Wasilla planning commissioners receive training on procedure, written findings, conflicts and record-keeping

WASILLA, Alaska — At its March 25 meeting, the Wasilla Planning Commission spent the bulk of the evening in a Committee of the Whole for a training session led by City Clerk Jamie Newman and the city attorney focusing on parliamentary procedure, how to draft written findings for quasi‑judicial decisions and the rules the commission must follow when members receive outside information.

The training came during a regular meeting called to order at 6:04 p.m. and attended by Commissioners Seals, DeYoung and Stafford in the chambers and Commissioner Brown on the phone; Commissioner Langill arrived about 6:25 p.m. The commission approved a corrected consent agenda and then voted unanimously to enter the Committee of the Whole for the training.

City Clerk Jamie Newman opened the instructional portion, stressing that Robert—s Rules of Order is the municipal parliamentary authority and reminding members that the chair controls meeting decorum. Newman said the basic motion process is: obtain the floor, make a motion, have the motion seconded, the chair restates the motion, members debate and then the body votes. "It's based on the will of the majority, the right of the minority to be heard, courtesy for all, and most importantly ... consideration of one subject at a time," Newman told the commission.

Why the training matters

The city attorney and clerk told commissioners that careful procedure and clear written findings reduce legal risk and increase public confidence. The city attorney said drafting findings is required by the municipal code and by Alaska case law and recommended that commissioners (1) identify the relevant code criteria before weighing the evidence, (2) make a record of which evidence they relied on and (3) explain in writing why contested testimony was persuasive or not. "New information, old findings does not mix," the attorney said when discussing the danger of…