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Summary
DescriptionSeal of Torrance, California.png
English: Seal of Torrance, California.Every city organized pursuant to Section 34501 of the Government Code shall have a common seal, alterable at the pleasure of the legislative body. The City Clerk is custodian of the seal. Excerpts of the Minutes leading up to the adoption of the City seal are below: First meeting of the Board of Trustees of the City of Torrance held May 16, 1921. "Motion made by Mr. Stone that the President (George A. Proctor) appoint a committee to submit plans and designs for an official seal for the City. Motion duly seconded and carried. The president appointed Messrs. Stone and Fitzhugh on this committee. Adjourned regular meeting of the Board of Trustees held on June 7, 1921. "Trustee Fitzhugh reported that he had a sketch of a design for the City seal which he submitted for the approval of the Board and stated that the cost of same would be $23.50. Upon motion of Trustee Stone, seconded by Trustee Smith the seal be adopted as corrected. Motion carried. Motion by Trustee Gilbert, seconded by Trustee Smith that the committee be empowered to purchase the seal at the price previously mentioned. Motion carried." There is nothing in writing in the City's records that can be found to determine why the committee in 1921 selected the particular design that later became our official City seal. The original seal showed a lady wearing a loose-fitting Grecian robe. She was seated on a throne or platform with toes of one foot revealed. In her right hand she held a hammer; in her left a lyre. At her left side stood a shovel, and in the foreground near her left leg appeared what might have been a sheaf of grain. In the background, on either side of the lady, were buildings, one appeared to be a factory and other apparently a house or barn. In 1955 or 1956, the seal, having worn down where no impression of the lady could be seen on City records, was recast, after which the lady appeared in an upright position, apparently carrying a book. In 1963 City Clerk Coil informed the Council that the seal was in such poor condition that it was impossible to determine the design from the imprint. City fireman Sam Hughes drew a facsimile of the original seal after studying early magnified images on old City documents. At the Council meeting held on January 14, 1964, "it was acknowledged that even the reproduction is not an accurate portrayal of the seal as it originally existed although it is as close as it is possible to do so." Councilman Benstead then moved to authorize use of the seal as reproduced, or redesigned. The motion carried unanimously. The seal was then again recast to conform with the approved design as prepared by fireman Hughes.
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This work was created by a government unit (including state, county, city, and municipal government agencies) that derives its powers from the laws of the State of California and is subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Government Code § 6250 et seq.). It is a public record that was not created by an agency which state law has allowed to claim copyright, and is therefore in the public domain in the United States.
Records subject to disclosure under the Public Records Act
Although the act only covers “writing,” the Act, pursuant to Government Code § 6252(g), states: “Writing” means any handwriting, typewriting, printing, photostating, photographing, photocopying, transmitting by electronic mail or facsimile, and every other means of recording upon any tangible thing any form of communication or representation, including letters, words, pictures, sounds, or symbols, or combinations thereof, and any record thereby created, regardless of the manner in which the record has been stored.
Agencies permitted to claim copyright
California's Constitution and its statutes do not permit any agency to claim copyright for "public records" unless authorized to do so by law. The following agencies are permitted to claim copyright and any works of these agencies should be assumed to be copyrighted outside of the United States without clear evidence to the contrary:
The Health and Human Services Agency (as to certain specified deliverables relating to the health information exchange). See Health & Safety Code § 130251.15.
County of Santa Clara v. CFAC held that the State of California, or any government entity which derives its power from the State, cannot enforce a copyright in any record subject to the Public Records Act in the absence of another state statute giving it the authority to do so. This applies even if there is a copyright notice, so long as the State of California or one of its agencies (other than those listed above) is indicated as the copyright holder.
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