Pullman council moves to clarify meeting rules and public-comment process

City Administrator Sean Wells presented a consolidated review of Pullman’s council rules and procedures Tuesday, telling the council that the rules—originally adopted in 2013 and amended in 2021 and 2024—need housekeeping to reflect current practice and state requirements. "Ordinances will trump resolutions, so that's why we're here tonight at 05:30," Wells said, explaining a discrepancy between an ordinance that sets meetings at 5:30 p.m. and a resolution that lists 7 p.m.

The presentation outlined meeting types (regular, special and emergency), executive-session uses under state law (RCW), and expectations for conduct and decorum. Wells emphasized practical points for residents and staff: consent agendas for routine business, when public hearings are required, and that written public comments must be submitted through the city clerk to be part of the official record. On remote participation he said the Open Public Meetings Act requires the city to "make efforts to make that available" when requested.

Council members probed options for consolidating the meeting's two public-comment periods into a single comment period and whether the threshold for placing items on the agenda should change from two council members to three. Several councilors favored keeping the two-member threshold now to avoid inadvertent quorum or public-records complications; others asked staff to return options. Mayor Benjamin and staff said they would present a cleaned-up resolution in February that removes overlapping amendments and clarifies time, remote-comment procedures and related references.

The council did not adopt changes Tuesday; staff will draft the revised resolution and present it for possible adoption at the February meeting.