Showing posts with label finances. Show all posts
Showing posts with label finances. Show all posts

Free help navigating unemployment benefits at Shoreline Community College Tuesday

Monday, March 15, 2021


Trying to navigate unemployment benefits? We can help you every Tuesday through March 30, 2021.

Join us Tuesdays at 10am. Free and open to all.

Shoreline Community College is hosting a series of weekly Q/A sessions with our co-located Employment Security Department specialist. Join us to get your general questions answered about the unemployment process.

These are virtual events and will be hosted online. Register online to attend.

Feel free to reach out to Russell Dorsey at rdorsey@shoreline.edu with any questions.



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Wednesday virtual session on Women and finances 2pm

Monday, March 8, 2021


On Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at 2pm Christine Campbell with SOFA Financial will lead a virtual workshop on "Women Approaching Retirement and Beyond" that covers a broad range of information for women.

It will touch on Women and Money, Divorce and Widowhood, Retirement Planning, Estate Planning and Risk Management Women and their Wealth.

Wednesday 2:00-2:45pm

Mtg ID 859 8484 8513 
password senior2021

Or click here https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85984848513?pwd=QlJjOWhWZVFJSFJCcDZPdDR3NzVPZz09
  • What: A Zoom social hour, a chance to visit while staying home and staying safe. Grab a cup of coffee and pull up to chat!
  • Who: You and your friends from the Shoreline Lake Forest Park Senior Center
  • Where: From the comfort of your own computer or smartphone
  • When: March 3, 2021, 2:00pm-2:45pm
  • Meeting ID: 859 8484 8513
  • Password: senior2021



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Lake Forest Park finances weather the pandemic

Friday, March 5, 2021

By Tracy Furutani

A year into the pandemic, the City of Lake Forest Park is financially sound, according to city leaders speaking at the February 18, 2021 meeting of the Budget and Finance Committee of the City Council. 


As Councilmember Tom French put it: “Because of the hard work of the staff and the administration, we are in a very enviable position compared to our neighbors and compared to many cities in the region.”
"The City of Lake Forest Park budget graph shows expenditures by various governmental departments for the 2019-2020 biennium. The length of the bar represents the total expenditure in dollars, and the percentage indicates the percent of the allocated budget the expenditures represent; a yellow bar means that department exceeded its budgeted amount. The bar for "Street Maintenance" is incorrect; it should not be over budget. Source: City of Lake Forest Park."
 
“We were just coming out of realizing that at the end of July that we were 16 percent down on revenue and so at that point we had to be extremely cautious,” said City Finance Director Lindsey Vaughn. 

“For the most part, we did end up in a better financial position [than had been expected].” 

For the last three quarters of last year, the city’s general fund revenue was down only down three and a half percent, she said, though she did point out that some of the shortfall was made up by one-time funds, such as the federal CARES Act. She mentioned that every single city staff person took (unpaid) furlough days.

“This is really kind of a pride point for our city that we have staff who care so much they would be willing to take those furlough days, and we are really really grateful to them,” said Deputy Mayor and Councilmember Phillippa Kassover.

“’Furloughs’ is an easy word to say, but it really affected a lot of the staff quite a bit,” said Mayor Jeff Johnson. “It’s really about them and what they did and what they accomplished with less hours and with less money. It just is pretty amazing.”

Vaughn led a review of the city’s finances: Revenue from passport sales for the 2019-2020 time period was down nearly a half, compared to the previous two years, and money from the Business and Occupations tax, traffic safety camera fines and the gasoline tax were all down 4 to 17 percent.

On the other hand, revenue from the Real Estate Excise Tax was up over a third from the previous biennium, as was money from the Sales and Use Tax, both of which were a welcome surprise. These figures led the committee to a discussion about planning future budgets.

“I think that one thing that we’ve really learned through this,” said City Administrator Phillip Hill, “is we have a couple of revenue sources, one being passports and the other being red light cameras that aren’t as reliable as maybe one thought in the past and so we need to reconsider how those are allocated and how we pay for the other things that the citizens want in this community.”

French envisioned a plan where the traffic safety camera revenues are used for safety improvements like sidewalks and safe crossings rather than balancing the city’s budget.

Hill mentioned that negotiations with two of the city staff unions were happening this year, and the budget impact of those contracts was unknown.

“Before the pandemic hit, we were actually starting a conversation about the revenue needed to take care of our parks acquisitions and starting to think about some of those needs,” said committee chair and Councilmember John Resha. “Those needs haven’t gone away.”

Councilmember Lorri Bodi agreed that the completion of the acquisition and the development of the lakeshore park was a priority. 

“[That park] is a huge potential public amenity, but if it drags out fifteen years, it’s going to be less of a public amenity,” she said. 

She also mentioned that plans for improving Horizon View Park had been put on hold, as had work on sidewalks and the Safe Streets campaign. “One of the legacies of the pandemic is we have so many walkers and if anything we have more walkers than we used to before,” she said, noting that she had heard that there was no dedicated fund for creating sidewalks.

The committee talked about the need to develop alternate funding for budget priorities.

“I may be so bold as to actually use the term ‘levy lid lift’,” said Kassover, referring to the successful 2001 state initiative that requires cities to hold a vote if they want to increase their property taxes by more than 1% annually. “I want to start having that conversation soon.”

Johnson said that he remembered the last time the city tried to raise the property tax lid and felt the city was in a better position now. 
“We’ve done ourselves a great favor by being very transparent and very good at taking care of the money,” he said, “We can’t ask people [that] we need help, without proving that we’ve done all we can do to take care of what we’ve gotten. It’s not hard to see where the [city’s] money goes.”

Resha summarized: “[The city] did all the right things, and we did some really hard work, and the staff throughout the city really stepped up, but we also have some deferred issues that we’ll have to deal with as an impact from that, so this is a great news story, but it did come at a cost.”



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School district bond refinancing saves taxpayers $20 million

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Shorecrest High School
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Shoreline School District recently refinanced existing voter-approved bonds, saving Shoreline and Lake Forest Park taxpayers $20 million over the life of the bonds.

