Drafter
Clerk 02/03/2005
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AN ORDINANCE requiring green building practices in all buildings the county constructs, remodels and renovates; directing offices and departments to incorporate the use of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) methods and techniques as the primary method to measure the use of green building practices in constructing and operating county facilities.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. The use of green building design in capital improvement projects reduces pollution, use of natural resources, energy and other operating costs, enhances asset value, optimizes building performance and creates healthier workplaces for King County employees. Green building design has the potential to reduce operating costs associated with HVAC (which is heating, ventilation and air conditioning), lighting systems, municipal water consumption, stormwater management, solid waste and recycling management.
B. Buildings designed to use as little energy as possible and minimal or no fossil fuels are low-energy and high-performance buildings. With such buildings, the county's utility costs will be demonstrably lower, since the largest building operating costs are incurred for artificial lighting and air conditioning, for both heating and cooling cycles. Within a building's total life span, the operations and maintenance costs are generally three times the initial building costs.
C. Green building supports broad sustainability goals of King County, including growth management, economic development, environmental protection, access to public transportation, stewardship of resource lands and wildlife habitat and creating resources from wastes.
D. The LEED rating system is a nationally recognized standard used to rate the performance of buildings and guide project design. The LEED rating system components include: sustainable site design; water efficiency; energy and atmosphere; indoo...

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