By Noah Haglund, The Everett Herald

Everett, Wash.—A united Snohomish County Council passed a budget Monday that staves off most public safety cuts with help from a modest property tax increase.

The spending plan for 2017 followed the contours that council Chairman Terry Ryan had recommended a week earlier. Ryan's budget, in turn, hewed closely to a $238 million plan that Executive Dave Somers unveiled in September, though the council softened cuts to key sheriff's office programs.

Media Contact:
Nona Raybern, PR & Media Manager
Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties
p 425.457.7067
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COVID-19 Safety Toolkit Released for Construction Restart

Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties develops a safety packet with templates for builders to resume work during COVID-19 crisis

BELLEVUE, Wash—April 24, 2020—Today, Governor Jay Inslee announced a plan to immediately restart some residential construction that can be done safely. The plan is based on recommendations unanimously agreed to by a workgroup formed by the Governor, consisting of construction industry and labor leaders. Based on the Governor’s announcement and this framework, MBAKS has created a safety toolkit designed to create and maintain a safe working environment upon return to construction projects.

“We have an obligation to help our workforce and our community stay safe as residential construction restarts,” said MBAKS Executive Director Kat Sims. “We are providing this toolkit simply because the safety of everyone who returns to work in this climate carries the highest importance.”

The Phase 1 toolkit includes safety plans for job sites—including policies regarding control measures related to safe distancing, hygiene, sanitation, etc.—and plans for jobsite cleaning and disinfecting, OSHA recordkeeping, and other safety information.

The toolkit also includes English- and Spanish-language signage and posters to be posted at job sites, and identifies specific duties given to onsite supervisors or managers who will oversee the compliance of safety protocols. Guidance on weekly meetings for procedures and expectations is included in the toolkit, along with daily checklists and safety data sheets.

MBAKS has created this toolkit alongside our existing COVID-19-dedicated website, which provides resources on where businesses can find safety equipment—PPE, handwashing stations, etc.—and resources pertaining to jurisdictions and utilities.

More information on this release: mbakscovid19.org/phase-1-toolkit

Founded in 1909 and headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) is the nation’s oldest and largest local homebuilders association. Like our founders, our members continue to take a leading role in all facets of homebuilding and support the planning for a growing region. From new technology to advances in sustainability and from collaborative public policy efforts to investing in our communities, our commitment to a thriving, inclusive, and well-planned region never wavers. We are the professional homebuilders, architects, remodelers, tradespeople (carpenters, framers, roofers, plumbers, electricians), planners and engineers, suppliers, manufacturers, and sales and marketing professionals in your community who believe everyone deserves access to a healthy and productive place to call home.

By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

The supply of housing inventory for sale in July remained very low in the Seattle market, with 1.13 months’ supply in King County and just 0.73 months’ supply in Snohomish County, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Meanwhile, single-family permits in the Seattle metro area (including King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties) were down 7% and multifamily permits down by 11% in June, compared to the same period last year.

The Office of Financial Management’s (OFM) annual population projections have been released, showing strong continued growth in Washington. The 2020 estimates indicate Washington’s population grew to more than 7.6 million people as of April 1. The Puget Sound region’s population, including King, Snohomish, Pierce, and Kitsap counties, grew by more than 60,800. According to OFM, most of the population change occurred before the COVID-19 crisis.

The Builder's Bulletin is intended to provide a convenient way to track housing in our market and includes information from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, State of the Cities Data Systems, Office of Financial Management, and the Washington State Employment Security Department.

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