APRIL 2023

Snohomish County Announces $11 Million in Funding Opportunities for Recovery Programs

$6 Million Funding Opportunity for Workforce Recovery Programs

Snohomish County is accepting applications for a $6 million Workforce Recovery Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). The County seeks programs that are focused on highly impacted populations including youth, individuals with disabilities, and immigrants and refugees. The Workforce Recovery NOFA will fund projects that provide enhanced employment training and/or address challenges to employment, with the goal of connecting individuals to stable jobs or career pathways. The NOFA is funded through the County’s federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation.

For more information go to Snohomish County Business Recovery-Economic & Workforce Development

$5 Million In Funding to Support Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs, and Tourism

Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers today announced $5.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) investments to support pandemic recovery efforts for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and tourism. These investments include: the creation of a Small Business Innovation Assistance (SBIA) program, which provides technical assistance and grants to small businesses and entrepreneurs; and an expansion of the county’s tourism marketing initiative. Snohomish County is the third-largest tourism market in Washington State, with $930 million in visitor spending and $17.9 million in local revenue.

For more information go to Snohomish County Business Recovery-Economic & Workforce Development

BIG CODE CHANGES COMING THIS SUMMER

The Washington State Building Code Council is rolling out big changes this summer. The Wildlife-Urban Interface (WUI) Code adds fire protection standards to both residential and commercial buildings based on proximity to wildlands and areas with “vegetative fuels” that can contribute to wildfires. This code will have significant modifications to the way we currently build, including fire resistant materials on the exterior, roof venting procedures, and heavy timber style construction of all exterior decks.

Are you thinking about making improvements to your property such as decks, ADU’s, storage buildings, replacing windows or even residing your home? the City of Monroe’s Community Development Department suggests all residents submit a complete permit application before July 1 to be vested under today’s building codes if possible. Doing so will help you save time and money. Stay tuned for more information to highlight some of the big differences with these new state required codes.

To see a list of changes the city is making to be consistent with state law go to, Monroe Planning and Development - Adopting the 2021 International Building Code

The 2022 Monroe Economic Development Annual Report is Released

The 2022 Monroe Economic Development Report takes a look back at last year and provides a snapshot of the Economic Development conditions in Monroe. The report provides demographic information and analysis of economic indicators as well as the results of the annual Monroe Business Survey. The report is available online on the city's website. To download the full report, go to

2022 Monroe Economic Development Annual Report

New Program Helps Small Businesses Recover from the Pandemic and Incentivizes Innovative Start-Ups

This week, Executive Somers announced that the County is partnering with Ventures to launch the Small Business Innovation Assistance (SBIA) program. SBIA will provide a full toolkit of technical assistance services coupled with microgrants to help Snohomish County-based small businesses recover from the effects of the pandemic as well as incentivize new, innovative ideas from start-ups and entrepreneurs. The program is funded by the County’s federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation.

As part of SBIA, Ventures is hosting an eight-week Business Basics Course for Snohomish County small businesses and entrepreneurs. Ventures is hosting initial information sessions for the Business Basics Course in English on Thursday, June 22 and in Spanish on Wednesday, June 21. At the free information sessions, interested small businesses and entrepreneurs can learn more about SBIA, including how to apply. Individuals can register for upcoming information sessions in English and Spanish here.

Anyone interested can find more information on SBIA, including eligibility, how to apply, and other components of the program on this website (available in English and Spanish).

UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE

The City Council will next meet in a Regular Study Session on May 9th. The meeting will be held in a hybrid format; members of the public may participate in Monroe City Council meetings either in-person at City Hall or remotely via the Zoom remote meeting platform. Participation information will be posted with the May 9th agenda, which can be accessed by clicking the button below.

Council Agendas/Minutes