In typical bond refinancing situations, a tax savings of five percent is generally the expected target. However, due to excellent market conditions, the school district was able to achieve a 20.19 percent savings for its taxpayers in the refinance process.

Bonds are used by school districts to fund school construction and other capital projects. The bonds refinanced by Shoreline Schools include the voter-approved 2010 and 2011 bonds that financed the construction of Shorecrest and Shorewood High Schools.

Shorewood High School
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

In addition, the District sold the remaining authorized bonds approved by voters in 2006 that had not yet been issued.

“We are excited to have been able to capture such a significant cost savings for our taxpayers,” said Superintendent Rebecca Miner. 
“Our district is fortunate to have a community that has historically supported our students, staff and schools through our bonds and levies, and we pride ourselves on acting as good stewards of that generous support. 
"I want to extend my gratitude to our finance staff for their foresight and hard work in successfully completing this process with exceptional results.”

The bond refinancing and sales plan was approved by the Shoreline School Board on January 11, 2021 and took place on February 10, 2021.



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Governor's proposed 2021-2023 budget

Sunday, December 20, 2020


Gov. Inslee announced the details of his 2021 – 2023 biennial budget proposal Thursday, which included significant funding for public health, economic supports for workers and businesses, and other services that Washingtonians need to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19.

"We must invest in the relief, recovery and resilience of Washington. We cannot cut the things that we need most during a pandemic," Inslee said during a press conference Thursday. 
"In my proposed operating, capital and transportation budgets, I am investing in the people of our state."

Inslee’s budget proposals would:
  • Continue an aggressive response to the ongoing pandemic and build more capacity for tackling future public health crises.
  • Rebuild the state’s economy and continue efforts to support households, students, workers and businesses impacted by the pandemic.
  • Address racial and economic inequity.
  • Protect previous investments in areas such as education, childcare and early learning, climate action, behavioral health reform, combating homelessness and access to health care.

Read the rest of the story on the governor's Medium page.

Read the proposed 2021 – 2023 Budget and Policy Highlights.

Read the Health and Economy policy brief.



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Governor Inslee announces additional COVID-19 financial support

Sunday, November 22, 2020


Gov. Jay Inslee has announced additional financial support funds for families and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The governor was joined by Lisa Brown, Department of Commerce director, for the announcement.

"We know this pandemic is taking an economic toll," Inslee said during a press conference Friday. "On Sunday we announced $50 million in business supports, but after more discussions with legislators and our agencies, we’ve agreed on how to more than double that."

In addition to funds announced on Sunday, the total new economic supports amount to $135 million. Included in that total is:
  • $70 million in business support grants.
  • $30 million for the recovery loan program.
  • $20 million for rental assistance.
  • $15 million for energy bills for low-income households.
Included in the $70 million in business support grants is $50 million for a new round of Working Washington grants focused on the hardest-hit industries. 

Remaining funds will go toward historically disadvantaged businesses who applied for earlier business grants and bolstering Commerce’s business resiliency network.

"We know this is hard on these small businesses, and we know that this will not fully solve the burden so many business owners are shouldering," Brown said. 
"But it will help get some of them get through a difficult period. We are going to keep working with legislators, congress and other partners on securing additional support."

The grants will be allocated first to businesses most impacted by both COVID-19 and the most recent measures taken to address public safety. Equity will also be a priority in making allocation decisions. In addition to the new funds, there will also be separate business support programs coming from local governments.

"This is a significant relief effort," Inslee said. "I can’t say it’s going to help everyone, but I can say we are not done yet collaborating with our partners to find more funds."

Find more information on available business assistance here.



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King county budget includes money for Senior Center, RADAR, Center for Human Services, and a Kenmore water taxi

Friday, November 20, 2020

Rod Dembowski, King County Council
Budget committee vice-chair

King County Council passes $12.59 billion biennial budget that invests with purpose in housing, anti-racist policies, programs for the vulnerable, community engagement

At a time of immense division across the political and social spectrum, the King County Council again demonstrated its ability to come together to invest in the region’s future with the passage of a landmark $12.59 billion budget for the next two years.

With funding for anti-racist programs, transformation of the criminal legal system, public health and major investment in regional supportive housing, the council’s 2021-22 biennial budget responds to the needs of residents across King County as well as to building back our economy for the future.

“The King County Council and Executive Constantine have teamed up in working collaboratively on a budget that truly delivers for our region even in the midst of a worsening pandemic and with the need to make painful cuts,” said Jeanne Kohl-Welles, King County Council Budget Chair. 
"We have passed a budget for the next two years that invests with purpose, makes responsible reductions, supports our BIPOC communities and vulnerable populations, and does so in a way that is fiscally prudent and sustainable."

Investments against racism

The approved budget represents major investments against historical racism and oppression, including around the criminal legal system. The Council approved proposals to shift $4.6 million in marijuana excise tax revenue away from law enforcement and toward community-based programs that support reversing some of the disproportionate damage the war on drugs placed on Black communities.

Building on that, the Council also added requirements in the budget for Metro to reimagine its transit police duties and operations and to report on the future of fare collection, all with an eye toward making transit more equitable and accessible to all.

Beyond funding the Restorative Community Pathways diversion program with more than $6 million that will provide comprehensive, community-based services to 800 young people in lieu of filing criminal charges, the Council also added a requirement that $1.5 million be used to build capacity at community-based organizations involved in work related to the restorative community pathways diversion program.

While the budget did push for transformation of law enforcement and the criminal legal system, it also continued to invest in policies that help keep communities safe, including adding $1.2 million and four full-time employees to support expansion of electronic home monitoring to 24/7.

Additionally, the Council approved as part of the budget $500,000 to fund pre-apprenticeship programs in two South King County school districts to help better prepare students entering high-paying trades and technical careers through apprenticeship training. This funding is included as part of the county’s priority hire program.

King County Council Budget Vice Chair Rod Dembowski:
"As Vice-chair of the budget committee it's been an honor to work with our budget Chair, Councilmember Kohl-Welles, to put this 2021-22 biennial budget together. 
"This budget reflects our values: responding to the pandemic by fully funding public health and supporting impacted residents. It advances reforms to our criminal legal system, continues our work to make transit accessible for all, and makes critical investments in environmental protection and climate change work. 
"It's balanced, responsible, reflective of King County's values and responsive to its needs."

