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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3661 i ORDINANCE NO. J�Cp AN ORDINANCE of the City of Port Angeles, Washington, adding adding a new section 1.40 of the Port Angeles Municipal Code, recognizing Juneteenth. it WHEREAS Juneteenth is a widely celebrated holiday, alternatively called Freedom Day, Emancipation Day, or Jubilee Day, commemorating the day in 1865 when news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached the last confederate state, Texas. WHEREAS Washington State does not yet recognize Juneteenth as a legal holiday, but as of 2007, Washington State does recognize Juneteenth on June 19th as "a day of remembrance for the day the slaves learned of their freedom." RCW 1.16.050(7)(1). The 2007 bill adopted by the Washington legislature explained: "The legislature recognizes that on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War had ended and the slaves were now free; that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863; that the end of slavery brought on new challenges and realities in establishing a previously nonexistent status for African-Americans in the United States; that racism and continued inequality is the legacy of slavery and acknowledging it is the first step in its eradication; and that since 1980 June 19th has been celebrated as Juneteenth across the United States as a day for people to come together in the spirit of reconciliation to commemorate the contributions of African-Americans to this country's history and culture." "The legislature declares that an annual day of recognition be observed in remembrance of the day I the slaves realized they were free as a reminder that individual rights and freedoms must never be denied." WHEREAS at the end of 1865, Congress and the states adopted the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which stated: "Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States,or any place subject to their jurisdiction." - "Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation." WHEREAS, the City of Port Angeles has adopted, and remains committed to, numerous actions and policies that are created for the purpose of preventing, extinguishing, and erasing the effects of bias, inequities, and violence based on ethnic, religious, or cultural groupings; and WHEREAS, the employees, officials, and council of the City of Port Angeles take seriously concerns about all of our interactions with the community and continuously work to improve our policies, training, culture and transparency; and WHEREAS, it is necessary for all of us to educate ourselves about any inequities and violence that continues in our society and to take action to make it clear inequities and violence against any ethnic, religious, or cultural group is antithetical to our core values and mission, and must not be tolerated; NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Port Angeles, Washington, do ordain as follows: Section 1, A new Chapter is added to the Port Angeles Municipal Code as follows: Chapter 1.40—Juneteenth. Section 2. A new section is added to Port Angeles Municipal Code Chapter 1.40 as follow: Section 1.40.010 - Juneteenth The City of Port Angeles shall celebrate on the 19th day of June each year an annual day of recognition in remembrance of the day the Emancipation Proclamation came to Texas, and the enslaved people realized they were free as a reminder that individual rights and freedoms must never be denied. On this occasion, the City encourages its officials and employees, local organizations, and all members of the community, to commemorate the day in 1865 when news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached the last confederate state, Texas, and the enslaved people realized they were free. As noted in a bill adopted by the Washington legislature in 2007, and here adopted and endorsed by the Council of the City of Port Angeles: ". . . on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War had ended and the slaves were now free; that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863;that the end of slavery brought on new challenges and realities in establishing a previously nonexistent status for African-Americans in i -2- i the United States;that racism and continued inequality is the legacy of slavery and acknowledging it is the first step in its eradication; and that since 1980 June 19th has been celebrated as Juneteenth across the United States as a day for people to come together in the spirit of reconciliation to commemorate the contributions of African-Americans to this country's history and culture." Section 3. If any provisions of this Ordinance or its applications to any person or circumstances is held to be invalid,the remainder of the Ordinance or application of the provisions of the Ordinance to other persons or circumstances is not affected. Section 4. The City Clerk and the codifiers of this ordinance are authorized to correct scrivener's/clerical errors, references, ordinance number, section/subsection numbers and any references thereto. Section 5. This Ordinance exercises authority granted exclusively to the City Council and is not subject to referendum. It shall be in force and take effect 5 (five) days after publication according to law. PASSED by the City Council of the City of Port Angeles by a vote of one more than the majority of all members of the legislative body at a regular meeting of said Council held on the 215t day of July 2020. Kate Dexter, Mayor A"l T ST: Kari Martine z-Bailey, . t Cleo APPR "QED AS TO FORM: , s � ...•' eye+»+ ,,.. William E. B cior, City Attorney PUBLISHED: 12 By Summary i 1 -3- Summary of Ordinances Adopted by the Port Angeles City Council on July 21, 2020 ORDINANCE NO. 3660 AN ORDINANCE of the City of Port Angeles, Washington adding a new Chapter 1.30 to the Port Angeles Municipal Code, and recognizing Indigenous People's Day. ORDINANCE NO. 3661 AN ORDINANCE of the City of Port Angeles, Washington, adding a new section 1.40 of the Port Angeles Municipal Code,recognizing Juneteenth. These Ordinances,being an exercise of a power specifically delegated to the City legislative body, are not subject to referendum. These ordinances shall take effect five(5) days after passage and publication of an approved summary thereof consisting of the title. The full texts of Ordinances are available at City Hall in the Clerk's office, on the City's website at www.._�ia o� or will be mailed upon request. Kari Martinez-Bailey City Clerk Published by summary: Sunday, July 26, 2020