Council gives direction on COVID‑19 memorial plan and virtual wall after committee review

The council reviewed preliminary ideas for a permanent COVID‑19 memorial and a companion virtual memorial after the public art advisory committee presented examples and options.

Planning and Building Director John King said committee research identified 222 Paramount residents whose deaths were attributed to COVID‑19 between January 2020 and May 31, 2023, based on public‑health data. The committee recommended a permanent sculpture with color accents paired with an online memorial page where families could voluntarily submit names or remembrances.

King showed examples from other jurisdictions — stained‑glass walls, kinetic sculptures and low‑maintenance granite treatments — and said the city budgeted $115,000 for the project (about $100,000 for the artwork and $15,000 for lighting and site accessories). Council members discussed location options near existing memorials at City Hall, whether names should appear on a physical wall or be hosted online, maintenance and theft concerns for different materials, and how to involve community representatives (hospital staff, long‑term‑care providers, essential‑worker groups) in design review.

Council consensus favored exploring both a sculptural option and a wall option and returning to the public art advisory committee with a refined scope and a call for proposals that reflects community input and maintenance considerations. Staff noted privacy issues and said a virtual wall would allow voluntary family submissions of names while maintaining privacy protections.