Resource Roundup: September 8th 2021

Resource Roundup: September 8th, 2021

Pioneer Square Business Stakeholders-

The Alliance for Pioneer Square team is working diligently to keep the Pioneer Square community informed regarding new resources and opportunities available to them. This roundup is part of a series of weekly messages capturing new resources and opportunities. Find each weekly email to date on our website.

*Please see this roundup's new resources and opportunities highlighted in RED*

What's Happening

*NEW* King County is conducting outreach with business and community organizations to develop vaccine verification requirements for some non-essential indoor business activities and other venues. The requirements will go into effect at least five weeks after they are developed in October. Full details of the vaccine verification policy will be announced after County engagement with community organizations, labor unions, businesses, and cities to gather feedback. King County residents can provide feedback by e-mail at [email protected]. Anyone needing a vaccine can visit KingCounty.gov/vaccine to find a vaccine in their neighborhood.

*NEW* Public Health – Seattle & King County has issued a Local Health Officer Order, beginning Tuesday, September 7, which requires face masks to be worn at any outdoor event with 500 or more people in attendance. This requirement applies to all vaccinated and unvaccinated people, 5 years of age and older. Masks are strongly recommended for everyone 5 years of age and older – both vaccinated and unvaccinated – in any other outdoor setting where people cannot remain at least 6 feet apart from non-household members. Learn more about the new order here.

*NEW* The Seattle Seahawks, Lumen Field and Seattle Sounders FC have announced an updated health and safety plan for events at Lumen Field, affecting both teams’ home contests during the 2021 regular season and postseason and all events at Lumen Field, the Lumen Field Event Center and WAMU Theater. All guests age 12 and older will be required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result, taken within 72 hours prior to kickoff, for entry to games and events at Lumen Field. The Seahawks will begin enforcing the new policy starting with the September 19th game vs. the Tennessee Titans. Vaccination verification begins for Sounders FC on October 3 vs. the Colorado Rapids. This verification program affects all events at Lumen Field, including Seahawks games, Sounders FC matches and any other stadium programming such as concerts or events. In accordance with current Washington state and King County mask mandates, fans and staff will also be required to wear masks at all times except while actively eating or drinking, regardless of vaccination status. Visit here for more information.

Last month, Washington State Secretary of Health Umair A. Shah, M.D., MPH, amended Order 20-03 requiring face masks for everyone over five years of age in most public indoor settings regardless of vaccination status. The updated order went into effect on Monday, August 23rd. These include places like grocery stores, malls, gyms, and community centers. Masks are strongly recommended in crowded outdoor settings like sporting events, fairs, and concerts where physical distancing is not possible. There are some exceptions to the indoor mask requirement, including:
Children under age five years of age. However, children age two to four years old can wear a mask under close adult supervision.
People with a medical or mental health condition or disability that prevents them from wearing a mask
Fully vaccinated workers who are working alone with no public face-to-face interaction or in an area not accessible to the public.
Athletes who play indoor sports and who are actively engaged in competition or practice (masks are still required on sidelines and in team meetings)
Small indoor private gatherings when everyone is vaccinated
Children under two years of age should not wear a face covering due to the risk of suffocation

Find more information here.

Worker and Business Resources

Humanities Washington is currently accepting applications for Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) grants. Intended for Washington State nonprofit organizations that provide humanities programming, these grants will help those organizations respond to and recover from the effects of the coronavirus. Applications must be submitted by September 23rd. Learn more and apply here.

Register for these upcoming programs and webinars from OneEastside SPARK. These webinars are complimentary and may be viewed live or watch a video later. You may also view on-demand recordings of past webinars.

The statewide plastic bag ban will be in effect on October 1st. The Washington State Department of Ecology created a downloadable and printable toolkit that provides information about the new law to both customers and workers. Encouraging patrons before then to remember to bring their reusable bags is one of the best ways to get ready. This toolkit is translated into 17 languages and is formatted for accessibility.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is launching a streamlined application portal to allow borrowers with Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $150,000 or less through participating lenders to apply for forgiveness directly through the SBA. Learn more by clicking here.

