| Description | Volume_Issue | Year | Month | PDF |
| Today we address a myriad of issues with the Public Records Act, including giving the “fullest assistance” possible to records requestors, requiring that requests be made in writing, penalties, and records indexing; we also consider whether a discussion between two members of a governing body, when this does not constitute a majority of that body, is a “meeting” under the OPMA; there is also some legislation of interest addressing the finding in the Hangartner case that an agency cannot reject records requests on the grounds that a request is overbroad; we then briefly discuss the requirement that your agency hire a claims agent under RCW 4.96 to process claims. | 05-09 | 2005 | 9 | v05n09sep2005.pdf |
| This month, the Firehouse Lawyer sheds light on changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act, with respect to the "white collar" exemptions; changes to the post-incident investigation procedures of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act; notice to third parties of public records requests, and when that notice should be given and when not; a new electronic records law that affirmatively requires local agencies in Washington to adopt policies on electronic records; a court case involving standing to sue under the Open Public Meetings Act; and finally, we discuss our involvement in an important Washington Supreme Court case. | 14-8E | 2016 | 8 | August2016.pdf |
| We should begin 2020 with a discussion of the roles and responsibilities of fire commissioners and fire chiefs, and how these two separate entities must "stay in their own lanes" to establish the goals of the agency: This article can be applied to any public agency having a "governing body" and a "CEO"; we also discuss certain Public Records Act cases and the "deferral doctrine" of the Public Employment Relations Commission. | 18-01 | 2020 | 1 | January2020FINAL.pdf |