Puyallup City Council Releases Coronavirus Update

PUYALLUP, WA — The Puyallup City Council has penned a letter looking back at all the ways the city has had to change to adapt to the pandemic, and where the city needs to go from here.

Leaders open the letter say that the pandemic has been difficult for everyone:

"Much has changed over the past few months—so many things we once took for granted are different, for now. Many of us have suffered due to financial hardships or worrying about staying safe while continuing to work or because someone we care about fell acutely ill. All of us have been affected in one way or another."

The letter then lists some actions the city has taken to mitigate the damage, including:

• Granting supplemental funds to local food banks. The need for food grew massively as unemployment spiked during the pandemic.
• Waived late utility fees during the state of emergency.
• Extended timeframes for many land use permits and approvals.
• Approved and awarded contracts for the Manorwood water main replacement and the Clark's Creek elodea removal.
• Passed a resolution honoring essential workers who have kept the city afloat during the pandemic.

Now, city leaders are looking ahead at what's next, including projects like:

• A pilot program allowing for more outdoor eating and retail in downtown Puyallup.
• Rebalancing the 2020 budget, and likely the 2021 budget as well.

They end the letter by thanking residents for toughing through it all:

We know all of this has been hard. We also know our community is nothing if not resilient.

Thank you, Puyallup, for showing up for each other in ways both large and small.

City leaders are also encouraging anyone with concerns to shoot them an email or give them a call. Their contact information can be found here.

Read the full letter from the City Council here.