Select Shoreline Investments in King County’s 2021-2022 Biennial Budget:

  • $500,000 for transit-oriented development affordable housing projects located in North King County, which may include areas at or near the Shoreline Park and Ride and the Kenmore Park and Ride sites
  • $50,000 to the Center for Human Services for their work to serve North King County residents
  • $115,000 to the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center to support the center’s work serving North King County Seniors
  • $780,000 for the Response, Awareness, De-escalation and Referral (RADAR) program, which helps build a bridge between law enforcement and mental health services
 
Housing and support for those who need it

Included in the budget is a small sales tax increase that will allow the county to create permanent supportive housing for up to 2,000 people suffering from chronic homelessness. The approved measure will use bonding against proceeds from a 0.1% sales tax increase generating $340 million to purchase disused existing hotels, motels, and nursing homes to provide housing quickly for those who need it most.

Additionally, the approved budget invests in community engagement and support programs, including $1 million for a White Center Community HUB project, $1.65 million to extend the Public Defenders Association’s JustCARES program that provides emergency housing and support services for individuals suffering from chronic homelessness in Pioneer Square and Chinatown/International District with planning to take place to expand the program to Ballard Commons, Lake City, West Seattle Junction and other urban villages. The budget also includes $2 million to support MIDD behavioral health and recovery programs reduced by the loss of sales tax revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, with future federal funds unknown at this time, the budget adds $4.25 million for an additional month to operate isolation and quarantine facilities related to COVID-19 in King County.

Equitable access and ensuring the future of transit

With Metro facing a $200 million shortfall in expected sales tax revenue, the Council-approved budget helps ensure that transit continues to provide its vital services across the county and works to improve access for all.

Funding included in the budget will support expansion of youth ORCA card distribution and transit education in schools, planning for restart of RapidRide lines, updates to Access paratransit, a study on the feasibility of transit-oriented development at the Shoreline Park and Ride, and much more.

Additionally, $500,000 is included to begin planning for previously studied water taxi routes from Kenmore and Shilshole (Ballard).



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Enrollment opens November 1 for Washington’s GET Prepaid Tuition Program

Saturday, October 31, 2020

Washington State’s Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program opens Sunday, November 1 for a new enrollment period, providing families a fresh opportunity to start saving for future college costs while their children are young.

The 2020-2021 enrollment period runs through May 31, 2021, with a unit purchase price of $133.

As a 529 prepaid tuition program, the state of Washington guarantees that a family’s GET savings will keep pace with in-state college tuition and state-mandated fees. 

While GET account values are based on Washington tuition rates, students have the freedom to follow their ambitions wherever they choose, as GET can be used at nearly any public or private university, community college, or technical school in the country. 

New this year, GET and other 529 plans can also be used to pay for apprenticeship programs and certain student loan repayments.

The GET program opened in 1998, and since then, thousands of Washington families have saved billions of dollars to go towards their students’ future higher education expenses.

To date, GET has distributed over $1.2 billion to more than 55,000 students who have used their GET accounts to attend college in all 50 states and 15 countries worldwide.

GET is one of two college savings options offered by Washington College Savings Plans (WA529). In addition to GET, WA529 also offers the country's newest investment-based 529 plan, DreamAhead

Launched in 2018, DreamAhead has already received national recognition and high marks from investment research firm Morningstar, Inc., who released its 2020 529 plan ratings this week. In its review, Morningstar awarded DreamAhead a Bronze medal, pointing out competitive fees and a solid investment lineup that it says, "will serve Washingtonians well.”

“Families often ask us when they should start saving for future college costs,” says Washington College Savings Plans director, Luke Minor. “Our response is simple: ‘It’s never too early to get started.’”


WA529’s freshly redesigned website (wastate529.wa.gov) offers details, charts, planning tools and answers for questions that families may have about the programs. 

Washington residents who want to help a student save for future education costs can open a GET or DreamAhead account online with no enrollment fee. The GET contact center staff is ready to help at 800-955-2318 or GETInfo@wsac.wa.gov

For questions about DreamAhead, the DreamAhead contact center can be reached at 844-529-5845.

About WA529

The Committee on Advanced Tuition Payment and College Savings, commonly referred to as the WA529 Committee, provides oversight and sets program policies. The Washington Student Achievement Council supports and helps administer the programs, based on the Committee’s direction. 

The five-member committee consists of the executive director of the Washington Student Achievement Council, the State Treasurer, the director of the Office of Financial Management, and two citizen representatives. The State Actuary and GET’s State Investment Board liaison provide expertise and advise the committee as needed.



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Notes from Shoreline Council meeting October 19, 2020 - department budget presentations

Thursday, October 22, 2020

Pam Cross, reporter

Shoreline City Council Meeting
October 19, 2020

Notes by Pam Cross

The meeting was held remotely using the Zoom platform.

Mayor Hall called the meeting to order at 7:00pm.

All Councilmembers were present.

Report of the City Manager's Office

Presented by Assistant City Manager John Norris

COVID-19 Update

Case counts in King County are still high. The average over the past 14 days was 93 new cases per 100,000. The target is 25. Shoreline’s numbers remain low, but have increased slightly to 3 per day.

Please continue to take prevention measures seriously:
  • Wear a face covering, especially indoors in public settings regardless of the distance between people. Remember the guidance is wear a mask AND maintain at least six feet of distance from others.
  • Limit the number of people you are with, and the time you are with them.
  • Do what you can to improve indoor ventilation by opening windows as much as you can. More fresh air means lower risk of infection.
  • And wash hands frequently.
  • Get tested at the first sign of illness.
  • More information available at shorelinewa.gov/covid

City Hall and recreation facilities remain closed to the public. Most City services are available online or by phone. Drop off and pick up of packages, including permits, is available. Contact shorelinewa.gov/remote services for additional information.

