Drafter

Clerk 10/27/2021

Title

A MOTION requesting the executive explore creation of a public art memorial honoring King County residents lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Body

                     WHEREAS, COVID-19, a respiratory disease that can result in serious illness or death, is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is a new strain of coronavirus that had not been previously identified in humans and can easily spread from person to person, and

                     WHEREAS, on February 29, 2020, the Washington state governor proclaimed that a State of Emergency exists in all counties in the state of Washington as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and

                     WHEREAS, the King County executive issued a proclamation of emergency on March 1, 2020, in order to allow King County to quickly respond to the new or different demands on service in response to the emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and

                     WHEREAS, as of September 2021, nearly 1,900 people have died of COVID-19 in King County, and

                     WHEREAS, on March 2, 2021, the King County Council recognized the one-year anniversary of the county’s state of emergency to honor the sacrifices made by public health employees, healthcare workers, first responders, educators, and essential workers since the start of the pandemic, and

                     WHEREAS, on February 29, 2020, King County was the first jurisdiction in the country to report a death of a resident due to COVID-19.

                     WHEREAS, rates of deaths due to COVID-19 are highest in King County among Native Hawaiian/pacific islanders, Hispanic/Latinx, and American Indian/Alaska Native residents.

                     WHEREAS, King County’s public art program is established in code section 2.46, with the intention to "contribute to the cultural and artistic legacy of this region through the public art program," and

                     WHEREAS, K.C.C. 2.46.150 specifies that King County's cultural development authority and executive "shall collaboratively define the scope of the artist’s involvement, the project specific art budget, project development schedule and the architectural and engineering team’s responsibilities" for public art projects, and K.C.C. 2.46.160 designates King County's Cultural Development Authority Select as the party responsible for commissioning artists and designing review for public art projects, and

WHEREAS, public art dedicated to King County residents who lost their lives to COVID-19 would be a way to memorialize these beloved individuals;

                     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:

                     A. The council requests that the executive create a report that explores the creation of a public art memorial honoring King County residents who lost their lives to COVID-19 during the pandemic. This report should include at least the following:

                     1.  Potential memorial locations that are geographically central for all King County residents;

                     2.  Projected costs and sources of funding to complete this memorial;

                     3.  The process for working with 4Culture to commission this memorial with one or more local artists; and

                     4.  Opportunities to engage King County residents, especially those who have lost family members to COVID-19, in shaping this memorial.

                     B.  The executive should electronically file the report on the creation of the King

County COVID-19 memorial no later than July 1, 2022 with the clerk of the council, who shall retain an electronic copy and provide a copy to all councilmembers.