Anacortes council weighs committee-of-the-whole, remote-attendance limits and public‑comment rules

The Anacortes City Council spent a workshop session in August 2025 discussing whether to replace parts of its three-member committee system with a rotating committee-of-the-whole or a hybrid model and to formalize rules governing remote attendance, public comment and what belongs on the consent agenda. Mayor Miller opened the workshop as staff and seven council members sat around a table to encourage more conversational exchanges.

Council members said the matter matters because changes would affect how and when elected officials see information, how staff time is used and how the public experiences transparency. Councilmember Walters said the goal should be “better discussions and better outcomes,” and Mayor Miller urged the group to use the session to produce specific, workable changes.

The debate split along two main lines: council members and staff who favored more frequent full‑council discussions so all seven members hear the same briefing at the same time, and members who defended smaller, informal committee meetings as a place for staff to get early, candid…