Planting 62 new trees

Crews are planting 62 new street trees on 9th Ave NE. Trees being planted are Zelkova and Norwegian Sunset Maples which are known for their fall colors. Funding comes from fees collected in lieu of property owners replacing trees removed from their property. Sometimes it is not possible to plant new trees on the same property so these fees allow the City to plant trees in other areas.

November 3rd General Election

Ballot drop boxes are open 24 hours daily until 8pm on Nov 3rd.

Shoreline has two drop boxes located at Shoreline Library 345 NE 175th St and the Shoreline Park and Ride 18821 Aurora Ave N. The Shoreline Library drop box has been moved to the lower library parking lot, just off of 175th street and is now a drive-through location.

It is not too late to register to vote or update your registration. The deadline is Oct 26th. Forms are available online or outside the doors at Shoreline City Hall.

More information available at Kingcounry.gov/elections

RBCA Halloween CARnival

Now through October 24th, the Richmond Beach Community Association is hosting a series of safe family friendly Halloween events including a scavenger hunt, spooky selfie stations, jack-o-lantern pumpkin path, and haunted homes tour. This is open to everyone in Shoreline.

More information at richmondbeachwa.org/carnival

Climate Change Champions Series

This free series is taking place on Tuesdays over seven weeks from 6:30-8:30PM. You can attend any or all parts. The City of Shoreline is partnering with Washington State University to offer this educational and action series. Most seminars will have two speakers and last up to two hours with opportunity for online discussion. To RSVP and for more information: shorelinewa.gov/climate

Free Fall Gardening Seminar

Shoreline is partnering with local gardening experts to help with fall preparation of your garden. Learn how to create a tidy winter garden that restores itself for spring.this Wednesday, Oct 21 at 6:30PM. You need to RSVP at shorelinewa.gov/calendar and more information is available there as well.

Public Reminders

Members of the City Council, Planning Commission and PRCS/Tree Board will attend a virtual training for advancing racial equity on Wednesday, Oct 21 from 700-8:30pm.

PRCS/Tree Board will meet remotely Thursday October 22 at 7pm

Council Reports

None

Public Comment

Due to the number of speakers, time was limited to two minutes each.

Proponents of saving Shoreline trees, especially landmark and significant trees
  • Kathleen Russell, Shoreline
  • Ann Bates, Shoreline
  • Rebecca Jones, Shoreline
  • Janet Way, Shoreline
Against the Enhanced Shelter on 163rd and Aurora
  • Ed Jirsa, Shoreline
  • Joanne Godmintz
  • Margaret Willson, Shoreline
  • Nathan Pfeil, Shoreline
  • Jackie Kurle, Shoreline
  • Vinay Venkatesh, Shoreline
  • Sudeeptha Jothiprakash, Shoreline
  • Nancy Pfeil, Shoreline
  • Diane Pfeil, Shoreline

Approval of the Agenda adopted by unanimous consent.


The Consent Calendar adopted unanimously by roll call vote.


Action Item 8(a) Adopting Ordinance No. 901 - Amending Certain Sections of the Shoreline Development Code to Provide for Commercial Space on the Ground Floor of Multifamily Buildings

Steven Szafran, AICP , Senior Planner
Cate Lee, AICP, Associate Planner

The City Council discussed proposed Ordinance No. 901 on September 21, 2020 and had comments and/or concerns on some of the amendments. This resulted in the three following potential amendments.

Amendatory Language #1

This amendment would remove the exclusion for adult use facilities, marijuana operations, check cashing services and payday lending, pawnshops, and tobacco/vape stores. The definitions of these uses would also be removed.

Amendatory Language #2

This amendment would clarify that buildings providing the commercial tenant space qualify for parking reductions.

Amendatory Language #3

Current language in 901 provides up to 25% of the lineal frontage for use as lobbies, leasing offices, fitness centers and community rooms that are associated with multifamily use. The amendatory language would clarify that amenities such as fitness centers, that offer memberships to the general public, would not be included in the maximum 25%.

DISCUSSION

Move and second to approve Ordinance 901

This was originally brought forward by a member of the community. Staff and Council then recognized the overall need and urgency to move quickly. We have missed many opportunities to have commercial businesses on the first floor in a generally commercial area. This will put us more in line with what other cities are doing.

Councilmember Roberts: Move to amend Amendatory Language #2 by adding a sentence that clarifies that this applies to current code language. This would not change existing practice.

No additional discussion of this motion.

Vote passes 7-0

Councilmember Roberts: Move to add Amendatory Language #3 to Ordinance 901.

No additional discussion of this motion.

Vote passes 7-0

Operations that are legal within the State may not be family friendly, but should we tell people we don’t want them anyplace in Shoreline - instead of just not in this neighborhood that already has them? The exclusions are valid. Just because we want commercial, we don’t want ALL commercial. Residents have a vision for what they want North City and Ridgecrest to be. There has been strong support from them for this ordinance as currently written.

This is a pilot program. This would apply only to this area and only to new development in that area, and not extend to the rest of Shoreline. We are forcing people to put in retail space, and then challenging them with filling those spaces. Retail is changing. We don’t want to see a bunch of empty storefronts for years. If we extend this pilot program to the rest of the City, we should revisit this amendment.

Vote to adopt 901 as amended adding Amendatory Language #1 and #2.

Passes 7-0


BUDGET - Department presentations

Study Item 9(a) 2021-2022 Proposed Biennial Budget Department Presentations

Sara Lane, Administrative Services Director
Rick Kirkwood, Budget and Tax Manager

This discussion of the budget will continue every week until the November 16 proposed adoption.

The 2021-2022 Proposed Biennial Budget and 2021-2026 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) has been made available to the public and is available on the City’s website www.shorelinewa.gov

  • (Click on Budget and CIP Policies under the government tab) and at City Hall, and the Shoreline and Richmond Beach libraries via websites. Budget Books on CD available for purchase at City Hall.

NOTES:

The presentations will include the pages in the budget book in the event you want to listen to the video and follow along.

Please note that there is a formula error on page 111 that is corrected on page 458 in the appendix.

Sara Lane is confirming that the most recent City Survey results are included for all departments.

