Mayor's corner

May always reminds me that summer is right around the corner – which I love – and is a time I find myself spending more and more time outside, riding my bike, going to the Everett Farmers Market, visiting our beautiful city parks, and dining al fresco at one of our favorite restaurants. There are so many great ways to enjoy Everett outside! It’s Bike Month, so an especially good time to peddle around and explore our city. We’re hosting a Celebration Station at Everett Station for Bike Everywhere Day, so be sure to stop by.

This week we were also pleased to announce that some of our beloved Everett activities and events are moving forward this year, including Sorticulture and Jetty Island Days. We’ve made some changes to ensure the events align with COVID-19 guidelines. Sorticulture, for example, is moving downtown this year, which will create more room to meet social distancing and capacity requirements. And, it’ll bring business to our fabulous downtown retailers and restaurants. We’re bringing Jetty Island ferry service back, through our wonderful partnership with Port of Everett and Snohomish County. This year we’ll have an online reservation system, so island-goers can secure a spot on the ferry. This will reduce crowding at the ferry landing and also help track the number of people on the ferry, in keeping with COVID-safe practices.

All of these are, of course, dependent on where we are with our COVID-19 infections rates, and whether our county has to tighten restrictions on events. So please – get vaccinated! Widespread vaccinations are key to getting the upper hand on COVID-19, and also being able to enjoy some of our beloved city traditions.

Be safe. Be well.
- Mayor Cassie

Jetty Island Days returns this summer

Through partnership between the City of Everett, Port of Everett and Snohomish County, the City’s Jetty Island Days program is making a comeback in 2021 while ensuring state COVID-19 safety protocols are followed on the ferry used to transport visitors to and from the island. The ferry will operate starting Monday, July 5 and then five days a week (Wednesday through Sunday) from July 7 through Labor Day. New to the program is an online reservation system (scheduled to open on June 15) for island-goers to secure their spot on the ferry in advance. To partially offset the cost of providing transportation to the island, passenger fees will be $3 per person; children aged 2 and under are free. In the event that COVID-19 restrictions are tightened in the coming months, the City and partners will reassess whether the program can continue. Learn more at visiteverett.com/jetty.

Help plan for the future of parks in Everett

The City is planning for the future of parks, and we need your ideas to help! The City is updating its Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan, which will create a vision and outline future service levels, capital projects, maintenance policies and funding options for the parks system. Community members can participate by taking a quick online survey to share their ideas and concerns. Then join in and learn more about the Rethink Community Wellbeing initiative and the PROS plan online or at one of the outreach events in May, including Kids to Parks Day. Learn more and see outreach event details at everettwa.gov/PROSplan.

Sorticulture gets a new home for 2021

The Sorticulture Garden Arts Festival is set to return June 11-13, launching the start of summer in Everett! This year the outdoor celebration of handcrafted art, plants, flowers and locally made outdoor products will take place in downtown Everett. The new location in downtown on Wetmore Avenue, between Hewitt and Everett avenues, will make it easier to follow current COVID-19 safety guidelines. Free to the public, Sorticulture opens daily at 10 a.m. and closes Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m. In the event Snohomish County rolls back to Phase 2 or event restrictions are tightened, Sorticulture may be postponed or cancelled. Learn more and find event details at visiteverett.com/sorticulture.

Sorticulture Everett's garden arts festival

Get to know Everett’s Pallet Shelter Pilot Project

Join us on May 11 to learn about how the City of Everett plans to use innovative Pallet shelters to temporarily house 20-30 individuals who are otherwise living on our streets and in places that just aren’t safe and suitable. Hear from Julie Willie, the community development director at the City of Everett, two members of our City’s Community Outreach and Enforcement Team (COET), Social Worker Kelli Roark and Everett Police Officer Kevin Davis, and John Hull the director of strategic initiatives at the Everett Gospel Mission. Learn more about the Pallet Shelter Pilot Project at everettwa.gov/palletshelters.

Get pedaling for Bike Month

Dust off that seat, escape on two wheels, explore the open roads and trails, and celebrate all things Bike Month! Cyclists of all skill levels are welcome to join Bike Everywhere Day May 21. Stop by the Celebration Station at Everett Station between 7 a.m. and noon for giveaways, safety training, complementary bike checks, a little friendly competition and so much more! Keep the pedals moving by checking out some awesome Everett trails, learn how to travel via Everett Transit with a bike and find lots more cycling resources and amenities at EverettTransit.org/bike and everettwa.gov/bike.

COVID-19 updates:

Governor Jay Inslee announced a two-week pause on movement in the Healthy Washington: Roadmap to Recovery reopening plan. Under the pause, Snohomish County will remain in its current phase – Phase 3. At the end of two weeks, each county in the state will be re-evaluated.
Vaccines are now available to all Washingtonians 16 and older. To find an appointment, visit VaccineLocator.doh.wa.gov.
All mass vaccination sites operated by the Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce now offer on-site COVID-19 vaccine registration, allowing people to arrive at the sites during open hours to receive their vaccine even if they do not have an appointment. Find vaccination site information and schedule an appointment at http://bit.ly/snocovaccine.
The state Department of Commerce is partnering with ArtsFund to provide over $10 million in grants to help arts, culture, science and heritage nonprofits and other community organizations across the state that have been impacted by the pandemic.
Applications for the federal Restaurant Revitalization Fund opened on May 3 and will remain open to any eligible establishment until all of the $28.6 billion in assistance funds are exhausted.