Large Group of Citizens Dismissed From Public Meeting

Sequim, WA - Approximately 85 Clallam County citizens were advised by Vice Chair Paul McHugh, (Clallam Park and Recreation District 1) to leave a scheduled public meeting Jan. 20 because the room at the Sequim Fire Station was too small.

According to McHugh the capacity was for 40 people. After most of the crowd dispersed, an agenda item was acted upon by the Board under the watch of Craig Ritchie, an attorney for the Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center (SARC). Ritchie/Jones attorneys were hired by the taxpaying district and received $3,124 for their services in 1997.

The Board chose to swear in newly elected board members which had been slated on the agenda. Board Chair Bill Hixon stated to this reporter that he performed the oath and was not aware of the statutory law that would have authorized the action. He said that a meeting was not opened by the Board prior to performing the task.

After receiving notice that prices would be raised at the facility, community members packed the December public meeting at Sequim Bible Church. The approximately 90 attendees gathered to question price increases, personnel matters, and a proposed 1998 budget which includes a new slide for the pool, to cost approximately $50,000, including installation but not the fee to a local architect. The proposed 1998 budget is $957,000.

Although SARC has a meeting room and a gymnasium, the Board announced that they needed to find another meeting place for the January meeting. No public announcements were available in media publications. A notice had been posted at the SARC facility a few days before the scheduled meeting.
Citizens are displeased about the the meeting which was planned over the dinner hour and also were inconvenienced by parking problems. Many attended the meeting prepared to give public testimony.

"It was very inconvenient for me over the dinner hour. They [Board] knew there would be a large crowd because of newspaper articles and phone calls," said SARC patron Marjorie Lester of Sequim. She stated that she was concerned that the Board Chair had been very rude to a member of the audience. "I feel that he owes him an apology," she said.

A report about the ADA (American Disabilities Act) was scheduled on the agenda and several people who attended to hear that report found it difficult to access the area.

Washington State Auditor spokesperson Mark Rapozo is interested in the board's actions due to possible noncompliance with the Open Public Meetings Act (RCW.30.010 and .020). Because public boards are there for the benefit of the people they serve, they are to hold open meetings where public testimony can be received. (See sidebar.)

Rapozo stated that he wants to know what statutory authority was cited for this formal action. Ritchie and the Board did not respond to written inquiries from the Citizen Review regarding that question.

(from RCW.30.010 and .020 - the Open Public Meetings Act. "The Legislature finds and declares that all public commissions, boards, councils, committees, subcommittees, departments, divisions, offices, and all other public agencies of this state and subdivisions thereof exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business. It is the intent of this chapter that their actions and their deliberations be conducted openly. Item 3 states that Ð action by a governing body including but not limited to receipt of public testimony, deliberations, discussions, considerations, reviews, evaluations, and final actions.")