The Metropolitan King County Council voted 11-1 today to place a bond issue on the September ballot to fund seismic and public health and safety improvements at Harborview Medical Center.

The amount of the bonds would total $193 million and would pay for new areas to serve patients, as well as the demolition of aging portions of the Harborview complex that have been deemed to be unsafe in the event of a major earthquake.

"Putting this package before the voters was not a decision the council took lightly," said Councilmember Greg Nickels, chair of the Law, Justice and Human Services Committee. "We have been reviewing the proposal for almost a year, and have scrutinized every penny.

"Harborview is the only Level 1 Trauma Center in the state, and we are obligated to offer our citizens top-quality care in a safe environment," Nickels added. "When the Big One hits, this is the one building we need to have still standing."

The bond measure would fund the:

• Demolition of seismically unsound buildings;
• Construction of new buildings to house departments displaced by demolition, including inpatient and outpatient clinical services and new quarters for the King County Medical Examiner;
• Renovation of existing buildings to increase critical healthcare capacity and seismic stability, which will involve upgrades to the mechanical, electrical and telecommunications systems in the complex; and
• Completion of improvements outside the building as required by local building codes.

"We have been warned that some of our older county buildings are becoming uninsurable because of earthquake concerns," said Councilmember Rob McKenna, chair of the budget committee.

"In addition to our public health responsibilities, we also have a responsibility to King County citizens to manage their tax dollars wisely," said McKenna. "We cannot begin to afford the liability from the potential seismic failure of public buildings like Harborview. The magnitude of that kind of liability is so large it could bankrupt King County."

The bond measure will go before King County voters on Sept. 19.