MRSC Insight Blog

Posts for August 2015

Taking Deliberate Steps to Improve The Development Permitting Process

August 31, 2015 by Steve Butler
Category: Land Use Administration

A look at how Redmond, Renton, and Kittitas County improved their permit processes using lean.

The PRA Applies to Work-Related Texting on a Personal Cell Phone

August 28, 2015 by Joe Levan
Category: Court Decisions and AGO Opinions , Public Records Act

In a highly anticipated decision on the Public Records Act (PRA), the Washington Supreme Court on August 27, 2015 issued its opinion in Nissen v. Pierce County. The court, in a unanimous decision that includes some revelations, held that “text messages sent and received by a public employee in the employee’s official capacity are public records of the employer, even if the employee uses a private cell phone.”

A Few Simple Tips for Presenting Financial Information to Non-Financial Audiences

August 27, 2015 by Tracey Dunlap
Category: Finance , Guest Author

Presentations of financial information are a routine part of municipal operations; however, they are not always the most widely anticipated. Tracey Dunlap provides some good tips for making your data more understandable.

Washington Court Holds Ballots Secret and Not Subject to Public Disclosure

August 25, 2015 by P. Stephen DiJulio
Category: Guest Author , Public Records Act

The 2015 court decision White v. Skagit County and Island County concluded that ballots are exempt from disclosure due to the vital government function of holding secret ballot elections.