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White Salmon council adopts ordinance to clarify committee procedures; one abstention
Summary
Council voted 3-0-1 to adopt Ordinance 2026-05-1187, updating White Salmon Municipal Code Section 2.20.010 to clarify committee procedures, public observation, and how volunteer committees bring recommendations to Council; Councilmember Patty Fink abstained, citing transparency concerns.
The White Salmon City Council on May 6 adopted Ordinance 2026-05-1187, amending White Salmon Municipal Code Section 2.20.010 to clarify committee procedures and public observation rules. The motion, moved by Councilmember Ben Giant and seconded by Councilmember David Lindley, carried with three votes in favor and one abstention.
Council discussion focused on balancing transparency with flexibility for volunteers. Councilmember Patty Fink said she had reservations about clarity for committee members but was "willing to see how the updated process works moving forward," and then abstained from the adoption vote. Staff explained the changes are intended to improve transparency and provide a structure for how committees gather information and bring recommendations to Council.
The ordinance was presented during the public hearing portion of the meeting; no members of the public offered testimony. The final vote was recorded as Giant — Aye; Fink — Abstained; Rainbolt — Aye; Lindley — Aye. The ordinance updates how committee meetings may be observed and how non-quorum members may gather public input before forwarding recommendations to the Council.
