Washington State Issues New Mask Mandate When Indoors: Updated 8/23/2021

The governor also announced that the existing statewide mask mandate will be expanded to once again include vaccinated individuals in indoor settings effective Monday, August 23. The mask mandate will apply to most all public places across the state, including restaurants, grocery stores, malls and public-facing offices, regardless of vaccination status.

There will be limited exceptions when face coverings won’t be required, such as office spaces not easily accessible to the public where individuals are vaccinated, and when working alone indoors or in a vehicle with no public face-to-face interaction. Small, private indoor gatherings where all attendees are vaccinated are also exempt. READ MORE

Healthy Washington Re-Opening Plan on 2 Week Pause: Updated 5/3/2021

In today’s press conference, Governor Inslee announced a two-week pause to the Healthy Washington reopening plan. All counties will remain in their current phase and will be re-evaluated again after the pause. Recent data shows that the fourth wave of infection appears to be at a plateau; while hospitalizations have increased, there has not been an increase in the number of deaths. READ MORE

All of Washington State now in Phase 3: Updated 3/22/2021

Governor Inslee has now moved all counties in the State of Washington the Phase 3. Restaurants and Retail establishments are now allowed to be at 50% occupancy. The Governor has also announced that the state will be moving back to a county by county approach versus the regional approach to moving forward and backward in phases. It was announced that the state will review the counties every 3 weeks. No details on Phase 4 have been announced.

PPP Second Draw: Updated 1/11/2021

SBA, in consultation with the U.S. Treasury Department, reopened the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for First Draw PPP Loans the week of January 11, 2021. SBA began accepting applications for Second Draw PPP Loans on January 13, 2021. SBA is currently accepting Second Draw PPP loan applications from participating lenders. Lender Match can help connect you with a lender. You can also view all lenders near you on a map. At least $25 billion is being set aside for Second Draw PPP Loans to eligible borrowers with a maximum of 10 employees or for loans of $250,000 or less to eligible borrowers in low or moderate income neighborhoods.

New Federal Stimulus Funding: Updated 12/21/2020

The United States Federal Government is set to vote on new Stimulus this week that should help individuals and businesses alike. In this new batch of Stimulus is a one time $600 direct payment to Americans and boosted unemployment benefits of $300 per week for 11 weeks. We will be keeping an eye on the new programs of grants, PPP and other sources available to you and your business.

New Grants & Restrictions: Updated 11/18/2020

Announced on Sunday, Governor Inslee announced new restrictions on businesses and gatherings to hopefully put a lid on the quickly rising number of new COVID-19 cases in our state. As a result many of our restaurants, coffee shops and bars will be transitioning back to Take Out service only. Due to these new restrictions the City of Sumner enacted a new grant program for restaurants within City Limits. This program grants them $2,500 but the application must be filled out immediately.

For more information on the restaurant grant program click HERE.

New Grant Programs: Updated 8/5/2020

The City of Bonney Lake has opened the application for Small Business and Residential Utility Assistance Programs. Eligibly Small Businesses can receive up to $1,500 in grant funding to help cover expenses during this time.

Check the Assistance Program Rules and apply HERE.

Chamber Events: Updated 7/30/2020

We are excited to working on a line-up of Virtual Town Halls and BYOC Digital Networkings! We want to thank everyone who participated in our Chamber Forums to help guide our offerings. We hosted our first Virtual Town Hall on July 29th, 2020 with the City of Bonney Lake to discuss their upcoming Small Business Grants and Residential Utility Assistance Programs.

Keep an eye on the Get Connected page for upcoming BYOC Digital Networkings and Virtual Town Halls!