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. 

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

January 27, 2020 by Sarah Doar
Category: Public Participation , Open Public Meetings Act

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

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​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.

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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.

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