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Snoqualmie council hears city attorney explain Open Public Meetings Act, risks of 'serial meetings'
Summary
City Attorney Dina Burke told the Snoqualmie City Council that Washington’s Open Public Meetings Act requires transparency for elected bodies, warned that private email or social-media exchanges can create illegal 'serial meetings,' and said OPMA defenses are not covered by WCIA insurance and penalties can be personal.
City Attorney Dina Burke told the Snoqualmie City Council on Feb. 9 that Washington’s Open Public Meetings Act is a “sunshine law” intended to keep elected bodies’ deliberations open to the public.
Dina Burke explained the law’s scope, saying a meeting occurs when a quorum gathers with the intent to transact official business and that the law covers deliberations, reviews, and final actions. She cautioned that "serial meetings"—a series of smaller communications that, taken together, involve a majority—can amount to an unlawful meeting…
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