Drafter
Clerk 02/28/2006
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AN ORDINANCE to establish the official symbol of King County to be the likeness of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; amending Ordinance 8227, Section 1, and K.C.C. 1.36.010 and adding new sections to K.C.C. chapter 1.36.
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STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. The Oregon territorial legislature created new counties in 1852 north of the Columbia river in what is now Washington state. It named Pierce county after the incumbent president Franklin Pierce and King County after the incumbent vice president William Rufus de Vane King. Historians suggest that this was done to seek political favor with the new federal administration. King was a slave owner and a strong supporter of the Fugitive Slave Act.
2. The King County council passed Motion 6461 on February 24, 1986, recognizing the great contributions and many achievements in public service of Nobel Peace Prize laureate the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., including his persistent and unfailing efforts leading to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
3. Motion 6461 changed the namesake of King County from William Rufus de Vane King to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
4. All counties are creations of state law and are established by the state of Washington. The state Legislature passed Chapter 90, Laws of Washington 2005 (Engrossed Senate Bill 5332) to rename King County in honor of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Governor Christine Gregoire signed this legislation into law in a ceremony held in the King County Courthouse in Seattle on April 19, 2005. The law took effect July 24, 2005.
5. Since the state has officially renamed King County in honor of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the official symbol of the county should reflect and call to mind Dr. King as its namesake.
6. The estate of Dr. King and the Martin Luther King, Jr., Center for Nonviolent Social Change (''King Center'') oversee the King estate's intellectual property rights. The King Center regularly authorizes nonprofit and governmental organizations to use the intellectual property of Dr. King in nonprofit, noncommercial activities promoting Dr. King's legacy. The authorization form used by the King Center notes that ''the King Center must give its express written consent for the creation and selling of merchandise using the intellectual property.''
7. Use of the likeness of Dr. King as the new official symbol and logo for King County is intended to promote Dr. King's legacy of nonviolent social change and to effectuate the prior legislative policy decisions of Washington state and King County to honor Dr. King's memory by renaming King County. The county does not intend to seek commercial profit from this tribute and wishes to ensure that its use of the new official county symbol is consistent with this intent. The county acknowledges the King Center's policies regarding merchandise and similar commercial uses and intends to limit the county's use of the logo to official county purposes.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
NEW SECTION. SECTION 1. There is hereby added to K.C.C. chapter 1.36 a new section to read as follows:
The official symbol and logo of King County shall be the likeness of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 2. There is hereby added to K.C.C. chapter 1.36 a new section to read as follows:
The likeness of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., shall be used for official county purposes, including but not limited to, county vehicles, equipment, buses, printed materials, letterhead, business cards, envelopes and notepads.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 3. There is hereby added to K.C.C. chapter 1.36 a new section to read as follows:
Unless otherwise authorized by the King estate, the official logo shall not be used:
A. For purposes of fundraising or solicitation of donations other than the employee charitable campaign authorized under K.C.C. chapter 3.36 or solicitation of donations to King County; or
B. To advertise or promote for-profit commercial events or for-profit commercial services, goods or merchandise.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 4. There is hereby added to K.C.C. chapter 1.36 a new section to read as follows:
The executive shall transmit for council approval by ordinance graphic standards that implement sections 1, 2 ,3 and 6 of this ordinance and K.C.C. 1.36.010, including the design of Dr. King's likeness that shall serve as the official county logo. The graphics standards shall include guidelines and procedures for the use of the logo for all official county uses. The standards shall also include a schedule for phased implementation consistent with section 6 of this ordinance. In the transmittal to the council, the executive shall also provide a report on the executive's efforts to work with the King Center and King Estate to obtain feedback on the standards, to address the concerns, if any, of the King Center and King Estate, and to discuss possible licensing for the use of the logo consistent with section 3 of this ordinance
SECTION 5. Ordinance 8227, Section 1, and K.C.C. 1.36.010 are each hereby amended to read as follows:
King County flag. The official King County flag shall consist of the county logo of a ((gold crown and encircling double gold rings)) likeness of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on a rectangular green background.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 6. There is hereby added to K.C.C. chapter 1.36 a new section to read as follows:
This ordinance shall be implemented in phases to minimize cost. The county shall continue to use the previous crown logo on existing items until these are replaced in the usual course of county business, unless replacement with the new logo is either minimal in cost or is necessary for public health and safety purposes such as uniform identification for King County law enforcement officers. The executive shall coordinate with separately elected officials and branches of government to encourage implementation of this ordinance in all county agencies. The office of management and budget shall submit semiannual reports to the council through 2009 on actual expenditures related to the implementation of this ordinance. The reports should be submitted beginning September 29, 2006, with the subsequent report due March 30, 2007, and every six months thereafter. Eleven copies of each report shall be filed with the clerk of the council for distribution to all councilmembers.
SECTION 7. Sections 2, 3, 5 and 6 of this ordinance take effect upon the enactment of an ordinance approving the graphic standards, guidelines and procedures for the use of the likeness of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., including the design of
Dr. King's likeness that shall serve as the official county logo as required by section 4 of this ordinance.
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