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Clerk 06/15/2006
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AN ORDINANCE calling for a special election for the purpose of submitting to the voters of King County on November 8, 2006, a proposition authorizing the sale or exchange of certain real property owned by King County and purchased with the proceeds of the Harbor Bonds passed by the voters in 1910; appointing a committee to write the voters' pamphlet statement for the November 8, 2006, special election and declaring an emergency.
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PREAMBLE:
The purpose of this ordinance is to call for a special election to submit to the qualified electors of King County the question of whether the county should be authorized to sell or exchange certain real property owned by the county and purchased with proceeds of the 1910 Harbor Bond Issue.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings: The King County council specifically finds as follows:
A. On September 25, 1910, the King County board of commissioners approved a resolution placing a measure on the November 1910 ballot to determine whether the county should issue bonds to pay for the improvement and enlargement of county harbors.
B. In the election held on November 8, 1910, the voters approved the ballot measure authorizing the issuance of bonds "for the purpose of the improvement and enlargement of harbors of King County."
C. A total of $1,750,000 of such bonds was issued during 1911 and 1912. The proceeds of the bonds were used to improve and enlarge the harbors of King County. Specific activities included purchase of those properties listed in Attachment A, improvement of the Lake Washington Canal, and improvement of the Duwamish Waterway.
D. The last of the bonds were redeemed in 1931 and the county has no remaining indebtedness on the bonds.
E. The Harbor Bond properties listed in Attachment A were acquired by King County as potential public sites for wharves and docks and other harbor improvements. Private facilities have been developed on some of these properties, but no public facilities have been constructed in furtherance of the Harbor Bond purposes and none are planned for the future. In light of the general development of the Seattle harbor, the Duwamish waterway and the Lake Washington ship canal, occurring subsequent to the acquisition of the Harbor Bond properties, the dedicated purposes are no longer required.
F. The Harbor Bond properties have been classified as financial investment properties and have been developed and improved for commercial and industrial uses under long term leases.
G. The properties acquired with the Harbor Bond Issue proceeds are unnecessary for the county's present or foreseeable needs and are currently leased to private businesses.
SECTION 2. Scope. This ordinance shall apply only to those parcels of real property listed and described in Attachment A to this ordinance, which exhibit is fully incorporated herein by this reference. Any sale or exchange of such real property shall require full compliance with state and county law, including chapter 36.34 RCW and K.C.C. chapter 4.56. In no case shall any such real property be sold for less than its fair market value or a value that reflects the income producing analysis required in K.C.C. 4.56.075, whichever is greater.
The use of any proceeds from the sale or exchange of any real property covered by this ordinance shall be limited to county capital purposes.
SECTION 3. Election to authorize sale or exchange of property. It is found and declared that an emergency exists, requiring the submission of a proposition to the qualified electors of the county, at a special election to be held in conjunction with the statewide general election on November 8, 2006, authorizing the sale or exchange of real property acquired with the proceeds of the county's 1910 Harbor Bond Issue and described in Attachment A to this ordinance.
The manager of the King County records, elections and licensing services division, as ex officio supervisor of all elections held within King County, is requested to call and conduct such special election to be held within the county on that date and to submit to the qualified electors of the county at such special election the proposition set forth below.
The clerk of the council is authorized and directed to immediately certify and transmit this ordinance to the manager of the King County records, elections and licensing services division. The proposition shall be submitted to the voters in substantially the following form:
PROPOSITION NO. ____
AUTHORIZATION TO SELL OR EXCHANGE CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY
Shall King County be authorized to sell or exchange, in the manner provided by law, and as provided in King County Ordinance No ____, certain real property identified and described in King County Ordinance No. _____ and acquired with proceeds of the county's 1910 Harbor Bond Issue, provided that any proceeds from such sales or exchanges shall be used solely for county capital purposes?
YES. . .
NO . . .
SECTION 4. RCW 29A.32.280 provides that for each measure from a jurisdiction that is included in a local voters' pamphlet, the legislative authority of that jurisdiction shall formally appoint a committee to prepare arguments advocating voter approval of the measure and a committee to prepare arguments advocating voter rejection of the measure. This ordinance shall be included in the voters' pamphlet.
SECTION 5. Pursuant to RCW 29A.32.280, the following individuals are appointed to serve on the voters' pamphlet committees, each committee to write a statement for or against the proposed annexation ballot measure:
FOR AGAINST
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
SECTION 6. A certified copy of this ordinanceshall be transmitted to the King County records, elections and licensing services division.
SECTION 7. The county council finds as a fact and declares that an emergency exists and that this ordinance is necessary for the immediate preservation of public peace,
health or safety or for the support of county government and its existing public institutions.