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Kittitas County commissioners direct staff to schedule annual evaluation of public defense director
Summary
In a brief March 10 special meeting, the Kittitas County Board of Commissioners recessed twice into short executive sessions under state law and then directed staff to schedule the County Public Defense Director’s annual evaluation; no formal vote was recorded.
On March 10, 2026, the Kittitas County Board of Commissioners recessed into two short executive sessions and then directed staff to schedule an annual evaluation for the County Public Defense Director, according to meeting minutes.
Vice-Chairman Brett Wachsmith announced at 1:01 p.m. that the board would go into a five-minute executive session under RCW 42.30.170(g) to evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for public employment or to review a public employee’s performance, and he cited RCW 42.30.140(4) to note that final actions on hiring or salary adjustments must be taken in an open meeting. The board reconvened at 1:06 p.m. and recorded that no action had been taken during that recess.
Also at 1:06 p.m., Vice-Chairman Wachsmith announced a second five-minute executive session under RCW 42.30.110(g) for similar personnel evaluations; the session concluded at 1:11 p.m. After the second recess the minutes state that staff was directed to schedule an annual evaluation for the County Public Defense Director. The minutes do not record a motion, a vote tally, or which commissioner specifically moved or seconded the direction.
Chairman Cory Wright was listed as excused. Commissioner Laura Osi-adacz was recorded as present. Mandy Buchholz is listed as the office administrator in attendance. The special meeting concluded at 1:11 p.m.
The minutes emphasize that no final action on hiring, salary-setting, discharge, or discipline was taken during the executive sessions and that any such final action would need to occur in open session per the RCW citations noted by the board.
