MRSC Insight Blog

Posts for August 2016

Should Legislative Bodies Conduct Quasi-Judicial Hearings?

August 31, 2016 by Joseph W. Tovar
Category: Guest Author , Land Use Administration

In our latest Planning Advisor column, Joe Tovar argues that city, town, and county councils should remove themselves from quasi-judicial roles and delegate that authority to hearing examiners instead.

Recapping the August Ballot Measures

August 30, 2016 by Steve Hawley
Category: Elections

This post highlights selected ballot measures from the August 2 primary election, including a sales tax to help address the opioid epidemic, large capital projects in Eastern Washington, and a police funding measure that experienced a 180-degree turnaround from last year.

Washington Cities Have More Powers Than We Think

August 25, 2016 by Hugh Spitzer
Category: Guest Author , Classification

Optional municipal code (code) and first class (charter) cities in Washington have many more powers than we think. City officials and their lawyers frequently wrestle with whether they have sufficient authority to do one thing or another, and then run to the legislature for express permission. But that’s often not necessary.

Informal AG Opinion Clarifies Lodging Tax Awards

August 24, 2016 by Toni Nelson
Category: Lodging Tax (Hotel-Motel Tax)

An informal opinion from the Attorney General's office states that a municipality may award lodging tax revenues to a recipient in an amount that differs from the LTAC recommendations, as long as the legislative body follows the right process.

The Common Interest Doctrine and the PRA

August 22, 2016 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Public Records Act

A recent case from Division III of the Washington Court of Appeals (Division III), Kittitas County v. Allphin, provides strong support for the ability of local governments to work with state agencies in enforcing state and local laws, and to have certain communications related to these enforcement actions protected as privileged under the common interest doctrine.

Financial Management of Municipal Court Services

August 18, 2016 by Tracey Dunlap
Category: Guest Author , Financial Management

This Advisor column addresses how municipalities can work together with the judicial system to provide effective financial management of the municipal courts.

Addressing Free Speech in your Social Media Comment Policy

August 9, 2016 by Josh Mahar
Category: Social Media

This post is about giving local governments some information on how and what a good approach to take is when addressing public comments on their Facebook or other social media pages.

Compass Crossing: New Homelessness Project Connects Efficiency with Responsiveness

August 5, 2016 by Lynn Nordby
Category: Homelessness

A look at an innovative new homeless housing project in Seattle from Compass Housing Alliance and OneBuild.

Recent Legislative Changes to Landlord/Seller Disclosure Requirements

August 3, 2016 by Jim Doherty
Category: New Legislation and Regulations

In 2015, the Legislature enacted EHB 2122, which contained a requirement that cities, towns, and counties provide to MRSC, for posting on our website, all regulations that impose requirements on sellers or landlords to disclose designated information to purchasers or renters. This year the Legislature again took action on this issue by adopting EHB 2971, which amended the 2015 legislation and clarified the ambiguity regarding how the information must be posted

When to Kaizen: Events Versus Workshop

August 2, 2016 by Steven Thomson
Category: Guest Author , Performance Management-Measurement

Consultant Steven Thomson makes a case for doing the lean workshop rather than the one-day kaizen event, which can leave staff frustrated and unfulfilled.

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