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Group to poll for short special meeting to vote on projects; staff to propose raising early-stage consultant cap to $2,000
Summary
Because the meeting notice fell short of open-meeting requirements, members agreed to poll for a short special meeting (possible early January or a Friday at 1:00 p.m.) to vote on two projects; staff recommended raising the early-stage consultant compensation from $1,500 to $2,000 to address contractor concerns.
Members discussed a notice defect that prevented formal votes at this session and generally agreed to poll for a short special meeting to take formal action. Speaker 1 said the group had "violated the open meeting law by not getting the notice out soon enough for this meeting," and Speaker 2 proposed calling a special meeting in January so consultants have time to work in the best season.
Participants debated timing and notice. Multiple members suggested the week of Jan. 6, while others proposed holding a brief Friday meeting in the near term; staff confirmed a 48-hour public-notice window and several members suggested an early-afternoon time (1:00 p.m.) to maximize attendance. Speaker 3 noted that if no new information appears, the meeting could be brief but must permit public comment and questions.
Administrative and contracting matters were also discussed. Speaker 3 reported six more projects were placed on an RFP with two contractors assigned (Stone and Watershed Consulting), bringing the total to 11 of an anticipated 20 projects. Staff said consultants have complained that $1,500 for early-stage work is tight and proposed raising the cap to $2,000; Speaker 5 said he would be willing to raise it to $2,000 at the imminent meeting and urged consideration of administrative alternatives for handling small overruns.
Next steps: staff will circulate a poll/invite and field sheets and WPD ID numbers for the projects, propose a $2,000 early-stage cap at the next short meeting, and return with contract language for committee review. No formal votes were recorded in this session.
