Monroe Mayor Geoffrey Thomas April 11 in the Longhouse Building of the Evergreen State Fairgrounds.
MONROE — The city is making progress in building a safety net for the most vulnerable citizens, and is working to create an inclusive community that is comfortable and belongs to all residents, Mayor Geoffrey Thomas emphasized during his annual State of the City address Tuesday, April 11.
A large part of the address spoke to the city’s additions in human services programs over the past few years.
For example, the city now has a sponsorship program that subsidizes getting people into drug recovery.
Almost ready to launch is a Sky Valley mobile mental health program to give aid
to people and be dispatched to de-escalate crises.
The municipal court now has a therapeutic court program to reset people’s lives.
There are more temporary shelter spaces today and the city is forming partnerships with nonprofits to get people help with mental, behavioral health and drug rehabilitation issues.
Human services represent a moral imperative, but to anyone who disagrees, Thomas said getting people off the streets also makes economic sense.
By adjusting how the city responded to people who are unhoused who fall into the criminal justice system, through these court programs, it halts recidivism, which “means that I don’t have to pay a prosecuting attorney, which the city of Monroe has to pay for. It means I don’t have to pay for a public defender, which the city of Monroe has to pay for. I don’t have to pay for jail time and all of those other things. Instead, hopefully by breaking the cycle, we’re able to get people to live in a way that reduces our costs. But more importantly to me, gets people in the right space in their lives so that they can have housing,” he said.
About 70 people listened to the 25-minute address in the Longhouse Building at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds. The Chamber of Commerce hosted the event.
In it, Thomas highlighted that new wayfinding signs are going up shortly. The city is encouraging U.S. 2 travelers to explore Monroe’s downtown, and is doing outreach in regional magazines.
He shared how #Finish522 efforts in advocating for funding to widen state Route 522 are unwavering.
Thomas highlighted how the city streamlined spending its federal American Rescue Plan Act allocation toward community needs and local nonprofits.
Thomas also replied to audience questions such as what will be in the big gray building at Fryelands Boulevard and U.S. 2 — he said the city doesn’t know — and said how mental health pros being underpaid is causing
a deficit for meeting the need for their services.
