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Issaquah staff present draft plan to combat loneliness, bolster community ties; council broadly supportive
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Summary
City staff presented a staff-developed action plan that treats “nurturing connections and building strong community bonds” as a 2025 priority. The plan centers on convening community partners, collecting baseline data, activating public spaces, and piloting outreach; councilmembers offered suggestions and voiced support.
Issaquah city staff presented a draft action plan on May 5 to address loneliness and strengthen community connections, a top city priority for 2025. The presentation described a multi‑year approach that pairs data collection with outreach and public‑space activation and asked the council for feedback on the mission, goals and near‑term actions.
Dale Markey Crimp, assistant to the city administrator, framed the work around the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on loneliness and isolation and staff’s reading of local signals. “The purpose of tonight's presentation is to provide the city council with an update on the 2025 citywide priority of nurturing connections and building strong community bonds,” Crimp said. He flagged survey data showing that while 77% of residents say they feel they belong in Issaquah, only about 55% say they feel connected to neighbors and 28% report feeling connected to the broader community.
The draft plan identifies four city goals: empower community leaders, enhance behavioral‑health supports, raise awareness and encourage engagement, and strengthen neighborhood ties. Near‑term work for 2025 focuses on forming a Community Connection Action Group, collecting behavioral‑health and community‑survey baselines, activating city‑owned public spaces, and supporting partner organizations’ programming. The plan does not request new biennial funding now; staff said the first year emphasizes organization, partnerships and baseline data collection.
Councilmembers responded with a mix of practical suggestions and endorsements. Several members urged the city to include businesses and volunteer organizations as partners, to prioritize activation of public spaces so they host repeat programming, and to consider “pathways” that lower barriers for residents who are not already connected to community groups. Councilmember Hall emphasized measurement and long‑term metrics, asking staff to track survey changes alongside behavioral‑health data. Deputy Council President DeMichele urged the inclusion of shared purpose in outreach so residents connect around tangible activities.
Mayor Mary Lou Polley said she welcomed the work and noted the plan’s alignment with community conversations the council hears frequently. “I think we have a wonderfully engaging community,” the mayor said, thanking staff for convening partners.
Staff will reconvene the newly formed Community Connection Action Group within weeks, finalize a charter, and return to council with an update late in 2025 or early 2026. Immediate next steps include a plan to collect baseline behavioral‑health data and pilot activation efforts at targeted public spaces such as the Senior Center plaza.
