City's new budget policy put on hold
May 1, 2009: "An accusation that members of the Yakima City Council broke the state's open meetings law has landed in court.
Catching City Hall by surprise, Yakima County Superior Court Commissioner Gayle Harthcock issued a temporary court order Friday blocking the city from implementing a controversial new budget policy until a hearing on May 15." Read the full article here.
Judgment could cause Wash town's bankruptcy
April 30, 2009: "A judgment for violating the state open records law against the small Eastern Washington town of Mesa has officials there considering bankruptcy or disincorporation.
The Franklin County town, located about 25 miles north of Pasco, owes $246,000 in attorney fees and legal penalties for violations related to the case filed against the city by former Mayor Donna Zink and her husband, Jeff Zink." Read the full article here.
Council approves ordinance to increase 'transparency'
April 27, 2009: "The Seattle City Council voted unanimously today to pass legislation that will require every city department to adopt 'culture of compliance' best practices for managing and responding to public records requests.
The legislation was developed by the council’s 'special committee on open government' and calls for the city to implement state auditor and attorney general recommendations for managing its public records process, and requires all departments to adopt model rules for complying with the Public Records Act that have been in place in the council’s legislative department for the last two
years." Read the full article here.
King Co. to pay blogger $225K for witholding docs
April 24, 2009: "King County has agreed to pay conservative blogger Stefan Sharkansky $225,000 to settle a public records lawsuit he brought over the county's delay in releasing documents about the 2004 governor's election.
Sharkansky filed his request in December 2004, seeking a list of everyone who voted in the county in the election that year, but the county didn't satisfy the request until more than two years later." Read the full article here.
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