Drafter
Clerk 08/25/2021
Title
An ORDINANCE related to the employee giving program; and amending Ordinance 15558, Section 2, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.12.222.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS
A. On February 29, 2020, the governor declared a state of emergency in response to cases of COVID-19 in Washington state.
B. On March 1, 2020, the county executive signed a proclamation of emergency in King County to ensure the immediate preservation of public health and to relieve the loss, hardship and suffering of county residents.
C. As of May 25, 2021, more than 33 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed, resulting in at least 590,000 deaths in the United States.
D. As of May 25, 2021, more than 167 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed, resulting in at least 3.4 million deaths globally.
E. The global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus continues to disproportionately impact certain communities, regions and countries throughout the world. For example, India is currently the global epicenter of the pandemic and global relief efforts are now focused there.
F. Although many King County residents and employees have contributed to COVID-19 relief efforts through personal donations, many are seeking alternative methods for contributing to ongoing international relief efforts.
G. K.C.C. 3.12.222 provides a process for county employees to donate accrued vacation or accumulated compensatory hours for natural disaster relief efforts, however, this process does not explicitly cover donations for the purpose of supporting epidemic relief efforts, including those on a pandemic scale.
H. King County has consistently encouraged contributions to natural disaster relief efforts through its existing employee giving program and should facilitate employee contributions to COVID-19 relief efforts specifically and future epidemic relief efforts in general.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Ordinance 15558, Section 2, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.12....
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