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Seattle Municipal Archives Finding Aids

Audiotapes

 Subject
Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings

Found in 57 Collections and/or Records:

Memorandum of Records of Ordinances

 Series — Box 1
Identifier: 1801-18
Scope and Contents note

A log used in tracking actions taken on legislation. Includes ordinance number; title; adoption date; vote by councilmembers; dates approved, published, and filed with City Clerk; page ordinance appears in Council minutes; and page ordinance appears in volume of engrossed ordinances. Volume includes ordinances 238-1386.

Dates: 1881-1890

Miscellaneous Board and Commission Minutes

 Series
Identifier: 1802-C3
Scope and Contents note

Proceedings of meetings of boards, commissions, committees, and special task forces. Includes minutes of permanent boards, etc., established by the City Charter and special committees, etc., appointed for a short duration. Does not include minutes of City Council.

Dates: 1944-2004

Model Cities Program Contracts

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 1802-C5
Scope and Contents note

Contracts and agreements with individuals and organizations for services offered through the Model Cities Program. Includes 434 contracts.

Dates: 1969-1974

Municipal Code

 Series
Identifier: 1801-06
Scope and Contents note

The Seattle Municipal Code codifies all general ordinances currently in effect. The Code is indexed by subject and arranged by title, chapter, and section. Predecessors to the Municipal Code include numerous compilations of City ordinances published between 1884 and 1938, often organized in subject arrangements. These earlier compilations were referred to variously as General Ordinances or Codes. The Office of the City Clerk maintains an automated, full text index to the Municipal Code.

Dates: 1884-2017

Municipal Transportation System Revenue Bonds

 Series
Identifier: 1800-12
Scope and Contents note

Correspondence, legal opinions, and copies of legislation relating to a ten million dollar loan from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to modernize the Seattle Municipal Street Railway System. The City issued bonds to pay for the loan. The system was reorganized as the Seattle Transit System under the direction of the Seattle Transportation Commission. Included are documents outlining the organization and authority of the Commission.

Dates: 1939-1942

Official Names and Naming Proposals

 Series
Identifier: 1802-C6
Scope and Contents note

Petitions and recommendations for and designations of official names or name changes for streets, parks and playgrounds, public buildings, and bridges in Seattle.

Dates: 1908-1986

Official Publications Scrapbook

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 1802-10
Scope and Contents note

Newspaper clippings of published ordinances and resolutions, mayoral vetoes, election returns, official notices, and other city business. Of particular interest is a published registration list of legal voters in Seattle by ward and precinct for the 1892 election.

Dates: 1892-1893

Ordinance Amendment Card Index

 Series
Identifier: 1801-04
Scope and Contents note

This card file lists all legislative action which amends, supercedes, repeals, or in some other way affects an ordinance. It is not a true index as the cards are arranged by ordinance number. This index has been superceded by the City Clerk's automated ordinance index.

Dates: 1973-1992

Ordinance Codification Project Records

 Series — Box 1
Identifier: 1801-16
Scope and Contents note

Correspondence, memoranda, notes, and financial records relating to the WPA Project (#201) to codify Seattle City ordinances.

Dates: 1935-1936

Ordinance Indexes

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 1801-03
Scope and Contents note An automated index is maintained by the Office of the City Clerk. It includes ordinance title, council bill and ordinance numbers, date the bill was introduced, the date it was passed, the date the mayor signed it, and the City Council committee that reviewed the legislation. From 1995 forward, the index includes searchable full text of the ordinance. The old manual back-up indexes date from 1884-1992 and are found in two formats. Three volumes index bound/engrossed ordinances for 1882-1984...
Dates: 1882-2017

Ordinance/Council Bill Cross-Reference Cards

 Series
Identifier: 1801-05
Scope and Contents note

These cards list ordinances in numerical order with a short title, Council Bill number, and date approved. Information is sketchy between 1883-1910. Included are some entries from Ballard, Columbia City, and Georgetown.

Dates: 1883-1988

Ordinances

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 1801-02
Scope and Contents note

Permanent laws of the City passed by City Council and signed by the Mayor. Includes ordinance number, title, text, date passed, and signatures. In some instances, background correspondence and affidavits of publication are filed in the ordinance jackets. Most ordinances from number 1 to 254 are not extant. Ordinances 255 to 1068 are found in bound volumes. All other ordinances are microfiched and hardcopy is arranged numerically in boxes.

