Letters-to-the-Editor -- Assistant Attorney General for Government Accountability

Mona Leeson Vanek,

I received your email dated March 8, 2013 which reads:

I regularly publish Palouse Town Council Meeting Minutes, and minutes of Public Hearings held by regional city and town councils, here: The North Palouse Washington e-Newscast, www.palousenewscast.com.

Because of Mayor Harnois' statement at a recent Rockford Town Council meeting, I'd appreciate it if you can clarify (or direct me to) Washington State laws covering this issue where Town or City Council public meetings are concerned. Is it necessary to inform the public that their name will be public record when they attend, and therefore open to the public and could be published in any venue?
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Excerpt, February 20, 2013 Rockford Town Council Meeting minutes (published here, http://tinyurl.com/b95449t)

Minutes:
Thomas Smith made a motion to approve the minutes of the February 6, 2013 meeting. Clint Stevenson seconded the motion, motion carried.

Phil Evans asked why the minutes are not on the Town’s web site and why did people not want their names on the web site. The minutes are all public record.

Micki Harnois answered that people don’t want their names published in the public record. The Town will have to ask their permission to put their names in the minutes if they are made public on a web site.
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A number of town and city councils on the Palouse publish public meetings and Public Hearings minutes regularly on their official town websites. Not all clerks record the names of people in attendance in their minutes, however they may or may not have a 'sign-in' sheet in town files.

Thank you for your assistance. I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,
Mona Leeson Vanek
mtscribbler@air-pipe.com
Editor, The North Palouse Washington e-Newscast, www.palousenewscast.com.

Meeting minutes are a public record and I don’t understand why the Mayor would conclude that people don’t want their names published in the minutes.  I don’t agree that a person who publicly testifies at a council meetings using their name would then object to their name appearing in the minutes.  The council doesn’t need to ask their permission.  Posting meeting minutes on the town’s website serves the public and also reduces the workload of city staff in responding to public records requests.

I hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Tim Ford

Open Government Ombudsman

Assistant Attorney General for Government Accountability

Attorney General of Washington

1125 Washington St, SE

Olympia, WA  98504

(360) 586-4802

timf@atg.wa.gov

http://www.atg.wa.gov/OpenGovernment/Ombudsman.aspx

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