COVID costs were not included in the 2019-2020 budget so some departments have significant COVID costs, and you will see that Costs have exceeded the budget. That budget is maintained in Citywide so you will also see that the Citywide budget is much higher, but we wanted to show those costs where they were actually incurred.

All departments reflect increases in COLA and personnel benefits. Departments have removed one-time projects, reviewed all “adjustments” made mid-year, and reviewed actual spending to make sure the budget is appropriate.
 
Department budgets include reorganizations such as Parks and Recreation and Cultural Services moving to Administrative Services.

City Manager’s Office, presented by John Norris, Assistant City Manager

This department includes the City Manager’s office, city clerk’s office, communications, intergovernmental relations, economic development, property management, light rail project, code enforcement and customer response team.


Budget changes in light rail include a $100,000 one-time charge for the City’s partial funding of the 185th pedestrian bridge (connecting the parking garage to the 185th St Station), and staffing reductions for the Lynnwood Link extension as the project moves from permitting to the construction management phase. 

Human Resources, presented by John Norris

No change in staffing is planned.

One time changes for professional services are earmarked for 2022: $50,000 Compensation Study, last performed in 2015; Collective Bargaining - Successor Agreement ($15,000). We are in that process now with our maintenance union.

City Attorney’s Office by Sara Lane

This office is responsible for all legal services. They also manage our Prosecuting attorney (including domestic violence coordinator). The current contract needed to be amended to include community court services.

Administrative Services Department (ASD) and Citywide by Sara Lane

The 2019-2020 budget was significantly higher than projected as a result of moving budget from departments where projects were stopped in order to ensure that we could address the financial challenges of 2020. The 2021-2022 budget is going up in recognition of the shift of our parks operation into administrative services. They also manage all of our IT functions, finance operations, Citywide, park operations, facilities management, fleet management and facility rental.


Budget Changes include a potential one-time 2022 levy lid lift ($121,000), and one-time update to permitting cost recovery ($50,000). Also included are two IT ongoing changes for public records request software ($17,400) and contract routing software ($33,200).

The Citywide expenses apply to the entire city and not to a specific department. These expenses include  various agency memberships, office equipment leases and replacement, budget and insurance coverage contingencies, liability and property insurance, and the vehicle replacement fund.

Recreation, Cultural and Community Services presented by Colleen Kelly

The addition of the recreation and cultural services to the community services is reflected in increased expenditures and staffing.


The closing of the Shoreline pool has been reflected in the revenue projection for this department. Additionally, we had assumed we would be operating under COVID Phase 4 in 2021 which we now think may not be as likely so revenues and expenditures will have to be monitored.

Budget changes include a one-time Climate Action Plan Update ($55,020), ongoing support of human services in the general fund, adding a Housing and Human Services Coordinator (0.50 FTE), and holding vacant positions open for grant administrator and administrative assistant III. The Housing and Human Services Coordinator will focus primarily on housing.

DISCUSSION

Do you anticipate that the Housing and Human Resources Coordinator will be able to do some outreach to renters in Shoreline? Census data has shown that the number of renters is increasing. 

Reply: this person would be a contact for them. But we need to consider the workload. Right now what we’re considering is picking up on the work that is tied to our management of our multifamily property tax exemption (MFTE) and inclusionary policies, and to provide better customer response for those programs

Do you expect this to become a full time position?

Reply: We don’t know yet since this is a new position.

We are leaving the Grants Administrator position vacant. But Council would actually be approving the salary of that position as part of the budget. So we’re approving the funds to pay that position but the City Manager has decided not to fill that position. Correct?

Reply: Correct. While we are learning and having staff take on a greater role in grant management, we may have to contract out some of that work. That money would then be available as professional services rather than staffing expenses.

Reply Debbie Tarry: we want the flexibility to use the money as it becomes necessary. Some of the payroll savings is going to the new position, but only a small part.

Police Department presented by Chief Shawn Ledford

Increase in expenditure is a result of our projection of the increases in the police services contract. Estimated increase for 2021 is 2.9% over 2020, primarily from COLA. Staffing to remain constant for 2021 and 2022.


Services provided by the police department include:

  • RADAR (Response Awareness, De-escalation And Referral) is an effort by the Police Departments in Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Bothell and Kirkland to address the rights and needs of individuals with behavioral health issues and/or developmental disabilities.
  • Park Patrol. We had park patrol emphasis this summer resulting in 342 contacts primarily just letting people know that we’re out in the parks. There were a handful of warnings and a handful of citations and a couple of arrests.
  • Training has been significantly reduced in 2020 because of COVID. Some training has to be in person such as firearm qualification. Critical training such as implicit bias training has been continued online.
In 2020, dispatch calls for service are projected to show a decline of about 9%, vehicle thefts are on track to have increased about 35%, domestic violence is showing about a 26% reduction since 2019, and burglaries (both commercial and residential) are showing about a 28% reduction.   

Average police response time is improved for all priorities of calls. This may be a result of COVID causing less traffic, and fewer officers involved in self initiated contacts such as traffic citations, leaving more officers available to respond to calls for service. 

DISCUSSION

How do we add to our services for calls that may not require a police response? We just have RADAR for a few hours each week. What is the King County Sheriff’s Office doing to address this concern?

Reply: This would be better responded to by the King County Advisory Committee for Mental Illness Drug Dependency(MIDD). Or possibly by the Mobile Crisis Response Team that accompanies us on certain types of calls for service. Would they be able and capable of handling these calls? I don’t know. When someone calls 911, the default is the police department. Right now the police are asked to go along with Child Protective Services, Adult Protective Services, and the fire department to support those agencies for safety reasons.
 
Reply Debbie Tarry: it’s going to be a longer term process. We are looking at additional community engagement, hearing from experts on policing service reforms and evaluating that. So we are putting together that work plan for outreach and discussing with Council their goals and how we can put together a response. There are multiple layers involved including call dispatch and how this would work with RADAR. And what we can learn from other cities.

What is the effective staffing rate of police officers? In the annual report you stated we are budgeted for 54 officers but we have not been at the number for a while. If you could get back to us with this.

