Drafter
Clerk 03/25/2020
Title
AN ORDINANCE amending the King County council rules meetings in response to an emergency declaration issued by the King County executive; amending K.C.C. 1.24.035; and declaring an emergency.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. On February 29, 2020, public health - Seattle & King County confirmed the first cases of the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19"), including one death, in the county.
B. COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that can result in serious illness or death and can easily spread from person to person.
C. On March 1, 2020, King County executive Dow Constantine signed a proclamation of emergency in response to COVID-19, enabling "extraordinary measures" to fight the outbreak.
D. On March 16, 2020, Governor Jay Inslee ordered the statewide closure of food establishments to sit in serve and the prohibition of gatherings of more than fifty people.
E. Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for public health - Seattle & King County issued a parallel local Health Officer Order in King County stating "These orders are essential to protect our whole community from an unprecedented outbreak, especially the most vulnerable people and our health care system."
F. Foremost among the directives in the local Health Officer Order are the imposition of social distancing and the discouragement of the congregation of persons.
G. To that end, and in the interests of focusing all immediate efforts on COVID-19 response and recovery, King County council has temporarily suspended both standing and regional committee and judiciously scheduling full council meetings to address time sensitive matters and issues related to the COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.
H. As the duration and impact of the emergency cannot be foreseen, the council desires to make formally provisions for how to effectively proceed with doing the people's business, especially focusing on the need to address COVD-19 response...

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