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MRSC Insight Blog

Recent Posts

New Ruling Provides Guidance on “Specific Intelligence”

February 24, 2020 by Steve Gross
Category: Court Decisions and AGO Opinions , Public Records Act

This blog discusses the recent ruling in West v. City of Tacoma, which addresses what an agency needs to prove when it claims the Public Records Act’s exemption for “specific intelligence information."

Taking Action Using Ordinances, Resolutions, Motions, and Proclamations

February 20, 2020 by MRSC Insight
Category: Legislative Body

This blog post offers an overview of the many ways that a legislative body can take action on an issue.

Introducing Steve Gross, MRSC Legal Consultant

February 18, 2020 by Steve Gross
Category:

MRSC is happy to announce that Steve Gross has joined our legal team.

Permanent Supportive Housing: One Option for Addressing Homelessness

February 13, 2020 by Steve Butler
Category: Homelessness

This blog post looks at permanent supportive housing, which offers low-barrier affordable housing, health care, and supportive services to formerly homeless individuals, by profiling a related project in Everett.

Local Breed-Specific Dog Bans Now Need a Good Behavior Exception

February 10, 2020 by Linda Gallagher
Category: Animal Control

This blog post explores a new law that requires any local breed-specific dog regulations include a good behavior exemption.

Working on Council Guidelines? What About Remote Meeting Attendance?

February 6, 2020 by Laura Crandall
Category: Legislative Body

This blog post addresses remote meeting attendance, including what is possible and permissible under the Open Public Meetings Act.

Tips for Avoiding OPMA Violations

February 3, 2020 by Flannary Collins
Category: Open Public Meetings Act

This blog post looks at how local governments can avoid violating the Open Public Meetings Act — using questions recently submitted by Washington cites, counties, and special purpose districts.

Disaster Zone: Unreinforced Masonry Buildings

January 31, 2020 by Eric Holdeman
Category: Emergency Management

This blog post looks at the dangers of unreinforced masonry buildings.

Are Your Public Meetings Truly “Open” to the Public?

January 27, 2020 by Sarah Doar
Category:

This blog post considers how local governments could make public meetings even more accessible to the public.

The Annual Financial Report for 2019

January 23, 2020 by Toni Nelson
Category: Financial Reporting

This blog post highlights changes to the State Auditor’s Office Annual Financial Report for ‘cash-basis’ accounting and reporting entities.

Knowing Your Roles: City and Town Governments Edition

January 21, 2020 by MRSC Insight
Category: Administrative and Elected Officials

This blog post looks at the roles and responsibilities of city and town mayors, managers, and councilmembers, and the conflicts that can sometimes arise between these different offices.

Finding Success in Using Community Resources to Deliver Value as a Newly Elected Official

January 16, 2020 by Mike Bailey
Category: Administrative and Elected Officials

This blog article looks at the role of an elected official as policymaker, one who brings value to the community by overseeing use of its financial resources.

Legal Consultant Paul Sullivan Retires

January 14, 2020 by Paul Sullivan
Category:

Legal Consultant Paul Sullivan is retiring after more than 30 years at MRSC.

Understanding When It’s Over: Administrative Procedures and the PRA

January 13, 2020 by Oskar Rey
Category: Court Decisions and AGO Opinions , Public Records Act

This blog post summarizes Kilduff v. San Juan County and suggests best practices for agency administrative procedures concerning public records searches.

Elected Officials Guide — What’s Personal and What’s Public?

January 9, 2020 by Laura Crandall
Category: Open Public Meetings Act , Administrative and Elected Officials , Public Records Act

This blog covers questions about the use of social media and cell phones with regards to privacy and public records and focuses on their use from the perspective of an elected official.

Court Upholds King County Ordinance Requiring Franchise Compensation for Use of Right-of-Way

January 7, 2020 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Court Decisions and AGO Opinions , Water Utilities , Utilities

Can a county charge a fee for allowing a utility to use the county’s right-of-way for placement of utility infrastructure? The Washington Supreme Court ruled recently that it can.

MRSC Launches New Website Search

January 6, 2020 by Tracy Burrows
Category:

We've updated our website search system. The new features make it easier to find information, providing more relevant results and allowing you to quickly narrow your search.

<em>Yim I</em> and <em>Yim II</em> Clarify Washington Regulatory Takings and Substantive Due Process Law

Yim I and Yim II Clarify Washington Regulatory Takings and Substantive Due Process Law

January 2, 2020 by Roger Wynne
Category: Court Decisions and AGO Opinions , Land Use Administration

This blog post addresses Yim I and Yim II, two recent Washington Supreme Court rulings that clarify the state's regulatory takings and substantive due process jurisprudence.

More Employees Will Soon Be Eligible for Overtime Pay

December 30, 2019 by Paul Sullivan
Category: Compensation

There have been changes at both the federal and the state level to determine when workers are eligible for overtime pay. As a result, employers may find many more employees eligible for overtime once these changes go into effect.

Supreme Court Rules Individual State Legislators Are Subject to the PRA

December 24, 2019 by Flannary Collins
Category: Court Decisions and AGO Opinions , Public Records Act

This blog post provides an overview of the recent Washington Supreme Court ruling addressing whether individual state legislators are subject to the Public Records Act.