Sequim city manager outlines employee wellness initiatives and revived wellness committee

Matt Huish, city manager in Sequim, described the city’s employee wellness initiatives and said Sequim has been a “WellCity” for about three years while reactivating its wellness committee “in 22F” following COVID.

Huish said the committee, inactive for nearly a decade before it was reactivated, is “thriving” and working with the human resources and safety committees to promote health and safety for city employees. “I view our human assets as the most important thing we have in the city,” he said.

The wellness program emphasizes multiple “pillars,” Huish said, including financial stability, mental well‑being and spiritual well‑being in addition to physical fitness and nutrition. He said the city offers a mix of group and individual activities, reimbursement for equipment and digital resources that employees can access from phones or laptops.

Huish described the program as voluntary and aimed at building connections across departments. “We have taken what used to be very segmented parts. You have public works, you have the police department, you have administration, and we’re all a community,” he said. He also said the city partners with local gyms and community organizations on some activities.

There was no formal action or vote recorded in the transcript related to the presentation; the remarks were informational. Huish framed the effort as part of broader goals to make Sequim “the best city to live in, work in, and visit.”

The presentation did not specify the size of the program’s budget, the exact funding sources for reimbursements, or the formal timeline for the committee’s activities.