Some of the County and State reforms being considered include additional costs for things like body cameras. How are these costs addressed? Do cities just absorb the costs? Or do they become part of the contract?

Reply: generally we would share the costs like we do for tasers and other equipment. However the overhead costs to King County would be increased costs to contract cities.

Reply Debbie Tarry: the King County Sheriff did put in a request originally for the King County Executive to fund body cameras for 2021-2022 but that was denied. They are funding a pilot program in unincorporated King County. 

School resource officer (SRO). The School District was considering cutting the funding. What would the City do?

Reply Debbie Tarry: this was a position in our patrol unit. The officer that was in that role filled-in for one of the other patrol vacancies when schools were closed. Since then, that officer accepted a promotion elsewhere so we would have to find another officer to fill that role if the SD decides to keep that position. We don’t know whether they will or not.

We have two parallel tracks on police department improvement. One is accountability related, and taking a hard look at how we can add to police response to some calls or reassign some duties elsewhere in order to free up police officers to be police. These are long slow processes. We don’t want to cut the police budget but will need to find a way to obtain funding as we move through the process. Ms. Tarry has assured Council that the budget can always be amended.

Criminal Justice Department presented by Christina Arcidy, CMO Management Analyst

The budget does not have any full time employees. The budget is a 20% decrease from the adopted 2019-2020 budget. The biggest decrease is in jail costs.

The City contracts with King County District Court for municipal court services and they, in turn, manage the community court program. The contract budget includes jail services, City-provided public defenders and jail support services.


The City currently uses three jails to house its inmate population, and SCORE jail (green) is the primary booking facility. King County (orange) is used primarily for the work release program, and Yakima (blue) is used for defendants sentenced for more than three days. Yakima charges about half of SCORE’s daily rate, so it provided significant savings for us to send inmates to Yakima for longer sentences. However, due to a COVID outbreak, we ceased sending inmates to Yakima in May.

The change in judicial sentencing philosophy has resulted in shorter sentences, so you can see the steady decline in jail housing days. 

Planning and Community Development Department presented by Rachael Markle, Planning and Community Development Director 

Expenditures remain status quo and staffing shows a slight decrease due to term limited staffing for review of permits for the School District and Sound Transit.

This department is comprised of four divisions: buildings and inspections, permit services, city planning, and administration.


We are currently working on the housing element of the Comprehensive Plan that is funded by a State Grant that will see us through to June 2021.

Permit volumes and revenues are being impacted by COVID in 2020. Permit counts are trending 25% below an average year and resultant revenue is estimated to be 40% less than we projected. We anticipate that the revenue for 2021 and 2022 to also be affected, but we don’t know to what degree and we will be monitoring this revenue closely.

DISCUSSION

How do we stand compared to other cities in the average time for the first review for multi-family permits? What would be an ideal turnaround time? This will be added to the matrix (of questions) to be addressed by staff.

Council recessed from this regular Zoom meeting to a separate meeting for an Executive Session for a period of 30 minutes to discuss with legal counsel matters relating to agency enforcement actions, or litigation.

Executive Session: Litigation - RCW 42.30.220(1)(i)

The Council may hold Executive Sessions from which the public may be excluded for those purposes set forth in RCW 42.30.110 and RCW 42.30.140. Before convening an Executive Session, the presiding officer shall announce the purpose of the Session and the anticipated time when the Session will be concluded. Should the Session require more time a public announcement shall be made that the Session is being extended

Meeting adjourned




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City of Lake Forest Park Budget and Finance Meeting October 15

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

City of Lake Forest Park Budget and Finance Meeting October 15, 2020 6:00pm
Meeting to be Held Virtually

Committee Members for Budget: John Resha (Chair), Tom French, Semra Riddle, Phillippa Kassover, John Wright, Mark Phillips, and Lorri Bodi

  1. Director’s Report
  2. Deliberation and Recommendations on Mayor’s Proposed 2021-2022 Budget

Budget Committee Discussion Documents and Attachments HERE  pages 3-4

1. September 2020 Budget Monitoring Dashboard
2. Mayor’s Proposed 2021-2022 BiennialBudget


You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
Oct 15, 2020 6:00pm 
Topic: Budget and Finance Committee Meeting
 
Click the link to join the webinar: https://zoom.us/j/95265285864

Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +12532158782,,95265285864# or +13462487799,,95265285864#

Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

US:+12532158782 or+13462487799 or+14086380968 or+1669900 6833 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 876 9923
Webinar ID: 952 6528 5864

International numbers available: https://zoom.us/u/acOUxJccOd



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Upcoming opportunities to comment on Mayor Johnson's proposed budget for 2021-2022

Monday, October 5, 2020


Lake Forest Park Mayor Jeff Johnson presented his proposed 2021-2022 Biennial Budget to the City Council at the September 10, 2020 regular City Council meeting. 

On September 17, 2020, the Budget and Finance Committee, consisting of all City Council members when considering the topic of the budget, began asking clarification questions and noting items for future discussion. 

Prior to the City Council deliberating and providing recommendations, there was a meeting on Tuesday, September 22, 2020 for the sole purpose of listening to citizen comments. 

At every budget and finance meeting the committee allows citizen comments and welcomes the community to participate. If you are interested in viewing any of the previous meetings, they can be found on the City’s website.

There are still more chances to participate in future budget meeting discussions:
  • October 15, 2020, 6:00pm, Budget and Finance Committee Meeting
  • October 22, 2020, 7:00pm, Public hearings at the City Council Regular Meeting
  • Property Tax Levy for 20201
  • Biennial Budget for 2021-2022
  • October 29, 2020, 6:00pm, Special Budget and Finance Committee Meeting
  • November 5, 2020, 6:00pm, Final public hearings at a Special City Council Meeting
  • Property Tax Levy for 2021
  • Biennial Budget for 2021-2022
  • November 12, 2020, 7:00pm, Consider adoption of Budget at Regular City Council Meeting
  • If needed: November 19, 2020, 6:00pm, Continued consideration and adoption of Budget, Special City Council Meeting

All meetings will be held virtually, via the Zoom platform, and are open to the public. Zoom information is posted on the agenda for each meeting. Agendas, once available, are posted to the City’s website via the Meetings Calendar. Please see the Virtual Meetings during COVID-19 webpage for details about providing citizen comments at remotely held public meetings and public hearings.

