From:            Bre Keveren
To:                Commission-Public-Records
Subject:           [EXTERNAL] Letter of Support, Port of Seattle Economic Development Partnership Program
Date:              Tuesday, January 26, 2021 2:04:32 PM
Attachments:      Port of Seattle Economic Development Grant Letter of Support.pdf

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Good Afternoon,

Attached, please accept the City of North Bend's letter of support and gratitude for the Port of
Seattle Economic Development Partnership Program.

Thank you,

Bre Keveren
Associate Planner
City of North Bend
(425) 888-7669

Please Note: City Hall is closed to the public in response to COVID-19. Please visit the City
website, at www.northbendwa.gov for further information and online service options.

***This email may be considered a record subject to public review***

January 26, 2020 
Port of Seattle Commission 
2711 Alaskan Way 
Seattle, WA 98121 
Re: Letter of Support for the Port of Seattle Economic Development Partnership Program 
Dear Port of Seattle Commissioners, 
On behalf of the City of North Bend, I would like to express our gratitude for the Port of Seattle Economic
Development Partnership Program. 
Surrounded by more than 5,000 acres of protected public land, while also being only 30 miles from one of our
largest ports with easy access via Interstate 90, North Bend is a popular destination for recreation tourism.
However, while visitors flock to our wilderness, businesses in our downtown core have not seen a similar
increase in foot traffic as one would expect. 
In 2020, the Economic Development Partnership Program helped our city create a series of attractive tourism
wayfinding signage that will serve to guide outdoor recreational enthusiasts to our downtown core, while also 
beautifying and marketing small businesses in our downtown. We received assistance from local community
group, the North Bend Downtown Foundation and the City's Economic Development Commission. All work done
to complete this project stayed within our region. 
The Economic Development Partnership Program has helped to fund additional economic development projects
that improve our city's ability to help our local business community thrive. Examples of past projects include: 
Tourism website; 
Timeless business and property marketing material that can be easily updated inhouse; 
Tourism marketing video; 
Tourism wayfinding signage that guides outdoor recreational enthusiasts to our downtown core and
beautifies and markets our business in our downtown. 
As our world continues to persevere through a historic pandemic, supporting local businesses is crucial  more
so now. We strongly believe the Economic Development Program is an invaluable source to cities. This program
allows for staff to think creatively, it encourages collaboration with other local organizations, thus increasing a
community's trust in local government. Providing local government with additional financial tools to support our
economy is a worthy investment in our region. 
Sincerely, 

Bre Keveren 
City of North Bend, Associate Planner 

City of North Bend Community & Economic Development 
920 SE Cedar Falls Way, North Bend, WA 98045  Phone 425.888.5633  Fax 425.888-5636  www.NorthBendWA.gov