City Attorney Burke gives cliff‑notes on Open Public Meetings Act to Snoqualmie committee

City Attorney Burke presented a high-level overview of Washington’s Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) to the Snoqualmie Finance & Administration Committee on Feb. 3, 2026, stressing transparency requirements and legal risks for public officials.

Burke summarized the law’s intent and mechanics: OPMA (enacted in 1971) requires that a governing body’s deliberations and final actions generally occur in public and that a "meeting" occurs when a quorum gathers with the collective intent to transact governing business. He explained that the law covers not only in-person gatherings but can include electronic communications and serial meetings when a majority’s deliberations occur across separate communications.

Citing a case example, Burke noted the Eagan v. City of Seattle matter, where extensive communications among council members were found to risk constituting a meeting when they revealed members’ positions. Burke also described permissible executive session topics (litigation, real estate negotiations, collective bargaining strategy) and emphasized that no final action can be taken in closed session. He warned that OPMA violations are not covered by WCIA insurance and that a person may face a $500 personal liability for a first violation; successful plaintiffs may also recover attorney fees.

Council members asked for the full presentation to be delivered to the full council at its upcoming meeting; Burke said he would provide the longer slide deck and a redline/highlighted version of any changes if needed.