Host: City of Issaquah
Region: Washington
Openings: 1
Project Focus: Climate Adaptation, Disaster Response / Emergency Management
Skills Needed: Community Engagement, Project Management, Community Outreach, Stakeholder Engagement, Communication, Self-Motivated

Service Needs & Plans

The City of Issaquah approved a climate action plan in 2021. As one of the plan’s near term actions, the city advanced a climate vulnerability assessment in 2022. This project will support implementation of the assessment and other resilience strategies, with a focus on flooding, wildfire risk, and heat events. The priority focus is on community members most at risk for climate related events, including the elderly, houseless populations, households with low income, non-English speaking households, and those with mobility challenges. While the fellow will primarily work with the Office of Sustainability, the fellow will also work with Emergency Management and community partners, such as the Food and Clothing Bank, Meals Program, Eastside Seniors, Human Services, and affordable housing providers. While the city is fairly well resourced, we are not well equipped to deal with major climate impacts. We have several areas of the community that are only accessed by a single road, populations that lack transportation to emergency shelters, low income housing in areas that are prone to flooding, and do not have strong communication tools for reaching our most vulnerable members of the community.

Project Description

Project 1. Climate Vulnerability Assessment (CVA). The City has completed a draft CVA. The fellow will support senior staff in communicating the results of the CVA across departments to support integration into projects and plans. The fellow will lead the communication strategy and tool development (as appropriate). The goal is for all city programs, plans and policies to consider climate vulnerability and resilience in their work going forward. Project outcomes may include a checklist, decision pathway, or other tools developed to support departments in integrating the results of the CVA into their work. This work will help us identify the climate impacts our community is most likely to address and community members and areas that are most at risk.

Project 2. Communication Tools. A key step to building community resilience is providing community members with information about climate impacts and how they can prepare themselves. A consultant team will provide suggested communication tools coming out of the CVA process. The fellow will work with the Office of Sustainability and Emergency Management to create the tools. This work may include finalizing 2-page fact sheets, creating an online story map, working with regional organization to create community signage, or leading the development of other communication tools identified as a high priority by the community. The goal for this project is to create tools that supplement our normal communication channels in order to reach 100% of the community with information about climate resilience.

Project 3. Climate Resilience Policies. We created a set of draft climate resiliency policies for integration into our City’s Comprehensive Plan. This project will include finalizing those policies through further vetting with city staff, community members, and council. It may include presentations to city boards, council committees, preparing memos for council meetings, and finalizing language in the comprehensive plan. This project may include an economic analysis on the cost of implementing policies ahead of the city’s next budget cycle. The goal is to integrate climate mitigation and resilience throughout our Comprehensive Plan so it is integrated within the vision and policies of the city.

Project 4. Wildfire Preparedness and Heat Mitigation Planning. This project supports regional planning efforts for wildfire preparedness (led by Eastside Fire and Rescue) and extreme heat (led by King County). The goal is to develop regional plans that integrate the work of the city’s CVA, but also provide clear direction for the city on how to proceed with implementing actions. The fellow will work with the Emergency Manager to ensure content from Issaquah’s vulnerability assessment and policies are integrated at the regional level, and also identify regional actions that will support Issaquah’s resilience efforts. Outcomes may include report writing, analysis of different planning process, and meeting participation.

This position may also support a resilience hub planning project if funding is awarded under a recent grant application.

Desired Skills

We are looking for a fellow that is self-motivated, can work independently, but also likes working as part of a team. They can balance workload as may be involved in multiple/interrelated projects. The individual can work up to 4 days a week remote, so will need to be able to stay on task with minimal oversight. We are looking with someone with basic project management skills (but also looking to grow in this area), an interest in community engagement, and a desire to build a variety of skills including communication (drafting articles, developing story maps, designing signage, etc), writing (reports, policies, for the public), event organization, and policy analysis. Project focus areas can be somewhat shaped depending on the interest of the individual.

Organization & Community Highlights

Issaquah is an amazing place to live, work and play.
Issaquah, named Best Burb by Sunset, one of the Best Towns for Families by Family Circle and one of the Best Towns by Outside, is a great place for residents and visitors alike. Our community of just over 40,000 is located off the Interstate 90 corridor, just 16 miles east of Seattle. Issaquah — nicknamed Trailhead City — is centered within the Issaquah Alps (Cougar, Squak and Tiger mountains). It’s a destination for countless outdoor enthusiasts, including hikers and paragliders.
In town, Issaquah features a Saturday farmers market, a nationally-recognized theater and a seasonal ArtWalk. In addition, the historic salmon hatchery and Cougar Mountain Zoological Park attract regional visitors.
Every October, more than 150,000 people also visit Issaquah for the annual Salmon Days, recognized by Outside Magazine as one of the Best U.S. Outdoor Festivals in 2023.

The City of Issaquah strives to be a diverse workforce that is representative of the community we serve. We value a variety of perspectives and life experiences and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply for positions with the City. Applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, marital status, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected status under federal, state, and local laws. We believe diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to the success of our city operations. We have an internal Equity team, Council-appointed Equity Board, and a commitment to incorporate Equity into all of our projects and programs through the use of an Equity framework.

The City hosts several all staff trainings as well as staff celebration events throughout the year, and has an active Employee Experience Team. While COVID has definitely changed the office environment, we have strived to be flexible and promote a strong work-life balance. It might be a bit quieter in the office these days, but we are actively finding ways to connect virtually and for in person events. It is an incredibly positive and supportive work environment.

Remote or On-Site Placement

Hybrid