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Charter panel rejects change to May 27 minutes after dispute over coroner amendment
Summary
Commissioners debated whether the May 27 minutes misrepresented how a coroner-related charter amendment was handled; a motion to revise the minutes failed after extended debate.
On June 9, 2025, the Clallam County Charter Review Commission debated and then rejected a motion to amend the minutes of its May 27 meeting after a commissioner said the published minutes misstated how a coroner-related charter amendment had been handled.
Commissioner Richards moved to change the May 27 minutes, saying the packet and bylaws showed the document considered at that meeting was the text labeled “proposed amendment” and that the minutes as drafted omitted and misstated key procedural steps. "Last week, I objected to the procedure that was followed," Richards said, arguing that the agenda packet’s printed document and the motion on the floor were not the same and that the commission’s bylaws bar substantive changes to documents at the final step of the approval process.
The minutes debate focused on whether the chair’s and other members’ statements, and an email from the county prosecuting attorney, had been accurately reflected. Commissioner Bello said she saw no problem with the minutes and that the language read at the prior meeting matched the packet. Chair Fish clarified procedural history and cited attorney notes that had been circulated after the May 27 meeting. Several commissioners said they had reviewed the tape of the May 27 meeting and that it supported different readings of what occurred; others said the draft minutes included interpretation beyond a neutral record.
After debate and several attempts to clarify whether the document in the packet matched the language read at the meeting, the commission put Richards’s motion to change the minutes to a voice vote. The motion failed. No further formal action was taken on the minutes at that meeting.
Because the disagreement referenced bylaws and prior counsel email(s), commissioners discussed next steps for addressing procedural concerns, including seeking clarifying legal advice and ensuring future agendas and packets clearly identify the exact text being proposed for adoption.
The minutes dispute occurred before the commission moved to public comment and other business.