You can find the Mayor’s Proposed 2021-2022 Biennial Budget here. To review other documents pertaining to the proposed budget, such as community partner presentations, check the Finance Department’s budget page.



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Non-filers: Expect a letter about your stimulus check

Friday, September 25, 2020

By Lisa Lake 
Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

If you don’t usually file a tax return, or didn’t file a return for 2018 or 2019, you might not know you could qualify for an economic impact payment.

You might be one of the nine million people getting a letter from the IRS letting you know how to register on their website to claim your payment by October 15, 2020.

If you get this letter from the IRS, it’s legit. Go only to the IRS’s real website at IRS.gov/EIP, or call them directly at 800-919-9835 to register to claim your payment.

You only have until October 15. 

But if someone claiming to be from the IRS calls, emails, or texts about helping you get your stimulus payment, that person is running a government imposter scam on you. Hang up, and don’t respond to or click on any links in texts or emails.


Why? Because the IRS will not text, email, or call you about your economic impact payment. And they’ll never ask you to pay a fee to get your money.

Visit the IRS’s website to find out more about stimulus payments. And be sure to tell the FTC if someone pretending to be from the government contacts you.



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LFP Budget and Finance Committee meeting for public comments on Mayor's budget proposal

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

City Council Budget and Finance Committee Special Meeting (virtual meeting)
Tuesday, September 22, 2020,  6:00pm - 7:30pm

The purpose of this meeting is to gather public comments on the Mayor’s Proposed 2021-2022 Biennial Budget which can be seen HERE (106 pages)

This meeting will be held virtually. City Hall is currently closed to the public.

Page 2 of this document has information on how to submit comments and how to view the meeting.



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Shoreline Community College contemplates cuts in view of budget shortfall

Saturday, September 19, 2020

Photo by Jared Solano


Due to the State’s $8.8 billion loss in revenue as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, Shoreline Community College is preparing to meet an unanticipated, permanent loss of up to $7.3 million in state funding and tuition revenue for the 2020-21 fiscal year. 

In these very difficult budgetary times, this expected reduction will require the College, like most Washington community and technical colleges, to become smaller and re-think how we do our work. 

Specific budget reductions will be announced in September and October 2020, with the Board of Trustees voting on the final 2020-21 budget at their October 28th meeting.

In spring and summer of 2020, some actions were taken to begin addressing the budget reductions needed for the 2020-21 year. 

Five administrative positions and three annual (temporary) faculty contracts were not renewed for the 2020-21 academic year. A limited number of temporary staff layoffs occurred in revenue-dependent programs that were unable to continue in the summer because of COVID-19. 

In addition, the 3% Cost of Living Adjustment salary increase for all administrators at the College was not implemented for the 2020-21 year. These changes resulted in nearly $1 million in savings toward the potential $7.3 million shortfall expected in state funding and tuition revenue.

Over the summer, Shoreline’s Executive Team has also continued to collect additional financial data, to carefully review solutions identified by employees in a recent budget survey and evaluate various scenarios to determine how to make the necessary reductions with the least impact on students and employees. 

These decisions surrounding budget reductions are extremely difficult to make and the College continues to take great care in determining the best course forward under severe economic constraints.



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Mayor Jeff Johnson presents his budget proposal to LFP City Council

Thursday, September 17, 2020

LFP Mayor Jeff Johnson


Mayor’s Proposed Budget for 2021-2022 Available on Website – Public Comment Meeting Scheduled

Mayor Jeff Johnson presented his 2021-2022 Budget Proposal to the City Council at the September 10, 2020 City Council meeting. 

“When I made the decision to run for a second term as Mayor, I knew that it would be filled with unique challenges, yet no one could have anticipated the challenges that we now face. Several aspects of the future before us are uncertain, but I am proud to say that we are in a good position to weather the challenges ahead. 
"Lake Forest Park has much to offer and many great opportunities in the future, and while many things are uncertain, we can position this City for great accomplishments on the other side.”


The first opportunity for the public comment on the proposed budget is at a special virtual meeting of the Council Budget and Finance Committee on Tuesday, September 22, 2020, beginning at 6:00pm. The agenda for this meeting, including Zoom information, will be posted to the website on Friday, September 18.

The Council Budget and Finance Committee begins its discussion on the budget at a special virtual meeting on Thursday, September 24, 2020, beginning at 6:00pm, prior to the regular Council virtual meeting that begins at 7:00 p.m. Zoom information will be available on the agenda for this meeting.

The Mayor’s Proposed 2021-2022 Biennial Budget is now available on the City’s website. To review other documents pertaining to the proposed budget, such as community partner presentations, check the Finance Department’s budget page.




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$100 million in CARES Act funding for rent assistance

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

$100 million rental assistance headed to Washington communities.

The Washington State Department of Commerce is distributing approximately $100 million in state Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to operate a new rent assistance program launched Aug. 1.

The program will focus on preventing evictions by paying up to three months of past due, current and future rent to landlords for eligible participants.

Rent assistance is limited to three months and the program ends Dec. 31, 2020.

A survey recently showed 17% of renters in Washington state missed their July rent payment. Since February, the state’s employment has declined 12% – over twice that of the worst point in the Great Recession – and use of basic food assistance programs has increased by 15%.

Commerce provided guidance and formula-based grant amounts to its Consolidated Homeless Grant program lead grantees and organizations serving the Office of Homeless Youth in every county of the state. 

These organizations will use grant funds to provide rent assistance that will be paid to landlords on an eligible client’s behalf. Equity is a primary program goal, with a focus on groups of people who historically have not been provided equitable access to rent assistance and those who have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Program information is on the Commerce webpage.



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Lake Forest Park Municipal Services in good shape to weather the Covid crisis…for this year

Friday, July 24, 2020

Tracy Furutani, reporter

By Tracy Furutani

The city of Lake Forest Park is generating enough revenue and has made enough spending cuts to fund municipal services for the remainder of the year, according to city staff presenting at the City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee meeting last Thursday evening.