The U.S. Small Business Administration announced extended deferment periods for all disaster loans, including the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, until 2022. This means:
All SBA disaster loans made in calendar year 2020, including COVID-19 EIDL, will have a first payment due date extended from 12-months to 24-months from the date of the note.
All SBA disaster loans made in calendar year 2021, including COVID-19 EIDL, will have a first payment due date extended from 12-months to 18-months from the date of the note.

Find more information on the announcement here.

Reopening Resources

The Pioneer Square Business Owners & Managers Facebook group is an opportunity for business owners and retailers to participate in an online forum and share resources, support, and stories. We invite you to join group and connect with other neighborhood businesses. Click here to join the Pioneer Square Business Owners and Managers Facebook page.

The Association of Washington Businesses has created a hub where businesses can get access to PPE and other resources to assist with reopening. The site is free to use and available to all Washington businesses.

Neighborhood Advocacy

*NEW* The Alliance for Pioneer Square will host a volunteer clean up event in the neighborhood on Saturday September 18th, 2021 from 9:00am to 3:00pm. Join us and a host of neighborhood volunteers for an afternoon of weeding, mulching, plant maintenance, and litter removal on the First Avenue South medians. Team up with your fellow coworkers and neighbors for this community effort as we give the neighborhood a little extra TLC. First Avenue South will be closed to vehicular traffic for the safety of volunteers.

Light refreshments and snacks will be provided at the start of the day's activities along with a pair of working gloves. A boxed lunch will also be provided to volunteers in the afternoon. Register Here. RSVP deadline is Friday, September 10th. For more information about this event, email Public Realm Manager, Sara Pizzo or visit our website.

*NEW* Join the Metropolitan Improvement District (MID) and the Seattle Police Department (SPD) for a one and a half hour de-escalation training on September 21st from 1:30a-3p. The de-escalation training we'll be providing is going to be an in-depth training program that teaches how to recognize, reduce, and manage aggressive behavior. RSVP here.

*NEW* Seattle’s general elections for Mayor, City Council Positions 8/9, and City Attorney will be held via mail-in ballot on Tuesday, November 2. Join us for a series of forums to hear the candidates’ positions on issues impacting Pioneer Square. The Alliance for Pioneer Square will host the following one hour candidate forums:

Seattle City Mayor candidate Bruce Harrell on Monday, September 13th from 12-1pm. Register here.
Seattle City Council Position 9 candidate Sara Nelson on Monday, September 20th from 12-1pm. Register here.
Seattle City Council Position 9 candidate Nikkita Oliver on Monday, September 27th from 12-1pm. Register here.
Seattle City Mayoral candidate Lorena González on Tuesday, September 28th from 6:45-7:45pm. Register here.
Seattle City Attorney candidate Nicole Thomas-Kennedy on Tuesday, October 5th from 12-1pm. Register here.
Seattle City Council Position 8 candidate Teresa Mosqueda on Friday, October 8th from 3-4pm. Register here.
Seattle City Attorney candidate Ann Davison on Friday, October 8th from 3-4pm. Register here.

This series of free candidate forums for the November general elections is open to all. Suggested questions from attendees may be submitted via the event registration page or by sending an email to [email protected].

Additional Resources

Between weekly messages please review our website, which features an in-depth series of resources intended to assist small business owners, managers, and employees impacted by the COVID-19 virus crisis, along with public health recommendations.

Driving to Pioneer Square? Check out mobile-friendly DowntownSeattleParking.com for parking locations throughout the neighborhood.

Please let us know how we might best support you. Feel free to contact any of us with comments, questions, suggestions, or concerns.

Sincerely,

The Alliance Team

ALLIANCE FOR PIONEER SQUARE