Renton Mayor's Weekly Newsletter

Press release from the City of Renton:

December 4, 2020

Mayor's Newsletter

My weekly newsletter covers all that is happening in Renton. If you have an idea, would like to share news, or want to comment, I’d like to hear from you.

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Issue: 72 / Friday, Dec. 4, 2020

Make yourself at home for the holidays

The Renton Community Marketing Campaign has rolled out a fantastic promotion this holiday season.

“Make Yourself at Home for the Holidays” is designed to spotlight shops and restaurants in our city and emphasize the tremendous difference shopping locally will make this holiday season. It also calls out what you’ll find in each of our six distinctive neighborhoods.

• Benson Hill/Cascade: Uncover restaurants and watering holes amid parks, trails, and forested escapes.
• Cedar River: Celebrate the great, active outdoors, along with unique eateries and experiences.
• City Center: Get to the core of Renton, from scenic shores to the best in retail therapy.
• East Plateau. Head to the junction of urban and rural, where local never looked (or tasted) so good.
• Highlands: Find festive global fare, specialty delights, and destinations that will rock your world.
• Talbot/Valley: Revel in historic roots, fun and games, and acres of IKEA. (Meatballs are never optional.)

To make shopping locally a little more fun, we have added some incentives:

• Want to win a Winter Staycation that includes a one-night stay for two at a Renton hotel, a $300 dining credit, and a $200 shopping credit? All you have to do is patronize a store or restaurant in Renton that’s new to you. Post photos on your Facebook or Instagram account and tag them with #RentonHolidays. Each post gets you one entry, so the more you post, the more chances to win. The winner will build their own dream staycation.
• Use this downtown parking map (courtesy of our Community & Economic Development Department) to find where you can park for free for up to two hours.

Downtown construction project update

Work continues downtown as Wells Avenue South and Williams Avenue South are converted into two-way streets.

Underground utilities work on Second and Third streets is almost completed but will continue this month. Once that work is completed, crews will begin work transforming the intersections where Wells and Williams cross Second and Third, making them pedestrian-friendly.

On Wednesday and Thursday, Houser Way, Wells Ave South, and Williams Ave South were re-opened at the BNSF railroad tracks. The intersections were closed to install new railroad crossing signals and upgrade underground utilities beneath the railroad tracks. Early in 2021, crews will return to add new curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and ADA improvements. You can stay updated on each project through our website.

A large project like this one is never easy. I know it’s been a difficult few months, and we appreciate the patience and cooperation from both merchants and shoppers. But when complete, these two streets, along with the downtown core wayfinding project, will further advance our vision of downtown Renton as a welcoming destination for both residents and visitors.

CARES Funding benefits Renton businesses

The final numbers are in—we were able to distribute $1.62 million in CARES funding to 225 Renton businesses! Grants went to 115 minority-owned businesses, 110 women-owned, and 9 veteran-owned.

Assisting these local businesses was so important—especially during these challenging times. Hopefully, the assistance will help businesses through this tough time and keep them in the community. Now more than ever, it’s important to shop locally and support your neighbors.

Washington Small Business Grants available

Renton small businesses can now apply for up to $20,000 in emergency funding, part of an additional $70 million from the state for families and businesses affected by COVID-19.

There is $50 million available in this Round 3 of the Working Washington Small Business grants. The remainder will go towards funding qualified businesses that applied in earlier rounds of the resiliency grant program.

Any businesses that applied for the resiliency grant program will not need to take any action.

Round 3 grants are prioritized for:

• Small businesses with annual revenues of $5 million or less in 2019.
  

  AND
  Businesses in the sectors that are most impacted by the recent public health measures and businesses in sectors that have experienced significant, cumulative impacts.

• Certain nonprofits may also be eligible if they have a primary business activity that falls into a similar category, as noted above.
• If Commerce is able to fund all the eligible applicants from the priority pool, and funds remain, we may be able to provide grants to additional businesses or nonprofits from other sectors or who have annual revenues larger than $5 million.

The grant covers:

• The maximum award grant will be up to $20,000.
• The grant can only cover expenses or costs incurred due to COVID-19 and that were necessary to continue business operations.

Application process:

• The online application portal is now open.
• Priority is given to applications received by Dec. 11, 2020. If the Washington State Department of Commerce can fund all the applicants who submit by that time, they may consider applicants who submit after Dec. 11.

Then Deputy Chief of Police Jon Schuldt and his daughter, Ava Jo, were two of the many volunteers who packed 250 Thanksgiving dinners for Renton seniors.

Thanksgiving tradition continues

During this time of year, one of our favorite traditions is the annual Thanksgiving Dinner for seniors at the Senior Activity Center. Current events may have temporarily closed the center, but they didn’t stop this tradition.

In-person dining was not possible, so city staff and community volunteers distributed 250 turkey dinners with all the trimmings.

Special thanks to community services administrator Kelly Beymer and all those who donated, including Sound Generations, GenCare, and Hyde Shuttle.

VanValey new CAO; Schuldt promoted to chief of police

This week, Police Chief Ed VanValey started as the interim Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). And Deputy Chief of Police Jon Schuldt took over as interim police chief.

I am very excited about both these moves. During Ed's time with the city, he has built strong relationships with all parts of our community and the surrounding region.

In his new role, he will bring this experience as he works directly with our other administrators.

Ed’s transition to interim CAO would not have been possible without someone like Jon to step in as interim police chief.

Our police department has a well-earned reputation for its dedication, professionalism, and respect when dealing with our community. Jon has played an integral role in developing that reputation, and these ideals will continue under Jon’s leadership.

Supporting Renton small businesses through Chip-In

We are excited to work with Renton Chamber of Commerce, One Eastside, and Chip-In to raise funds for Renton small businesses through tax-deductible contributions. Think of it like GoFundMe, but Chip-In does not take a cut. Each dollar donated will support local Renton businesses meet payroll, keep their lights on and doors open.

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