“On the revenue side, there are two silver linings that look interesting,” said Councilmember John Resha, chair of the committee. 
“The Real Estate Excise Tax [revenue] continues to trend strong. We’re still seeing strong home sales in Lake Forest Park.” 
Many communities that have a heavy reliance on the sales tax are not doing well because of lost sales, but “we’re actually trending ahead in sales tax revenue. Why, we don’t know,” he said, though he speculated online sales may be compensating.

The presentation included the accompanying figure, showing the different revenue streams the city receives, each row being a different source of income and the length of the bar indicating the dollar amount of that stream in thousands of dollars. These streams are not all of the revenue that flows to the city, and there is some time lag in the reporting of dollar amounts in some of the streams.

The percentage on each bar shows how much of the anticipated revenue for each source has been collected. The city works on a 24-month budget cycle ending at the end of this year. So, as of the end of June, each bar should read “75%” to be on-target, explained city Finance Director Lindsey Vaughn. 

While the amounts for the Business and Occupation Tax, the Gas Tax and passport sales are down comparatively, the Real Estate Excise Tax is quite a bit up. Even with the high-profile closures of Town Center tenants such as Forest Park Cleaners and VSOP Jewelry, the revenue from Sales and Use Tax is still ahead of where it should be.

On the cost-cutting side, “the City Administration anticipated very early on that the City of Lake Forest Park could realize between a 12-15% revenue loss in the General Fund due to the COVID19 pandemic,” said Vaughn in a statement later. 
“City Administration quickly acted by freezing all vacant positions including not hiring seasonal positions, suspending all nonessential training [and] travel, freezing all discretionary spending, and reserving the ability to suspend contracted work as appropriate. 
"In addition, the City Administrator and Finance Director worked with all departments to identify 15% departmental budget cuts to reduce expenditures until more became known about the financial impact of the COVID19 pandemic directly to the City of Lake Forest Park.”

“Huge props to the mayor and the city administrator” for enacting the spending freezes, agreed Resha.

The City Council will be considering the next biennial budget in the coming months.



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Employment Security is restricting inbound calls to claims center until July 2

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Employment Security is restricting inbound calls to its claims center until next week. 

This will allow claims agents to focus on outbound calling to resolve complex issues for customers who have been waiting the longest for their benefits and free up staff time to process claims with simpler issues.

Customers will still be able to:
  • Apply for benefits and submit weekly claims online.
  • Use the automated telephone system to apply for benefits and submit weekly claims by calling 800-318-6022.
  • Call our questions hotline at 833-572-8400 for answers to general unemployment questions that are not available on our website. Customer service reps at this number cannot answer questions about specific claims.
"Limiting incoming calls for one week will allow us to make fast progress toward our goal of getting all benefits to all eligible applicants. It is also our hope that this phone service prioritization will increase the chance of reaching us for those who must apply by phone because they don’t have internet or because they need an interpreter."

Employment Security was scammed for $600 million in fraudulent claims. When it was discovered, they halted all payments. They were able to recover $300 million. 

Now they are attempting to verify all new claims for validity. If you are one of the unlucky ones whose account was flagged as potential fraud or if you are filing a first time claim, processing is seriously delayed. Back benefits will be paid but in the meantime, many people are in crisis.




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KCLS offers personalized financial assistance service

Monday, June 1, 2020

The King County Library System (KCLS) launched a new reference service to help patrons find financial resources in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. 

The Financial Assistance Navigation Service is available in a variety of languages, and helps point King County residents to the financial assistance programs they need, such as business loans, unemployment claims and rent assistance.

Residents looking for guidance may visit this website to complete an online form detailing their small business and/or personal financial needs, and they will receive personalized financial information and referrals from KCLS staff.

Those without computer or Internet access may call for assistance instead of completing the request online at 800-462-9600.

“It can be overwhelming to navigate through all the complex government resources and application processes,” said KCLS Executive Director Lisa Rosenblum. “KCLS staff can help make sense of the information, and connect residents to the assistance they need.”


Founded in 1942, the King County Library System (KCLS) is one of the busiest public library systems in the country. Serving the communities of King County (outside the City of Seattle), KCLS currently has 50 libraries and more than 700,000 cardholders. 

In 2019, residents checked out more than 5.6 million digital eBooks and audiobooks through Rakuten OverDrive, making KCLS the No. 3 digital circulating library in the world. In 2011, KCLS was named Library of the Year by Gale/Library Journal.



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Washington ESD Tips on Unemployment Insurance

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Rep. Pramila Jayapal shared these tips from the state Employment Security Department


Washington ESD’s new initiative is designed to help get benefits to everyone who is eligible and to get through their backlog of claims.

ESD has these tips for callers making unemployment insurance claims to make sure the process goes smoothly:
  • File your weekly claims. Many people who are eligible and qualified for benefits haven’t filed weekly claims. If you’ve already applied for unemployment benefits but have not yet filed a weekly claim, be sure to file your weekly claim and check out this useful information first before doing so. That will ensure you get through as smoothly as possible.
  • Apply for expanded benefits. If you applied for regular unemployment insurance and were deemed ineligible, you may be eligible for the new expanded unemployment benefit called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). Check out this guide before you apply.
  • Answer the phone: The Employment Security Department (ESD) team members are reaching out and calling people to resolve their cases.
  • Check your spam filter for emails and check your e-services account for notes from ESD asking for information. In some cases, they’ve reached out and haven’t heard back.
  • If you’re new to making a claim — be prepared and use their materials — which have been downloaded more than a quarter million times. The checklist and the guide will help. And, before you hit submit on your application, make sure that the information is correct.

Reporting Fraud

Washington ESD has seen a spike in fraudulent Unemployment Benefits claims, where bad actors are stealing identifying information and using it to apply for UI. Visit their website for more information on how to submit a complaint of fraud.

Remember that the federal government will never ask you to confirm your personal information via email or telephone. Do not open emails or give any personal information to anyone claiming to be able to process any CARES Act related benefits, including your direct cash payments.



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