Drafter
Clerk 08/25/2006
title
A MOTION calling for a detailed evaluation of funding options, debt capacity, security and operational impacts, and access to the courthouse by all branches of King County government and their employees, jurors and the general public of capital improvements to renovate and reopen the south entrance to the King County Courthouse and for the potential closure of the east and west entrances of the courthouse.
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WHEREAS, historically, the primary entrance to the King County Courthouse was on the south side of the building in the area that currently functions as the loading dock to the courthouse, adjacent to City Hall park, and
WHEREAS, the city of Seattle is currently undertaking a project titled "City Hall Park Restoration Project" with the goal of transforming City Hall park into an attractive gateway to downtown Seattle, and
WHEREAS it is a common goal of all branches of King County government using the courthouse and the City of Seattle to improve the safety, cleanliness, and usefulness of City Hall park, and
WHEREAS, improvements to City Hall park would make little sense without a reopening of the courthouse south entrance, and
WHEREAS, reopening of the south entrance would physically integrate the downtown King County campus, encouraging way-finding between the courthouse, new county office building, King County administration building and the Yesler building, and
WHEREAS, the King County council has formally adopted Motion 11196 establishing a limit on the use of current expense fund revenues for debt service by requiring that annual debt service payments shall not exceed five percent of the current expense fund's net revenue available for debt service, and
WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the county to pursue all funding options for the south entrance project in order to minimize the impact on the limited current expense fund debt service capacity, and
WHEREAS, the reopened south entrance would r...

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