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MRSC Insight Blog


Posts for January 2023

A montage of port, truck and public transit

Unpopular but Necessary: What Exactly Is an Essential Public Facility?

January 30, 2023  by  Oskar Rey
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Court Decisions and AGO Opinions

What is an essential public facility under the Growth Management Act? An airport? A transit system? A homeless shelter? What facilities can be defined as essential for the public is at the heart of a recent Washington Court of Appeals case.

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Shows a person reading a document about employee benefits

Elected Officials and Benefits Programs

January 25, 2023  by  MRSC Insight
Category:  Governance ,  Compensation ,  Leave Policies

Are elected officials considered employees? If so, are they eligible for the various benefits programs provided for in state law? This simple question requires a case-by-case examination of eligible state-based benefits programs. 

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Are You Up-to-Date on the Open Public Meetings Act? Test Your Knowledge

Are You Up-to-Date on the Open Public Meetings Act? Test Your Knowledge

January 23, 2023  by  Flannary Collins
Category:  Open Public Meetings Act

Since 2020, the Open Public Meetings Act has gone through significant changes, requiring local government staff and elected officials to stay abreast of the changes. How confident are you in your OPMA knowledge?

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Map of Washington State showing how frequency of days reaching a humidity index over 90 degrees might change from 2050-2079

A New Climate Planning Tool for Local Governments

January 18, 2023  by  Matt Rogers
Category:  Guest Author ,  Climate Change

The online tool, Climate Mapping for a Resilient Washington, is a compilation of the best existing climate projection information for the state and includes information on state-specific climate hazards such as reduced snowpack, sea level rise, flooding, and more. 

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New Legal Requirements for Job Postings

New Legal Requirements for Job Postings

January 17, 2023  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Compensation ,  Recruitment and Hiring

Beginning January 1, 2023, public and private employers in Washington State with 15 or more employees are now required to include compensation and benefits information in job postings.

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Taking a Break – A Primer on Legal and Other Holidays

Taking a Break – A Primer on Legal and Other Holidays

January 11, 2023  by  MRSC Insight
Category:  Leave Policies

People love holidays, but how do these impact government? Which holidays will an agency observe? Will offices be closed? Will it include paid time off for staff? To answer these questions, an agency should make its holiday schedule and policies around holidays readily available.

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New Technology, Same Old Open Government Challenges

New Technology, Same Old Open Government Challenges

January 9, 2023  by  Sarah Doar
Category:  Information Technology ,  Open Public Meetings Act ,  Public Records Act

Software such as Microsoft Teams can help to facilitate communication in a workplace, but the use of such tools is tricky for governing bodies whose meetings must be open to the public and whose communications should be easily searchable if a public records request arises.

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The Breakdown of Compost Product Purchasing

The Breakdown of Compost Product Purchasing

January 4, 2023  by  Josh Klika
Category:  Climate Change ,  Purchasing and Contracting

Any agency required to adopt a Compost Procurement Ordinance must also use compost for four specified types of projects and will need to report to the state on compost-related purchases. These agencies have some options in terms of where and how to purchase the product.

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Public Safety Tools — Is a Stay Out of Drug Area Ordinance the Right Tool for You?

Public Safety Tools — Is a Stay Out of Drug Area Ordinance the Right Tool for You?

January 3, 2023  by  Steve Gross
Category:  Drug Possession and Use

A Stay Out of Drug Area (SODA) ordinance is one way a local government can restrict the sales or use of illegal drugs in public places. However, SODA ordinances must be well-designed to avoid legal scrutiny and to ensure they do not disproportionally affect certain populations.

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