/20 RB 4.C. 47 48 Coronavirus Response Update November 9, 2020 * Denotes All New Content in the Section * Essential Services and City Operations In alignment with King County and other employers in the area, the City has announced that staff who can will continue to telework until July 5, 2021. Financial Stability On Monday, October 5 the Mayor presented his proposed budget for the 2021-2022 biennium. Noted in the budget video and letter is the fact that the City is in better financial shape than anticipated in May when various cost-cutting measures were implemented. Due to the early action of the Council and the tremendous sacrifice by our non- represented staff and most of our labor partners, the City is in a good financial condition in 2020. While in May of this year the City initially projected the need to use $4.8 million in contingency in 2020, the proposed Mayor’s budget uses only $700,000 from contingency this year and zero ongoing contingency in 2021 and 2022. Even with utilizing this amount of contingency on a one-time basis, the City still approaches 2021 and 2022 with contingency and reserve funds higher than the Council’s adopted policies. * Police Staffing and Calls for Service Calls for service are now within historical range as the CBD continues to see traffic increase. October 2020: 2614 October 2019: 2739 Fire Staffing and Calls for Service There have been no changes to Fire staffing since the last report. The October monthly report will be provided in next week’s update. * Human Services In the first week of November, HS staff assisted eight households (23 individuals) with $9,600 in rental assistance and one household (3 individuals) with $1,200 in utility assistance, for a total of $10,800 in HB 1406 funds (rent only) and human services contracted general funds. Staff is working with three new households in various stages of the intake process. KC EPRAP (Eviction Prevention Rental Assistance Program) Tenant/Landlord rental assistance lottery (this is county-wide information):  King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) continues to work on a dashboard to be released soon. Link will be sent to partners as soon as it is available.  King County has just expanded their financial scope to assist residents who are up to six months behind in their rent (the limit was three months previously).  10 non-profit agencies are working with tenants and landlords.  25 non-profit agencies are working within their communities providing technical assistance to tenants (screening, signing them up, helping gather necessary documentation). 49  Large Landlords = 318 properties identified representing 6,300 tenants have signed up (not all have been qualified yet).  Small Landlords (nine units or less) = 500 tenants have been screened.  Tenant Lottery: 9,000 tenants have applied to EPRAP, 1,400 have been selected. The data is taking longer to collect dealing with small landlords, requiring a lot of technical assistance on an individual basis to gather necessary paperwork. * Business Recovery Business Re-Openings As of November 4, King County continues in Phase 2 of Washington’s “Safe Start” four phase business reopening plan. The State continues to be “on pause” for counties to move into higher phases. Twenty-two counties are in Phase 2 and 17 are in Phase 3. None are in Phase 4. Recently, COVID cases are surging. Last week the State Department of Health reported the highest number of new cases in a single day since July. The State is five times higher than its goal for newly diagnosed cases over a two-week period and is over two times higher than its goal for percent of positive tests for previous week. King County’s statistics are better than the State’s but still significantly worse than two of the goals. Based on those figures, staff does not expect the State to allow counties to move into higher phases in the near future. Currently, most of Tukwila’s business activities are allowed to be open (some under significant capacity limitations and safety procedures). Key Tukwila business activities still not allowed in this Phase include indoor card rooms, indoor events, indoor bowling (except some league play), spectators at events, and vending game areas (pool tables, video games, arcades, etc.). Business Assistance Work continues on SavingLocalKC.com, ExperienceTukwila, Southside Promise, collaborating with the Chamber and other regional organizations, and the small business grant program. Staff sent an email with COVID-19 related resources to all Tukwila businesses. Unemployment The unemployment data report will be included monthly. Data through September was included in the packet for the Council meeting on October 19. State Recovery Group In October the Governor announced a new state effort to help communities recover from the social and economic damage caused by the pandemic. The Washington Recovery Group will help state agencies coordinate with local governments, higher education, and the private sector. The WRG will be housed in the Office of Financial Management and partner with the Emergency Management Division of the state’s Military Department. Information on Safe Protocols Implemented by the Business Community This information will be provided in the next weekly update. * Meeting our Community’s Basic Needs Tukwila Food Pantry  Thursday 10/29 – 642 individuals served  Saturday 10/31 – 438 individuals served 50  Tuesday 11/3 – 380 individuals served Senior Meal Distribution: Meals numbers reflect distribution for the week of 11/2 and 11/9  715 meals delivered  49 total households served  56 total residents served During the week of October 26-30, the Fitness Room at the Tukwila Community Center served 83 people, and 67 people attend in-person fitness classes. Youth care program at the Tukwila Community Center started the week of October 12, 2020. Numbers have varied from week to week, and average about 11 kids per week. Youth meal and recreation activity kit distribution for the week of October 26-30. The following was distributed:  Recreation Activity Kits: 578  Meals: 270  Snacks: 573  Masks: 176  Breakfast: 573  Overall Attendance: 286 Public Safety Plan Construction Projects There have been no changes to the Public Safety Plan projects since the last report. Compliance with the Governor’s Order There have been no changes to compliance issues since the last report. Covid-19 Testing Sites Below are the three current nearest testing sites in/to Tukwila. For more information on free testing sites in King County, visit https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/testing.aspx  Tukwila Pantry, testing is no longer being offered at the Tukwila Pantry  Highline College, Wednesdays 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Church by the Side of the Road, beginning Tuesday, October 6, 2020, 8:30 to 5:30 Monday through Saturday.  Abu Bakr Islamic Center expects to offer free testing once a month. 51 * Public Health – Seattle & King County Covid-19 Outbreak Summary – Tukwila 52