Prosecutor says ‘Yes’ to Council Meeting Outside of Friday Harbor

By Stan Matthews
County Communications Program Manager

A local reporter has questioned whether “regular” meetings of the County Council can legally be held outside of the County seat. Prosecutor Randall Gaylord’s opinion is yes. The following is his statement:

It is appropriate for the County Council to hold its regular Tuesday meeting on February 15 on Orcas Island.  Under the Open Public Meetings Act, it is the county charter and local rules that determine where meetings are located.

The county charter directed the council to adopt rules regarding the location of its meetings. The council did so in an ordinance and said that the council will meet at the council hearing room in Friday Harbor or “such other venue as is deemed appropriate by the council.”   The rules also state the desire to hold a regular Tuesday meeting at “other ferry served islands at least four times a year.”  These rules were adopted to carry out the expression of the freeholders that county government should be more accessible.

Consistent with these rules, it has been the custom of the county council to hold regular meetings in Eastsound and Lopez Village in addition to Friday Harbor.  Notice of the location is set in advance, made widely known on the council’s agenda, and also posted on the on the door of the council chambers.

When an alternate meeting location is identified in a statute, the Open Public Meetings Act directs that its provisions (and hence the county charter) “shall control.”