City Of Enumclaw Publishes Coronavirus Update

Press release from the City of Enumclaw:

March 31, 2020

The City of Enumclaw team continues to closely monitor this situation. We will continue to update our website and social media pages with updates regarding impacts to the Enumclaw community as this rapid situation continues to evolve.

• King County postpones payment deadline to June 1 for individual property taxpayers:
  
  Due to the financial hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, King County Executive Dow Constantine has extended the first-half 2020 property tax deadline to June 1. This executive order only applies to individual residential and commercial taxpayers who pay property taxes themselves, rather than through their mortgage lender. Banks and other financial institutions that pay property taxes on behalf of their lending customers will still need to meet the original April 30 deadline. The extension applies to both real property taxes (buildings and structures) and personal property taxes (equipment used in business). For those who can do so, King County is encouraging taxpayers to pay by the regular April 30 deadline or as soon thereafter as possible. The county will not add interest charges to the tax bill for individual taxpayers who pay the first half amount of their 2020 property taxes by June 1.
• King County COVID-19 Data Dashboard - https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/communicable-diseases/disease-control/novel-coronavirus/data-dashboard.aspx
• Proclamation of Local Emergency has been signed and implemented.
• City hall and other city buildings, except police, will be temporarily closed to the public, including court. Implemented a teleworker policy and IT staff have prepared additional laptops for this purpose.
• Senior Center closed, though those senior citizens who need meals can call the center to make arrangements for meal delivery or pick-up, 360-825-4741.
• People who need assistance from the City Clerk’s Office, Finance Customer Service counter, Permit Center, and Police lobby will need to call. Main phone number is 360-825-3591 and choose an option.
• Recreation programs are cancelled during the school closure.
• Ball-fields are closed through April 8th and will be re-evaluated at that time.
• Aquatic center now CLOSED.
• Discontinued utility shut-offs and late fees and are allowing closed businesses to receive solid waste services on an as-needed per pickup basis.
• Utility Payments can be paid by phone by dialing 866-933-4010, by visiting our website at Online Billing (https://www.municipalonlinepayments.com/enumclawwa), or by dropping your payment in the back parking lot Drop Box.
• We have discontinued processing U.S. Passports, please visit Where To Apply For Your Passport (https://iafdb.travel.state.gov/ ) for more information on passports.
• Pet licenses can be renewed at King County License Your Pet (https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/regional-animal-services/license-your-pet/purchase-renew-license.aspx).
• Non-emergency Public Works projects that require field workers to be in close proximity to one another have been suspended.
• Cancelled all board and commission meetings at this time.
• We have cancelled all City related travel and training’s, unless via the web.
• Bars and dining establishments will remain closed but open for take-out and delivery and we encourage residents to support our local small businesses.
• Playgrounds & Sport Courts are now CLOSED. City of Enumclaw playgrounds and sport courts such as tennis courts, pickle ball courts and basketball courts are now CLOSED. This includes climbing toys, swings, skate park and the off-lease dog park. City parks remain open for passive use only and social distancing directives still apply. These restrictions remain in place indefinitely. Police patrol will be monitoring city parks for anyone not adhering to this closure and restrictions.
• We’ve implemented social distancing among employees who report to work onsite.
• The Enumclaw Golf Course is CLOSED during the Governor’s Order to Stay at Home, Stay Healthy.
• Emergency allotment in the amount of $20,000 to Plateau Outreach Ministries.
• City of Enumclaw has established response plans to ensure the continuity of essential city operations.
• Construction projects are not considered essential under Governor Inslee’s Stay Home - Stay Healthy Order. There are some exceptions, one of them being for public construction contracts. However, our Public Works projects are being stabilized and made safe and then construction will be suspended during this Order.
• New residential and commercial construction in the private sector are non-essential and will be suspended once active construction sites are secured, stabilized and made safe by the contractors. Emergency repair work such as plumbers working on clogged drains and leaking pipes, furnace repairs, roof leaks, etc. are still allowed.
• Grounds maintenance work on city parks and properties is also suspended until April 9, 2020.

Resources for small businesses

The Small Business Administration has issued some guidance for businesses and employers to plan and respond to the coronavirus. Click here for access to information on SBA products and resources. The SBA also recently announced low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to Washington state small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the coronavirus. Other resources include guidance from the Governor’s Office as well as the Association of Washington Business.

The Washington Small Business Development Center is offering business resiliency webinars daily. Check their site for dates and times https://wsbdc.org/

Quick links

Below are some quick links to information regarding the COVID-19 Coronavirus:

• King County Department of Public Health’s dedicated website on COVID-19 (www.kingcounty.gov/covid). This site offers up-to-date information on how best to prepare.
• Washington State Department of Health. There is also a call center to answer questions from the public which can be reached at 1-800-525-0127, then press #.
• Center for Disease Control
• World Health Organization
• Real Time Johns Hopkins Global Map of Coronavirus COVID-19.

This press release was produced by the City of Enumclaw. The views expressed here are the author’s own.