LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will consider a motion on Sept. 27 that would instruct the county’s director of Arts and Culture and the director of Public Health to work with the public and develop ideas for honoring county residents who have died due to COVID-19.
Supervisor Hilda Solis wrote in her motion that the county should utilize the arts in a way that’s open, accessible and positively impacts the mental and physical health of all communities to “allow Angelenos to express their grief and heal.'’
The motion calls for a report back in six months with ideas for honoring those who have died because of COVID-19, as well as the projected costs and timeframe of the suggestions.
The Board of Supervisors’ meetings will also reopen for in-person public attendance on Tuesday for the first time since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Attendance at the 9:30 a.m. meeting at the Hall of Administration will be limited to 100 people, and all attendees will be asked to wear face masks.
The board meetings will continue to be accessible online and telephonically, and residents can make public comments remotely over the phone.
The decision to resume in-person meetings was prompted by the county’s recent move from the “medium'‘ to ”low’' COVID-19 community activity level, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Public Health department said more than 33,500 people have died because of COVID-19 in the county since the beginning of the pandemic.
“Each of these lives represented much more than a statistic,'' Solis’s motion states.
The motion notes that vaccines and other therapeutics have helped lessen the impacts of the virus.
“However, it is important to remember and memorialize those residents we have lost, especially by utilizing the healing medium of the arts,'' the motion states.
Members of the Board welcomed the opportunity to once again see their constituents in person.
“After over two years of no constituents being allowed in the board room due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are pleased to have reached a point where we can safely resume in-person dialogue with the public we serve and who have a right to be here,'‘ Board of Supervisors Chair Holly J. Mitchell said in a statement. ”The health of our communities and staff remains a priority, which is why we will continue to uphold safety measures so that we can keep the board room open.’’
Supervisor Kathryn Barger agreed.
“I am pleased that our Board meetings will be re-opened to the public and I’m hopeful that our County’s residents will be ready to re-engage in person,'‘ she said in a statement to City News Service. ”Public participation and input during or policy discussions are a critical part of our democratic process.’’
