Public Records Act Basics & More - Virtual Workshop

Dates: October 3 or October 12
Time: 9 AM - 4 PM
Cost: $140 (Scholarships Available - See Below)
Capacity: Maximum 75 Registrants per Workshop Date
Credits: CML (R), CLE, WAPRO (Pending Approval)
Also meets Open Government Training Act requirements

These workshops utilize many of the engagement tools in Zoom. We strongly recommend that each individual wishing to attend registers separately and joins with their own computer. Furthermore, we can only provide attendance certificates (for training credits) to registrants.

Workshop Overview

This virtual workshop will provide an in-depth review of the Public Records Act (PRA), starting with the PRA basics and then delving into more details about processing PRA requests, as well as covering public records management. MRSC is conducting this popular workshop two days this fall on October 3 and October 12.

Educational Objectives

This training will help your local government stay in compliance with the increasingly demanding world of public records requests and records retention by providing a solid foundation in the basics of the PRA, practical tips, a review of the PRA request process, and other related topics. Attendees will also have access to a pre-recorded PRA Case Law Highlights 2023 webinar for no additional charge.

Workshop Agenda

In the morning we will focus on the basics of the Public Records Act, including an in-depth exploration of the legal aspects of the PRA. In the afternoon we will cover the more practical process of responding to a records request.

Morning
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM	Public Records Act basics
10:30 AM - 10:45 AM	Break
10:45 AM - 12 PM	Basics continued; Interactive Discussion
Afternoon
1:00 PM - 2:15 PM	5 Steps in a PRA Request, Part I
2:15 PM- 2:30 PM	Break
2:30 PM - 3:15 PM	5 Steps in a PRA Request, Part II
3:15 PM - 4 PM	Questions, Discussion, and Advanced Topics

Who Should Attend?

Local government attorneys, new public records officers and employees, and elected officials seeking to meet the Open Government Trainings Act requirements.

Presenters

Sarah Doar, Legal Consultant, MRSC (Both Sessions). Sarah Doar joined MRSC in September 2018. Most recently, she served as a Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for Island County. At Island County, Sarah advised on many aspects of government business, including compliance with public record and opening meeting laws. She also defended the County in Growth Management Act and Land Use litigation. Prior to moving to Washington, Sarah practiced land use, environmental, and appellate law in Florida for over eight years. Sarah holds a B.A. in Biology from Case Western Reserve University and a J.D. with a certificate in environmental and land use law from Florida State University College of Law.
Steve Gross, Legal Consultant, MRSC (October 3). Steve Gross joined MRSC as a legal consultant in January 2020, having worked in municipal law and government for over 20 years as an assistant city attorney for Lynnwood, Seattle, Tacoma, and Auburn, and as the city attorney for Port Townsend and Auburn. He also has been a legal policy advisor for the Pierce County Council and has worked in contract administration. He is a graduate of Appalachian State University and the University of Puget Sound School of Law.
Jill Dvorkin, Legal Consultant, MRSC (October 12). Before coming to MRSC, Jill worked for nine years as a civil deputy prosecuting attorney for Skagit County where she advised the planning department on a wide variety of issues including permit processing and appeals, Growth Management Act (GMA) compliance, code enforcement, SEPA, public records, the legislative process, and public records.

Credits

CLE credits from the Washington State Bar Association.
WAPRO credits for Washington Association of Public Records Officers (WAPRO) certification/recertification (Pending Approval).
Eligible for credit toward a Certificate of Municipal Leadership (CML) for elected officials through the Association of Washington Cities.
Meets Open Government Training Act requirements for public officials.

Training Scholarships

The Washington Counties Risk Group (WCRG) will provide training scholarships for this webinar. Those wishing to take advantage of this offer are asked to respectfully contact your WCRG risk manager, Mark Sherwood at msherwood@chooseclear.com to request the registration code before you register.
The Cities Insurance Association of Washington (CIAW) will provide training scholarships for this webinar. Those wishing to take advantage of this offer are asked to respectfully contact your CIAW risk manager, Blair Kok at bkok@chooseclear.com to request the registration code before you register.
Read about other scholarship opportunities.

Payment Policy: Payment for this webinar is completed online by credit card only. If you need to be billed, there will be a $5.00 administrative fee added to your registration fee. Please contact jrice@mrsc.org if you need to request an invoice for this webinar.

Refund Policy: Registration closes at 11:59 PM two days before each workshop. All cancelations before the registration deadline are subject to a $15 administrative fee; no refunds for no-shows or cancelations after the registration deadline. Please contact jrice@mrsc.org if you need to request a refund.