Sumner Council Changes Own Rules on Agenda Preparation

The Sumner Council on Monday approved by a 4-2- vote changes to its own rules of governance with regards to how agendas are prepared, tightening deadlines under which items can be submitted for an upcoming Council meeting such that members have more time to review information before a vote.

Councilmembers Randy Hynek and Nancy Dumas opposed. Councilmember Curt Brown was excused from the meeting.

The resulting bristling wasn't so much at the deadline change as it was to how items make it to the agenda at all. Under prior rules, an item could be placed on a full Council meeting agenda at the request of the city administrator, the mayor or two or more councilmembers. 

Monday's changes means that as a rule, items now have to go through either the appropriate Council committee or study session with approval to move forward to full Council.

Councilmember Cindi Hochstatter, who sponsored the resolution, said "the intent is to improve accuracy of the information so that we could have more confidence in our vote and more efficiency in our meetings."

When Council is pressed to vote without having complete information, it often leads to an ineffective meeting, she said. 

Hynek said the change was an 'unfortunate' attempt to limit access to information for citizens. Speaking for himself and Dumas, Hynek said they would have had very little on the last six months worth of agendas had they not been able to introduce items at the general Council meetings. 

"You cannot expect a 100 percent yes vote on everything that comes forward," he said.

Dumas shared her concerns that because Council committees aren't audio-recorded and minutes are not comprehensive, the public does not have a full scope of discussions at that level. While audio recordings are made of Council study sessions, they've been late to be released, she said.

Hochstetter said the changes were not rushed and ran through several drafts with the city's legal department and in study session. The changes were modeled after the council rules for nearby Bonney Lake. Bonney Lake Municipal Code 2.04.310 says "Issues coming before the city council shall first be placed on the agenda of the appropriate council committee or council workshop for discussion unless approved by motion by a majority of the council as an agenda amendment."

Councilmember Mike LeMaster pointed out the Sumner Council also still has that ability to add items to the agenda by a majority vote. Items that may not get initial consent from a committee meeting to the full Council agenda are not stall tactics, as Dumas had alluded to, he said, but a chance to go back and do-over and provide clearer information. 

Councilmember Steve Allsop said he found it hypocritical for the resolution's opponents to cite transparency as a concern when they have brought items to Council for a vote without giving them any time to review pertinent information.

Hynek countered that the majority Council had itself previously rushed items through including a vote on Orton Junction and the YMCA. At least with the latter matter, more community interests should have been at the discussion table, he said.