HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016RESOLUTION NO. 2016
A RESOLUTION of the City Council of the
City of Kent, Washington, to urge the United States
government to select Kent, Washington to host the
permanent headquarters of the United States Space
Command.
RECITALS
A. On August 29, 20L9, United States Space Command was
activated as the eleventh Unified Combatant Command to increase the ability
of the Joint Force to project power and influence, reduce decision timelines
for space operations, and bring focused attention to defending United States
interests in space; and
B. On May L4, 2O2O, the Department of the Air Force invited the
nation's governors to nominate candidates to host the permanent
headquarters of the United States Space Command; and
C. The Department of the Air Force anticipates making a final
selection for the preferred headquarters location in early 2O2L; and
D. When fully established, United States Space Command will
have approximately one thousand four hundred military and civilian
personnel working in the headquarters; and
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E. Kent and the Kent Valley have been home to iconic aerospace
manufacturing and industrial technology companies whose legacy of cutting-
edge innovation contributes greatly to the region's growing footprint in the
larger, global space economy; and
F. Over the past 50 years, these companies' influence in the space
industry has evolved from research, development and manufacturing at the
Kent Space Center for the U.S. space program into a robust, diverse pool of
international companies that relies on Kent Valley's cluster of custom
manufacturers and specialized workforce to streamline operations; and
G. The first technology sent to the moon came from Kent Valley
including the first Lunar Roving Vehicles developed at Boeing's Space Center,
and the material leaving the first footprints on the moon was developed at
Hexcel. The Lunar Rovers used in NASA's historic Apollo Missions 15, 16 and
17 remain on the moon today and were named historic landmarks in 2019;
and
H. Kent Valley has attracted a breadth of engineering and
manufacturing talent that is experienced in the development of spacecraft
and launch vehicles, satellites and satellite systems propulsion systems,
navigation and controls, electronic equipment, robotics, manufacturing
tooling, specialty equipment services, and pure research and development;
and these innovative capabilities are critical to United States national
security and to Space Force operations; and
I. Washington has drawn a new generation of visionaries who are
redefining space exploration including the mining of asteroids, ferrying
tourists to the outer reaches of inner space and designing systems that are
taking humans to the Moon, Mars and beyond; and
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J. Kent Valley's legacy and specialized workforce at Boeing,
Lockheed Martin, Hexcel (formerly Heath Manufacturing), Carlisle
Interconnect Technologies, Qiz, Exotic Metals Forming Company and
innumerable other suppliers has also /ttracted space-related companies,
such as Spaceflight Industries and LeoStella, alongside the global
headquafters of Blue Origin; and
K. SpaceX has developed satellite manufacturing capabilities in
the Seattle Metro to support its Starlink satellite constellation for providing
broadband internet. Other space companies and startups are also in the area
and have added further diversity to the larger aerospace cluster in the
region; and
L, Local educational institutions provide support for research and
workforce development in the Kent Valley region and strong talent resources
in the aerospace industry are provided by the University of Washington and
Washington State University, in addition to the development of innovative
technologies through research and collaboration with industry experts; and
M, The aerospace industry has been a major driver in the region's
economic growth as Washington hosts more than 1,400 aerospace-related
companies and competes globally as a hotbed of space economic
development; and
N. Washington's space industry employs more than 6,200 people,
with more than half of those hosted by companies residing in Kent Valley;
and
O. Over 2,000 Washington businesses provide support to the
military and defense sector. While companies like Boeing, Lockheed Maftin,
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Raytheon and UTC have facilities here, Insitu, Vigor Industrial and Dakota
Creek Industries are headquartered here; and
P. New space companies seek Kent Valley for its high quality of
life, the Seattle metro's leadership in all sectors of high technology,
convenient and proximate access to larger firms such as Blue Origin, and the
demonstrated ability of Kent Valley to draw in world-class STEM talent for
its space and advanced manufacturing innovation firms.
NOW THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENT,
WASHINGTON, DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
RESOLUTION
SECTION 7. -The members of the City Council of Kent, Washington,
urge the selection of Kent, Washington to host the permanent headquarters
of the United States Space Command; and be it further
SECTION 2. - The Clerk of the City Council transmit duly
authenticated copies of this resolution to the President of the United States,
the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Air Force, the members of the
Washington State Congressional delegation, and the news media outlets of
Washington.
SECTION 3, - Severability. If any one or more section, subsection,
or sentence of this resolution is held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such
decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portion of this resolution
and the same shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 4. - Corrections bv City Clerk. Upon approval of the city
attorney, the city clerk is authorized to make necessary corrections to this
resolution, including the correction of clerical errors; resolution, section, or4 Space Command Resolution
subsection numbering; or references to other local, state, or federal laws,
codes, rules, or regulations.
SECTION 5. - Effective Date. This resolution shall take effect and be
in force immediately upon its passage.
1f,i-^L?ildn.
DANA RALPH, MAYOR \
ATTEST:
BERLEY
AP D
PAT"
August 18. 2020
Date Approved
August 18, 2020
Date Adopted
ATTO EY
5 Space Com ma nd Resolution