Dates: 1869-2017

Payroll Registers

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 1800-11
Scope and Contents note

Payroll record for all City departments and offices. Includes employee name, department, occupation or job title, pay rate, amount paid, deductions, balance due, and warrant number. This series has been sampled by accessioning every tenth year.

Dates: 1908-1979

Population and Census Data

 Series
Identifier: 1802-D1
Scope and Contents note

Population studies, statistics, and census data primarily for Seattle and the metropolitan area. Includes reports on population of cities and towns in Washington State, population and housing trends in Seattle, and of special interest, the official census of the Town of West Seattle in 1907.

Dates: 1907-1981

Proposed City Budgets

 Series
Identifier: 1802-D2
Scope and Contents note

Budget proposals drafted by the Mayor's budget office and submitted to the City Council for consideration. The City Council subsequently holds hearings, amends the proposed budget, and passes on the final decisions.

Dates: 1968-1986

Public Development Authority Documents

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 1802-D3
Scope and Contents note

Annual reports, financial reports and audits, minutes, charters, rules, and applications of public corporations known as public development authorities (PDA). PDAs are responsible for policy formulation and administration of certain public historic districts, public low income housing or housing rehabilitation programs, and economic development programs.

Dates: 1971-2001

Published Documents Collection

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 1801-92
Scope and Contents note Published documents created by or for City agencies. Includes reports, studies, environmental impact statements, master plans, and audits. Also included are City Charters, published ordinances, the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the City, and City budgets and Capital Improvement Plans. The document collection is compiled from many sources and are complemented by documents located and described in several other record series. The collection is ...
Dates: 1884-2017

Puget Sound Traction, Light and Power Company Maps and Property Inventory

 Series
Identifier: 1802-D8
Scope and Contents note The Municipal Street Railway System was formed in 1919 when the City purchased the Seattle street car rail lines of the Puget Sound Traction, Light and Power Company, Seattle Division. Voters approved the purchase on November 5, 1918. The Company was owned by Stone & Webster, based in Massachusetts, which purchased utilities and street railways in the late 1890s. Formed in 1898 by Stone & Webster, the Seattle Electric Company consolidated property and rights of small transportation...
Dates: 1918

Recalls and Impeachments

 Series
Identifier: 1802-D4
Scope and Contents note

Petitions, certifications of signatures, reports, correspondence, and statements of expense regarding attempts to recall or impeach City officials. Includes the 1906 petition for a recall amendment to the City Charter.

Dates: 1906-1975

Record of Ordinances

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 1801-19
Scope and Contents note

Numerical listing of ordinance titles. Arranged by ordinance number and including title and date approved. Handwritten, marginal notes indicate repeal dates when applicable. Volume 1 includes ordinances 1-5182; volume 2 includes ordinances 5183-8489.

Dates: 1869-1902

Referenda

 Series
Identifier: 1802-D5
Scope and Contents note

Petitions, certifications of signatures, and City Attorney opinions on referenda. A referendum is proposed or approved legislation that is referred through a petition process to the people for a vote.

Dates: 1913-1977

Register of Appointments

 Series — Box 0
Identifier: 1802-08
Scope and Contents note

Lists of elected officials and appointments to City positions and committees. Arranged chronologically.

Dates: 1890-1908

Resignations and Removals

 Series
Identifier: 1802-D7
Scope and Contents note

Written resignations by elected officials, board and commission members, and city employees; and notifications to City Council by the Mayor of the removal from office of executive department heads and board and commission members.

Dates: 1897-1983

Resolutions

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 1801-09
Scope and Contents note

City legislation of an administrative or administrative nature, or expressing policy. Resolutions are passed by City Council and may carry the Mayor's signature as an endorsement. Arranged numerically with some early duplicate numbering because resolutions were maintained in two-year series from 1890-1906 with each series beginning with number 1. Beginning with series 1906, resolutions are on microfiche or microfilm cassette.

Dates: 1890-2017

Resolutions Register

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 1801-10
Scope and Contents note One volume (1890-1906) is an index divided into three sections: numerical with references to bound volumes of resolutions, a broad subject index, and a more detailed subject index that also refers to the bound volumes. A card file (1907-1958), arranged numerically, includes description, reference to Council minutes, and general remarks. From 1958, the Resolutions Register contains the number, title, committee referral, and disposition. This series is superceded by the City Clerk's automated...
Dates: 1890-1992