Bellevue City Council Members Allege Open Public Meetings Act Violations
Publicola is reporting that members of the Bellevue City Council are accusing the majority of violating the Open Public Meetings Act by negotiating the text of a letter to Sound Transit without holding an open public meeting. The council members allege that the letter regarding the future location of a light rail line through Bellevue was drafted via phone and email. The Open Public Meetings Act, Chapter 42.30 RCW, requires that all meetings of the governing body of a public agency shall be open and public. A meeting occurs when the majority of the governing body or any committee acting for the governing body transact any official business of the public agency, including but not limited to receipt of public testimony, deliberations, discussions, considerations, reviews, evaluations, and final actions. A court may determine that a meeting has occurred if a majority transact business via a "serial" or "rolling" meeting in which phone calls or email are forwarded among the group until a consensus is reached.
