June 30, 2021 marked the start of the state fully reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic. With the reopening underway, let’s take a moment to review where things stand.
Mask requirements
With the most recent mask order from the State Department of Health, both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals are
no longer required to wear a mask while outdoors. However, DOH does recommend that unvaccinated individuals wear a mask during crowded outdoor events. Additionally, unvaccinated individuals should continue to wear masks in public indoor settings.
While it is not required to verify the vaccination status of individuals attending indoor events, local governments do have the option to verify the vaccination status of individuals choosing to attend indoor public meetings. For more information on verifying
an individual's vaccination status at a public meeting, please check out this article from MRSC.
Public meetings
Speaking of public meetings, the Governor has not yet rescinded all of the emergency proclamations implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. Proclamation 20-28.15,
which requires that all public meetings be held remotely with the option of also having in-person attendance, is still in effect.
However, the Governor did update the Miscellaneous Venues guidance which sets rules for in-person attendance at open public meetings as follows:
As of June 30, 2021, the following apply to governing bodies of public agencies opting to host in-person public meetings under the Open Public Meetings Act, as permitted under Emergency Proclamation 20-28, et seq.:
- No restrictions on capacity.
- No physical distancing requirements.
- Follow current applicable face covering requirements as outlined in: Proclamation 20-25, et seq., Secretary of Health Order 20-03.2, and LNI Publication F414-179.
Eviction moratorium bridge
On June 24, Gov. Inslee announced an eviction moratorium “bridge” to transition the state out of the moratorium and over to the new tenant protections
established in SB 5160. The bridge will be in place from July 1 to September 30, 2021.
According to the proclamation, for past rent due from Feb. 29, 2020, through July 31, 2021, landlords are prohibited from evicting a tenant until there is an operational rental assistance program and eviction resolution program in place in their county.
Additionally, landlords are prohibited from treating past unpaid rent or other charges as an enforceable debt until the landlord and tenant have been provided with an opportunity to resolve nonpayment through an eviction resolution pilot program.
Beginning August 1, renters are expected to pay full rent, reduced rent negotiated with landlord, or actively seek rental assistance funding. Landlords may only evict a tenant if none of those actions are taken but must offer the tenant a reasonable re-payment
plan before beginning the eviction process. Tenants must also be provided written information about available services and support.
Notably, hotels and motels, Airbnbs, long-term care facilities, and other non-traditional housing options are exempt from the order.
Utility shutoff prohibition remains in place
In addition to the eviction moratorium bridge, Gov. Inslee announced that the utility shutoff prohibition will remain in place through September 30. This means
the prohibition will expire at the same time as the eviction moratorium bridge. Under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), there are funds available to provide relief for utility customers. The Department of Commerce has compiled a list of resources
that can be accessed here. For more details about the utility shutoff prohibition, please check out this article from AWC.
How are you doing?
It’s been a tough 18 months – how are you holding up? We’d love to hear candid feedback from city leaders and staff about your plans for the future. How are you intending to spend your ARPA allocation? Are you and your staff coming back into
the office? Have you figured out how to hold hybrid public meetings? Drop us a quick line to let us know how things are going.