Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Media Access Exec Sessions topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
St. Helens council adopts executive‑session media policy; denies local applicant, admits Oregonian reporter
Summary
The St. Helens Common Council on Feb. 19 adopted a new executive‑session media attendance policy, denied a local applicant’s request to attend executive sessions as a news representative and approved an application from a reporter with The Oregonian.
The St. Helens Common Council on Feb. 19 adopted a resolution formalizing who may attend council executive sessions and acted on several pending applications for media credentials, denying one local applicant and approving a credentialed reporter from The Oregonian.
The council approved Resolution No. 2,037, described at the meeting as an updated “executive session news media attendance policy” that replaces the earlier policy (resolution number not specified at the meeting). Council members said they were following the city attorney’s guidance when they reviewed individual applications to qualify representatives of the news media to attend closed sessions.
At the meeting the council voted to deny the application submitted by Tammy Magrath (identified in the packet as seeking qualification as a representative of the news media to attend executive sessions). Council members said the city attorney’s memo found the application did not demonstrate the institutional structure and factual‑reporting standard the resolution requires. Councilors said a denial did not bar the applicant from reapplying if they addressed the attorney’s concerns.
Separately, the council approved an application for Maxine Bernstein of The Oregonian after members concluded Bernstein and her employer met the qualifications set out in the policy. Members discussed the difference between organizations that primarily produce news reporting and outlets that mix opinion with reporting; several councilors cited that distinction as a factor in evaluating applications.
Council members who spoke during the item said the attorney’s memo identified specific gaps in the denied application’s materials and that staff advised the council on consistent application of the new rule. The council recorded the votes as affirmative and moved on to subsequent agenda items.
The adopted policy and the council’s decisions change who may be present for executive‑session briefings and discussions that are not open to the public; councilors noted the policy balances public‑records transparency with the legal limits on closed‑session attendance.
Council members indicated that applicants may reapply after addressing the attorney’s findings, and staff will publish the updated policy and guidance on the city website so prospective applicants can see the qualifying criteria.
